Man Takes Care of Late Mom’s Home for Years as He Promised, In His 60 Learns He Was Adopted – Story of the Day

A man promised his mother he would care for her house in the forest when she died, and he kept his promise. But years later, he asked his younger brother for help to spruce it up, but he never imagined what his brother planned or what he would reveal.

Adam and his family grew up on the outskirts of Minnesota near the forest. His parents moved there when they got married because they loved nature. Unfortunately, Adam's father died when he was 13, and he became the man of the house, responsible for his mother, Adele, and his younger brother, Dylan, who was eight then.

His mother had a job downtown but also grew a beautiful vegetable garden and sold them during harvest season. Adam started working as a teenager because they were always low on money, but they got by. Meanwhile, Dylan became a rebel. He did alright at school because he was insanely clever, but he slacked off too much despite Adam trying to guide him.

"You're not my father," his younger brother often scoffed at him when Adam gave him gentle lectures. Eventually, he decided that Dylan needed to make his own mistakes and do what he wanted.

At some point, Adam had grabbed his phone and was about dial 911 when Dylan screamed something that froze him.

Years later, Adam applied to a local college and moved closer to it, but he visited his family on the weekends. Unfortunately, Adele fell sick during that time, and they knew that she didn't have long to live.

On her death bed, she begged Adam and Dylan to care for her home after she was gone. "Of course, Mom," Adam promised, holding her hand tightly.

Dylan nodded as he held her other hand. "Sure, we can do that. Besides, this place will be worth a lot in a few years," he added.

"Please, Dylan," Adam shook his head, but Adele laughed. It was the last time they heard that beautiful sound.

***

She died that night, and Adam was just glad she got to see him graduate and get his first real job. He was 23, and Dylan was 18 by then. He was bound for a university out of state, and Adam had been helping him pack while also caring for their mother.

Afterward, he worked with a lawyer to divide the life insurance and inheritance their mother had left them. Dylan's half was more than enough, so he wouldn't have to take out student loans.

"What about the house?" Dylan asked as they were getting ready for him to move away.

"Well, I'll take care of it while you're gone. We promised her. I don't know if I can keep up her garden, but I can make sure it doesn't go to seed," Adam replied, packing one of his young brother's boxes.

"Should we sell it?"

"Dylan, we promised to care for it. We can't sell it," Adam recoiled at the suggestion.

"Ok, ok," Dylan said defensively and continued packing in silence. He left for college and didn't return to Minnesota after graduation. Instead, he moved to New York and would call Adam every once in a while, but they didn't have much in common, so they grew distant for many decades.

Dylan had broken the promise they both made their mother, as he didn't ask about the home, care for it, or even visit it through the years. But Adam did it, as he would never let his mother down.

***

Many decades later…

Adam was never rich, but he was smart with money, so he could retire from his job at 60 as he wanted to enjoy his golden years with his wife. His adult children were out of the house and starting their own families, so this time was precious. He wanted to be free to spend time with his grandchildren.

For years, they would spend the weekends at Adele's house in the woods, and the entire family loved it. He maintained it as best he could, repainting it as needed, cutting the bushes, fixing whatever broke. However, he visited one day and noticed how time had taken its toll on the estate. The plumbing needed repairs, and the roof was falling apart. But he didn't have enough money to fix it all on his own, so it was time to call Dylan.

He dialed and talked to his brother for longer than they had in years. Eventually, Adam explained the situation with the house and how many repairs it would need. Adam also had another idea he wanted to discuss, but Dylan interrupted him before he could say anything else.

"Listen, Adam. Don't worry. I'll take care of the house. I have an idea, and it'll be great for both of us. Don't think about it. Let me do everything. I'm coming to Minnesota in a few days," Dylan said, and Adam was just happy he would get to see his little brother after so long.

***

Dylan had arrived and met Adam's family, but he stayed in a hotel the entire time. He visited the house in the forest on his own and had apparently big plans for it. But he wanted it to be a surprise and told Adam to stay away.

However, Adam became curious and decided to drive up there one day, not planning to tell his brother he had done so. He never imagined the scene that would greet him. There was a bulldozer, a large construction crew wearing hard hats, and in the middle of it all, he saw Dylan holding some construction plans in his hands and discussing something with an engineer next to him.

He didn't know what to do and started walking towards his brother, taking everything in. The area was noisy. There were too many people, and the whirring of the bulldozer's engine was deafening in what had always been a peaceful and quiet area. But his confusion and shell shock disappeared when his brother yelled.

