Shelby LOVERS

Chapter 16 Thank you Mommy

It's been 6 months since Drew left me and Chris and I have parted ways. Chris and I have rekindle our friendship, we have friends night out at least once a week, he's dating now I think it's becoming serious but he won't admit it to me. Bri and Johan is planning a wedding and it's been a mad house around here. For me I'm just enjoying the relationship between myself and I. Getting to know myself over again knowing what makes me happy and what doesn't. I want to text Drew but couldn't bring myself to do it, I know he's doing well I still have him on social media. Tiffany and him are going strong unfortunately, if that's what makes him happy I can't be to mad at him. George been trying to contact me ever since I left the dinner that day but I truly don't want to hear anything from him. I wouldn't let Brianna tell me how the dinner ended. Him and Bri has a cordial relationship, Brianna finally allowed him to meet Johan and it didn't go so well. They had dinner and Johan was so cold to him, that's because he's so protective over Brianna. Finally Johan is okay with him, they asked me was it okay that he get invited to the wedding I told them I don't care. He's been wanting a meeting with me. I have so many questions but my anger and pride are way stronger than me wanting to know about my mom. Brianna and my business is flourishing and I couldn't be more grateful, Brianna is actually about to open her second art studio so proud of her.
Present Day
"Wake up, wake up, I'm freaking out it's literally 2 days from my grand opening for my second studio and I'm freaking out. There so much shit to get done and not enough time" Bri yells to me as she sits on my bed. "Bri it's 8:00am on Thursday morning, a day I don't have go to the office. This couldn't wait till about 10:00am for you to have a nervous break down?" Bri looks at me sadly and I have no choice but to wake up and comfort her. "Okay here's how this is going to go, I'm going to shower then me and you are going out for breakfast and finally take the world by storm we got this sister." Bri looks at me with more of an optimistic face and go get dress. I get my ass up and go shower quickly, I wear a black sheer top with a black lace bra,black skinny jeans and black heels. I'm off and ready to go. Bri is already dressed and waiting in the living room, Johan and Montana is eating breakfast on the couch.
Brianna offers to drive so we head down to one of our favorite breakfast spots. We finally got here and was seated immediately. We get to our seats and to my surprise George was there. "What is he doing here?" trying not to raise my voice or make a scene in front of all these people. "I invited him, I knew if I would of told you, you wouldn't have came and I couldn't chance that. You need to hear him out Shelby, you need to know the whole story if you're ever going move on. I want to invite George to the opening night, but I can't do that unless your okay with it. You wouldn't be okay with it since you can't stand him." I look at Bri, I know what she's saying is the truth and I know that she wouldn't invite him unless she has my blessing. I don't know what to do and I have no one to call, I have to make this decision on my own. "Fine I'll give you until we're done breakfast to explain about my mom. If your explanation isn't up to my standards you will walk out this restaurant and out my life.
I don't care if you and Brianna is at the cordial phase." Brianna takes my hands a squeeze it while mouthing the words thank you.
The waiter comes and takes our order, I get pancakes with bacon and eggs with a side of toast. Brianna gets a waffle with bacon and a side of toast. George gets a meat omelet with grits and toast, we all ordered orange juice for drinks. When the waiter finish taking our order we all sit in silence for 20 minutes, I honestly can't take it anymore "umm so yeah, while we wait on our food we can talk, it's no use in sitting in silence." Bri looks at me frustrated I don't know why she knows me pretty well, it's all cut dry with me. I came for breakfast but I got George instead of course I'm not going to be polite.
George interrupts my thoughts "since I have the answers I should go first, after you ran off I told Brianna somethings about your mom. I really didn't go into detail being it was only one of y'all there and i knew I would have to tell the story again. I loved your mom and what I did to y'all wasn't right, it wasn't a man thing to do and for that I'm sorry." Before I get a chance to interrupt his apologizing ass the waiter comes with our food. Everything looks so good and we all dig into our first bite. "It's something called chew, swallow, talk repeat maybe you should try it" Brianna kicks me under the table for being rude. "Right, so let me get to it. Your mom got in contact with me when you 21 and your sister hit 23. Y'all was above age to make decision, your mom adjusted her will, just in case something happened to her. She told her lawyers to hire a private investigator to search for me, she sent me a letter basically saying that I have to make it right after she dies no matter how old you girls was. She explained that she wanted to do it after she died, so y'all wouldn't make a basis decision based on what I did to y'all mother. When the private investigator finally caught up with me, he explained everything your mom wanted me to know. I know it may seem like I only did this for your mom and at first it was but now I want this for myself." I look at him and Brianna with disbelief, that our mom would go through all of this just to find George. "Do you believe him Bri, how y'all know this private investigator is even real. What if he's lying about the whole thing and just suckered us both into getting to know him again." Before Brianna say anything I get up and go to the bathroom, since I can't leave. I rush to the bathroom and put some water on my face before the tears start to stream down my face. Brianna comes running after me, I really don't want to speak to her the fact that she's buying this shit is what's really crazy. "Before you go all crazy sister on me George isn't lying about any of it. I had the same questions you did when he first told me, nothing made sense. I met the private investigator and he's here so you can speak with him too. I know you probably think he's fake but I can assure he's legit. Just come outside the bathroom so you can understand all this." Even though I'm super mad with Brianna but she's my sister and if I can't trust George I at least know I can trust her. I walk outside the bathroom and we're both heading back to our table, but there's two men joining us I can't see them very clearly. I get to the table and it's Joshua and Matthew joining us, Josh is an older man I hired at my private practice years ago. Matthew is my mother lawyer, I don't know what they ccould be doing here. "Okay now I'm really confused what is going on? Why is Joshua here?And why is Matthew here." Before I can say anything else George interrupts me and explain that Joshua was the private investigator on my mom case. My whole mouth is open, I swear I could catch flies here. "Right now Shelby is confused, hey josh can you explain to my opened mouth sister how this went down exactly the way you told it to me." At this time George is just eating his breakfast, which annoys the shit out of me especially when it's his head I want on a plate. "Ahh yes hello Ms. Jones, let me explain what happened and how I become your mother private investigator. Three years after you hired me, your mom came into my office with her lawyer asking me in any incident that she dies, it's my duty that I find Mr.George your father. I really didn't understand why I had to and she didn't go into any details. Also it was in her will that when I find him, I had to do everything in my power to make him listen to me and understand what exactly your mom wanted from him. It also stated that when George actually got the courage to find you girls, I and Matthew had to be present at the meeting when George explains all this. Your mom knew how much of a doubting Thomas you are. When you girls turned above age Shelby 21 and Brianna 23 I would have to begin my search to find George. It took some years especially since I had other cases, when I found him I told your mom. She explained to me that I must not share this information with you or anyone else inside the private practice. Also she stated the minute I got word of her death that's when me and Matthew must personally deliver the news to George. I'm sorry Ms.Jones but I had to do this, it was your mother dying wish." I honestly can't believe all of this, how sneaky my mom was and why didn't see tell me. "Why did she do all this? What was the point of us knowing a man that didn't want to know us." As tears stream down my face and Brianna holds my hand, Matthew passes me and Brianna a letter. "Once Joshua did his job in finding George and getting us all to this meeting, my job was to give you this letter from your mom to both you and Brianna. She told me that no matter how long it took George to come to his senses to make sure y'all got this letter." As Matthew passes us the letter, I can tell he had this letter for a long time but he still kept it in order. It has the sent of my mom and a tear drop, I can tell she was crying when she wrote this letter.
Dear Brianna and Shelby:
If your reading this letter that means you must of heard everything from Matthew, Joshua and George. Before you start to make sense of this don't Shelby, turn your private investigator hat off and open your heart. I know Brianna was the most easiest to get too and thank you Brianna for getting your sister to see the light. I know y'all want to know why I would go through all this, what's the point of this especially when he left us. You have to forgive him just like I did when I made this decision to find him. Y'all will never go on and live a happy life unless you forgive the unforgivable. Your father loves you and he did make mistakes, but your reading this that means he came to his senses either and wants to start over. By now one of y'all must be engaged or married, with a child or children and y'all business must be booming. I can't express how proud I am of y'all and what y'all accomplished without me and your father. I raised y'all to be strong young woman and I know y'all didn't deter off that route. My last words to y'all is Brianna don't be scared to open your heart, your soul and your mind to whomever is lucky enough to have you. Remember live life to the fullest splurge on yourself once in a while, because I know Shelby does. Lastly thank you for stepping up to the plate and becoming Shelby mom, sister, best friend and superhero. I know you do a lot for her and Montana that doesn't go unnoticed. For you Shelby my little one open your heart, I know you've been through more than someone your age usually goes through. Stop being so hard, it's okay to cry, to be scared and nervous that doesn't make you weak it actually makes you stronger. You have to forgive yourself and stop being angry with me and the drunk driver. I had to leave you so you can fly on your own, your no longer my little bird but a beautiful Phoenix. It's so much easier to forgive than to be angry. Don't worry Sapphire is just fine up here with me,we're both looking down on you and so proud of what we see.Remember my baby girls forgiveness is not for the person but it's for yourself, don't allow anyone to steal your joy my beautiful black queens.
Love mommy.

