I held Willow's hand. "You can't rush things. As long as we keep trying, we'll succeed one day."

Willow looked up at me with a doubtful expression. "Really?"

She slumped against the car window, falling silent for a long while.

I leaned in and gently comforted her.

It was only after a while that Willow's attention shifted.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

...

Zachary followed behind, watching Annalise patiently comfort Willow.

He couldn't help but recall how, when he was upset, Annalise would always hold him and gently soothe him. He wished he had appreciated her back then.

When he had Annalise's love, he hadn't truly valued it. It wasn't until he lost it that he realized only Annalise, with her gentle and steady nature, could offer the unconditional love he needed. Zachary couldn't understand how he had lost someone like her.

Just then, his phone rang.

Zachary casually picked it up.

Chloe's cheerful voice came through, "Zach, I've arranged a tutor for you, just like you asked."

"Thanks, Grandma." Zachary kept his eyes fixed on Annalise's car. "I'll make sure to study hard once I get back."

Chloe chuckled, her eyes narrowing with a smile. "What time will you be home?"

"I'm not sure yet." Zachary often found himself lingering outside Annalise's place, watching her. It gave him an odd sense of peace, as if she had never really left.

He asked, "Can the tutor wait?"

Chloe quickly responded, "Of course."

...

When they got home, Willow was full of energy. She ran around, worked on her basics, and practiced speaking in front of the mirror. Then, she focused on learning phonetics.

After all that, Willow collapsed on the couch. Her chubby face showed exhaustion beyond her years. "I'm so tired."

I smiled at her.

"Willow." Zane placed the custom-made doll in front of her. "Look at this."

Willow immediately sat up, holding the doll tightly. She stared at it for a while before asking, "Is this Grandma?" Zane nodded and handed her the other doll. "What about this one?"

"Grandpa!" Willow exclaimed happily.

Then, she asked, "Did you make these for me because you know how much I love Grandma and Grandpa?" Before either Zane or I could answer, Willow's tears began to fall. She stared at the dolls and fell silent.

I took the initiative to explain the dolls' purpose to her. "Don't you have a lot to say to Grandma and Grandpa, but it's hard to say it in front of them? Now, you can share your thoughts with the dolls, as if they are Grandma and Grandpa, listening to you." Willow gently touched the doll's face, but when she tried to speak, no words came out.

She sighed in frustration. "It feels so embarrassing to talk to the dolls in front of Mommy and Daddy. It's just too childish!"

In her mind, only toddlers who didn't understand anything would do something so silly.

However, Willow had so much she wanted to share with Dorothy and Milton.

After a moment of hesitation, she hugged both dolls and headed upstairs. "I want to spend some time alone with Grandma and Grandpa."

I couldn't help but laugh as I watched her run up the stairs.

Zane asked, "Since she's talking to the dolls, Milton and Dorothy won't be able to hear, right? They won't know her thoughts."

I was surprised by his question. "Who says they can't hear?" I replied.