Saving Me

Hope...

Ashley and I didn't tell Kyla last night. She figured that she'd probably never hear from Raife again anyways so why break Kyla's heart over something that she doesn't really need to know?

"Carlin and Davies, Ms. Heevy needs to see you in her office." Mrs. Spalding tells us. Reading a piece a paper that some underclassmen just brought her. Ashley and I share a look before we both gather up our things and head up to Ms. Heevy's.

"What'd we do?" Ashley asks as we ascend the stairs.

"I didn't do anything." I tell her, shaking my head and smiling.

"Oh, so you're just gonna throw me under the bus like that huh?" She asks returning the smile. I shrug as we head out of the stairwell and into Ms. Heevy's office.

"Shut the door behind you please." She says with her back to us. I shut the door behind us and we both take a seat. Ms. Heevy doesn't turn around, not even once we're seated. She seems to be staring at some pictures on the wall behind her desk.

"Um...Ms. Heevy?" Ashley speaks up after a few minutes. Ms. Heevy doesn't say anything, she just continues to stare at the pictures. "Are we in trouble?" Ashley tries again. I hear Ms. Heevy laugh a little under her breath before finally turning and facing us.

"No Ashley." She says lightly. "You're not in trouble." Ashley lets out a sigh of relief and I can't help but smile at her.

"So... is there a reason we're here?" Ashley asks and we both glance up at Ms. Heevy who seems distracted by something.

"Yes, there is a reason you're here." She says softly as she takes a seat at her desk. "I received a phone call this morning from the lawyer of Raife Davies." She says and Ashley and I both take in a breath. "His lawyer informed me that Mr. Davies wants to have custody of his daughter, if in fact she is his daughter."

"But...but... I don't... He can't do that!" Ashley yells out standing up.

"He can and he has." Ms. Heevy says nodding her head.

"But, I don't want to go live with him." Ashley says softly.

"A blood test has been scheduled for tomorrow morning. Mr. Davies lawyer and myself will be accompanying you to the hospital tomorrow and if the blood test show that he is in fact your father then he has a right to take you from here Ashley." Ms. Heevy tells us. I sit quietly, watching Ashley look back between Ms. Heevy and I. I don't know what to say or do.

"But he lives all the way in California. What about Kyla, and Spencer and Stace, Rach and Mads. I'm not leaving them." Ashley says shaking her head frantically.

"Yes, I was wondering that as well. It seems as though Mr. Davies is sure of the fact that he is not Kyla's father. Is this true?" She asks Ashley who nods. "I see." Ms. Heevy says standing up.

"I don't want to go Ms. Heevy, Please don't make me. Tell me you're gonna take care of this, please..." Ashley says in a soft voice, like she could burst into tears at any moment.

"I'm afraid that there is nothing I can do, Ashley. If he is your father then he has far more legal precedence than I do. I'm sorry, Ashley." Ms. Heevy says.

"This is bullshit!" Ashley says standing up from her chair, harshly throwing it back into the wall and running out.

"Ashley wait." I call after her. Getting up to go chase her.

"One moment Ms. Carlin." Ms. Heevy says to my retreating form. I stop and walk back towards her desk. She sighs before continuing. "I know the magnitude of you and Ms. Davies relationship." She pauses as I take a seat and she does the same. "I know how hard this must be for you to hear. I love Ashley like she's my own daughter. That's why I'm so hard on her. Ashley and Kyla have been here since I began working at the heart house twelve years ago. I have seen many children come and go, but Ashley and Kyla have always been here for one another. When Ashley was adopted she refused to leave her sister behind. In her mind Kyla is the only family she has left. And now this man wants to come into her life and separate them. Now I don't know what Ashley and Mr. Davies talked about yesterday but I'm assuming you do?" She asks quirking a brow.