Ashley nodded, squeezing the blonde’s arm momentarily in a gesture of support before she replied, “Yeah, of course.” With that she turned, walking away to root around the house. She wanted to find something, anything worth saving so she didn’t have to return back to Spencer empty handed.

Spencer sat down in the spot where her bed used to be, her eyes shutting as she buried her face in her hands. She’d been holding out a small sliver of hope that she’d been mistaken when she thought she saw her house on the TV, and so it hurt even more to see those hopes as completely destroyed as this home. Her blue eyes lifted, scanning the dirt for anything familiar that she could hold on to. But there was nothing salvageable, and after a moment she plunged her face back into her hands, regretting her decision to come here.

“Hey Spence, I found something.” Ashley spoke softly as she knelt beside Spencer, her arm enveloping the girl’s suddenly small shoulders.

“What?” Spencer inquired, looking over at Ashley’s extended hand. In it she held a small ceramic blue robin, whose exterior had been darkened by soot although it’s main shape, was still intact.

“I found it over where the kitchen used to be I think. I thought you might want it.” Ashley spoke, looking down nervously at the ground. Something about Spencer had a way of making her behave timidly, and she honestly had no idea what it was.

Spencer took it from Ashley, treating the object like a relic as she tenderly turned it over in her palm. It’s funny how when you lose everything even the smallest trinket can become sacred; “It was a gift to me from my brother, Clay. He passed away two years ago in a car accident.”

“…Oh…” Ashley took a seat next to Spencer, staring down at the bird in her hand and watching those slender fingers toy with its edges, “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.” The girl uttered in a sad voice before tucking the object into her jeans and rising to her feet, “We should be getting back.”

“Your probably right.” Ashley agreed, pausing as she received a text message, “Hey, the evacuations lifted off my house, want to stop there and clean up, so your parents aren’t too suspicious?”