“In Texas, separate property land remains separate,” Gloria explained. “If a spouse builds a removable structure on your separate land using community funds, they have a claim for reimbursement, but they do not own the dirt.”

“So the land is mine,” I said.

“Entirely,” Gloria said. “And the house is a pile of materials sitting on top of your dirt.”

She reached into her drawer and pulled out a business card.

“You need a structural engineer who understands high-end modular builds,” she said, sliding the card across the desk. “Call Nathan Cole.”

Two days later, Nathan Cole’s heavy work boots crunched on the gravel of my driveway.

He was a tall, quiet man in his late thirties, wearing a faded canvas jacket and carrying a rugged digital tablet.

He didn’t look like the architects Richard usually hired; Nathan looked like a man who actually built things with his hands.

“The structural frame is steel, Mrs. Miller,” Nathan said, looking up at the high, cantilevered roofline of the living room.

“I remember when this brand of modular home came on the market.”