Arrival

I arrived at house with Ashton to find mom pacing left-right in the hallway. She turned to look at us and then released a sigh of relief. She came closer to us and asked Ashton

"Did you had dinner"

He shaked his as no.

"Then go freshen up, we will have dinner"

Ashton nodded and went to washroom. After he left mom asked me

"What happened?"

I explained each and every bit of what I saw, and then asked her which girl he was talking about. Before mom could tell me Ashton came and we started having dinner, not letting him get the idea of what we were talking about.

We had dinner silently and went to our respective rooms. After reaching the room, as I was preparing to sleep, I got reminded of the question I asked mom earlier.

Wanting the answer of that question I went to mom's room and knocked on the door but there was no reply. Since the door was open, I entered the room only to find it empty. There was a mess of papers, reports on the bed.

I sighed, I never knew she was so messy. To help her, I started stacking up the papers from the bed untill there was something unusual, a paper that was wet from droplets.

I held it up in my hands, noticing it regarded brain tumor but what more surprising was the patient's name was

Ashton Calloway!

I was surprised that two people with same first name and last name as well exist. Of course this isn't about the Ashton I know. This can't be.

I thought assuring myself but something kept bothering me. Just then mom exited the restroom and entered the room  with her red puffy eyes.

Her eyes widened looking at the paper in my hands. She panicked and hurriedly snatched it,  nervously smiling at me.

"What's it, honey?"

"Mom, I saw that report. The patient's name is Ashton"

"What's wrong with a patient having a name 'Ashton'?"

"It was Ashton Calloway actually."

"Even if it was Ashton Calloway, what's the problem?"

"And the report had tears on it"

Mom looked at me speechless. I immediately held her hands and asked again.

"Mom please tell me about the reports. Is it about the same Ashton I know."

"Is this about him?"

I carefully asked her again. To my fear she slowly nodded, sitting on the bed helplessly .

"Mom please...."

I pleaded sitting on my knees in front of her.

"He is that child who will leave us early, he is that child that is deprived from each and every kind of happiness and love and now is also deprived of a long life."

"What....."

I heard my voice.

"He has been suffering from brain tumor since last two years. we can only pray that it gets cured by medication, if we have to perform surgery then there are only ten per cent chances of his survival."

"You asked me right, which girl he was talking about? It's you.".

" Do you remember when you used to live in the hills with your father. There was an orphanage nearby and you always used to visit there. "

I nodded.

"You used to sing songs there, right?" That was when he first saw you, he used to visit there too, to perform for orphan children. "

"When you left that day we met, he told me that he fell in love with you. He loves you from the time you were 16."

"The girl who he can't be with, is you, Cami. The girl for whom he can give his life is you. It's you"

I looked at mom speechless. This can't be true, Ash never told me and I...

"I love Ivan"

I blurted without thinking.

"I know baby, and no one is pressuring you. You can choose whoever you want. It's his fate, his destiny and he'll deal with it."

"Go, sleep"

She kissed my forehead.

"What is Ashton's last wish mom?"

"Hmm"

"Ash was talking about having a last wish and it might not get fulfilled, what is it"

"A family"

"A..family"

"Hmm, he wants a family of his own. A family with warmth of love"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I sat in my bed all night thinking about the words.

"A family"

I wiped my tears and started writing the letter on paper.

I kept my head on the table. Giving up. Tired. When a sudden cheerful voice rang through my office.

"May I come in? Mrs. All rounder."

I lifted my head to see the person I never expected to meet again, the old school president and Ivan's older brother "Ethan Lockwood".

He entered the cabin and closed it behind him and approached my table.

" Hii, I am Ethan Lockwood, your new lawyer and your sweet brother-in-law"

He held out his hand for a handshake. I kept staring at him.

"Still being a all rounder, I see. A business woman, a mom, a wife, a clueless woman."

He singsonged.

"Why are you here?"

"To discuss case details with my client I guess."

He said sitting on the chair in front of me.

"Order a cup coffee for me."

He said crossing his legs

"And get ready to celebrate our win."

I looked at him perplexed.

"Why are you my lawyer, I didn't even contact you. And I don't even want you to be my lawyer."

I have already troubled everyone enough, now I don't want Ivan's family to involve in it. He rolled his eyes at me,

"Jason pleaded me for two hours straight and now, you are refusing it."

I looked at him in shock,

"He did?"

"He reasoned that Mr. smith isn't good and Erika is not very capable of winning the case, you know. She is a newbie."

"Do not refuse Camilla, I got Ashton's last letter for me. And I am gonna fulfill his request. I am gonna protect his family. Because Ashton used be a good friend of mine."

"If he was a good friend of yours then why was he left alone in his last years of his life."

I asked enraged. He smiled.

"Do you ever wondered why Ashton wanted a family, because even a thousand of good friends can't give warmth of a family. No friend can leave his family alone for other friend. And I was also that unfortunate friend who couldn't leave his family 'Ivan' in that state and that is why my friend 'Ashton' was left alone in last years of his life."

I wiped my tears and noticed him standing, he held his hand out to me.

"Let's have some hot cocoa, Camilla."

Cause you are a child after all."

"Excuse me?"

He held his hands in front of him in surrender.

"Ashton wrote this in his letter. No offense tho."

Ivan.

I was waiting in the cafe for Ethan to  arrive. My mind kept reminding me of Ashton's diary, that's when I saw Ethan coming inside but was shocked to see Camilla entering along with him.

They approached my table and Camilla's expression stiffened. She looked at me and then looked at Ethan in confusion.

Ethan smiled looking at us.

"You know, what's the most crucial thing you two need to do right now.

    'Talk'."