Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“Can I get that in writing?”
Shaking my head at him, I opened the door expecting to find a postal carrier, but it was my mom standing there. She didn’t look as bad as she did last time, but her hair still hadn’t been fixed. Now she had three-inch roots and it didn’t look like her hair had been brushed in a while.
“Hi,” she said, smiling brightly.
My heart hammered in my chest, everything I felt when I found her and my stuff gone on New Year’s Day rushing back at once. The pain of that day hit so hard, I felt like I’d been punched.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“I know you’re mad,” she said, reaching into her purse. “But Shelby, you have to understand that I was in a bad situation. I brought you this.”
She held out some folded bills and I looked down at the money and then up at her. “What is that for?”
“You know, to make up for what I borrowed.”
I put a hand on the door frame to steady myself, so angry I was getting lightheaded. “You didn’t borrow anything from me, you stole it. How much money is that?”
“It’s $100.”
I laughed, on the verge of crying with frustration. “It cost me more than two grand to get my stuff back. And that was after calling pawn shops for more than two hours to find it.”
“Look, I’m sorry,” she said, sounding agitated. “I’m trying to make it right.” Her gaze moved down to my belly. “Oh my god, you’re pregnant.”
“What do you want?” I asked again.
“I want you to take this money.” She moved her hand closer to me. “I’ll get you the rest, but I just need some time.”
“I don’t want the money. Is there anything else?”
She exhaled heavily, getting more and more irritated that I wouldn’t accept her offer. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”
Like last time, I was torn. She wouldn’t be here if she had other options, and I wasn’t heartless. But I couldn’t trust her, and I wouldn’t have peace if she was in my home again.
“Why would I let you in after you stole from me?” I asked, on the verge of breaking down.
“I said I was sorry.”
“That doesn’t make it okay. And why are you sorry now, all these months later?”
Her eyes filled with shame and she looked at the ground. Standing up to her was agonizing. Terrifying. I’d never done it before.
“What do you want me to do?” she said bitterly. “I got kicked out of the place I was staying. I don’t have anywhere to go.”
I heard Beau approaching, and then felt his hand on my back. He opened the door a little wider to stand next to me. My mom looked from him back to me.
“Who’s that?”
“I’m Beau. Shelby’s boyfriend.”
My mom transformed, putting on her most winning smile. “A boyfriend? Are you the baby’s father?”
I cut in. “It’s none of your business.”
She recoiled. “My grandchild is none of my business? Why are you being so hurtful, Shelby?”
Beau rubbed small, reassuring circles on my back as he spoke to my mom. “You can’t stay here. I’ll gladly drive you to the hospital if you want to get checked in for some help, or I’ll take you to a homeless shelter.”
“A homeless shelter? I’m not homeless, and I don’t need a hospital,” she said indignantly. “Whatever you’ve done to my daughter, I don’t like it.” She looked directly at me. “Shelby, you need to ask him to leave.”
I knew she wasn’t a good mother. She’d neglected me as a child, always put herself first, and showed no interest in me for years once I’d moved in with my grandparents. She’d stolen from me. But still, this confrontation hurt me in a deep way I had no control over.
“I’m not leaving,” Beau said.
My mom took out an old flip-style cell phone. “Well, let’s see what the police have to say about that.”
“No,” I said, panic filling my chest.
Beau slid his hand to my hip, pulling me a little closer to him. “If she wants to call, let her. The police will help her if you tell them her situation.”
My mom’s eyes darkened. “What situation? What did you tell him?”
“The truth,” I said, feeling weary. “That you’re bipolar but you don’t take your meds like you’re supposed to.”
“I’m not falling into that trap by the drug companies,” she said, her tone laced with scorn. “They make people think they need those overpriced drugs but it’s all just a scam.”
“Mom, you’re better when you’re on your meds. I wouldn’t tell you that if it wasn’t the truth.”
She shook her head, stuffing the cash back into her handbag. “Yes, you would. You’d say anything to get me to go along with the doctors. You want them to lock me up again. I don’t know why I thought you’d help me. You’ve always been a selfish brat.”