Wow, I didn't think I was going to get this chapter loaded tonight. I went back through the 6 chapters I've already posted and did some serious editing.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing; the reviews help me know what to focus on and areas to edit.

Enjoy, and as always continue to leave reviews.

Chapter 7

It was Saturday morning Ashley was pulling into the hospital parking lot feeling guilty that she hadn't come to visit her mom in a week. Three weeks ago her mom had a serious stroke, leaving her in a coma for a week and a half. Ashley lived twelve hours away when she received the call from her dad telling her that her mom was heading to the ER. Ashley broke about a million traffic laws trying to get to her mom afraid that she would be too late. She decided that day to move closer to her parents, she submitted the paperwork for the transfer, packed her belongings, and last week moved into her new apartment 10 minutes from both her parents' house and the hospital.

When she walked into the hospital room her mom was sleeping, you could see the effects the stroke had with her mom in her face. Ashley smiled, thinking she's still the most beautiful woman she has ever met. She walked over placing her mom's hand in hers. Her mother opened her eyes to look at her daughter.

"Hi mom, how are you feeling today?"

Her mom studied her daughter for a moment "I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm good."

"That's nice, now tell me the truth."

Ashley smiled at her mom, no matter how much she tried to hide her feelings from her mom the older woman always knew. "Mom you need to focus on you, not worrying about me. I'm good honest."

"Girl I'm your mother, my number one job is to worry about you. I can see that something is bothering you, written all over your face. So you can save me the time and energy of trying to pull it out of you and just tell me."

She just laughed, giving up knowing her mom wouldn't stop till she got it out "do you remember Spencer Carlin?"

"Why of course that girl nearly lived at our house for ten years, there isn't a day that has passed that I have not thought of her."

"Well you know the softball tournament I told you I was playing in last weekend." Her mom nodded her head encouraging Ashley to continue "I was in the field warming up when I felt someone looking at me. I looked up and there was Spencer mom, just standing there staring at me. I couldn't believe it, I thought I was going crazy and hallucinating."

Her mom couldn't help the tears that slid down her face in her eyes Spencer was like a second daughter to her. The blonde disappearing had not only broken Ashley's heart but her own as well. Every day since she has regretted never stepping in to help the girl, she knew things at home were bad, but it wasn't until years later when Ashley finally told her that she realized how bad things were.

"Oh honey."

"There's more." Ashley continued "You know that I transferred departments" she paused to laugh when she saw her mom roll her eyes. Her mom about had a fit when she came out of the coma and Ashley told her that she had transferred and was moving closer to her. "Anyway" she continued "I'm shadowing a case worker at the new department just until I get the hang of how they do things."

"Uh huh, and."

"The case worker is Spencer; I didn't even know she worked for the department until a week before I started."

Her mom was about to tell her how happy she was for her daughter when she saw the pain and hurt in her eyes and the tears begin to slide down her cheeks "Honey what is it?"

"Mom, she hates me. She's so angry at me that she won't even talk to me unless it is work related. I have no clue why she disappeared ten years ago and she won't talk to me about it." She choked out, letting the tears fall laying her head down on her mom.

Her mom ran her fingers through her hair shushing her thinking back to the night she realized that her daughter was falling in love.

12 years ago; age 15

It was ten o'clock and Christine was getting ready to go to bed as she walked through the house, making sure the lights were off, leaving the entry light on and checking the front door making sure it was unlocked. She smiled when she thought of her daughter and her friend Spencer. The girls have been best friends since they were seven, Spencer has sneaked in and out of her daughter's window for about three years until one morning a year ago she told her daughter to have her friend use the front door. The shocked look on Ashley's face was priceless "like I wouldn't know."

Christine climbed into bed thinking about her daughter's friend. She knew that the girl didn't have the best home life; she has heard the blonde crying at night and her daughter comforting her. Christine has tried to get Ashley to talk to her about it but her daughter won't say anything other than saying her home life isn't great. After about thirty minutes she heard the front door open, the floor creaking as Spencer made her way to Ashley's room, and then the quiet whispers. She relaxed just then realizing that she was waiting for Spencer to come in before falling asleep.

She was awakened by a noise outside, she got up to use the bathroom, deciding to peak in at the girls. It was still early so she knew that Spencer would still be there. She was thinking about the girls as she walked down the hallway towards her daughter's room, she had never seen two people be closer than those girls were. She opened the door allowing the light from the hallway light up the bedroom the sight she saw took her breath away. Ashley snuggled behind Spencer with her arm wrapped protectively around the blonde holding her tight.

She shut the door going back to her room, not wanting to wake them. She was lying in bed thinking about the sight that she had just seen, thinking about the look that Ashley gets in her eye when she sees Spencer, the smile that crosses her daughters face when you mention the blonde. Watching them together, you would think they were one person, when one moves the other instinctively moves, they share secret smiles when they think no one is looking "it's like they are soul mates." Realizing what she had just said she sits up in bed covering her mouth with her hand, then a slow smile creeps on her face "my baby girl is falling in love" she whispered before laying back down with a smile on her face.

"I knew you were gay when you were fifteen years old." Her mother said with a laugh.

Ashley set up looking shocked "What? How? I didn't tell you until I was nineteen."

Her mom smiled "Do you keep forgetting that I am your mother? Do you not think I would know when my daughter is falling in love? I knew you loved that girl before you did. I figured that when you were ready to tell me you would, then she disappeared and you were so heartbroken I didn't want to bring it up."

"Why did you not say anything the night I told you?"

