[The delivery elicited a soft smile, despite the night she'd had. She truly had been fortunate with Ashley. Taking the flowers into the kitchen, she placed them on the counter where they were certain to be one of the first things to catch the eye.
Helen remained standing in her kitchen, torn between giving her daughter some space after the middle-of-the-night phone call and calling her again anyway. If she could get her to consent to a visit, that would would be even better. Hearing her voice had helped, but she badly wanted to hold her. A hug would be very welcome.
After some debate, she settled for something in between. She had never been especially fond of texting; it was far more satisfying to have an actual conversation. But she thought perhaps today could be an exception.]