Inside were the original deeds to the house.
I opened them with trembling hands.
There it was in the notary’s handwriting, clear as day.
Property located at 847 Jurist Circuit, Satellite City, Community Noalpin.
Owner: Beatatric Sakoro Mendoza, widow of Torres.
My name.
Only my name.
When we bought the house, the notary explained that since I put down the full down payment, it was safest to put everything in my name first.
“You can do the transfer whenever you want later, ma’am,” he said. “But this way, you’re protected if anything happens.”
Daniel agreed.
“It’s better this way, Mom. Safer for you.”
And then we never did the transfer.
He’d ask about it occasionally in the first few months.
“We need to go to the notary, Mom, to change the deeds.”
But there was always something more urgent.
We always put it off until he
