Ainsley

"You ready to go, angel?" Billy's voice reaches me from the living room just as I pull the pan out of the oven.

"Yeah. Willow you ready?" I shout and she comes bounding down the stairs, her hair in messy, uneven pigtails, but I smile broadly at the sight.

"I tried." Billy says with a smile and a shrug. I kiss his cheek before handing him the pan of stuffing I made, grabbing the pie as well.

"Please tell me it's cherry." Billy says with wide, pleading eyes.

"It's cherry, baby." I say with a laugh and he practically squeals in excitement.

"Let's go, Mom! Ellie and I are going to play barbies!" Willow says and I roll my eyes a little at her.

Like I haven't been cooking all morning, child.

"Do you have your overnight bag?" I ask and she gasps before running back up the stairs.

"You look gorgeous, angel." Billy murmurs, kissing me gently. I groan a little and lean into the kiss.

"You're staying with me tonight, right?" I ask and Billy chuckles.

"Couldn't pay me to be anywhere else. This dress looks great on you but will look much better on the floor." He says, tugging on it gently making me laugh just as Willow comes running back down the stairs.

"Come on, let's go! What are you waiting for?" She asks.

"You." Billy and I say in unison before we crack up laughing.

We pile into the car and head to Emily and Jaxon's for Thanksgiving. Neither Billy or I are that close with our families and Rory has to work so it worked out well. We arrive just as Chad does as well and his face lights up when he sees us.

"Is that Willow? When did you get so big?" He asks and Willow giggles before running over to him. He lifts her and swings her in a cirle and I watch them both with warm affection. This is the first holiday in a long time that it's not just Willow and I and it is really nice.

We walk in and it smells incredible. Emily is buzzing around the kitchen as Jaxon tries to keep the kids away from her. Ellie spots Willow and squeals, running up to pull her into a hug.

"Let's go to my room!" Ellie says and Willow follows, her little overnight bag slung over her shoulder for their sleepover.

"One less kid for me to keep track of." Jaxon says, trying to hold a bottle for Olivia while Jace tries to climb the bookshelf.

"Here. Let me help." I say with a smile and reach out for Olivia. Jax breathes a sigh of relief and hands her over.

"God bless you." He says before turning to his son. "Get down from there. What are you part monkey?" He exclaims, exasperated and I chuckle, sitting down to snuggle Olivia as I feed her.

It doesn't take long for Billy to find me, sinking into the seat next to me and throwing his arm over my shoulder. His other hand finds Olivia's and she wraps her little hand around his finger. He chuckles at her, watching as her eyes drift closed as she finishes her lunch.

"You look good with a baby." Billy says and my eyes shoot up to his.

"What?" I ask and he chuckles.

"I'm just saying." He says with a shrug and I grin at him before looking back down at the sleeping angel in my arms.

"I never really considered having kids. After I took in Willow." I say and Billy pushes the hair away from my neck before leaning in to leave kisses up my cheek.

"I'd like them. But it's not a deal breaker." He says and my eyes flit to his.

"I don't know if the world can handle another blue eyed boy with dimples like those." I say breathlessly and he chuckles before leaning in to kiss me.

"We can talk about it some other time. If you want." He says and I nod, trying to get my heartrate back to normal.

I remember how hard it was for Sarah when Willow was a baby. She never slept, cried all the time, had horrible reflux. Sarah was basically miserable. But she also didn't have a partner. I don't know everything about Billy, but I do know he would never leave me to care for our child by myself like Willow's father did.

The spell is broken by Emily signaling that dinner is done and we all gather around the table. It's easy to imagine us as a family, saying what we're thankful for, passing around food. It makes my heart feel full. I look over at Emily, she's smiling, but she looks tired. I nudge her gently with my elbow and she looks at me.

"You alright?" I ask and she nods.

"Yeah. Just tired. Three kids is definitely different from two." She says and I nod.

"Maybe we should do something without them. A girls' night or something?" I ask and she gasps excitedly.

"Oh my gosh yes! That's exactly what I need. A night to recharge." She says, looking over at Jaxon who gives her a warm smile.

"Of course, sweetheart. You haven't gotten much sleep or time to yourself. Whatever you want." He says and I smile at how cute they are.

"We can watch the kids." Billy says and Chad nods.

"Yeah. Four of us should be able to handle four kids." He adds and Ramon nods in agreement.

"Barely. But yeah we should be able to handle it." Ramon says with a chuckle.

After dinner we hang out for awhile, the boys watching football while I clean the kitchen for Emily. I sent her upstairs for a nap since the kids passed out after food. I feel rather than hear Billy behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist as I wash the dishes.

"You look sexy doing that." He says and I tilt my head back to laugh.

"Doing dishes?" I ask and he nods.

"Yeah. The way your hand moves up and down on that plate? God damn girl you're making me hard." He murmurs in my ear and I chuckle again.

"Wait till we get home, baby." I purr and he groans a little, leaving a wet kiss against my neck.

"If we were at home, I'd hoist you up on this counter and eat your pussy until you scream." He whispers and shivers rack my body. I let out a little moan at his words, my body melting into him.

"You ready to go?" I ask breathlessly and he chuckles before nodding.

"Yeah. I'll go let Willow know we're leaving." He says and I nod, wiping down the counter again before washing my hands.

"Thanks a lot for this, Ains." Jaxon says as he throws a couple of plates into the garbage.

"No problem." I say with a smile and he sighs a little.

"And for taking Em out for a night. And for being so good for Billy. Just... thank you." He says warmly and I smile brighter, giving him a quick hug.

"Emily would do the same for me. And Billy is just as good for Willow and I." I say and he sighs.

"She and Ellie are freaking adorable together. I hope they grow up close." He says and my heart expands at the thought.

"Willow's mom and I were about that age when we met. To have that, a friend you grew up with. Someone who saw you through all of your highs and lows. Cheered you on. Supported you. It's everything." I say, nearly tearing up at the memories flooding my mind.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to get emotional." I say with a sad laugh. Jax gives me an apologetic smile and takes a step closer to me, lowering his voice.

"Ellie's mom, she loved Thanksgiving. It was her favorite holiday. She used to say food and football were all she needed in life. I still think about her, today especially. You don't just stop missing those people. And even though I would die for Emily, and I have never been happier than being with her, a part of me will always love Kayla. Don't ever be sorry for feeling your feelings. There's nothing wrong with it." He says before pulling me into a comforting hug. I sigh a little and he pulls away, smiling at me.

"You alright, angel?" Billy asks worriedly and I nod, wiping the stray tears from my eyes.

"Yeah. Jaxon talking about how cute Willow and Ellie are together got me thinking about Sarah." I say and he gives me an understanding smile, walking up to me and wrapping me in his arms.

"They are freaking cute together. They have an island set up with their dolls. No boys allowed though." He says with a chuckle that makes me smile. I hug him back, his warm strength soothing my soul.

"I'm gonna say goodbye to her and then we can go." I say and he nods, kissing my forehead.

"I'll wait for you." He says and my heart patters a little.

"I won't make you wait long." I say with a deviant smile that has his warm laughter filtering through the room.