I don't own any of the Higher Ground characters except Dani and Jessie.
Shelby sat down. "Hey," she said.
"Hey," Scott said. There was silence for a while.
"Are we gonna talk or what?" Shelby said trying to hurry things up a bit. She didn't want to spend any more time with Scott than she had to.
"Yeah," Scott said. "Let's take a walk."
Five minutes later they were down on the docks by the lake, where Shelby had vowed never again to go with Scott.
"I don't know where to start," he said. "I want to tell you everything I've been up to, but I don't know where to begin."
"Start with what you did after graduation," Shelby said. "When you went home."
"I went home and things got better with my dad," Scott said. "Things were really good between us."
"And what happened to the promise you made me? You said you'd come to me when things were Ok with your dad again."
"I couldn't leave," Scott said. "We were so close. He admitted his mistakes and this time he meant it. I know he did. I wanted to stay with him get closer. And then he got sick."
"How sick?" Shelby asked.
"He has cancer," Scott said. "Had cancer. He was getting treatment and he's better. I took over the company he became president of. Now the big time executives are thinking of making me a partner in the firm. I couldn't just walk away."
"But you could walk away from the best thing you ever had," Shelby muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Scott asked. Shelby shook her head. "So now that you know what I've been up to-" Scott started.
"I just have one question," Shelby asked. "Is Jessie really your secretary?"
"Of course she is," Scott said. "But you're the one who broke it off with me, so why do you care?"
"I don't," Shelby said shortly. "But Daisy didn't believe you." Neither did I, she added silently. And I still don't.
"So what happened to you?" Scott asked. "You and Ezra are together, you have a baby. Anything else you'd like to say?"
Shelby chuckled. "Why does everyone think something is going on between me and Ezra? I had a one-night stand after I got drunk at my friend's wedding. I slept with the best man. He was not father material, but Ezra was. We're not dating or anything, but he's kind of like a surrogate father."
"He's a father to Danielle, but you're not dating?" Scott said doubtfully.
"He's my best friend," Shelby said defensively. "After I had Dani, I had PPD really bad."
"What's PPD?" Scott asked, confused.
"Post partum depression," Shelby said. "It's extremely common in new mothers. But I was doubly at risk because I had been depressed before. So Ezra helped me. He took care of me and Dani until I was strong enough to do it myself. And he made me get help."
"How did he make you get help?" Scott asked, intrigued by her story.
"He took me to a doctor who made me talk and let my feelings out into the open," Shelby said. "She really helped me."
The two were silent for a moment. "You know," Scott said breaking the silence. "You are totally different from the last time I remember you. Motherhood really suits you, Shel."
Shelby blushed. "Thanks," she said. "Dani has changed me so much. Before, I was the only person I had to worry about. But now I have Dani. And that's one of the things the doctor helped me see."
"That's so great that you're happy," Scott said. "You are happy, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Shelby said. "If someone had told me a couple of years ago that I'd be happy as a single mom, I would have laughed in their face. But I really am happy."
"No drugs or drinking?" Scott asked.
"Nope," Shelby said. "Been clean since I left Horizon, except for the wedding."
"It's OK to have al little fun once in a while, as long as you don't do it too often," Scott said.
"What about you?" Shelby asked Scott. "Are you clean?"
"Yeah, I haven't touched anything since I've left either," Scott said. "It feels good to be able to look Peter in the eye and tell him that."
"I know," Shelby said. "I told him about the wedding and he wasn't thrilled, but he was proud that I've been saying no ever since."
"So, you never did tell me," Scott said. "What happened with Jess?" Shelby looked at her feet. "Sorry," Scott mumbled. "I shouldn't have asked."
"No, it's OK," Shelby said. "David's little brother thought it would be fun to get her in trouble by slipping drugs into her food. He put too much in her food and she ODed."
"I'm so sorry," Scott said reaching for her hand. Her eyes flooded with tears. He rubbed her hand gently. They look at each other at the same instant. He leaned closer.
