Love Unexpected

Precious Daughter

George walked slowly down the corridor of the hotel, his thoughts heavy with the conversation he had just had with Kurt. As he approached the door to the suite he shared with his daughter, he paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. The weight of the news he had to share with Ashley sat heavily on his shoulders, and he knew it would change everything for her.

With a soft sigh, he opened the door and stepped inside. The suite was warm and inviting, with a view of the city below. Ashley was seated on the couch engrossed in a book. The sight of her brought a small smile to George’s face. She was the light of his life, his precious daughter, and he had always done everything he could to protect her.

Ashley looked up as she heard the door open, and her face brightened with a smile. "Dad, you’re back!" she said, closing her book and setting it aside. "How was your visit with Mr. Lewis? Have you eaten?"

George’s heart warmed at her concern. "Yes, I’ve eaten," he replied, moving to sit beside her on the couch. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch gentle. "But I want to know if you’ve eaten, Ashley. You’ve been so caught up in that book of yours, I wouldn’t be surprised if you forgot."

Ashley giggled softly, shaking her head. "I did eat, Dad. Don’t worry, I’m not starving myself," she teased lightly. But as she looked at her father more closely, she noticed the weariness in his eyes, the way his shoulders sagged slightly with exhaustion. Her smile faded a little. "How is Mr. Lewis? You look... tired."

George sighed deeply, his expression growing somber. "Kurt isn’t doing well, Ashley," he admitted, his voice heavy with the sadness he had been trying to keep at bay. "His brain cancer has progressed to the late stages. The doctors are saying he only has about three months left to live."

Ashley’s eyes widened in shock, and she brought a hand to her mouth, her heart sinking at the news. "Three months?" she whispered, "Oh, Dad... that’s so awful. I can’t believe it. Mr. Lewis... he’s always been so strong. And now... there’s nothing that can be done? All the money in the world, and it can’t buy him more time?"

George shook his head slowly, his expression pained. "No, Ashley, there’s nothing more that can be done," he said quietly. "But in some ways, it’s also Kurt’s fault. If he had agreed to the surgery and treatment earlier on, things might have been different. But he was stubborn. He didn’t want to go through with it. And now... well, now it’s too late."

Ashley nodded slowly, "Maybe... maybe that was just his fate," she said softly, "Sometimes, no matter what we do, we can’t change what’s meant to be. It’s just... heartbreaking to think that someone like Mr. Lewis, with all his influence and power, is facing something so... final."

George looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of pride and sorrow. Ashley had always been wise beyond her years, a trait that made him both proud and protective of her. But this time, the situation was different. There was something more he needed to tell her, something that weighed heavily on his conscience.

"There’s more to it, Ashley," he said after a long pause, his voice hesitant. "Kurt has a... a dying wish."

Ashley’s brow furrowed in confusion, her concern growing as she noticed the seriousness in her father’s tone. "A dying wish?" she repeated, "What do you mean, Dad?"

George hesitated, the words caught in his throat. He knew that what he was about to say would change everything for Ashley, and he wanted to be sure he said it in the right way. Finally, he met her gaze, his eyes filled with the weight of the responsibility he had been given.

"Kurt wants Jake, his son, to marry you," George said slowly, watching her reaction carefully. "It’s his last wish, Ashley. He believes that you’re the one who can help Jake, who can bring stability to his life and to the family. He’s asked me to... to make it happen."

Ashley’s mouth fell open in shock, her mind struggling to process what her father had just said. "W-What?" she gasped, "Marry his son? But... but I don’t even know him! How can Mr. Lewis ask for something like that?"

George sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair as he tried to explain. "I know, Ashley. I know it’s a lot to take in. And I don’t blame you for being shocked. But Kurt... he’s desperate. He knows that Jake has been... well, let’s just say, he hasn’t been the most responsible person. He’s worried about what will happen to the family after he’s gone. He thinks that if Jake marries someone like you, someone who’s strong and level-headed, it might be the thing that helps Jake turn his life around."

Ashley stared at her father, her mind racing. "But... Dad, I don’t know Jake. I’ve never even met him! How can I marry someone I don’t know? I am only eighteen and just finish my degree, I want to study my master first. So that wish…That’s... that’s insane!"

George nodded, understanding her shock and confusion. "I know it seems that way, Ashley," he said gently. "But Kurt believes that you could be good for Jake, that you could help him. And... Well, he’s not just asking this for Jake. He’s asking it for the family’s future. He’s asking it for you, too. He thinks that if you two were together, you could build something strong, something that would last."

Ashley shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around the idea. "But Dad, what about love? What about... what about finding someone who I actually want to spend my life with? Someone who I connect with? How can I just... marry someone because it’s someone else’s dying wish?"

George’s heart ached as he listened to his daughter’s words. He had always wanted the best for her, and the idea of arranging a marriage for her, even under these circumstances, went against everything he had ever hoped for her future. But Kurt’s request had been sincere, and George knew that his friend’s time was running out.

"I don’t have all the answers, Ashley," he admitted, "And I won’t pretend that this is an easy decision. But Kurt... he’s like a brother to me. We’ve been through so much together, and I know how much this means to him. He’s scared for Jake, and he’s scared for the family. He sees you as the one person who might be able to help them. And... I can’t ignore that."

Ashley’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at her father, her emotions a whirlwind of confusion, fear, and sadness. "But Dad... what about me? What about what I want? I don’t want to marry someone just because it’s what someone else wants. I want to find my own path, to make my own choices. How can I do that if I’m forced into something like this?"

George reached out and took her hands in his, "Ashley, listen to me," he said softly. "I’m not forcing you into anything. This is your decision, and I’ll support whatever choice you make. But I want you to understand the situation, to know why Kurt is asking this of you. He’s a good man, Ashley, and he wouldn’t ask this if he didn’t truly believe it was the right thing for everyone involved."

Ashley looked down at their joined hands, her tears spilling over as she tried to process everything. "But what if I say no?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What if I can’t do it?"

George’s heart broke at the sight of her tears, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace, holding her close. "Then you say no," he said softly, his voice filled with love and reassurance. "And we’ll find another way to help Kurt and Jake."

Ashley clung to her father, her mind still reeling from the news. She had always trusted her father’s judgment, but this... this was something she had never expected. The idea of marrying someone she had never met, someone she knew nothing about, was terrifying. But the thought of disappointing her father and his best friend, of not being able to help them in their time of need, was equally daunting.

Ashley then tearfully said, "I know Jake won’t like me… actually, no man will." Her voice was filled with a mix of sorrow and resignation as she stood up, turning away from her father. The weight of the situation was crushing, and the insecurity she had always tried to keep hidden bubbled to the surface.

George’s heart clenched at her words. "Ashley, that’s not true," he began, but she shook her head, cutting him off.

She walked over to the large mirror that hung on the wall, staring at her reflection. Her fingers traced the outline of her face, her eyes clouded with tears. "Look at me, Dad," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I’m plain. I’m not beautiful or charming like the girls Jake probably spends his time with. I don’t know how to flirt or be confident. Why would he want to marry someone like me? Why would anyone?"