Chapter 40: A Secret Revealed

A few months had passed since Ashley had moved in with the foster family, and she had finally started to feel at home. She had grown accustomed to the daily routine, and the kids, Ben and Emily, had become like siblings to her. As she walked in the door from school, she dropped her backpack on the floor and let out a sigh. She had a ton of homework to do, but before she started, she needed to talk to Karen. Karen was in the kitchen, making dinner, and Ashley walked over to the table where she was sitting. "Karen, can we talk?" Ashley asked, her voice a little hesitant. Karen nodded, putting down the spoon she was holding. "Of course, sweetie, what's up?" she asked, concern etched on her face. Ashley took a deep breath and sat down in the chair across from Karen. "So, um, well... I did something," she said, her eyes darting up to Karen's face, hoping she would catch on. Karen raised an eyebrow. "What kind of something?" she asked, her tone gentle but curious. Ashley hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. She had been wanting to tell Karen something for a while now, but she was scared of her reaction. She took another deep breath and decided to just come out with it. "I... I got a phone," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Karen's expression didn't change, but Ashley could sense a hint of surprise behind her eyes. "A phone?" Karen repeated, her tone neutral. Ashley nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Yeah, I know we didn't talk about it, but... I don't know, it just seemed like everyone else had one, and I felt like I was the only one who didn't. So, I... I got one." Karen leaned back in her chair, her eyes never leaving Ashley's face. "Where did you get the phone?" she asked, her voice still neutral. Ashley hesitated again, feeling a little guilty. "I... I bought it myself," she admitted. "I saved up my allowance and bought it from a store downtown." Karen sighed, rubbing her temples. "Ashley, we need to talk about this," she said, her tone firm but gentle. "Having a phone is a big responsibility, and we need to discuss the rules and boundaries around it." Ashley nodded, feeling a little relieved that Karen wasn't yelling at her. She knew she had made a mistake, but she was hoping that Karen would understand. "I know, I'm sorry," she said, looking down at her hands. "I just felt like I needed one, you know?" Karen leaned forward, her eyes softening. "I understand where you're coming from, but we need to talk about this some more. Let's finish dinner and then we can discuss the details, okay?" Ashley nodded, feeling a little anxious about what was to come. She knew she had made a mistake, but she was hoping that Karen would forgive her and help her learn from it.