The gross settlement was $1.2 million. After attorney fees and expert costs, roughly $750,000 landed in my personal account. I stared at the deposit notification without celebrating. The first person I called was Derek. He picked me up, and with my brace still strapped around my waist, we went directly to the credit union and paid off the entire $40,000 home-equity line Audrey had taken out for me.
Then Franklin helped me buy a modern two-bedroom condo in downtown Macon for $220,000 cash. I put the deed solely in Audrey and Derek’s names. They had risked the only home they owned when my immediate family would not risk a fraction of their savings. I wanted them to know they would never again face housing insecurity because they had chosen me when choosing me was expensive.
Property records traveled quickly. Felicia monitored county filings for real-estate leads, and within forty-eight hours she arrived at my apartment with Mom and Dad, all three wearing warm smiles and carrying a casserole. They praised my recovery as though they had always expected it. Then Dad leaned forward and proposed a “family wealth plan.” He wanted the remaining settlement placed in a trust controlled by him and Mom because, as he put it, my medical limitations made active investing impractical.
