finding cinderella >> ashton irwin

Epilouge

I sat on the chair tiredly, watching my children, and my grandchildren, playing on the floor this Christmas Eve.

"Grandma?" I heard a small voice behind me say.

"Yes?" I said, turning around to see my granddaughter, Candice. Her hands were behind her back.

"Remember when grandpa went to heaven?" she asked me shyly, sitting on my lap.

"Yes, of course" I said, reliving the memory. It was bittersweet, because Ashton was suffering from cancer, and when he went to heaven I knew he wouldn't have to suffer again.

"He asked me to give you this" she said, and handed me a small box.

"What's this?" I asked her.

"I don't know, but he told me if he wouldn't be here on Christmas, I would have to give this to you" she said.

"You have to open it to see what it is." she said, and got off my lap, running over to her cousins.

The small box was covered in a pretty piece of wrapping paper, and ribbon was tied over it. Slowly, I took off the ribbon, and shred the wrapping paper to pieces.

Inside, was a small bracelet with the letters 'CINDY' on it. The same bracelet I lost when we first met.

It wasn't just the bracelet, a letter was inside, written in Ashton's writing.

Dear Mrs. Irwin,

I'm probably not staying until Christmas, so here's a gift for you. Remember when we first met? Yeah, this is the bracelet you lost. I never gave it back, though, because it was a remembrance of you whenever I traveled with the band. It helped me remember you.

I miss you right now, as I'm laying in the hospital bed. You just went outside to get some food.

We all know I'm gonna die later on, so I want you to know I love you so so much. So much. Please remember me, don't forget me later on.

Don't cry, okay? We're going to be together again, anyway. As long as you're not doing anything stupid we can still be together in heaven.

That's all I want to say. But remember,

You'll always be my Cindy-rella .

- Ashton