“I hope so. It’s just scary knowing he’s still out there.” Spencer admitted. “I mean, he could be anywhere.”

‘Fuck. I wish I could just tell her the guy is brain dead in a hospital.’ Sighing, she put her arm around the blond’s shoulder and felt the smaller girl snuggle into the embrace. “You just gotta have faith that he’ll get what’s coming to him and that he won’t be able to hurt anyone anymore.”

“Faith. I don’t think I’ve had that in a while.”

“Do you have faith in Ashley?”

“… ok I take that back. I haven’t had faith in God for a while.”

“Why not?”

“Considering everything that’s happened to me and my family. I’m starting to think that God doesn’t exist.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“And what would you say?” Spencer asked, generally interested in what the girl had to say on the subject.

“I’d say that God let’s people make their own decisions. That if it made itself constantly present in our lives, we would have no choice but to follow its laws because of the fear of repercussion would be right in our face. I mean, I think it’s a lot better when someone doesn’t do the wrong thing because they know it’s wrong as opposed to doing the wrong thing just because they know they’ll get caught, ya know? Where’s the freedom of choice in that?”

“Yeah I get it.”

“Cool. That’s just my warped way of thinkin though, it’s not official policy.”

“Dano.”

“Yeah?”

“What does the Old Testament say about homosexuality?”

“Ha. Ok this is a little tricky.” she said as she maneuvered herself so that she was facing Spencer. “I’m not gonna say it in Hebrew even though it’s one of the few passages I went and remembered. Basically it says, a dude can’t go and lie with a dude like you would lie with a woman, it’s an abomination. So in a nutshell, it says no butt sex but that’s it. There’s nothing about a woman not allowed to be with a woman or a man not allowed to fall in love with another man. It’s just a prohibition against a specific act that people blew way out of proportion.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

The implications for shoving this in her mothers face were enormous. Here was the proof she needed that would once and for all settle the dispute. The same book Paula had used to criticize and alienate her would be the same tool she would use to get back at her and hopefully, bring them back together again.

The door opened suddenly to reveal a very angry looking Ashley who looked like she was ready to murder. “Everything alright Firelfly?” Dano asked her.

Nodding without words, she held out her hand to Spencer who looked at Dano worriedly before getting up and crossing the floor towards her girlfriend. “I’ll call you later.” Ashley said to the taller girl as she lead the blond outside of the room.

Dano got up and watched as she said goodbye to her mother, promising to visit more often before walking out the door. Her head turned to meet the sad blue eyes of his brother. Her mind registered the look as guilt but before she could say anything to him, he turned around and shut his door.

“This can’t be good.”