Alice was the youngest in her family—and the only daughter. Her two older brothers, Jake and Ashton, were adventurous and loud, always into something, but Alice had a quieter, more thoughtful nature. While her parents had once lived exciting lives working on cruise ships, sailing across oceans and exploring distant places, they longed for something more stable when they started a family.
So, when Alice was born, her parents made a heartfelt decision. They arranged with her grandfather, Bill, that while they were away for work, the children would stay with him. It wasn’t a temporary plan—it became the rhythm of their childhood. Alice, Jake, and Ashton grew up surrounded by Bill’s gentle wisdom, hearty laugh, and endless stories about “the good old days.”
But for Alice, the bond went even deeper.
While the boys eventually gravitated toward their own interests and friend groups, Alice remained closely connected to her grandfather. They spent hours in his garden, planting flowers and talking about life. They played board games, made weekend pancakes from scratch, and even built a birdhouse together one summer that still hung on Bill’s porch.
Their relationship was more than just a typical grandfather-granddaughter bond—they were best friends. Bill never treated Alice like she was “just a kid.” He listened when she talked, laughed at her jokes, and shared advice without ever making her feel small.
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