Thank you to all who continue to read this. It really means a lot.

Chapter 45: Fall Semester

A few days later, as October was starting to creep into Minnesota, Lizzy called her dad. "Robert Jacobs' office," his assistant said.

"It's his daughter Lizzy," she answered.

"One moment."

"Lizzy, kiddo, what's going on?" her dad asked as he picked up the phone.

While she wasn't sure about talking to her dad about this, he'd probably find it inappropriate and weird, she needed advice from an actual lawyer and hoped he actually knew someone. "Do you know someone in Minnesota that knows a great deal about trusts and wills?"

"Plan on setting up a trust? Because before 18, everything you own defaults back to your parents."

"I just need some advice." Lizzy tried not to roll her eyes. She had been over 18 for at least two months.

"Well, I'm a divorce attorney, so I know a bit, but a guy I've worked with for years handles things like that. I'll give him a call and see if he has time to squeeze you in."

The next morning, he sent her a text with the information on when and where to meet his colleague. She showed up five minutes early and walked up to the lady sitting at the desk. "Hi, my name is Lizzy Jacobs. My father called yesterday."

"Jacobs? Of course. Mr. Martinez will be right with you. He's finishing up a conference call. Can I get you anything?"

"No, it's ok. I just came from school. I'll be fine and you probably have a million other things to do. I'll just sit here until he's ready if that's ok."

"Of course."

Lizzy sat down in the chair and stared at her shoes.

"Ms. Jacobs?" a voice asked maybe 10 minutes later. Lizzy looked up to see a man standing in the doorway. "Hi, I'm Asher Martinez. Your dad said you'd like to talk. Please, do come in." Lizzy stood and followed him into the office, taking a seat in front of the large desk. "There's a few things I want to check before we jump into this. You are Elizabeth Jacobs, Robert Jacobs' daughter?"

"Yes."

"And you do understand my specialty is in trusts and wills?"

"Yes."

"And the final thing, as a minor I cannot withhold anything you tell me from your father should he ask, not legally."

"I'm not a minor. I turned 18 this summer, which my dad happens to know, sometimes."

"Ok then. What would you like to know?" Mr. Martinez asked.

"I met this guy. He was a sweet, older gentleman and we spent all of our time together just talking in the park. Nothing untoward or anything like that. He reminded me of my grandfather who had died shortly before I met this gentleman. We mostly talked about the birds and his late wife. I painted his picture for my art fair when I was in seventh grade and the following summer I entered it in the art show at the state fair. I didn't think anything of it when I didn't see him after that summer. Until the executor of his will showed up at my high school three weeks ago."

"He passed?"

"He did. End of September. I had known this guy for a couple months and he left me something. I didn't believe it."

"Okay. Well, what I know about wills in Minnesota is that as long as they're signed in front of two people and the person is in their right mind, there's very little someone can do to overturn it."

"What about in Texas?"

"Same thing. However, since you're not family it has to be very specific so they can't challenge it."

"I think he said it was called a uh ... testamentary trust."

"Oh, well in that case, those are very hard to challenge. Do you mind telling me what he left you?"

"One fifth of his estate. I found out that his name was William Hopper. He owns an art gallery in New York, a few vacation homes, sat on the board of a few charities, and I have no idea why he left me anything."

"Because sometimes we can make a bigger impact on someone than we think," Mr. Martinez said.

"Maybe, but I don't know. It doesn't feel right. I don't think his kids will be happy about it. He left each of them one fifth, a fifth in a trust to continue running the gallery, one fifth to a few charities, and the final fifth to me. I just, I don't know if I'm ready for this kind of responsibility."

"Well, how much was the estate worth?"

Lizzy swallowed and offered him two sheets of paper. "It's highlighted on the second page," she said softly. She watched as the lawyer's eyes scanned the page taking in the details of the will and the trust he had left her. She really hoped it wasn't more complicated than the executor had told her it would be.

Mr. Martinez looked up at her. His face gave nothing away about his thoughts. "His estate is worth that much?"

"His estate is worth five times that much; that's what he left me."

"From what I understand of Texas law, and that's a lot, this is going to be very hard to challenge. According to this, you'll get a monthly allowance of $1,000 a month until you turn 25 or until you have a child after you turn 21, whichever comes first. When one of those two events happens, you'll earn your entire trust fund. All of it. However, should you have a child before you turn 21, your monthly allowance will be raised to $3,000 a month until you turn 21 when you will receive your entire trust fund."

"Can anyone stop that?"

"His will has to go through probate but from what I can see here, there doesn't look like any issues. It seems everything is in order here."

"What if I don't want it?" Lizzy asked.

