13 Reasons Why

Ashley

"Honey, are you doing alright in this place?" Ashley asked with worried eyes.

"Yeah, I'm doing fine," answered Hanna, not sounding very convincing.

"Hanna..."

"I'm fine. I have never seen you like this."

"Of course you haven't, Hanna. Look where we are. You know I'm always here for you, honey, and I'm always trying to help you."

"Yeah, but you're never so quick to think that I need it."

"Okay... do you need it?"

"Yes... but I'm not going to let you give it to me."

"What? Why? Hanna, I want to help you get better."

"You have spent your whole life helping me. Doing things you shouldn't have had to do."

"Because I love you."

"And now it's time for me to show you how much I love you by not letting you get involved."

"What are you talking about? I'm already involved or else I wouldn't be here right now. And I already know how much you love me."

"Really? You don't hate me for putting you on those tapes, and for the hell I put you through this week?" Hanna asked incredulously.

"Honey, why would I hate you for being alive? Hanna now is not the time to be stubborn. You don't have to be embarrassed to ask for help. Your mental health is not a problem that you can fix on your own. That's why you are here. To have people like Dr. Sullivan and Dr. Kingston help you, not to mention all the people on your tapes, including me. We're here to help you too, to undo the wrongs that we did. Please let me help you, Hanna. Don't shut me out."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being here. That's what's helping me."

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think you two should discuss what Hanna was talking about on the tape about you, Ashley," interjected Dr. Sullivan.

"Hanna, I don't prefer Alison as a daughter to you. Things are just complicated, and you wouldn't understand."

"What do you mean I 'wouldn't understand'? Understand what?"

"Now's not the right time... When you become a mother, you'll understand. And I couldn't help it, I had to help Alison after what she went through. I wasn't aware of what was going on between you and her. I might've just told her to ask to stay at another friend's house if I would've known that you weren't okay with her living with us. Hanna, I'm sorry I made you feel like you were the guest and Alison was the daughter. I didn't do it intentionally. I didn't even realize I was doing it. Alison is your friend Hanna, and I wanted to treat her the same way I treat you. She just lost her mother, so I tried doing what I could to help her deal with that loss. And I guess I was so preoccupied with Alison's well-being that I didn't even notice the demons that my daughter was dealing with."

"Mom, you don't have to apologize for being a mom. I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"Hanna, while we still have time, is there anything else you want to talk to me about?" asked Ashley.

"Did you know Dad didn't show up yesterday?"

"No. I didn't actually. I'm so sorry, Hanna."

"Why are you apologizing? He's the one who's a deadbeat. Even Kate had the decency to show up."

"Ashley is there anything else you'd like to ask or talk to your daughter about?" asked Dr. Sullivan.

"Um, no. I don't think so," Ashley answered, hesitantly.

"I guess that's the end of this session then. Thank you, Ashley, for stopping by," said Dr. Sullivan.

"Thank you for always being there to help my daughter," Ashley replied, sincerely.

"My pleasure."

Ashley walked over to the loveseat and sat down next to Hanna. Ms. Marin was there, hugging her daughter like she might disappear into a wisp of smoke.