Thank you everyone =) You're all absolutely fantastic.

Spencer's POV

I walk into my house after a normal day at school.

Almost falling asleep in my first period class. Making out with Ashley in the bathroom. Taking a biology quiz. Making out with Ashley in the bathroom. Having lunch with Kyla, Aiden, Chelsea, Court, Robin, and Ashley. Making out with Ashley in the bathroom. Being late for gym because Ashley was kissing my neck. Making out with Ashley in the bathroom. Debating in my history class. Making out with Ashley in the bathroom.

When I get home I'm surprised to see that my mother's car is in the driveway. I just wanted to have a peaceful afternoon. My mother is in the kitchen heating something up in the microwave. We have not been talking too much, and I've been avoiding her and she's been avoiding me. So it is slightly awkward when I go into the kitchen to grab a snack and she's just standing there. I hate this awkwardness. With someone like my mother, my family.

I glance at her quickly before opening the fridge. Her eyes meet mine and for the first time in a while I don't see anger, or disgust, or indifference. They're just kind of soft and almost…sad.

"How was your day?" Her voice comes out cracked in the beginning, almost as if she hadn't used her vocal chords in a while. It evens out towards the end though.

I turn to look at her, some grapes in my hand. I'm surprised and caught off guard at her questioning.

"I, um, it was good." I stutter out stupidly. My next sentence is hesitant and I almost don't even say it. Almost. "How was yours?"

My mother looks at me and now her eyes are definitely sad, but kind of happier. If that is at all possible, because that right there is an oxymoron. "It was alright. I got the rest of the day off."

"That's nice." I say plainly, trying to not let her know that I'm happy she's talking to me. This is a battle and I will not lose.

My mother nods. "How's, how's Ashley?" she asks me.

One grape drops from my hand and I look at her. Searching for sarcasm or a caustic tone that tells me she's just messing with me. I find neither of those things.

I take a breath before I answer her question. "She's wonderful." I say honestly. I want to tell her that Ashley is amazing, and that she's funny and that she loves me. And I want to tell her that I want her to see that Ashley is one of the best things that has happened to me since we've moved here and that I am good for Ashley. Because I know I am. We're good for each other.

But I don's speak those words.

Again, my mother nods. I pop a grape in my mouth and we are quiet. I go to leave the kitchen but apparently my mother is not done surprising me today.

"Hey, Spence?" She says, and I turn around.

"Yeah?" I respond simply.

My mother looks at the ground before talking and then back at me. " I have this work party next weekend." She starts. I stare at her, to go on. She does. "And I'd really like if you would come." There is a pause where neither of us speak. At least not with our mouths. "And you're welcome to bring Ashley with you."

Then, the timer to the microwave goes off and my mother turns around to get whatever it is that she was heating up. I stand in shock and confusion.

Wait.

Did I hear correctly? Did my mother just ask me to go to a work thing with her and for me to bring Ashley? That Ashley was welcome to come? Is that what just happened? I am half expecting some guy to pop out of the cabinet with a camera and yell You've been Punk'd Spencer Carlin! But that doesn't seem to be happening.

My mouth opens and closes.

"You don't have to, just think about it, if you want." She says hesitantly.

I nod, because that is all I can do for now. I walk out of that kitchen with my mother in it, at least the woman who I think is my mother, standing there still. I feel a tightness come over my chest, one of happiness. Then I turn around and rush back into the kitchen. I don't say anything but walk up to my mother and hug her tightly. Tightly like I haven't for a very long time, because I haven't. This action is the only thing I am capable of doing in my shock and it seems to be enough. Because she hugs me back.

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"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Ashley says in shock over the phone. I'm sitting on my bed in my room, staring up at the ceiling.

"She said you're welcome to come." I repeat for the third time to an unbelieving Ashley.

"Is she high?" Ashley asks seriously.

I snort into the phone. "Not that I know of."

"Speed?"

"No, Ash."

"Shrooms?"

"Ashley."

"Hmmm. Wow. Do you think someone paid her to say that?" I hear the teasing in Ashley's voice, but her nervous tone is predominant.

"No, Ash. I don't know what happened or whatever. But- I mean, will you go?" I ask nervously. Part of me is scared that Ashley will say no because of everything, that things with my mother will never, ever be the same. I'm nervous that they're both so stubborn that things will never be fixed. Because now, there seems to the smallest, tiniest chance of things becoming better. And I want it so badly.

"Spencer." Ashley says evenly. And I'm all ready to get angry and tell her she needs to go because this is important. "Of course I'll go. I would do anything for you. You know that." She says quietly into the phone to me. Her voice is shaky and I know that she's surprised by her sudden tenderness, as am I. it just makes my heart ache for her even more.

"Really?" I ask.

Ashley chuckles. "Really. It'll be no tea party, but I mean, there will be food, right?"

I laugh easily now, a very large weight lifted off of my chest. "Yes, there will be food."

"Alright then. That's all I needed to know. And you're going right?" She says slyly and I would bet money that there is a very large, cute, smirk on her face.

"Obviously."

"Well, I'm in then." She responds.

I go back downstairs later, after talking to Ashley on the phone to find my mom and dad sitting in the living room, watching American Idol.

"Hiya Spence." My dad says with a smile as he hears me enter the room.