"If you don't, then there is an option to donate it and you can do that. What I can suggest is you do agree to take it and occasionally donate it. Maybe just part of it a month."

"You suggest I tell my father?"

"You could consider it. I can't tell you what to do."

"This won't have any effect on any future trust fund I may get?"

"No. The only thing I see that you would have to worry about this with would be when you get married. If you get married in a community property state and you put the payouts from this into a joint checking account then that money becomes both yours and his. However, if you keep this money separate, in your own bank account, your spouse, should you end up divorcing, would have a very hard time claiming it as joint income. Either way, with what I know about divorce, how much you're getting, and the semi-confusing laws surrounding community property, I would definitely sign a prenuptial agreement. Your dad can tell you more about that."

"Yes, he probably deals with it a lot. I think that covers all my questions."

"So, what is your next step?"

"Mr. Hopper's attorney told me to call him when I came to a decision about the inheritance. Guess I have to make a phone call."

"This is my card. If you need anything, give me a call."

"How much—"

"Don't worry about it," he cut her off.

"That's not fair to you. You didn't have to take time out of your day—"

"No, but I've been working with your father for more than 20 years. You're like family and this is what family does."

"Ok. If you say so."

"If I really needed payment for it, I'd get it from your dad. I have a thing about charging high schoolers who need advice."

"Ok. Thank you."

Once back at the school, she paced her dorm room trying to decide what to do. Finally, she decided to sleep on it and maybe she'd wake up to a decision. She didn't though. She met with Bombay in his office before the game the following day. She dropped into the chair across the desk and stared at him. "A lawyer told me that I should take the inheritance. That I could donate some of it if I wanted to but overall, I should take it."

"Have you spoken to the other lawyer yet?"

"No. It's six million." She wasn't sure how that came out but she didn't really want to take it back now that it was out there.

"What's six million?"

"It's what he left me. I'll get 1,000 a month until I turn 25 or have a child after I turn 21, then I get everything."

"I see. It sounds to me like you have made a decision."

"I have?"

"No judgment here."

The way Bombay was watching her made her curious. She wondered if this was what if felt like to have a dad that really cared about you and your choices. One that supported you, no matter what you decided to do even if it wasn't a great choice. Then she realized that she was feeling exactly what she felt every time she had a conversation with Jim Reed and that this must be what Charlie saw in Bombay every time the boy went to their coach. It felt really nice. Better than she could remember feeling around her own dad in a long time. "Does it make me a bad person? Accepting it, I mean. I keep looking back on everything and it seems like everything keeps getting handed to me."

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Getting on the Panthers was a breeze. Over 30 kids tried out and only five made it including me. Then the Ducks, my dad made a stink and the Peewee league just bends to his will. Playing baseball in seventh and eighth grade as the only girl on the team then softball for the school. Being the only freshman on the girls' varsity softball team in Ohio. Getting this scholarship and the Ducks again. I just feel like it was all handed to me and I didn't have to work at it."

Bombay shook his head. "You have talent and drive. It's rare to have both. Charlie has passion but not much talent. Portman has the talent but not really the drive. Adam is another that has talent and drive. When you have both, things do come easy, but no, it doesn't make you a bad person."

"Are you sure?"

"How often was your dad around when you were a kid?"

"Not very. For him it was always seemed to be about Chris, Seth, and Ben. Most of the time it was Nat or Jim taking me to things or showing up. Them and Matt."

"Maybe this is the world's way of making it up to you."

"Maybe."

"Now, come on. You gotta grab your stuff and head outside to the bus."

"Right. Game tonight. We playing home next week?"

"Yep, homecoming."

Despite not having a date for homecoming, she went shopping for a dress with Nat on Tuesday afternoon. "So, Fulton's told me that something's been bugging you for the last few weeks. Fess up, what's going on?" Nat asked as Lizzy tried on her third dress.

"Nothing's going on. Just stuck in a sorta quandary and wasn't sure how to get out of it."

"You know Jim and I would be more than willing to help."

"I know that, Natty, I just don't know how you could have."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Lizzy zipped up the dress and stepped out. She sat down next to Nat. "This guy I knew in Texas, he died in early September. His estate was worth north of 30 million. He left me one fifth of it. I barely knew the guy and I don't feel like I deserve it. What do I do with six million dollars?"

Nat looked at her goddaughter as the girl stared at her hands. Lizzy really didn't want to see the look on Nat's face though she knew deep down that the woman wasn't judging her or would she be asking the girl for anything. Nat tipped Lizzy's head up with a finger. "You use it to do whatever you want. You would be surprised what financial freedom will do for your worries." Nat smiled softly.

