The truth.
He continued.
“I can tell you what I will do.”
“What?”
“Tomorrow, nothing happens unless you ask for it.”
“No trust presentation.”
“No keys.”
“No documents.”
“No dinner.”
“No family meeting.”
“You choose breakfast.”
“You choose whether anyone comes here.”
“You choose whether I talk about your mother.”
Maya wiped her face.
“You can't make everything my decision now because you hid decisions before.”
Adrian stopped.
She was right again.
“What would feel better?”
“I don't know.”
“Okay.”
They sat.
After a while Maya asked:
“Why did Mom make the trust?”
Adrian looked toward the dark ocean.
“Nia’s mother left her the original beach cottage.”
“This house wasn't here.”
“It was a two-bedroom wood house built in the seventies.”
“Your mom loved it.”
“When she got sick, she transferred the property and some investments into a trust.”
“After she died, I replaced the cottage.”
“With this?”
“Yes.”
Maya stared.
“Using whose money?”
Adrian took time.
“Mostly trust money.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“How much?”
“The rebuild cost about $1.4 million over two phases.”
Maya stopped.
“What?”
Adrian continued quickly.
“The original property was valuable.”
“There were insurance proceeds after storm damage.”
“Your mother had investments.”
“Her life insurance funded part of the trust after her death.”
“Not everything was cash we spent.”
Maya stared at him.
“How much money is in it?”
“Maya.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“This is exactly the problem.”
Adrian closed his mouth.
“Approximately $2.3 million in investment assets today, plus this property.”
Maya stared.
The number felt fictional.
“How much is the house worth?”
“Probably three point one to three point four.”
She laughed from shock.
“You let me complain about not getting new AirPods last year.”
Adrian almost smiled.
“You had working AirPods.”
“That is not the point.”
“It is a little.”
She glared.
He stopped smiling.
Maya looked toward the window.
“So I'm rich.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You are a beneficiary of a trust with substantial assets.”
“That is not the same as having unrestricted money.”
“You cannot withdraw it tomorrow.”
“The trustee can pay permitted expenses.”
“Education.”
“Health.”
“Certain support.”
“Property costs.”
“Beginning at twenty-one, you receive a limited distribution right.”
“At twenty-five, more.”
“At thirty, unless amended by court for good reason, the remaining assets can distribute outright.”
Maya stared.
“You memorized that.”
“Yes.”
“Because you knew.”
“Yes.”
“And I didn't.”
“Yes.”
Adrian swallowed.
“I’m sorry.”
She looked away.
After several minutes:
“Did Simone use trust money?”
“Not directly.”
“Did Renee?”
“No direct distributions.”