"Hi." I say. "Um. Ashley said she would come." I spit out quickly, not so sure why I was so nervous to actually say that.

My mother smiles at me. Smiles. "Good." She says, and her eyes go back to the television. I see my dad take her hand and squeeze it after a second. After another couple of minutes, my mother goes into the kitchen to get a drink.

"Did you put her up to this?" I ask my dad.

He chuckles quietly at me, rearranging the glasses on his nose. "Nope. This was her idea. She misses you Spence."

I nod at him, smiling slightly. And then my mother comes back into the room with three glasses of juice. One for her, one for my dad, and one for me.

And a glass of juice has never meant so much to me.

"Thank you mom." I tell her softly.

"I thought you might be thirsty." She says with a shrug of her shoulders.

"No." I laugh out. "Thank you for- inviting Ashley."

My mother looks at me. She takes a deep breath and I'm almost scared she is going to take it back. Say it was just a cruel and unusual joke. But she doesn't. "She wants you to be happy. And so do I. So I guess we have that in common." She gives me a very small smile, but her apologetic, sincere eyes are what I catch.

And as simple as that, things are different.

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"Spencer, please stop pacing, your heels are making indents in the carpet." My mother says to me as I pace in the living room.

"I, yeah, sorry." I tell her, stopping my movement. "She said she would be here like five minutes ago."

"Jesus calm down Spencer." Glen says from the couch, eating a sandwich.

"Why are you eating, there's gunna be food there." I spit at him. To say I am nervous is an understatement. I'm not nervous about actually going with Ashley. I'm more nervous that she's going to change her mind at the last second and not come.

"I'm hungry." Glen says with his mouth full, eyes glued to a basketball game on television.

I'm dressed in a jean skirt and a light blue colored top. My hair in loose ringlets. I must have changed my outfit five times, trying to find something not too casual but not too fancy. "It's not a ball, Spencer." My mother had said when I came downstairs in a long champagne colored dress. I guess that was overkill.

The doorbell rings and I have every intention of getting it. But my dad beats me to it. I hear his voice saying hello to Ashley and then I hear her husky voice asking him how he is. I have a smile on my face even before I see her, and when I do, it just gets bigger. And when I do actually see her, I feel a slight flush come over me and I have the sudden urge to make some kind of noise, a growl or a moan, for absolutely no reason besides the mere fact of her presence.

She walks into the living room and she looks ridiculously hot. Ashley always looks good but holy crap she looks so good I physically grip my hands on the sofa that I am leaning against to stop myself from pinning her against the wall of my house. Ashley is wearing a maroon vest that is covering almost all of her toned stomach. There is a striped tie dangling loosely from her neck and down her cleavage. She's wearing tight black pants and I see boots, the boots I love on her, at her feet. My eyes scan her and when I meet her face, she is wearing a sly grin.

I move from my position and go to give her a hug, a tight hug that lasts longer than it should.

"Hey." She husks in my ear and I hear a trace of nervousness there.

"You nervous?" I whisper to her, pulling away.

Her eyes, a little wide but very dark brown look at mine. "Yeah, a little." She breathes out.

And I realize that I have no reason to be nervous. If anyone does, it is Ashley. I take her hand and squeeze it affectionately. "It'll be fine." I tell her and give her a comforting smile.

"Hey Ash. I'm glad you're coming, this was gunna be so boring with just Spencer." Glen says from the couch.

"Shut up Glen." I say and laugh lightly.

"Hello Ashley." My mother says as she walks into the living room and I see Ashley tense out of the corner of my eye.

"Uh." Ashley glances at me before regaining her composure. "Hi Mrs. Carlin. Thanks for inviting me." She speaks nervously.

"You're welcome." My mother says. And she doesn't say it in a mean way.

"You look very nice." Ashley says and it takes a lot of effort for me to hold back a snort of laughter at her. Ashley complimenting my mother. But I absolutely love her for trying. For being here.

"Thank you, I was thinking of buying a vest but I thought maybe I would be too old for that." My mother says easily, putting some things in her purse.

Ashley smiles and I see her slightly un-tense and become comfortable. "I think you could pull it off." She tells my mother with a smile.

My mother laughs. She laughs in a nice way. "I appreciate that."

And I have no words because I think, I think, my mother and Ashley, my girlfriend, are getting along. Having a normal conversation. I'm pretty sure that this is what is going on here.

I believe the universe is playing tricks on me.

"Let's get this show on the road then." My dad says as he comes down the stairs. Everyone gathers their stuff and we head out to the car. But before I go, I intentionally go slowly, leaving Ashley and I behind for a second.

When we get a second alone, I kiss her softly, bringing my hand to her face. She kisses me back eagerly and I bite her lip for a second before we pull away from each other.

"I needed that." Ashley says slowly, opening her eyes.

My eyes then scan her again. "You look so good." I tell her, my voice noticeably dropping a few octaves lower than it was before.

Ashley grins. "So do you, I wanted to rip that skirt off you the second I saw it."

I think for a minute about taking her up on that idea, but then my dad's voice yells for us to hurry up. I take Ashley's hand in mine and drag her out of the door. "You ready?" I ask her.

She nods at me. "Yes ma'am." She smiles and kisses my cheek.

This should be interesting.