Once she was unpacked and finally persuaded to go to bed by her mother, Spencer lay restless on her bed waiting for sleep and missing the feeling of someone lying beside her, holding her.  There was a soft knock on the door and she knew exactly who it was….

“Come in dad”

“How are you going honey?”

“I’m ok dad”

“I missed you so much Spencer, we all did.  I was so worried about you but I want you to know that I understand that you couldn’t stay.  I don’t know what has gone on between you and Ashley and you don’t have to tell me.  I saw how much you were hurting and as a family, we were not stable enough to help you through. Everything was changing and for you to stay in this house when you were going through so much, well let’s just say it was the best decision for you”

“Thanks day, I really appreciate that and thank you for not asking about the reason I had to leave”

“Are you sure everything is ok, you still seem like you’re not yourself?”

As long as Ashley is with someone else, I will never truly be myself….

“I’m fine dad, just the usual nerves. You know first day back at school tomorrow and all”

“Ok Spencer, I’m here if you need me”

“Night dad”

“Night honey”

And with that, Spencer was left alone again to dread waking up in the morning. She knew that tomorrow it would be almost a certainty that she would see Ashley and Aiden, and from what she had managed to find out from Clay and Chelsea they had hardly been seen all summer.  That could only mean one thing, they were still together and still in love, Ashley had completely forgotten about her.  She had come by once to see how Chelsea and Clay were doing and to say hello to the newest member of the Carlin family, but she didn’t once ask about her, it was just small talk about the horrors of childbirth.

Once again, like so many nights before, Spencer cried herself to sleep only to suffer the same nightmare….

Thank you for reading and please comment and let me know if you would like me to continue….