"You made this huge deal about telling me and explaining. I didn't want to take that away from you." She said laughing remembering the night that Ashley walked into her room, pale as a ghost telling her that they needed to talk. Ashley had paced back and forth in bedroom for thirty minutes, wringing her hands together, and opening and closing her mouth. Christine had patiently waited for Ashley to say out loud what she had already known for years

"Honey you are going to pace a trench in my bedroom."

"Mom, I'm gay!" Ashley blurted out bursting into tears. When she had started to apologize Christine walked up to her, held her face in her hands, looking her right in the eyes, and saying "Honey never apologize for being who you are. I don't care who you choose to love as long as you are happy." Then she wrapped her daughter in arms.

Ashley left the hospital a couple of hours later knowing her mom was getting tired and wouldn't sleep if she was there. Her mom asked her to see if Spencer would come visit her. She told her that she would ask the blonde but that she didn't think she would come. Explaining that Spencer didn't want anything personal to do with her, her mom smiled and told her to remain patient.

It was Monday morning and every muscle in Ashley's body hurt. She had spent the weekend getting unpacked she however is paying for it today. Surprised that when she walked into Spencer's cubicle and the blonde wasn't there already. Ashley logged on to the computer to check her emails and prepare for the follow-up on Ryan's case that she was going to do today. She was busy adding the new details to the report that the lawyer had emailed her over the weekend that she didn't hear Spencer walk into the cubicle "Hello"

She stopped typing, looked at the clock and turned to look at Spencer "Wow I'm impressed it's noon."

"This is my month of late nights; noon to eight. I end up staying till midnight so I don't bother coming in early." She said with a smirk.

"Gotcha, give me a second to save this and I will give you your space back."

Spencer was already walking out of the cubicle "take your time I have to go talk to the boss first."

Ashley hurried and finished what she was doing and just logging off when Spencer returned "I brought you coffee, but it is probably cold now."

"Thanks." She said as she sat down in the chair that Ashley just vacated. She turned to look at Ashley as she slowly sat in the spare chair, noticing the pain that flashed across her eyes "are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine, just sore from unpacking all day yesterday."

Spencer nodded "So what is on your schedule for today?"

"I have to go follow-up on Ryan today, make sure he is adjusting well to the foster home. Then I am going to go visit with the parent's in jail to go over the reunification plan."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I got it. This is pretty routine stuff; it's the same no matter what county you work in."

Spencer nodded in agreement.

Ashley dragged herself back into the office five hours later feeling like a truck had hit her and then put it in reverse and ran her over again. Ryan is adjusting as well as a one year old can, considering everything that has happened. His foster mom took him to the doctor for the routine medical exam, other than being underweight for his age the doctor says he is healthy and he's right on track with his motor skills. Ryan's parents however were a different story, they were nothing but combative. She has the sinking feeling that they are not going to do any of the requirements to get their son back.

She walked into the cubicle and plopped herself down in the chair closing her eyes exhausted. Spencer glanced over at her "that rough?"

"The parents."

"They are the rough part, how is Ryan?"

"He is doing as well as expected, his foster mom is sweet."

"Yea Stacy is one of my favorites. She is always so patient and gentle with the children. Do you think this will end with reunification or termination?"

Ashley signed "I don't like choose either way, but if I had to than I would say termination. Hopefully they will prove me wrong. I'm going to step over to that empty cubicle and type up my report before heading home."

"Why don't you talk to Aiden and see if that can just be your cubicle, you already know what you are doing that you don't need to shadow me anymore. Any questions that may come up I am here to ask."

Ashley just nodded and walked towards Aiden's office. He of course said that would be fine, so Ashley was now sitting in her cubicle having just finished the last details to Ryan's case and emailing it to the department's lawyer. The fact-finding hearing scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, as of now they are requesting that the child remains a ward of the state, supervised visits with parents upon release from jail, the parents are to attend parenting and drug classes, and go six months without a positive drug screen. Ashley was sure the judge would agree to terms she however was not as hopeful that the parents would work to get him back.

She signed off the computer gathered her things and was heading to the elevator. She thought about swinging by Spencer's cubicle to say good-bye but figured that the blonde wouldn't care either way. Surprised when the elevator doors were about closed to hear Spencer saying hold the doors Ashley reached out stopping the doors from closing holds them open while Spencer rushed into the elevator.

"Thanks"

"Everything alright?"

"Yes, just got a report of possible child neglect. I'm going to go do a quick home visit."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I have a feeling it was the teenager making the anonymous report."

The rest of the ride down to the first floor was quiet Ashley was having a battle within herself on whether to do as her mom requested and ask Spencer to go visit her. She was going to go have dinner at the hospital tonight with her mom and knew that her mom would never let her off the hook if she found out she never asked. Brought out of her thoughts when the blonde asked "Why did you move here?" as they were making their way through the main lobby. It was the first personal question that Spencer had as the brown-eyed girl.

Well this is the perfect opening to asking her Ashley thought "My mom had a stroke about three weeks ago causing her to slip into a coma the doctors didn't know if she was going to make it. I lived twelve hours away when I got the call scared I wouldn't make it in time. After a little over a week she came out of the coma, she is doing better than expected. I submitted my transfer at work and moved closer to them.

"I'm so sorry, is she okay?"

"She is good; there was some slight damage to her brain due to the stroke. She is still in the hospital, going to have to start physical therapy soon." Well now or never she thought "Um so I was visiting my mom Saturday and mentioned that I had run into you, she asked me to ask you if you would stop by and see her."

She could see the battle that Spencer was having in her head on her face all she said was "I'll think about it."

"Thank you, I know she would appreciate it. She is at Methodist if you decide to go."

When they exited the building both women walked off in separate directions.