[For what it was worth, Helen hoped that as well. However, if a mother's concern was enough to drive them away, she was apt to assume they weren't good enough for her daughter anyway.
And though she hated to admit it, for once, she was glad Ashley wasn't seeing anyone at the moment. She wasn't certain she could have made it through another night without seeing for herself that she was healthy and one piece. She thought it was rather vital to her sanity just now.]