Unhappy birthday part 6

'Shelby." Jess cried excited, she ran over and the two sisters embraced in a hug. "I've missed you so much." Jess said, letting her sister go.
"I've missed you to." Shelby said with a smile. Then she looked at her mom. Alice, Shelby's mom, had risen from her seat.
"Shelby." Alice said. "Um. Happy birthday." She said.
"Yea. Thanks." Shelby said. She hadn't expected that from her mom.
"Why don't we all have a seat?" Peter said. Shelby and Jess walked over to the couch and sat down. Peter took a seat in his desk chair and Alice sat back down in the chair that was across from Peter.
It was on this couch, Jess thought. It was on this couch I asked him to save my life. She looked at Peter. If only he knew how things had changed in her life. How different things were now.
"Well, I know you guys haven't seen each other in a while," Peter said, breaking into Jess's thoughts. "Why don't we start by you telling Shelby why you decided to visit?"
"Well, today's your birthday.' Alice said looking at Shelby. " And I know things have been rough between us lately, but I wanted to see you. I missed you."
"I missed you to mom." Shelby said.
"Last time you were together," Peter said. "Was when you picked up Jess. How have things been at home since then?"
"Well," Alice said, "Things haven't been perfect. Money's tight, but we manage."
"Jess, how have things been at home?" Peter asked.
Jess looked at Shelby and then at her mom. "Things have been ok. We manage." She said.
"Shelby how do you feel about that?" Peter asked.
"Well," She said. "I wish you were doing better then just managing." She said to her mom. "But if you're managing I guess that's good." She said, not really sure what to make of it. The tension was thick between the three. "Mom," Shelby said suddenly. "There's something I need to tell you and Jess."
Peter looked at Shelby. So she had decided to tell them. "What is it?" Jess asked concerned. She could tell her sister was bothered by something.
"I ... I need to tell you about my past." Shelby said. She couldn't believe she was about to tell her mom this. How would she react? I have to tell her though, she thought. It was the only was things would get better was if all the secrets were gone.
'Shelby, I don't think we need to discuss the past," Alice began.
"We do." Shelby said. "We may have never been a very close family, but I want us to try. And to do that we can't have any secrets. I think it's time you guys know about what happened to me. About what I did when I ran away." Shelby looked at her hands. They were shaking. She was managing to keep a steady voice though.
"Shelby it's in the past." Alice said.
"Mrs. Merrick, I think it would be a good idea to hear her out." Peter said. Alice nodded.
Shelby sat there for a moment. She took a deep breath. If she was going to back out now would be the time. She knew this was the right thing though. She just couldn't find the right words.
"I'm sorry mom." Were the first words out of her mouth. "I never meant to... to end up the way I did." Shelby tried to stop the tears but couldn't. "After what happened with Walt, I couldn't stand to be in that house, near that man. I hated acting like nothing was wrong, like I was fine. So I began to run away." She paused. "When I wasn't in that house, I could breath. But I ran out of money. I had no food, or shelter, I had nothing. And I couldn't go back to where he was, I couldn't. For awhile I slept under the Santa Monica peer. I would go out every day and beg for money, but it was never more then a dollar or two. Not enough to buy a meal or get a room. Then one day I met a girl. Her name was Patty. She was a runaway too. She was from Kansas. She ran away because she hated her family and she never wanted to be found. She offered me a place to stay and something to eat. She said that if I could come up with half the rent I could stay with her. I told her I didn't have a job and she said she knew of one." Shelby was crying harder now. She was unable to look at Peter, her mom or her sister. "I sold myself." She said and began to sob.
Alice was shocked. "You mean you had sex with men for money?" She asked.
"I didn't know what else to do." Shelby said.
"Why didn't you come home?" Alice asked.
"Home." Shelby said bitterly. "That house was, is full of horrible memories. Do you know what it's like to lye in your room at night. Praying that tonight will be the night that he agrees to stop. Or that you'll die so that you don't have to think about it anymore." Shelby paused. "I did so many drugs to get away from the pain and I ran to get away from him and I couldn't get rid of it. I wanted it to be gone, but it wouldn't leave. I slept with those men, I slept with those men for money because I, I couldn't make money any other way. There was no way I could survive without doing that." Shelby looked down at her hands. "I'm not proud of what I did, but I'm not ashamed of it either. Had I not done it I would have died. I regret everyday, getting into that first car, allowing that first man to... to do that to me."
