I drove out to the parcel early the next morning even though I knew I probably shouldn't. The sky was still pale, the air cool enough that I kept my jacket on when I parked at the edge of the property.
Then I sat in the car for a minute with the engine off, staring at the open stretch of ground that had started to feel less like inherited dirt and more like something handed down on purpose.
Now that I knew it had been a gift, the place sat differently in my head. I needed to stand on it with that knowledge and see if the feeling changed.
Let's do this, I told myself.
I got out and walked straight to the center of the open area, heels sinking slightly into the soft grass. When I reached the spot where the scorch mark had been, I crouched down and put my hand flat on the ground the way I had the other night.