"Does it make me a bad person if I don't tell anyone about it?" Lizzy shrugged.

"I've known a lot of good people and a few bad ones and the secret to telling the difference is the bad people don't care all that much about being bad or looking bad. All they care about is that they get what they want."

"You're sure they won't hate me if I don't tell them now and they find out later?"

"Maybe disappointed that you didn't trust them but most of them will understand it's your life and they don't need to know every detail of it."

Lizzy sat quiet for a moment then changed the subject. She stared down at the green dress she was wearing. It had thin straps and was a slightly sparkly, grass green color. "I don't like this dress."

"I didn't think it was you either," Nat agreed.

Lizzy tried on four more dresses until she found one she and Nat agreed on. When they got to the register, Nat insisted on paying for the dress. "Nat. I do appreciate it but—"

"What did I get you for your birthday?"

"New cleats, two gallons of ice cream, and an autographed Brendan Shanahan poster."

"Jim got you the poster and that hardly compares to Fulton's present." She of course was talking about the cruise they took Fulton on for his 18th birthday.

It shouldn't compare for one specific reason. "Fulton's your son."

"And you're like a daughter to me. I want to do this, Liz, please let me."

"Fine, but no shoes. The dress is long enough no one is going to see the shoes."

"Ok, deal." Nat pulled her into a gentle hug then finished paying for their purchase.

She spent most of homecoming with Averman and Russ with Adam and Fulton occasionally dropping in on them. They weren't surprised at all that Homecoming Queen went to a cheerleader but when King went to Guy, they were. While the Ducks still mostly stuck to each other, they did branch out on occasion, so it didn't seem all that impossible for him to gain enough votes, Lizzy sure had voted for him.

Things seemed to be going good for everyone as the falling leaves turned to falling snowflakes. Lizzy had been out on a few dates but mostly focused on hockey like her teammates. Coming back to school after Thanksgiving left her in a pensive mood especially when everyone was looking hard into colleges. A few of the Ducks were even hearing good things from talent scouts but she knew it was going to be hard for her hockey talent to translate into college level especially since she cared more about baseball. There was no way that would get her into college either.

"Lizzy!" a voice called, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. She looked around her history class hoping to pick up on the subject.

"Ben Franklin, lesser-known inventions?" the teacher asked. Lizzy quickly thought over her previous night's homework wondering if she could remember what she had read.

"The urinary catheter," Lizzy said. The class burst into laughter but the teacher nodded.

"That is correct. Well done. Just pay more attention."

After the bell rang, Guy walked with her to their next class. "What's got you all non-focused?" he asked.

"The future," Lizzy shrugged. "Normally it wouldn't bother me but over break my brother Seth, third oldest, proposed to his girlfriend. Chris and Matt are so focused on their upcoming weddings, well, neither's set a date yet but they can't stop talking about ideas, and of course my dad and Michelle are focused on the baby due in just over three months. I guess, everyone is so focused on the future and I can't see past the end of hockey season."

"Would it help if I told you I can't see much past our final exams and graduation? I don't even know what school I want to go to next year."

"But you'll get in on an athletic scholarship if you want it. Me, not so much."

"I'm sure you would if you really want it and if not any art school would be lucky to have you. You're a well-rounded student with a talent for portraits and animation."

"And even if you don't go to college I'm sure you could find some minor league tryouts somewhere or a really great job that you love."

"How'd this become about me?"

"I'm not sure."

"Look, just don't compare yourself to your brothers. They're what ... three to ten years older than you? You'll be fine."

"I'm not sure about that but thanks, Guy. It made me feel better at least."

"Glad I could help."

The weeks leading up to Christmas didn't give her any more clarity to her college situation though she knew her father didn't mind either way. While the younger three of her brothers had gone to college, Matt hadn't and even her mom hadn't finished. She had heard from all of her brothers that the first two years were just gen-ed classes and she didn't need to decide a major until the end of her second year. A few days before break, somehow the Ducks got on the topic of college. While some were definitely applying to UM, a few were also looking at colleges in their home states or a new state they hadn't been to though Adam did hear that some minor league scouts were looking at him. Finally, she decided to apply to a few schools and figure out her major later.

Christmas break came and with it came a packet of information about the annual school spring break trip. Every grade got their own trip and chaperones were mandatory, but the older you were the more distant the trip was. This year the seniors would be going to the Florida Keys which would not only require parental consent and a waiver but also a voucher that the student could swim. For Lizzy, that was a negative. Though she had chances to learn, something was still holding her back from actually learning. Still, she got her father to sign the paperwork as most of the Ducks were talking about going. It'd be a good trip and chance to relax before throwing themselves into finals and college prep.