After we finish reading the letter we both got tears down our face, not knowing what to say to each other or the 3 men that's staring at us.
"thank you so much Joshua, Matthew and George for doing this for my mom." Matthew and Joshua gets up and leave, George stays there looking for words to say. "I give you my blessing to come to Brianna opening you and your family. I forgive you George and I will try to work on a relationship with you. See you and your family at the opening night." He pays for the check, me and Shelby get into the car. Before we say anything I hug her letting her know I'm sorry for doubting her and giving her a hard time with this. I also told her I need to visit mommy grave, she looks at me with approval. We never visited our mom grave once we put her in the ground. She calls Johan and tells him all what happened, and how we're going up to see momma grave. Johan told Brianna he wants to come with us so we swing by and get Johan and Montana.
The car ride upstate is very quite, about time we get to the burial grounds it's 6:00pm, I haven't noticed we spent all our morning in the restaurant.
Brianna went first with her and Johan. I really didn't hear what she said but I feel like she got what she needed, she walks away with tears down her cheeks and a smile on her face. It was mine and Montana turn, I honestly don't know what to say but I'm sorry for being so angry at her for leaving me. That I love her to the moon and back, but most of all I forgave George and myself. Johan and Montana goes back to the car, while me and Brianna say our last goodbye together, we finally grieve our mom death together for one last time.