The Heir

I Guess I'm It

I sat in my office, tapping my pen against my desk. I still sat at my assistant desk. I was supposed to be packing professor Evans' desk up, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to erase every trace of him. Not just yet. Professor Evans had no family. He never married, for reasons I don't know. The man took me under his wing and treated me as a daughter. I felt like I had lost a father as well.

"Knock, knock." I blinked out of my thoughts.

"Hi Mrs. Munley." She was the head of our department, and a very sweet lady. She fought tooth and nail to help me get my promotion.

"How was your first day?" She smiled warmly as she leaned against the door frame.

"It went well. I believe most of the students were happy to see me as their new teacher."

"I agree. I watched one of your classes through the door window." She chuckled, clearly amused with her spying. I scrunched my nose, ready for her criticism.

"Oh, Sophie, don't do that." She waved her hand in the air, gesturing at my face. "I thought it was good."

"So, no critiques?" I prayed.

"None." She smiled. "You haven't packed up Dale's desk yet?" She frowned as she looked at the still heavily cluttered desk.

"No. I can't bring myself to do it yet." I sighed.

"I understand. If I had an empty office I'd offer it to you."

"I don't want a new office, but thank you." I wanted to stay in my office. It still smelled of his sweet pipe tobacco. He used to crack the window, sitting by it, puffing on his dark wood pipe. Mrs. Munley would scold him for doing it. Smoking wasn't allowed in the building, but Dale Evans did as Dale Evans wanted. He said he was too old to walk outside every time he needed to smoke and that he should be able to enjoy it in the comfort of his own office.

"Okay. Well, let me know if there is anything you need." She smiled before turning on her heels and disappearing.

I sighed and pulled a big box from off the floor behind Dale's desk. I suppose it had to be done. I needed a bigger desk, and my name was on the plaquared outside of the door. I needed to just bite the bullet and clear his things. I began digging through his drawers, examining all of his belongings. Placing a lot of it in the garbage. He was a hoarder of sorts, saving all sorts of things he found interesting, when most people would have just tossed it in the garbage. I packed up his personal items and his name plate in the box.

"Sophie?" I looked up to see Helen Munley in my doorway again. But this time there was a tall man dressed in a very dapper suit standing behind her.

"Sophie, this is Mr. Fredrickson." She gestured to the man before stepping aside, allowing him to slip between her and the doorframe.

"Mrs. Kincade." The gentlemen politely nodded his head at me.

"Miss. Miss Kincade." I corrected him as I leaned forward, clasping my hand in his.

"Pardon me." He apologized as he set his briefcase down on the empty chair by the door.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" I watched him as he dug out a yellow folder from his leather briefcase.

"I have the will of Mr. Evans here. I've been trying to get in contact with you about it."

"I'm sorry." I sighed. I had been ignoring his calls as I didn't like to answer numbers I didn't know. His voice mails were very vague, and I didn't feel the need to call him back. "It's been a very emotional time for me."

"I understand." He flipped through a few pages in the folder as he sat on the edge of the desk. His legs extended out in front of him, one crossed neatly over the other exposing his shiny black Oxford.

"Mr. Evans had no next of kin. He glanced at me over the brim of his petite silver glasses before continuing. "In his will, he has gifted everything to you." I gasped, placing my hand on my chest. I knew we were close, almost father daughter, but I didn't expect to be his heir. I didn't expect to receive everything he held valuable in life.

"Mr. Evans has no debt. Everything he has was paid in full." He handed me a stack of papers. "This is his will. I have highlighted the important information. You were left his house and all of the contents inside. Which includes any vehicles on the property. He also added you as a beneficiary on his bank accounts, including his savings and retirement accounts." My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I can see this is a little overwhelming." He smiled a warm, kind smile while he handed me a small card held between his fingers. I took the card, examining it.

"Give me a call tomorrow, or when you're feeling up to it. We need to sit down and go over some details, sign some paperwork, and I need to hand you some keys." He grinned as he placed his envelope back into his briefcase, taking it firmly in his hand.

"I look forward to hearing from you." He stuck out his hand for me again.

"Thank you." I said, still in shock from what I had been told.

I closed the door behind Mr. Fredrickson, leaning my back against it as I rolled the card between my fingers. I was absolutely flabbergasted at what I had been told. Dale left everything to me? I knew he had no family, but me? He had to have had friends he was closer to. Or nieces, nephews, anyone who was actually related to him that would have been more important to leave his life too. I moved over to sit in Dale's leather chair behind his desk. It squeaked as I settled into it.

"Oh Dale. What did you do?" I chuckled as I remembered his cheery demeanor.

"I cannot believe you left everything to me. You seriously didn't have anyone better?" A tear slipped from my eye. Slowly trickling down my face. I wiped it away as it reached my chin.

"Hey Sophie." Helen peeked her head through the doorway.

"Hey Helen." I sat back in the chair, gaining my composure.

"Is everything okay?" She picked up on my sadness.

"Yeah. Um…" I stuttered, trying to find the words. "Dale left me everything." I said as I felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Wow.' She looked as shocked as I still felt. "You two were very close." She made her way to the chair across from the desk. Smoothing her green dress before she sat down.

"We were." I smiled. His memory always made me smile. He was such a positive, happy man, full of useless facts and immense knowledge.

"I suppose it makes sense that he would leave everything to you." She confirmed what Mr. Fredrickson had revealed. The more I heard it, the more it sunk in that I was actually the heir to his life.

"He didn't have ANY family?" I emphasized the word.

"He did. But in all of the years that I knew him, I never once saw anyone visit him. He never spoke about anyone else. I know he had a brother and a sister, but I don't think they were close. They never came to visit him, and he never visited them."

"So I was it." I sighed, brushing my hand over the paperwork I had been given.

"You were it." She said cheerfully, smacking her lips as she held her knee in her hands.

"I have to make an appointment with Mr. Fredrickson to go over everything. Did you know he even left me his retirement?"

"I did." She nodded, her bright red lips curved up in amusement.

"Did you know about all of this?" I gestured to the paperwork.

"No. I only knew about the retirement because I had to sign off on it to be released. Mr. Fredrickson has been in contact with us to get it transferred to you." I fiddled with my fingers as I took in the night's events.

"Well, it's late. Why don't you call it a night? You can get back to this tomorrow." She stood up, making her way to the door.

"Oh, and Sophie." She paused, turning to present a wide, toothy grin at me. "I couldn't think of anyone more deserving than you."

"Thank you." I sighed as I stood up, retrieving my purse from the coat hangers on the wall.