My mom left soon after dawn leaving instruction. I told Aiden I’d watch her and that he could sleep on the coach because he had to go to work tomorrow. He give that ‘you are the best’ look, and I wondered if he’d feel the same after knowing my selfish reasons for offering it…  

It wasn’t a peaceful sleep. I could see her eyes darting beneath her closed eyelids. Subconscious I started caressing her head, I didn’t even notice I was doing it until I sensed a change in her, she was calmer now. I smiled and too allowed tranquility to come.

I felt lips on my forehead. I opened my eyes lazily. "Bye honey I’ll see you tonight." He said and left for work. I sighed and tried finding a more comfortable position on the chair that was my bed last night… or morning… as I was drifting back to sleep I could hear the crack of our bed and hard breathing of exertion. I opened one eye to see Ashley biting her lips not to scream from the pain getting up slowly from the bed ‘god she is tough!’ I didn’t think she’ll get far but she was almost at the door in seconds well minutes…

"Leaving so soon?" I asked and she stopped dead on her track with her back to me, her face to the door, it was like if she didn’t move I wouldn’t see her. I laughed so hard at that.

Finally her shoulders relaxed and she turned around suddenly grabbing her side. Not laughing any more I lunched at her.

"Are you o.k.?" she didn’t answer but I could see she was in pain. I helped her back to the bed.

"If you tore your stitches I’m taking you to the hospital I’m not calling my mom again!" I said as I checked her bandage. Luckily she didn’t. I looked up at her smirking at me.

"Say something…" I said as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"I missed you Spencer…" she finally said.

"God Ashley, you’ve changed…" I didn’t know if it was the time to ask, and she must have seen the debate I was having with myself. "You can ask." She answered the unasked question. God I have so many things I want to ask her where should I start? Who shoot you? Why did they? Why are you living on the streets? Are you in trouble? Where is your mother? 

"Why didn’t you write back to me?" that’s it?! I questioned myself. That’s what you just asked her??

She looked away for a second then back at me her eyes color changed somewhat. 

"I had a lot on my mind I couldn’t get to it… But I answered your first letters!" she added hoping it will make me feel batter. It didn’t…

"Yea you wrote like five times and then nothing." I sighed.

"Look," She said pushing the blanket off her. "I knew I shouldn’t have come here… I’ll go." She finished starting to get up again.

"Why did you come here?" I said now in front of her face with anger. I saw confusion and fear in her eyes, I remembered seeing it before… I didn’t like it.

I followed my instinct and hugged her. It was like a wave washed over me. For someone who didn’t have a home or at least appeared to, she smelled nice. Her hair was soft and as I closed my eyes it felt like… like I was home.  

"I’m sorry… I’m glad you came here. Really I am." She relaxed again in my arms then laid back. I looked at her with raised eyebrows and she giggled then grabbed her side "Aww don’t make me laugh!" she begged.

"I’m sorry" I smiled at her. "And stop saying your sorry…" now it was my turn to giggle. "O.k.…" she sighed and closed her eyes. "I’ve missed you too…" I said and left her to rest.

I found myself drinking tea with the biggest dopey smile on my face. It’s so nice that she’s here it’s like we never parted. Only we did and for so long… what happened to you? Why are you so defensive? We used to tell each other everything… maybe she doesn’t trust me? She did enough to know she could come here… how did she find me? God so many questions… what’s important is that she’s here now and we can get to know each other again.