Christmas morning came and Liam and Ali were on the way to the farm. It would be the last Christmas Ali would have there.
The sale of the farm would be happening next week and Jim would be moving here and managing the farm on a daily basis. Her mother found a condo to live in for the moment, as she wanted to travel and that’d be easy maintenance for her new lifestyle.
Ali also had a feeling her mother might be back to the farm to visit Jim, but no one had really said much about that and Ali wasn’t sure she wanted to know. All she knew was she wanted her mother to be happy.
She and Liam pulled down the long driveway and got out of his truck. Before they could walk to the house, Ali asked, “Can we walk through the orchards quick? I used to do it on Christmas morning with my grandfather. It’s just a different feel out here this time of year and I’d like to do it one more time.”
“We can do that,” Liam said.
He grabbed her hand, the heat of his keeping hers warm since she’d forgotten her gloves at his house when they left.
The two of them walked, fingers entwined, through the orchards, not saying a word. She felt her eyes fill with tears, and though she knew she could come back anytime she wanted, after next week it’d no longer be hers.
Hearing that her grandfather had planned on leaving it to her all along had been heart-wrenching. Part of her felt like she let him down because he never did leave it to her.
She realized now he knew she didn’t want it or couldn’t handle it. She wasn’t sure what was worse.
She stopped suddenly when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She was wide awake, she knew it, as she felt the wind chill. Liam was holding her hand, but he was squeezing it even harder now.
“Tell me you see him too,” Liam whispered.
She turned to look at Liam and saw his eyes fastened on her grandfather leaning against a tree.
“Yes,” she whispered back. “Why aren’t you scared?”
He laughed lightly. “I’m more in shock, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen him.”
“Same here,” she said softly.
“I can still hear you both,” her grandfather said.
“You’re not here,” she said back.
Her grandfather laughed. “You are two of the stubbornest people I know. Fine. I’m not here. Whatever floats your boat. Boy...Liam...” her grandfather said. “What are you waiting for? Do it now so I can watch.”
“What is he talking about?” Ali asked.
Liam was still staring at her grandfather, then he turned to her. “I asked your grandfather for your hand in marriage a few weeks ago.”
“What?” she shrieked and heard her grandfather laughing.
“Proper, that is what he did,” her grandfather said.
“So now I’m asking you, here in a place you love so much. The end of your family legacy, the start of ours together. Let me give you what this farm should have been. Let us give each other what we’ve always wanted. Marry me,” he said.
“Yes!” she said, jumping into his arms and kissing him.
“Enough of that now,” her grandfather said. “Save it for the honeymoon.”
“Don’t go,” Ali said when her grandfather started to fade again.
“It’s time now. You can do it, Ali. I’ll never leave you for good. Just remember that. I wouldn’t mind a grandson being named after me though,” he said, his voice carrying away in the wind.
“I think we can do that,” Liam said.
“We can do anything as long as we have each other.”
The End!
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