To our Home

Ava merely smiled at the promised made. To her, it was the natural course for the adult to take care of the young.

Nevertheless, Ava refused to bet her life in their hands. Even though the feeling of having someone to rely on was satisfying, she couldn't let her guard down.

If what they do or give are to her advantages then she would never go against them. She believed that a win-win situation is always the best rule to satisfy everyone.

After saying goodbye to Mdm Jin and thanked her for all the guidance and cares, Ava entered the car and sat at the backseat next to her grandfather. Butler Bong was driving while constantly checking on them through the front mirror.

"Bong, focus on driving," Willow Sr. alerted the excited butler who repetitively peeked on the front mirror.

Bong's wide grin decorated his face. He repeatedly nodded and took a last glimpse of the Young Miss who seemed attached to the view outside the car, before he focused on the task at hand.

"Ava, we are on the way to our home. Do you want to ask me questions?" Willow Sr. asked. His eyes met Ava's beautiful, brown eyes. He wanted to clear as much misunderstanding before they reached the Willow Residence.

"You'll meet your relatives sooner or later and mind you, they are many that my fingers and toes can't make up the numbers," he said.

"There are only a few of us that live in the residence, but they will constantly come to pay respect to this old man," he continued talking, already forgetting the question he asked earlier.

Ava listened to her grandfather talking non-stopped. She didn't yawn nor showed displeasure. Here and there, she would intervene. Her brain gave her an input about his behavior, which she interpreted as the anxiety: his body natural responses to the built-up tension from the expectations of meeting her.

Similarly, Ava also felt the same, and more, she was feeling restless. The further the car went, the anxiety increased. The talk actually helped her to regain her composure.

"Oh, sorry. Grandpa was the one doing the whole talking," Willow Sr. chuckled in his own manner. At the same time, impressed at his granddaughter's maturity and skills that helped his nerves to relax.

He knew she was the one feeling more overwhelmed. Yet, the way she behaved and spoke was more to help him get rid of the anxiety he was feeling.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find you sooner," he lamented in deep regret at his inability to locate her whereabouts.

"Grandpa, fate brought us to meet exactly on this date. What can we do? I am disappointed but not to you. I'm angry at the playfulness of fate. It only allowed us to meet today," Ava half-jokingly stated her point of view. She wasn't comfortable seeing him burdened with past deeds.

"My princess, who taught you to talk like an adult?" Willow Sr. asked. His ears perked up ready to know the secret of the mature Ava.

To him, she was small like a three years old baby. He desired to give her the experiences most normal children had experienced. Pampering her to her heart content.

"Grandpa, I'm not a baby," Ava grunted and at the same time shuddered at the thought of her transforming to a baby. There was no chance for her to entertain such thought. Never! Her mind screamed against the absurd concept.

Willow Sr. crumbled to a burst of laughter at Ava's fearful expression. "Okay, you're not a baby but a little girl. Well, does this little girl have questions for his grandpa?" he probed. Ava replied by shaking her head then paused before continued nodding her head.

"What is it?" Willow Sr. smiled at her quirkiness. Ava swallowed her accumulated saliva, coughed once or twice when she finally spoke. "Of course I have a lot of questions but right now, I am content that I have met my grandfather. However, it is true that I am also scared to know what'll happen next. But, as a child, I'm not supposed to ask a lot. Isn't it? "

"Well, that's a good question. But for my little princess here, any questions will be answered with honesty," Willow Sr. made a promise. With a furrowed brow, Ava stared at her grandpa. "Really?" she asked. Seeing him nod once, she was convinced and said, " I'll keep that for later,"

Willow Sr. once again burst into a peal of laughter. The whole conversations had him overwhelmed with the intelligence of his granddaughter.

At the same time, he felt guilty, because, if he was there from the beginning, what kind of achievement would she unlock?

From the details on the report card prepared by the orphanage, it was mentioned that she had just begun early education. Yet, the way she spoke and presented her ideas was beyond the formal education she received.

Willow Sr. took a deep breath and held the little hand that rested on Ava's left thigh. "Little princess, I will tell you the whole story on why you were left at the orphanage. It was your mother's idea in order to keep you unaffected by the crisis faced by the Willow Household at that time. She said it was an extreme action she needed to take. When the plan was made, you were still unborn. Never did I knew of her idea to run away as soon as you were born. Now that I think about it, she was really a mischievous daughter, who in the world went missing after leaving her child at an orphanage. Not even sending the news to her father,"

Ava could feel the pressure from the hand that was holding hers. From the start till the end, the emotions in that voice keep changing. There was sorrow and pain embedded in every word he said.

Butler Bong who was driving was surprised to hear the Grandmaster's confession of the past. At the same time, he agreed to his action. It was much better than to hide the truth to the Young Miss.

From the rearview mirror, he peeked at Ava's expression. He expected her to be in deep thinking and true to his expectation, she was indeed thinking.

The frown on her face and the sudden twitch of her cheek made his claimed more believable. Butler Bong almost wanted to brag. Not a day pass, and he almost able to understand the unique Young Miss of the Willow Household.

Alas, it was all momentary for, after today, he could only wish that there was a manual on how to understand the girl named Ava Willow.

"The crisis was settled but I failed to find you sooner, and even worst your mother is still missing. As the founder of Willow Household, I was only hoping that the whole Willow would live harmoniously. Sadly, I couldn't predict when someone is consumed by greed. Even now, I cannot promise a peaceful household, but I, this grandpa of yours promise to protect you," Willow Sr. heaved a sigh of relief. The tension inside his stomach had gone after the revelation. Still holding his granddaughter's hand, he waited for her to respond. No matter in what form, he was willing to accept them.