"Using excuses for the predicament you're in and minimizing your situation, whether it is drug or alcohol use, is a sure sign of an addict."

―Alexandra Sobetsky

Lacey walked cautiously into her house following behind her mother. Clara could already decipher that Judy and Lacey were going to need some private time. The lunch with the Perrys and Blake Simms was nice but once Danny was mentioned as Lacey's boyfriend, all the awkwardness began. It only heightened when Danny had his violent display.

Clara whispered to Lacey. "Good luck." Then she hurried up stairs to allow her mother and Lacey to be alone for a much needed talk.

"Go get on some comfortable clothes, young lady." Judy placed her purse on the table. "I'm going to as well then we are going to have a long talk."

"Yes, Ma'am." Lacey swallowed as she ran upstairs. She dreaded the conversation she was going to have with her mother. She hurriedly changed due to not wanting to upset her mother any further.

Lacey bit her lip as she guardedly approached Judy, who was sitting curled up on the living room sofa. Judy patted the seat next to her. Lacey sat down anxiously as she inhaled deeply. "Mom.."

"Let me start this. Today was great. I have never in my life felt as happy as I was pouring out all my troubles at that altar. However, Blake explained to me that doesn't mean troubles will not still come into our lives. The only difference now is that we have someone in Jesus that will help with that burden. So I'm going to try my best not to yell at you or get angry. But I need to know as your mother exactly why Danny told those boys he dated you."

Lacey could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "We did. Not long. I hid it at first. Then I never mentioned it when we finally came out with our relationship. But dating Danny was too much. It hurt too bad especially when I thought he wanted Jo instead of me."

"First of all, Danny wanting Jo over you is nonsense." Judy pushed Lacey's hair from her face as she wiped a few stray tears from her daughter's cheeks. She had no clue that Lacey was that emotionally attached to Danny. It caused Judy guilt for not being involved enough in her oldest daughter's life. "Danny has always seen Jo as a little sister. I'm surprised they're dating. The boy looks very miserable. But he has for a while now."

"Mom.." Lacey whispered almost inaudible. "Please don't hate me."

Judy gathered her daughter in her arms. It looked strange a petite woman as Judy cradling her grown daughter against her. "I could never hate you, baby girl. I promise. I may get mad. My anger may even make me yell although I'll try not to. But hating you is an impossibility."

"I love him, Mama." Lacey cried as Judy held her. "I love Danny so much. I've loved him before he even got sent off to juvie. It only became love that we both understood when he came back." Lace sniffed trying to hide her words in a muffling against her mother's chest. "But I also did things with Danny that I never did with anyone ever not even Archie. He and I…" She stopped fearing her mother's rejection.

"Did you have sex with him?" Judy could feel herself breaking inside for her daughter. However, she tried to compose herself and show strength.

"Yes." Lacey gulped as another onslaught of tears assaulted her cheeks. "And I hate that I don't regret Danny was my first. I was his too. I'm not even sure I'd want to change that. Maybe later I would but now while I still love him, I'm glad we shared that because no one else got to have that part of Danny before I did and no one else got that part of me before he did." Lacey sighed in shattered breath. "Does that make me a bad person?"

Judy couldn't help but chuckle even with her heart shattering for her teen daughter. "No. That makes you human. I guess in trying to get my life back as well as trying to keep Clara safe from the problems with your father and I, I forgot that you needed me too. You were always so strong to me. Even stronger than I was. I'm sorry I didn't even notice that Danny and you were more than friends. I'm sorry I didn't notice the love until today when he stared at you. That wasn't a child looking at a crush. That was a young man looking at the girl he loves."

Lacey pulled from her mother's chest. "Mom, there's more. So many things I've kept from you. Bad things."

Judy cupped Lacey's face with her hands. She peered lovingly into her daughter's face. "Let me be the mother I should've been. Trust me."

"We didn't know…" Lacey's brow furrowed thinking of how terrible it sounded saying it out loud. "But Danny and I were filmed having sex. The video didn't show any nudity. But it was rather obvious what we were doing anyway. The person was standing outside Danny's window of his house and we were on the sofa in the Desai living room. They sent the video all over school. I was slut shamed. My locker was vandalized." Lacey bit her lip. "I'm so sorry for shaming the family, Mama."

To Lacey's surprise, Judy swallowed and said. "No one does that to my daughter. I want names."

"It is over." Lacey said in a pleading tone. "It happened the day of Danny's expulsion hearing."

"No. It is not over." Judy took Lacey's hands in hers. Tears slowly escaped Judy's eyes. "This type of thing has caused young girls to hurt themselves. This person or people need to understand that this can't happen again. You are a strong young woman. I am thankful to God for that. But another girl may not be so strong. This type of behavior should never be condoned." She gripped Lacey's hands tighter. "Do you understand? What if you weren't so strong? You're my baby. I have to protect my baby."

Lacey went on to tell the whole story of how angry Jo got and how she and Danny went to her to apologize. Judy held back her anger at that because she could tell her daughter needed to tell the story on her terms. Lacey told her that it happened around the time of Danny's expulsion, Jo's confession of her feelings of Danny, and the poisoning of Cole. She said there was so much going on that she felt selfish for worrying over her mistakes when others were hurting.

