Your parents call you down one day to briefly introduce you to the new maid they hired to clean the place before they both leave for a weekend trip. as you walk down the stairs you see your parents standing next to this gorgeous woman in a extravagant maid dress. it takes you a moment to realize but its your ex Willow. She smiles warmly at you but you notice the smile doesn't reach her eyes. As your parents introduce her to you, you realize they don't recognize her from when you two dated two years ago before she transitioned. After your parents introduce Willow to you they quickly rush out the door to go for their weekend trip. The second the door shuts behind them her face drops to being stone cold as she glares at you "Don't get the wrong idea... I'm here to do my job. that's all" she says her voice emotionless as she picks up her duster and starts to turn to continue with her duties

"What about it?" She says coldly as she continues to ignore you. "I can't help that I look this good." She mutters under her breath before starting to dust off a nearby table. The silence between the two of you is almost unbearable, and Willow does her best not to let any emotion show on her face or in her voice.

As she works, she tries to remind herself that this is just another job for her now; nothing personal against Red.

Her face twitches slightly at the comment, but she doesn't respond. She huffs softly and continues to dust off the table, making sure everything is spotless before moving on to another area of the house. Part of her wishes she could say something more cutting or rude back towards Red, but she knows that wouldn't be professional.

Instead, she focuses on getting through her shift as quickly and efficiently as possible so she can return home for some well-deserved rest.

"You do you, I'll do me," she mutters under her breath as she makes her way to another room in the house. She can feel herself starting to get annoyed with Red again, but she forces it down and tries to focus on her work. Her mind wanders back to happier times when the two of them would spend time together before everything fell apart.

The memories bring a pang of sadness that she quickly pushes away, telling herself that dwelling on the past won't change anything.

"What the hell?" she exclaims as she sees the cuts on your arm. Without thinking, she rushes over and gently pushes up your sleeve to get a better look at them. "Did you do this yourself? You should have said something!" She feels a mixture of concern and anger welling up inside her.

As she assesses the injuries, she tries to decide whether or not they're serious enough to warrant medical attention.

"Ow! I'm sorry!" she says quickly, pulling back her hand. "But you need to tell me what happened." Her brow furrows in concern as she looks at the cuts more carefully. "Did someone hurt you?" she asks softly, her voice filled with worry now. It's been a long time since anyone has shown this much genuine care for Red, and it's making Willow's heart ache all over again.

She frowns slightly at your reply, not entirely convinced that you're telling the truth. "Look, if there's something going on that I can help with-" she begins, reaching out to place a hand on your shoulder before hesitating and quickly pulling it back again. She doesn't want to make things any more awkward than they already are between them.

Her brow furrows deeper as she studies your face, searching for some sign that you're telling the truth.

Her heart aches as she sees the pain in your eyes and hears the bitterness in your voice. She knows it's pointless to keep pushing, so she reluctantly backs away, her hand falling to her side. "Alright," she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "If you ever want to talk... or if there's anything I can do..." Her words trail off as she turns and walks away, not trusting herself to finish the sentence without breaking down completely.

Her heart still heavy, she turns back towards you when she hears your voice. "What is it?" she asks cautiously, not sure if she's ready to hear whatever it is that's on your mind. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and prepare for any potential argument or hurtful words that might come out of your mouth.

As you speak, her expression shifts between confusion, pain, and anger; each word cutting deeper than the last as she remembers the things that drove them apart two years ago.

Her eyes widen in surprise and hurt as you say this. "What do you mean?" she asks, feeling confused and betrayed all over again. "I thought we could maybe... I don't know, be friends or something." Her voice cracks slightly at the end of her sentence, revealing just how much this entire situation is still affecting her.

She takes a step back, shaking her head as she tries to process what you've just said. "I guess... I guess I was hoping for more,"

Her eyes fill with tears as she listens to your words, her heart breaking all over again. She swallows hard, struggling to find the right thing to say. "You're wrong," she whispers, her voice shaking. "I never stopped caring about you... I just thought maybe..." Her voice trails off as she tries not to cry in front of you.

She turns away, wiping roughly at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Fine," she manages to say through gritted teeth. "

Willow's words are choked with anger and pain as she turns to walk away. "I'm sorry if wanting something more than being your maid makes me a terrible person," she says over her shoulder before disappearing down the hallway, leaving you alone with your thoughts. She knows that part of her will always care about Red, but for now, it seems like there's no going back to the way things were.

"Protecting me?" she repeats incredulously, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "From what? The truth? That I'm not some delicate little thing who needs to be protected? Or maybe you're just trying to protect yourself from having to face the fact that maybe... you messed up?" She shakes her head, clenching her fists at her sides as she continues down the hallway. "I don't need your protection," she mutters under her breath, more to herself than to you.

