The husband did not let his wife into the barn for 35 years. After the funeral, she decided to come in and fainted when she saw it…

Without her husband, it felt vast and empty, as if it had lost its soul. Sarah struggled to adjust to the new atmosphere in their suburban home. Every corner reminded her of their life together.

Every shelf seemed to shout that it was built and mounted by David’s hands. He was a skilled craftsman. He had built this house from the ground up, crafted the furniture, and handled every repair. Sitting within these four walls became unbearable, so Sarah stepped outside to breathe fresh air, think, and distract herself.

Unable to stay still, she began pacing circles around the house. At one point, her gaze fell on the shed, and a shiver ran through her. For Sarah, that shed had always symbolized David’s difficult nature—his controlling tendencies and the weight of his word.

David had strictly forbidden her from entering the shed, claiming it was his “man’s domain.” Even approaching it was discouraged. He’d say, “A woman’s hand shouldn’t touch my things.” Sarah wasn’t one to argue with him, knowing it was futile, so she accepted that the shed was off-limits.

Truthfully, she never needed anything from it and was relieved to avoid dealing with his tools and gadgets. For the first time, a neighbor, Emily, visited Sarah. They’d spoken before, but people rarely came over because David was always grumbling.

Emily lived across the street. It was to her house that Sarah had run when she found David’s lifeless body in bed. She was so shaken she couldn’t think of whom to call or what to do. “Have you decided what to do with the house?” Emily asked.

“You wanted to move to the city, didn’t you?” “I did, but I can’t now,” Sarah replied. “This house holds too much of my life, all my memories.

I can’t sell it.” “Fair enough,” Emily said. “If I were you, I’d want to let go of those memories.

What about the shed? Have you checked what David was hiding in there?” Sarah admitted she’d been avoiding it, finding the thought unsettling. “Hmm, I’d have rushed in there first thing,” Emily said. “I’m dying to know what he was doing in there for hours.

I sometimes saw light coming from it at night.” Sarah started thinking of ways to politely steer Emily away from her personal matters. She changed the subject, as she had no interest in discussing the shed.

Luckily, Emily loved talking about herself as much as she enjoyed prying. “I’m moving,” she announced. “My daughter’s taking me to live with her.

She worries about me living alone out here, getting older. It’s nice to have someone looking out for me. But you—how will you manage on your own?”

Her words hit Sarah like a punch. She barely restrained herself from snapping back. Emily had touched a raw nerve, and she knew it.

Sarah had confided in her about David’s refusal to have children, despite her longing for a big family. Emily sensed Sarah’s mood souring and quickly left her alone.

After Emily’s departure, Sarah sank deeper into depression, grappling with her loneliness. She was no longer young enough to start over. How could she? Having children was no longer an option, nor was building a new family.

She’d have to learn to live in this new reality. At least the nosy neighbor would soon be gone. Two weeks passed since David’s funeral….