Judy answered simply. "You had a right to hurt, Lacey. You were the one done most wrong. You deserve time to think of yourself in this."

"Today in church, I prayed to get over Danny. To let me forget loving him. But when I saw him in the diner, my heart starting beating so fast just like it always does. It hurts so much. I love the feeling I got at the altar of peace. I guess I had hoped I had poured out so much pain that loving Danny poured out too." Lacey admitted as she licked her lip. "I'm trying to move on. I am."

"It will take some time." Judy exhaled as she pressed her palm against Lacey's cheek. "I don't want you seeing Danny in a romantic sense. I won't forbid that as you need to come to terms with that type relationship on your own. And if I felt he was dangerous, I would forbid it. Not because he's the monster the town makes him out to be but because he has so many problems that he needs to fix. I don't want you to be mixed up in those problems. He has had it rougher than you know, Lacey. Karen was mad at Tess for so long that I was the one she confided in. Danny got beat up a lot in juvie. Then she started getting calls about him being the one beating others up. I know he was surviving. However, violence has become second nature to him. He's a scared kid, who killed his own father due to having to protect another and himself. No matter how adult you both think you are, you and Danny are still children. That child is going to break one day. I don't want you to be caught up in the aftermath when that happens."

Lacey nodded. "I understand. I'm going to be his friend but I'm not getting caught up in his life for now. I need to concentrate on me too."

"Good girl." Judy patted Lacey's knee. "Maybe you could show Miriam around town or something. You both could use a friend."

"I definitely could." Lacey smiled as she stood up. She wiped the last of her tears with the back of her hand. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Lacey." Judy watched as Lacey made her way upstairs to her room. She then picked up the phone. "Karen, this is Judy. We need to talk about something important. Can I come over or would you like to meet somewhere?" Judy hesitated as she listened to Karen's answer. "I'll be there in about a half hour."

Soon Judy was telling Karen what Lacey had told her about the video of their children.

"I'm sorry for you have to find out this way." Judy took a sip of the tea which Karen offered her. "Lacey informed me only this morning. I can't believe our children faced this alone."

"We need to go to Principal Tang together first thing Monday morning. There was so much going on with Danny's expulsion hearing, I guess I assumed that was the only reason he was upset. I didn't know they were dating at that time either, Judy. I thought you knew they were dating this last time." Karen took in much needed air. "I know Lacey needs stability and my son is not there right now. But she makes him so happy. Can you blame me for wanting that for him?"

Judy shook her head in understanding. "You're not angry because I want Lacey to take a step back from that type relationship with him, are you?"

"No. Of course not." Karen half smiled. "I understand completely. I wish it were different though. I love Lacey so much and loved her dating my Danny."

"Well, he's with Jo now according to Lacey. I hope he can be happy with her." Judy took another sip of her tea.

"Not hardly." Karen rolled her eyes in disgust. "My son doesn't feel that way over Jo. Honestly, I don't know what Danny is thinking. The boy is getting no sleep and is stressed out over it. I think his father ,as well as the Mastersons, have always made it so embedded in his mind that Jo should be happy even if it cost Danny his own happiness. I am probably just as guilty of that. She was always the little girl to be coddled so much that Vikram and I neglected Danny's feelings for Jo's when she was around. Maybe he's doing what he was raised to do. Put Jo first."

"Why did you and Vikram do that? If you don't mind me asking." Judy crossed her legs listening to Karen for an explanation.

"Mostly because of Tess. I knew about the baby she gave up and I wanted her to feel like a good mother because of that. Therefore, when she spoiled Jo, I allowed it. When Jo wanted something when she was around Danny, she got it. Danny was a baby too but I remember if Jo wanted a toy he was playing with, it was taken away and given to Jo. What Jo wanted, Jo got." Karen grimaced at her own actions. "I had no clue that the child given up by Tess was Vikram and her son. I didn't even know Tara was raising her brother's illegitimate son. All I know is that Vikram placed Jo on a pedestal for Tess. I went along with it as I did most things Vikram wanted. I was always about appearances. I sacrificed my son's happiness to look like the model family. After all, Danny was the kind and sharing child while Jo got all. I felt we looked like this wonderful family. I was so ignorant. Do you think that Danny has to that so ingrained in him to make Jo happy still that he has forgone his own happiness for hers? Like this video, why would it matter to Jo more than our children? What was Danny and Lacey thinking apologizing to her when they should've been supporting each other?"

"I don't know, Karen." Judy frowned as she shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe Danny really does care for Jo like that and he prefers her over Lacey."

At that moment, Danny came bounding into the door with a grin on his face. He stopped short as a frown replaced the grin. "I thought Lacey was here. Is she?"

"No." Judy smiled up at him. "I came to speak to your mother about something important."

"By the way, Danny. Jo called a few times. I told her you didn't make it home yet from soccer practice." Karen winked at Judy to alert her to watch Danny.

"Whatever." Danny placed his bookbag down. "I'll call her later. Ummm is it okay if I call Lacey?" Danny grinned sheepishly. "I mean is she home? History question." He tried to think of a reason to call her.

"She's home." Judy almost chuckled as she watched Danny smile again as he bound up the stairs.

"Yeah. My son prefers Jo over Lacey alright." Karen chuckled as she shook her head.

Judy chuckled back at Karen. "Sarcasm noted."