story so many times before, she had trouble feeling sympathetic anymore.
"What happened?" Shelby said, moving into her usual routine that seemed to help.
"I don't know. I don't even know. I was just talking about our family and being together and how I wish we could stay in Florida forever. And then he brought up getting married.” She stammered a bit. “I—I got a little nervous and didn’t know what to say. And then when he saw that I wasn't sure, he looked so hurt. What was I to say? Then he just walked right out the door and said, 'Well, let me know when you're sure.'"
This was a different twist from the typical stories Shelby was used to hearing. Usually the man had left Dana and never come back. This one wanted to marry her?
Her mother broke down again. "I've only been married once, and it was to your father. And look how that turned out. Maybe I'm just doomed in love.”
Shelby flashed for the millionth time on how incredibly sad it must have been for Dana to learn her husband had died in a crash only a few years after getting married. But at some point, she had to move on. It was fourteen years ago. And Shelby had watched her mother make the same mistakes over and over.
"I know, Mom. It's okay. Everything will work out. He must really love you if he asked you to marry him."
Her mother continued to sniffle. Then it hit Shelby just what this could mean. Oh my gosh, what if they get married? What if they move to Florida permanently? There was no way Shelby wanted to move again. She was happy here. Well, pretty much happy until she’d seen Logan with Madison yesterday. And he was leaving for college in a few months anyway. Shelby was building her own life here and she could finally finish high school in one place. She was torn, wanting her mother to be happy, but also finally wanting herself to be, too.
"You're probably right," Dana said, "and I do love him. What do you think, Shelby?"
Shelby wanted to say, "I'm the daughter. You're the mother. I don't know what to think." But she said, instead, "Whatever your heart tells you.” And she meant it.
Dana sighed. "I love him. I really do. I'm just so afraid."
"I know, Mom," Shelby said. "It's been hard. Maybe you should call him."
"I don't want to call him," Dana said. "Then he'll think... "
"What will he think?" Shelby asked. "That you care?"
"Wait, wait," Dana said, "I hear someone on the stairs. Oh, it's him. And he's standing at the front door with a bouquet of flowers.” Her mother’s voice lightened as she said, “Gus, I’m so glad you’re here. Come in.”
Shelby ran a hand through her bed head hair and stifled a yawn while she waited for Dana to come back to the call.
"Everything’s fine now, Shelby,” Dana whispered. “Bye.”
Her mother hung up the phone. She hadn't asked a word about Shelby, how she was doing, or sorry for calling at five in the morning, not even realizing Shelby was on the West Coast. Not even an, "I love you, bye." It was always about Dana and some man.
Shelby laid the phone by the side of her bed. She contemplated bringing it back to her grandmother, but figured she didn't want to wake her, too. Dana had done enough damage. She turned off the light and tried to fall back to sleep and pretend the call never happened.
A few hours later, Shelby heard her grandmother bustling around the kitchen and could smell fresh coffee wafting into her room. When she sat up, her whole body felt heavy. Maybe she’d just stay here all day. She sure didn't want to go to the lake or see Logan. But then she remembered the club had scheduled a last-minute pull-everything-together meeting for the dog park opening later today. That made her smile. That was worth getting out of bed for.
After a quick shower, she threw on some shorts and a t-shirt and went into the kitchen to greet her grandmother. Faint music played in the background and there were fresh flowers on the table indicating Alice had been out gardening already today. A good sign.
"Coffee?" Alice asked. "I know your mother’s call broke up your sleep.”
Shelby rolled her eyes before taking a sip of the steaming coffee. It was so nice to have someone care about her. Dana really never cared that much about