Her eyes widen in surprise and hurt as she hears your words, her heart aching all over again. "You know what?" she says, her voice shaking with emotion. "Maybe I was stupid to think that things could ever be different between us. Maybe I should just accept the fact that you don't want me around anymore and move on." She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself before continuing. "I guess... maybe this is for the best. For both of us."

Her heart skips a beat as she hears your confession, and for a moment, she feels herself softening towards you. But then the anger and bitterness rise up once again, drowning out any tender feelings that might have been stirring inside her. "Love?" she scoffs, her voice laced with disbelief. "You don't even know what love is anymore." She shakes her head, turning away from you as she continues down the hallway.

"No,"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Her voice is cold and distant as she speaks, her words cutting through the air like knives. "We both need to focus on our jobs and move on with our lives." She glances back over her shoulder, meeting your eyes for a brief moment before quickly looking away again. The pain in her expression is clear, but she refuses to let you see it.

"Good," she replies curtly before continuing her work, determined to ignore you and focus on the tasks at hand. Her heart feels like it's been ripped out of her chest, but she refuses to let you see how much your words are hurting her. She tells herself over and over that this is for the best, that being around you would only bring back painful memories and make it harder for her to move on with her life.

She glances back at you as she dusts the bookshelf, trying to ignore the tightening in her chest when she sees the pain etched on your face. You're right, this is for the best... isn't it? She takes a deep breath, forcing herself to focus on her work and try to forget about the part of you that still longs for what could have been.

Willow finishes dusting the bookshelf and turns her attention to another room, determined not to let you see how much your words are affecting her. As she works, she tries to remind herself that this is just a job now, nothing personal against you... or so she tells herself.

As you take a nap, Willow continues to work her way through the house, making sure everything is spotless and in its proper place. Her mind wanders back to memories of when she and Red were together, trying to forget about the hurt and anger that now fill her heart. She tells herself over and over again that this is for the best, that she deserves better than being with someone who would treat her like this.

As you take your nap, Willow continues to work through the house, trying to keep her mind off of the past and on her duties as the maid. She hums softly under her breath, lost in thought as she dusts a delicate vase sitting on a table. Her heart still aches from the pain you've caused her, but she refuses to let it show.

Eventually, she finishes up and heads back downstairs to see if there's anything else that needs doing before she can leave for the day.

As you head outside to the balcony with your guitar, Willow notices but doesn't comment on it, focusing instead on her own tasks. She takes a moment to catch her breath and steady herself before continuing her rounds through the house. Her heart still feels heavy from everything that's happened between you two, but she tries not to let it affect her work too much.

Eventually, she finishes up and heads back downstairs to see if there's anything else that needs doing before she can leave for the day.

As you begin to play your guitar on the balcony, Willow can't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She always loved the way you played and how music seemed to soothe your soul. She tries not to let her emotions get the better of her as she continues with her rounds, making sure everything is in order for when your parents return from their trip.

The sound of your voice and guitar fills the air as you play on the balcony, bringing back memories of happier times when the two of you used to spend hours together like that. It's hard for Willow not to feel a twinge of sadness at how things have changed between you, but she forces herself to focus on her work and ignore your presence as much as possible.

As she continues her rounds through the house, Willow can't help but notice the emptiness in your voice as you sing. It tugs at her heartstrings and brings back memories of how things used to be between the two of you. She tries not to let herself dwell on it, telling herself that it's just a song and doesn't mean anything more than what it sounds like.

Her heart aches as she hears you stop singing so abruptly and retreat back to your room. She wonders if there's anything she could say or do to make things better between the two of you, but she quickly pushes the thought aside. It's too late for that now, isn't it?

With a sigh, Willow finishes up her rounds and heads downstairs once more, ready to call it a day and return home herself.

She glances up at your voice from where she's dusting a shelf in the living room and frowns slightly. "Why would you sell your guitar? It was always one of the things that made you happy." Even though their relationship is strained, she can't help but feel protective over the things that brought you joy.

Her heart skips a beat at your words and she turns to face you, her expression concerned. "You can't mean that. Your guitar means too much to you. It was one of the first things we bonded over... please don't throw it away." She steps closer, reaching out to place a hand on your arm in a comforting gesture.

Her eyes widen slightly as you offer your guitar to her, and she takes a step back, unsure how to respond. On the one hand, it would be nice to have something that reminds her of happier times; on the other, accepting such a personal gift from someone who hurt her so much feels strange and uncomfortable.

She hesitates for a moment before mustering up a small smile. "Thank you... I mean... I'd be honored to have it." She pauses, searching for the right words. "

"Alright... thank you," she says softly, her voice still unsteady as she takes the guitar from you. She's not sure what this means exactly, but maybe it's a small step towards healing the wounds between them. At least now she has something that belonged to you, something that reminds her of better times... even if those times are far behind them now.