"Toothbrush?"
"Check..."
"Weekend clothes?"
"Check..."
"Pads?"
"Eww...mom come on," Taylor scrunched up her face in disgust as she looked up from her suitcase.
"What every girl needs them," Ashley shot back setting her clip board down.
"Yeah but I'm sixteen why do we have to go over this, I can pack my stuff all by myself now a days." She taunted.
"Oh you can, can you?" Ashley raised an eyebrow when Taylor nodded in the affirmative the older woman grabbed a pillow from the bed throwing it at the girl, "And who had to drive an hour in the middle of the night to bring said sixteen year old their little security pillow because they forgot to pack it huh?"
A deep blush rose on Taylor's cheeks, "It's not a security pillow..." she lame shot back hugging the pillow closer to her chest before making room in her suit case.
"Baby it's not a bad thing to still sleep with your security pillow especially since I made it for you," Ashley smiled she spent the entire time in labor making that pillow for her child and just as she finished the last stitch the contraction got worse and ten minutes later she delivered Taylor Ann Davies, seven lbs three ounces 21 inches long.
"Makes me feel like a kid when you call it that," she whined.
Ashley chuckled, "I still have my bear so we even?" she asked.
Taylor stared at her mom for a moment, "Yeah we're even."
"Good so pads?" Ashley dodged the socks her daughter tossed at her as she dashed out of the room.
"I hate you!" Taylor screamed from her room.
"Nah you love me," Ashley screamed back heading to the door which had been knocked on a second ago. Opening the door she saw Aiden standing outside in his business suit all fresh and clean with not one single hair out of place, it disgusted her and kind of intrigued her at the same time, in high school he was a basketball star always sweaty from practice and hair waving about in the wind with a charming smile as he wrapped his arms around her keeping her safe from the chill but as they grew he changed for the worse obviously.
"Is she ready?" he checked his watch tapping his foot on the pavement.
"Hi to you too," she glared as he brushed past her and into the small apartment.
"Whatever," he huffed looking around the room, "Ashley look at this place," he sneered.
"What about it?" she glanced around, sure there was sneakers by the door and two coats thrown over the back of the couch and the breakfast dishes had yet to be done and she hadn't had time to vacuum but it was lived in by a teenager and a busy single mom what did he expect.
"It's filthy, how can you allow our daughter to even stay here?" he cringed.
"Well I don't have a maid like you do Aiden and you should know that since you took every damn penny I owned."
"I didn't take anything that wasn't owed to me," he barked back.
"What was owed to you, please if anything you owe me way more than your worth,"
"Please with everything I put up with..."
"What did you put up with huh...huh Aiden, what was so bad..."
"STOP IT!" Taylor's voice screamed from the hallway watching her parents fighting back and forth.
"Tay sweetie I'm so sorry," Ashley quickly made her way over and wrapped her daughter up in a hug.
"Oh stop coddling the girl she needs to learn everything isn't rainbows and butterflies," Aiden pulled Taylor from Ashley's arms, "Do you have everything packed?"
"Yes,"
"Yes what?" he raised an eye brow.
"Yes sir," she lowered her head.
"Good now go put your stuff in the trunk and wait in the car," he motioned for her to leave. Taylor kissed her mom goodbye and went out side, "See all you have to do is put your foot down Ashley you can't always be the girl's best friend she needs a parent."
"Well maybe you should try and be her best friend instead of a strict asshole," she growled back.
"Watch it you know I can easily take her from you," he stepped so close she can smell his after shave, it still choked her, she always gagged when he used that brand.
"You wouldn't?" her voice wavered.
"The only reason I'm allowing her to stay with you is because I don't have time to deal with her teenage problems but give me one reason Ashley just one reason and she'll be living with me and you will no longer have custody and will never see her again understand?" he growled.
Tears fell from her eyes, "You can't take her from me, she's all I have,"
"Than I suggest you don't push me Ashley," he turned and left her in the quiet house all alone.
She sat on the couch crying, grabbing a picture from the side table; it was taken when Ashley took Taylor to the zoo for the first time. The five year old was so enthusiastic, running around everywhere, even getting lost at one point because she couldn't stay still. The picture was taken at the petting zoo, Ashley held Taylor in her lap while the little girl fed a goat, both of them smiling so big it brightened the world around them.
The phone ringing brought her out of her memories, setting the picture down and wiping her tears away she picked it up, "Hello?"
"Ms. Davies are you okay?" the concerned voice spoke volumes.
"I told you to call me Ashley and nothing is wrong,"
"You can't lie to me I can tell you were crying,"
"We talk for a few hours yesterday and you know when I'm upset Spencer," Ashley chuckled sadly.
"Yeah I can...um are you okay?"
Ashley sighed, "I'm okay...so why did you call, not that I mind any way."
"I was wondering if you wanted to get together to talk about some songs that Taylor could sing but if you're busy we can do it another time..."
"...Spencer?"
"Yeah?" the woman on the other end breathed out, Ashley could almost hear the blush seeping up her cheeks.
"I bet you're so cute when you blush,"
"How'd you know I was blushing?"
"Same way you knew I was crying but I would love some company right about now, do you want to come over?" please say yes...please...please...
"Um to your house?" Ashley could hear the uneasiness in the woman's voice.
"Sure unless you want to meet somewhere else?"
"No...No I mean your place is okay."
"Great..." Ashley gave Spencer the directions to her apartment than set about cleaning the place up as she did Aiden's words kept replaying in her mind about how her place was a mess and she wasn't being a parent but a friend to Taylor. She was so busy doubting her self she didn't hear the bell ring at first but when she did she ran to open it stopping to fix her hair in the hall mirror; taking a deep breath she opened the door...
TBC.