Ainsley

"No pigtails today, Pippy?" Billy asks Willow teasingly, tugging gently on a lock of her hair. Willow pops her hip out and puts her hand on it, her favorite stance of sass.

"I don't wear pigtails everyday." She says firmly and Billy chuckles at her, handing her a donut.

"Well, I like the pigtails." He says shrugging. I laugh quietly at the interaction and get to work setting things up.

It goes much faster than usual. It's helpful having someone there to help move around desks. He doesn't even need a ladder to hang things. He keeps Willow entertained, playing with some of the instruments while I organize papers and get things ready for my first day. I'm a little nervous for this year. It will be the first time I have Willow in my class and I will need to make sure I don't show any favoritism.

We finish up shortly after lunch time and head out of the school. Billy bumps into me gently to get my attention and my body lights up at the casual contact. I take in a sharp breath and try to keep myself from doing something embarrassing.

Like moaning.

"You want to follow me to Jax and Emily's?" He asks, tucking my hair behind my ear. My skin tingles at the contact and I'm rendered temporarily speechless. I nod and he smiles at me, opening the door for Willow. I watch as he buckles her in, making sure the straps on her car seat are tight. My heart clenches at the sight of him trying to keep her safe. I feel myself soften towards him, willing him to be the kind of man that I think he is. He opens my door for me and I thank him quietly, slipping in and waiting for him to get in his car so I can follow behind.

"He's nice." Willow says from the backseat as she looks out the window.

"He is. Are you excited to see Ellie?" I ask and she nods with a wide smile.

"Yes!" She squeals and I giggle as I drive, following Billy to a sweet little residential area. He pulls up in front of a light blue house with white shutters that looks perfect for a little family.

Billy hops out of his car quicky and is opening my door for me before I even have my seatbelt unbuckled. He unclicks Willow from her chair and swings her out of the car, throwing her in the air and catching her as her peals of laughter ring out. I'm stunned at the sight, I haven't been able to do that for over a year. She's way too heavy for me.

"You ready?" Billy asks, grabbing a cooler from his backseat. I nod at his question and eye the cooler.

"What's that?" I ask and he gets a cute little blush on his face.

"The only thing I know how to make. Seven layer dip." He says with a shy smile, carrying a bag of tortilla chips as well. I chuckle at him and grab Willow's hand, nerves roiling through me at meeting all of these new people. Billy must sense this because he nudges my shoulder gently with his.

"Everyone's really nice." He says quietly, pushing the front door open and walking in.

"You don't knock?" I ask and he shrugs.

"No one knocks. We're family." He says easily and I smile at the thought. How nice it would be to have a family like that. I follow him out to the backyard and hear an excited squeal. Ellie comes bounding towards us and flings her little arms around Willow.

"Willow! You're here! Come play!" She says, grabbing Willow's hand and pulling her away. Willow gives me a nervous glance and I give her a reassuring smile.

We'll get through this together, girl.

"Hey, Ems." Billy says to a kind looking woman who looks about the same age as me. She gives him a peck on the cheek and takes the food he brought. "This is Ainsley. Ainsley this is Emily, Ellie's mom."

I'm introduced to her husband Jaxon, their friend Ramon and I wave at Chad, recognizing him from the park last week. Billy brings me a drink and we pull the kids away from playing to eat. There is friendly banter between the men and Emily rolls her eyes at their antics. After we eat, Ellie begs the men to play soccer with her.

"You good if I go play?" Billy asks and I nod, shooing him away.

"Of course." I say and he nods, standing and scooping Willow up the same way Ellie's dad does to her.

"Want to play with us, Pippy?" He asks and she nods excitedly. He carries her away and Emily comes to sit next to me.

"Thanks for bringing Willow. Ellie hasn't stopped talking about her." She says with a warm smile that instantly puts me at ease.

"I'm glad they get along so well. Willow has a hard time making friends sometimes. She's kind of shy." I say and Emily laughs a little.

"Well, spending time with Ellie may be good for her then. That girl never stops talking." We both chuckle and I watch as Jaxon puts Ellie on his shoulders and Billy does the same with Willow. They run after the ball, trying to take it from Ramon and Chad. Both girls' giggles ring through the quiet afternoon and I can't imagine anything more perfect.

