When Kat Came Back

Chapter 20

Back at the table, everyone acted as though nothing had happened.

"All good?" Patrick asked as Ashlynn sat down.

"Yeah. Fine," Ashlynn said.

"Everything's okay," Patricia said, smiling at Ashlynn who offered a shy smile.

Ashlynn ate some salad and half a bagel with tuna on it. Patrick was happy to see her eating.

"So, Ash, twentyone pilots. What do you think?" Megan asked.

"Um, yeah. Sure. Maybe. I guess," Ashlynn answered.

"I'll talk to Tyler," Patrick said. "I can get you guys tickets and passes."

"Cool. Thanks little brother," Megan said. Patrick frowned. Ashlynn smiled at his reaction.

Elisa asked Ashlynn about herself and Ashlynn answered what she wanted to. When dinner was done, Patricia asked Ashlynn to help clear the table. She hesitated but did so without comment. Patricia talked to her as she washed dishes, handing them to Ashlynn to dry.

"I don't know where these go," Ashlynn said.

"The plates go to the right of the stove. Glasses in the dishwasher, and the salad bowl goes in the middle shelf of the island. You'll see a couple other similar bowls. It just fits in with them,"

Ashlynn nodded and started putting things away.

Patrick and Elisa and Megan helped clear the table and put leftovers away. Patrick watched Ashlynn and smiled. She was trying.

Patrick showed Ash a few things around the kitchen to help her figure out where things go, and then he and Elisa headed home.

Megan left shortly thereafter and Ashlynn was left, once again, with Patricia.

"So, what would you like to do? Watch TV? Watch a movie?"

"I guess we could watch TV," Ashlynn said, not wanting to upset Patricia again by going up to the bedroom.

Patricia sat on the couch and motioned for Ashlynn to sit on it, too. Ashlynn sat on the opposite end and saw Patricia's face fall just a little. Maybe she wanted her to sit beside her?  Ashlynn couldn't handle all the affection and hugging in this family.

"Do you want a blanket?" Patricia asked.

"No thanks," Ashlynn said. "I'm okay."

Patricia turned on the TV and flipped to the guide to see what was on.

"What would you like to watch?" She asked Ashlynn.

"I don't know. I never really watched a lot of TV. Whatever you're in the mood for."

Patricia frowned because she didn't know if Ashlynn hadn't watched TV because she chose not to or because she wasn't allowed to.

Patricia turned on a popular comedy and told Ashlynn she'd probably enjoy it. They sat ant watched.

A while later, Patricia looked over at Ashlynn and saw she'd fallen asleep. Knowing she couldn't carry the girl upstairs, she covered Ashlynn with a blanket and turned off the TV and lights, leaving a lamp on at Ashlynn's head.

Patricia went upstairs, looking back once at her sleeping daughter and smiled.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Ashlynn woke up, feeling slightly uncomfortable and stiff. She looked around trying to figure out where she was.  She wasn't in bed, but she was covered with a soft, warm blanket.

Ashlynn sat up and realized she was in the living room in Patricia's house. They'd been watching TV and Ashlynn realized she must have fallen asleep. But she hadn't had a blanket before. Ashlynn looked at the blanket covering her and saw it was the one Patricia had been curled under while they watched TV.