A Promise To The Beloved (Completed)

24. A Dinner Night...

"I met Elsie in the mall today.''

As soon as the words left her mouth she felt Ashton's breathing stop for a minute, his body going stiff and frozen. She looked up into his eyes and all the warmth she had seen in those eyes during the past few hours it felt as if it had never been there. It all felt like a sweet dream that now shattered. It was as if he had closed all those feelings and warmth behind a shutter.

For a moment she regretted taking the name of that women while wondering at the same time as to what she had done to him that even her name brought such a huge change in his demeanour. That too not a good change.

" Ashton," she called for him softly. Hoping and praying for things not to take the wrong turn.

It was as if her voice brought him back to the present and he looked at her.
"Did she say something? Tried to do something to you?" he asked as his hold tightened on her waist.

"No. no. She didn't do anything like that. On the contrary, she said that we can keep Sam. She said that she is old now and Sam is happy with the things as they are right now so she doesn't want to fight for his custody anymore." Lilly answered quickly hoping to see a positive change in his expression but there was none. He looked as if he had doubts about the old woman's words.

"Hmm. Go to sleep now," he said as he laid her gently to his left and snaking an arm around her waist pulled her closer to him.

He was feeling cold all of a sudden. It had been years now then why his past still kept returning to haunt him, he wondered. In the years of darkness, Lilly was the only one who brought warmth and light to his world and now he was hanging on to her as if desperately trying to not let that black hole swallow him whole.

"She invited us to Sam's birthday party. It's just a small homey thing she has arranged for Sam." Lilly said biting her lips, feeling as if she was walking on the eggshells.

"She invited you and Sam?" he looked at her in shock and disbelief.

Mustering her courage Lilly looked up in his eyes as she tried her best to sound calm.
"You are also invited. Aren't we three a family?"

'Family.'  The word felt like a thick lump stuck in his throat which he found so hard to swallow down.
"Yes," he said with difficulty as if the word was too heavy on his tongue.

"So we three are invited but if you say No then we won't go," said Lilly because she didn't want to spoil this unnamed relationship that was blooming between her and Ashton. She didn't want things to end bitterly. To be honest she didn't want things to end at all. This was some kind of a dream that she just wanted to continue living no matter what price she would need to pay she would pay that willingly as long as she could keep the things they were now.

"Do you want to go?" Ashton asked.

Lilly lowered her eyes. She didn't know the answer to this question herself. She hadn't even given a moment's thought to whether she wanted to go or not. During all this time her mind was so busy thinking of ways on how to tell Ashton about Elsie that she hadn't stopped for even a movement for self-introspection.

"I...I don't know," she answered honestly. ''It's just that she looked so sad and she is already growing old. Old people love children a lot. If my parents were alive then they would have been so happy to see Sam and I want my Sam to have the love of his grandparents too. Elsie is Sam's grandmother and I don't want to snatch anyone's chance to happiness."

He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger as he brought her face near to his.
"A chance to happiness?" he asked and she nodded.
Taking in a deep breath he gave a small smile as he said, "This is the first time that you have asked me for something so I can't say no."