“It’s in the dishwasher.” Spencer spoke, shutting the door behind them.

“Thanks hun.” Arthur replied from the other room, finding the pan where the girl had indicated. Paula stepped out from the dining room to greet her daughter, “Spencer could you help your brother set the-“

She stopped short, her mouth still agape as she ran her eyes over Ashley. Glen peeked around her shoulder as well, curious. Both Carlins’ saw things about the girl that Spencer had never even noticed. The dark circles beneath her eyes. Her dirty, stretched clothing. The scars marking her knuckles. These were all things that the soft spoken girl was incapable of seeing. All she saw in Ashley was a girl. A girl who was lost, a girl who needed her.

“Mom, Dad, Glen… I’d like you to meet Ashley.” Spencer spoke, smiling as if she was introducing any other ‘normal’ friend.

Her mother did a double take, looking harder into the young girl’s face, “Are you?… Is she the missing girl?”

“Not missing anymore apparently.” Ashley replied sarcastically, feeling increasingly uncomfortable beneath the woman’s stare.

“Spencer, how did you?… I mean, where?” Glen inquired now, eye brows arched high on his forehead in disbelief.

“I saw her and recognized her from the paper. I thought she might like to have dinner with us.”

Paula blinked, caught off guard. Her father emerged from the kitchen finally, a wide grin spread across his face, “Of course Ashley, we’d love to have you.”

The brunette could tell immediately where Spencer got her temperament from. The man’s face was kind, soft, and instantly likable, “Thanks.”

“Spencer, sweet heart, could I talk to you for a minute?” Paula inquired, feigning nonchalance.  

“Yeah. Ashley, if you want to take a shower of something the bathroom is down the hall, on the left.” She spoke, tilting her head slightly as she smiled.

“Oh, yeah. Okay.” The girl stepped carefully around Paula and Glen, walking hurriedly towards the bathroom. Spencer watched her till she disappeared, worry crinkling her forehead.

“Are you sure this girl is completely trustworthy?” Paula spoke as soon as the bathroom door was completely shut.

“She looks sort of meth-y.” Glen added with a small smirk.

“Now, Paula, she is just a kid.” Her father defended, standing beside Spencer both figuratively and physically.