Emotional Connection

town

Ashley hadn't yet spoken to Charlie about the conversation with her dad, though she knew she would have to soon. She always liked to be sure in her decisions before telling anyone, so she hadn't discussed it with anyone, trying to debate it all in her head.

She'd made a decision, but she wasn't completely set in it yet. It was concerning to her that she didn't immediately know what she was going to do: usually in situations like this she made an instant decision, knowing exactly what to do, but this time it wasn't so easy. She'd taken the day off from work, walking to the nearby town to try and get away from it all. Plus, she'd never been, and she was rather curious.

She wandered around the shops, smiling to the few wizards and witches going about their business, a small shop on the corner catching her eye. She stared in the window, trying to figure out what was so familiar about it. She shrugged, deciding to walk in, looking around at the clothes on the racks, reading about their magical properties on the tags before noticing a jewellery counter in the middle of the shop floor. She walked over, admiring the rings and bracelets and necklaces through the glass, admiring the intricacy of each piece.

"Can I help you?" A woman asked, in a surprisingly mild accent.

Ashley glanced up for a second, moving her hair out of her face before shaking her head. "No thank you."

The woman stared for a second, looking as though she'd seen a ghost, removing quickly and nodding, walking calmly back to the desk where she came from. Ashley tried not to notice, instead taking her time around the shop before settling on a new jacket, bringing it to the counter where the woman was still looking white as a sheet.

"Just this." Ashley smiled, and the woman nodded silently, which she found strange, but didn't think much of it. She took the jacket after she paid, putting it in her bag, heading back out. There were a few things she needed to get for herself, including topping up on ingredients for her medical supplies. Not that she would need to be doing it for much longer.

Before long, it was nearly 6 pm, so she headed back home. It was strange, the moment she realised she'd thought of it as home rather than the sanctuary, realising she had made up her mind and wasn't going back now. She smiled to herself, refusing to let her mind wander to how her dad would react.
"He's a grown man, he can handle it." She found herself muttering before even setting eyes back on the house. She knew he would be ok with it; he'd have to be. She'd made her choice, and there was nothing he could do to change that.
She reached the house just past six, just as her dad was going out to work.

"Ashley!" He smiled, surprised to see her. She hadn't told anyone apart from Pete she was taking the day off, leaving before Michael was even awake.

"Hi dad." She tried a smile but she could tell it looked forced. "Just wanted to talk to you later, when you get back from your shift?"

He looked a little uneasy at that. "I'm on a double night and midnight shift tonight Ash. Won't be home until ten tomorrow."

Ashley nodded, "ok, when I've finished work then, tomorrow."

He nodded, keeping his expression neutral. Ashley wasn't sure if that meant that he knew what she was going to say or if he wasn't sure what her decision was, but it didn't really make a difference at this point.

She headed over to Charlie's. She let herself in, sitting in her usual place on the sofa, relaxing into the familiarity, ignoring Charlie's stare. She knew if she looked over and met his gaze she wouldn't be able to think right. He made her nervous, giving her butterflies in her stomach.

Ashley would have to get over that now she was staying.

"Are you Ok? Do you need a cup of tea?"

She laid back, looking at him inside down over the arm of the sofa. "No, I'm good. I went to the town today and had the strangest interaction with a shopkeeper, but I bought a jacket from her so it's all good." She shrugged, turning around properly. "Decided I should probably check it out if I'm staying." She smiled as he stopped, mug of whatever halfway to his mouth.

"You're staying? Like... with your dad, or is he moving on?" He asked, and Ashley didn't even think he was breathing at that point.

"He's going to Scotland, I've decided to stay. I've not told him yet, said we'd talk after my shift tomorrow, cause he's on a double tonight apparently. Which is fine, it can wait, I don't easily change my mind, so I doubt I will this time." He grinned, walking quickly over to her, putting his mug on the table before pulling her up to standing so he could give her a hug.

"I would have missed you so much!" He mumbled into her hair, and she squeezed him a little, burying her face into his shoulder.

There was nothing more really to say, but the two of them stayed like that for several moments, just enjoying each other's embrace.

"So you're moving in here?" Charlie asked suddenly.

Ashley pulled away to look at him with a nervous smile, "if that's ok?"

Grinning he pulled her back in, "that's perfect."