A Thing Called Love || Richie Tozier [2]

09 - 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚢 pt. 1

"Hey, listen, uh..we need to talk, okay?", Lorelai Walker frowned at her daughter, causing her face to fall into a saddened look. "Now."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I want us to move."

"You're kidding, right?", Ashley chuckled softly. "They're fine with us staying here."

"Yeah, honey, but I'm not. You've got to understand that adults are different with stuff like this. My whole life I was always fine on my own and I met your dad, but...we can't stay here. I'm happy that you and Richie finally got along but it's not gonna work out with us being here.", Her mother walked down the steps, causing Ashley to follow. Once they both reached the end of the stairs, Lorelai gently grabbed her daughter's arm and brought her into the downstairs bathroom. "You do understand, right?"

"Mom, I do. I do understand, but I can't leave Richie. Mom, I can't leave him.", Ashley sighed softly, jumping up on the counter and placing her hands in her lap. "Richie and I...we've got something special."

"I know. I'm happy that you two do, but sometimes life gets in the way. You've got to realize that sooner or later. Nothing goes your way when you want it to.", Lorelai leaned against the door of the bathroom, shaking her head softly. "I hate to have to do this to you, but we've got no other choice. I want to move away from Derry, keep you away from Thomas Barley and I want you to live a normal life, honey."

"Mom, I'll never be normal. I'll never have a normal life at school, or any job I get. I won't have anything normal because my normal includes Richie. That's my normal routine daily. I wake up and I see him. I go out and I see him. I go to school and I see him. I close my eyes and I see him. I can't let go and I can't leave him."

"Then just stay with them and I'll go."

"Mom, you know I can't do that.", Ashley stared at her mother profusely, sighing softly as her mother covered her face with her hands. Ashley hopped off of the counter, pulling her mother into a hug. "We'll figure it all out, mom. Richie might have to come with us and you know he will."

"I don't want to ruin his relationship with his parents.", Lorelai refused.

"His mom wanted him to be a girl and she doesn't even try to hide it.", Ashley pulled away from the hug, seeing her mother's eyebrows raised in shock. Ashley simply nodded, "Yeah, and his father works him hard and he should, but sometimes he'll say things to Richie that shouldn't even be said. Richie wouldn't care if he moved out. He'd only care about moving away from Carrie."

"Well they wouldn't let Carrie go, but I know they'd let Richie go.", Lorelai replied.

"Richie and I don't want to leave until everyone else leaves. We know Mike isn't leaving though, he's already told us. We want to be there to say goodbye to Stan and Eddie before they leave for good."

"That's fine, honey.", Lorelai nodded softly, "That'll just give me more time to get situated with all the money and us moving into an apartment complex somewhere far from here."

"Richie and I will help out with the rent.", Ashley reassured her mother and before she could even disapprove, Ashley kept speaking, "I'm not taking no for an answer."

♡ ʀ + ᴀ ♡

The party was being held at Annabelle Prescott's house, which was exactly five houses down from Richie's house to his left. So, that'd mean that Annabelle's house was exactly eight houses to the left from Ashley's old house, which just had new people moving in three days ago. It had been two months since they were evicted and so far the Walker's were doing fine, except for the fact Lorelai hated when people pitied her.