8

ASHTON

Willow rests her chin on my chest and looks up at me. "Just the two of us. Well, except for the two strapping bodyguards, the bakery staff, and your three siblings who will join us at seven."

I had invited my two sisters and brother to join us later. "I appreciate you calling the bakery in advance," I say sincerely, without a hint of sarcasm. When I asked Willow if my younger brother could come along, her immediate response was, ‘I'll reserve the entire bakery for a couple of hours.’

Willow and I don't usually shut down establishments for our own convenience. We can handle the attention from the media and the public. But Willow understood that my brother, Blake, wouldn't feel comfortable with strangers around. Instead of suggesting we leave him behind, she was the first to offer a solution that included him.

"Avec plaisir," [With pleasure]she says in a smooth, silky tone.

So here we are, fluent in two foreign languages for completely different reasons. I won't delve into th