Ainsley

"Are you sure, angel?" Billy asks worriedly, zipping up my coat for me and wrapping my scarf around my neck.

"No. I'm not sure about anything." I say with a nervous smile. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair, growling frustrated under his breath.

"I'd feel better if I went with you." He says and I shrug.

"Then come with us." I say and he huffs out a laugh.

"But that might be awkward and make it worse." He says and I laugh a little at his indecision.

"I'm not worried that we are in danger. Sure, it'll probably be awkward, but I feel like we at least owe him this one favor." I say and Billy sighs defeatedly before nodding his head.

"Fine. I need to go to the shop, but you call me if you need anything and I'll fly over there. And I'll bring back up." He says and I laugh, shaking my head affectionately at him.

"He's a sick, eighty year old man. I think we'll be alright." I say and Billy nods, pulling me into a warm hug and kissing me firmly.

"You ready Willow?" I call up the stairs.

"Ouch!" She says, tripping and hitting the ground. "Billy! You need to put your stuff away. Mom says we're living like horses!" She cries as she kicks one of Billy's moving boxes.

"Hoarders, baby. I said we're living like hoarders." I correct and Billy scowls at me.

"I am not a hoarder." He says firmly and I shrug.

"I'm not saying you are. But if I had known you still have t-shirts from high school I may have rethought the whole living together thing." I tease and he scoffs.

"Those have sentimental value." He points out and I can't help but laugh.

"So the one that says 'Vote for Pedro' has sentimental value?" I ask, pushing his hair back from his eyes as he sighs.

"Alright fine, I'll go through my things. But not today, I have to get to work." He says, kissing me again before pecking Willow on the head.

"Love you, girls." He says warmly before heading out the door.

"Love you, too!" We say in unison, which has become our new routine. And I love it.

"Where are we going again, Mom?" She asks as I buckle her in.

"To see a friend of mine. He's not feeling well and he wanted to meet you." I say and she nods as we drive. I follow the directions that were emailed to me, pulling up in front of a massive estate on the other side of town.

"Woah..." Willow says from the backseat. "This looks like Cinderella's castle!" She exclaims and I chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"It kind of does." I say, pulling up in front of a door. I have no idea if it's the right door, but I guess we'll find out.

We hit the doorbell and an older man answers it. He smiles politely and gestures us inside.

"Ainsley and Willow, I presume?" He asks and I nod.

"That's us." I say.

"I'll take your coats." He says, hanging them up for us. "If you would follow me, please." He says, winding us through the large home. We move too quickly and my eyes can't keep up with all of the details. I hold onto Willow's hand firmly, gathering strength from my girl even though she doesn't realize it.

We walk into a bright room with a roaring fire. Multiple plush couches and a piano in one corner. Expensive looking artwork covers the walls and an elderly man sits in a chair on one side.

"Look, Mom." Willow whispers, tugging on my sleeve. She points to a small table with a Barbie dreamhouse, along with numerous new dolls and accessories. "They have the Barbie car! Ellie and I both asked for that from Santa." She exclaims and I shoosh her gently.

"Those are for you, sweetie." The man says, his eyes glistening with emotion. I pull Willow towards him and she hides behind me.

"Ainsley, Willow. Thank you both so much for coming." Arthur says and I nod.

"Of course. But the gifts weren't necessary, Arthur." I say and his eyes turn affectionate as he looks at Willow.

"I thought she would need something to entertain her during her visit." He says and I pull Willow next to me.

"Willow, this is my friend. Arthur Hammond. Arthur this is my daughter, Willow." I say and he holds his hand out which Willow shakes shyly.

"It is so nice to meet you, Willow. I wish I could have met you sooner." He says, his voice shaking with emotion.

"That's ok. Do you want to play dolls with me?" She asks quietly and Arthur chuckles.

"Yes, darling I would love to." He says, standing and walking precariously towards the table and sitting in a chair next to it. By his movements alone I can tell he's very weak and brittle.

I sit quietly, drinking coffee as I watch Willow play with her great grandfather for the first and only time. He made it clear his health is failing, and quickly. He implored me to let him see his great granddaughter, to spend time with her just once before he passed. His pleas softened my heart and I gave in, knowing I would never forgive myself if I didn't. His eyes never leave her, as if he can't believe she's real. They play together and he does his best, but Willow is very well versed in the land of Barbie and doesn't mind telling him when he's wrong. This only makes him laugh harder as they seem to enjoy their time together. We all eat lunch together and Arthur asks Willow questions about her life, school, our home, the people she loves. Listening to my little girl talk about all of the people in her life, all of the things that bring her joy nearly makes me tear up. It doesn't take long after lunch for Willow to curl up on one of the couches and slip into sleep. I smile down at her and stand to gather her things.

"She'll be asleep for hours. We should probably go." I say and Arthur reaches out to grip my wrist to stop me.

"Can we speak for a moment first, Ainsley?" He asks and I nod, lowering myself back into the chair across from him. He takes a deep breath before he looks at me and speaks.

"What Travis did, I want you to know I don't agree with it. We would have accepted Willow with open arms. Loved her fiercely, if we had been given the opportunity. Travis, well, he's selfish and immature. Always has been. His parents coddled him, but that is beside the point. That sweet, bright, kind child is our flesh and blood and we would have been there for Sarah, and you, in any way you needed. I wanted to apologize on behalf of Travis and our whole family that you have been doing this alone." He says and I swallow back the lump in my throat.

"That's not necessary. I loved Sarah like my sister. Willow is... the most important thing in my world." I say, looking over at her sleeping form and smiling gently.

"You are an incredible person and I have no doubts that she is in the best of hands being raised by you." He says kindly.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." I say, blinking back my tears.

"With the recent developments I have come to some decisions." He says and my heart drops.

Another family member wants to take her away from me?

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I have decided that my family do not deserve to inherit my fortune. It made them selfish, cold, conceited. I hate it. I didn't raise them that way. They learned the value of hard work, earning their own money. That they aren't better than anyone else. Just like you have." He says and I simply nod as I listen to him.

"So I have decided to leave my entire fortune to you and Willow." He says and my mouth drops in shock.

"What?" I ask, trying to regulate my breathing.

"Willow will have some money put in a trust, but the rest will go to you to cover the expenses of raising a child. I trust you with the money more than my children or grand children. Plus you deserve it more." He says and I shake my head.

"I don't believe that." I say and his eyes soften as he reaches out to hold my hand.

"Good people deserve good things. And you are the best kind of person, Ainsley. You didn't need to do this, put yourself in this uncomfortable situation to fulfill a dying man's wish of seeing his only great granddaughter one time before he dies. But you did with very little hesitation. You took on raising a child when your best friend died. You were so young, had your own life to live, but you put it on hold for her. You deserve this." He says firmly, and the first few tears fall.

"Thank you." I whisper through my tears and he smiles at me.

"No, Ainsley. Thank you."

We say goodbye and Willow wakes up long enough to give Arthur a firm hug. He holds her for a long time, his eyes closed clearly soaking up these precious moments with her. Someone carries her new toys out to our car for us and I breathe out a relieved sigh when we get in the car.

"He was nice." Willow says and my eyes flit to her in the back seat.

"Yeah he was." I say.

"Terrible at playing Barbies though." She adds with a shrug and I laugh the rest of the drive home.