"Billy told us a little about you. How Willow is your best friends' daughter. I think that's amazing." She says and I shrug.

"Sarah would have done the same for me." I say quietly. Emily nods and takes a deep breath.

"I know how it feels. Falling in love with and raising a child you didn't give birth to." She says and I look over at her with surprise.

"Really?" I ask and she nods.

"Jaxon's first wife passed away giving birth to Ellie. I found him standing in the diaper aisle of the grocery store looking incredibly lost with this precious baby girl. I knew I had to help him. I didn't anticipate falling for them both." She says with a wistful smile. I chuckle a little at her words, my eyes finding Billy's again. For a moment everything else fades away and it feels like we're the only two people in the world. Emily's voice brings me back into the present.

"He's a really good man." She says and my eyes flit back to her.

"I'm scared. I've never let a man near Willow before." I admit and she nods in understanding.

"I can understand that. Being protective of your child. Just know I'm the same way, and I trust him with my children's lives." She says firmly and I nod, my throat clogged with emotion.

"Thank you for telling me that." I say quietly and she pats my shoulder.

"Us moms need to stick together. This parenthood thing isn't for the faint of heart." She says and I huff out a laugh.

"You got that right." I say and she laughs with me.

"Her dad isn't in the picture?" Emily asks gently and I shake my head.

"No. Sarah was a lawyer. A planner. Always incredibly organized. There wasn't a moment of her day that wasn't accounted for. She worked her ass off and won a really important case. She got promoted as a result and we went out to celebrate. Willow was conceived in the bathroom of the bar we were at. The one time she didn't plan ahead." I say with a little laugh.

"Her father was also a lawyer. Sarah knew him a little, but he worked at a different practice. They weren't together or anything, it was a one time thing. When she found out she was pregnant she told the guy and he told her he had no interest in raising a kid. Even offered to pay for an abortion. But Sarah didn't want that. She decided to go it alone. Well, not quite alone I guess. I was there. I went to every doctor's appointment, her birthing classes, I was in the room holding her hand when Willow was born. She gave Willow the same middle name as me, saying I was her second mom. I didn't ever think I would become her only mom." I say sadly and I look over at Emily who has tears in her eyes. She wipes them away quickly with a sad smile.

"Sorry. I cry about everything." She says with a little laugh and I sniff back my own tears with a sad laugh of my own. "I'm glad Billy ran into you. I think you both will fit in perfectly with us." She says with a friendly smile. I look around the yard, watching the kids and men play and for the first time in a long time I feel my heart grow with affection for someone other than Willow.

I decide it would be nice to fit in somewhere.

Later that afternoon, Billy walks Willow and I to our car, buckling her in for me again. He stands next me, fidgeting like he's nervous. I watch him for a moment and go to open my door, but he grabs my hand to stop me.

"Can I take you out for dinner sometime?" He asks, squeezing my hand gently and giving me a shy smile. I grin back at him and nod.

"I'll see if my brother can watch Willow sometime." I say and his smile widens until his dimples show. I feel my knees weaken at the sight and determine I need to get that under control.

"Anytime. Just tell me when." He says and sways towards me. I think he's going to kiss me for a moment, but his eyes flit back to Willow in the backseat and he takes a step back.

"Can I call you tomorrow?" He asks.

"Sure." I say brightly and he pulls the door open for me.

"Bye, Pippy!" He says to Willow in the back seat.

"Bye, Billy." She says through a yawn that makes us both chuckle.

On the drive back home, my eyes wander to the backseat. Willow's eyes are growing heavy and I have no doubt she'll be asleep before we make it home.

"Does it bother you that Billy calls you Pippy? I can ask him to stop." I say and she shakes her head.

"No. Ellie's dad calls her 'princess'. It's kind of like that." She says then a thoughtful look spreads across her face. "Do you think Billy wants to be my dad?" She asks and I take in a sharp breath that makes me cough a few times.

"I think Billy wants to be our friend." I tell her and she shrugs.

"That's ok. I want to be his friend too." She says before resting her head against the side of her car seat. I sigh, hoping she doesn't get too attached too quickly.

I don't want him breaking either of our hearts.