Jess looked at her sister. She knew what it was like. She'd almost ended up just like her. Jess suddenly leaned over and wrapped Shelby in a huge hug. Jess now understood how Shelby got so much of what had happened to Jess. Of how much she had gone through. Shelby and Jess cried for the a long time, but Shelby finally pulled away from the embrace. She looked at her mom. There were tears in her eyes. Shelby couldn't believe there was actually tears in her mom's eyes.
"Mom?" Shelby asked. Alice stood and walked over and sat down next to Shelby.
"I'm the one who's sorry." She said as the tears she held in began to flow. "I ignored what that man did to you and Jess. I looked the other way because I didn't want to believe that that could happen in my home. I'm so sorry for what happened to you." Her mom began to cry and Shelby leaned over and hugged her mom. Jess leaned over and joined the hug too. Shelby was shocked her mom believed her. Shelby felt relief. For the first time in a long time Shelby felt relieved.
Shelby walked out of the lodge her mom and sister were behind her. She stepped onto the porch and there sat Scott and Daisy. Shelby looked at them and smiled. "Mom, I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine." Shelby said walking over to Scott and Daisy. "Mom, this is Scott Barringer and Daisy Liponowsky. You guys this is my mom."
"You can call me Alice." She said extending her hand and greeting Scott and Daisy.
"You guys remember my little sister." Shelby said and the other two nodded.
"How would you guys like to help me celebrate Shelby's birthday?" Alice said. "Peter," Alice said turning around, "Would you mind if we used your school to throw a birthday party. We'll keep it simple. Just a cake and a couple of presents, nothing to extravagent."
"I think that would be a great idea." Peter said. "I recommend the lodge though, it's better for a party." The group smiled.
"Well, I'm going to head back to the motel and make some arrangements." Alice said. "We'll be back at about five thirty, to decorate. And you guys will help me that right?"
"We're at your beck and call." Daisy said. With that Alice and Jess headed for the car, but not without a quick hug with Shelby. The group watched them drive off.
"I figure you'll want to fill them in, ' Peter said, "but after you do, I'd like you to come back to my office all right." Shelby nodded.
"hey Peter,' She said as he headed into the building.
"yes?" He said turning around in the doorway,
"Thank you."
"Hey, it's my job." He said with a smile and then walked into the building.
"Looks, like there's a happy ending." Daisy said as Shelby sat down next to them.
"Yea." Shelby said with a smile. "I told my mom and Jess about my time on the streets and they understood. My mom even apologized. She said it was her fault that I went through so much because she never acknowledged what Walt was doing."
"Wow." Daisy said.
"yea." Shelby said looking at her friend. " I almost feel silly now for not wanting to tell them."
"Hey it could have gone either way." Daisy said.
"I know, I got lucky. I wonder if it's really hit my mom yet. You know. Like if she really realizes what I did." Shelby said.
"I'm sure it will be fine." Scott said. "The hard parts over. You've told them."
"I know." Shelby said looking at Scott. She leaned over and hugged him. 'Thank you for being here for me." She then kissed him. "I better get to Peter's office." She said after the kiss ended. She stood up and then leaned over again. This time to hug Daisy. "Thanks to you too. I'm glad that I have a friend like you." With that Shelby turned and headed to Peter's office.
"Things seemed to have worked out." Peter said talking to Shelby.
"Yea. I'm so glad she understands." Shelby said. She couldn't believe how happy she felt. She felt better then she had in years.
'I'm really proud of you Shelby. I know how difficult it was for you to face your mom and tell her about what you did."
"It was hard." Shelby said. "But Peter, I'm a little surprised at how well my mom took the news. I wonder if it's really sunk in yet."
"Shelby, I wish I could tell you that after what happened today everything was going to be ok. But there are going to be setbacks. And one might be that your mom reneges on what she says. But from what I saw today, I think she'll eventually come around. It's obvious that you all care about each other. I think you'll be ok."
"You know what Peter. For once I feel that I'll be Ok too." Shelby said.