"Ok, boys. Let's get this house torn down!"

"STOP!" Adam shouted boomingly, and people turned towards him. Luckily, even the bulldozer driver had heard him.

Dylan turned with his ridiculous yellow hard hat and lifted his brows. "Oh, hey! You're here! That's cheating. I wanted this to be a surprise. But well, come here. Check out these awesome plans. I'm going to rebuild this house and make something awesome, and then, we're either going to sell it or rent it on AirBnb. We're going to make some great money off it, bro," his younger brother said, excited. He didn't realize that Adam was angry.

"Are you kidding me? Who said you could do this? We promised our mother to care for her house. Her house. Not some new grand place. This was our parents' house. You can't just take over like this," Adam scolded, gesturing towards what had been their childhood home. "This is home. She lived here most of her life and loved it. That's why she wanted us to care for it. Can't you understand?"

Dylan rolled his eyes. "It's our house now, and we can do what we want. I'm telling you, Adam. This will be a great idea. Just go with it," he coaxed, putting his hand on his big brother's shoulder.

"Don't touch me! I will not go with it, and if you don't stop this entire operation right now, I'm calling the police," Adam threatened in a menacing tone, and finally, Dylan got angry. They shouted back and forth, making the entire crew uncomfortable.

At some point, Adam had grabbed his phone and was about dial 911 when Dylan screamed something that froze him. "You're not even our mom's REAL son. You were adopted! You shouldn't have a say in this!"

Adam's hand fell, and his eyes widened. Dylan's mouth opened wide, realizing what he had said.

"What?" Adam breathed, shaking his head. "I'm adopted?"

Dylan sighed and ran a hand through his thinning hair. "Yes, Adam. You are. But I'm sorry. My words were harsh and untrue. You are my brother, and mom's son, of course. I… I don't know why I said that. It was the heat of the moment," he apologized.

"Why didn't they tell me? Why didn't you tell me before?" Adam asked after a few moments of tense silence.

"I don't know. I think it was because it didn't matter to them. They didn't know I knew either. I found the adoption papers when I was 14," Dylan revealed, looking down at the ground with tight lips.

"At 14? That's when you started rebelling," Adam said, nodding.

"Yeah. I think I was conflicted about that. Of what family meant to me and growing up having to listen to my brother as if he was my father. I was so young when Dad died. I hated the world. But I was an ignorant kid. I didn't know better. I'm sorry," his young brother continued, ashamed of his words and past actions.

Adam was still stunned by the news but quickly realized it didn't matter. He had been loved by his parents and never felt any different. "I forgive you… because you're my little bro, and you'll always be, even if you never took my word or advice for anything," Adam joked to lighten the mood. "But I can't let you build a new house."

Dylan wrinkled his house and said, "We could make decent money from this. Money you could save for your kids and grandkids."

It was a tempting offer. Adam would do anything for his family. But he couldn't do it. Not fully anyway, and the home was half Dylan's, too, so he thought of a solution. "I think we could compromise. People love cabins in the woods. I think we could keep her house and the general spirit she loved and still do what you want with the AirBnB or whatever," he suggested, and finally, Dylan smiled grandly.

"That's my big bro!" he said, giving him a macho one-arm hug with a firm pat on the back. Afterward, Dylan went to his engineer and requested a new plan for the house. He still fixed it and made it look much better, but maintained its original structure. Dylan never asked Adam to repay him for the renovations because his big brother had been caring for the house for decades without any contribution from him.

Eventually, they placed it on the app, and people started renting it for weekends and holidays throughout the year. Dylan was right. They earned a huge chunk of money from it, which they split equally, and Adam was able to start saving up for his grandchildren's future.

Adam's family still used the house when there were no renters. Dylan never returned to Minnesota, so he was still in charge of maintaining it. But he was fine with that because it was part of his family legacy, and he hoped his mother would be proud of him.

The topic of his adoption never came up again. It didn't matter. Family is family.

What can we learn from this story?

• Never say words you'll regret during a fight. Dylan and Adam fought about the house, and the younger brother revealed something that could've been hurtful. Luckily, he apologized, and they never spoke of it again. However, some secrets cause more problems, and you never know what can happen.
• Keeping your promises is important, but you should also know how to compromise. Adam promised his mother they would preserve the house, and he did it despite Dylan's wishes. However, he had to compromise because it was also Dylan's house, and fortunately, they made it work.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who cared for his grandmother, and everyone ignored her until she talked about her will.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.