Dylan looked at Ashton as she spoke and then at her mother for confirmation but her silence and expression were confirmation enough and she shook her head at Ashton’s apology. “You… It’s not on you, you didn’t know, I…” She trailed off sighing heavily and then looked at her mother too waiting for a reply.
She explained it, the whole being young and stupid and not being ready and in a way Dylan could understand, she was 24 years old and she was in no way shape or form ready to raise another person, she could understand, it wasn’t right but she could understand and could understand her stance on not feeling like she had the right to contact Ashton once she was at a better place in her life after leaving her all those years ago, it wasn’t right but she could understand, though she could also understand Ashton’s anger or resentment.
“I…” She began after their mother was done explaining. “I don’t know what to say and… I do realize it’s not my place to have an opinion on that, I’m pissed off that you kept it a secret from me since daddy apparently knew and I’m pissed off that you decided to reveal it like this…” She shook her head as their mother nodded in understanding and then she turned to Ashton. “And I understand that you have your own family.” Wether by blood or by choice. “And I can’t speak for my… our mother and this… well this is too much to process right now for us to… get really anywhere but if you’d like to… I don’t know get to know each other and be… friends.” She said scribbling her name and number on a napkin and passing it to her.
It was good that Dylan wasn’t blaming her, she didn’t want to have that on her head as well. It was enough to have to deal with the issues with her mother, let alone another person that was now involved. Ashton sat back and listened as the woman explained everything, citing how young she was, how hard it was living overseas, all of it. The answer, though, left Ashton...empty. There was no harrowing experience that had kept her mother away, it had just been a choice. Simple as that. And that probably hurt more than anything else.
As Dylan spoke, Ashton’s fingers curled together tightly, her lips pursing together. She had only ever had her father as a family, if not counting her band, and now that he was gone...she felt a lot more alone in the world. It had been a longshot that her mother would be open to any type of relationship after so long, but maybe this could become something. Dylan, at least, seemed open to trying and that meant a lot. “That...would be fine, yes,” Ashton replied after a few moments,reaching over to take the napkin. “As long as it isn’t too weird for you...I’d like that.” Friends was a start, even if it never went anywhere really. Ashton didn’t know what to expect of it, if there would be any real chance at building a familial relationship, but it was something more than she’d had coming into the conversation.