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"What do you mean you wont go?" Meg said irritably.

"I am not going to go and put myself through the questions and looks. I'm done. I'm done hurting, done having people feel sorry for me, done feeling sorry for myself!" Shelly replied, flinging herself on the couch with all the style of a teenager who was just denied keys to their parents car.

Meghan wanted to laugh. Shelly was one of her dearest friends and, usually, the most rational out of their small social group. The fact that her Thirty-one year old friend was having a tantrum was unavoidably amusing.

"Shells, really." Meg said, using the nickname she had since High School. "I think you are exaggerating a bit. Hardly anyone in Oakdale will even know about Brett, let alone the circumstances of your break-up."

Shelly stared at Meg with her patented "Are you freaking kidding me?" look, stuck her tongue out, then covered her head with a pillow. "I don't care that going home is tradition. This year you are doing it all on your own. I'm staying home and eating Ben and Jerry's until I am to big to even fit into Santa's suit."

Meg rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen to pour them a much needed cup of coffee. She started thinking about Brett and how this whole mess began.

Brett and Shelly had met at a friends Forth of July party. He was good looking, had a sense of humor and attentive to both her and her friends. They had dated for 2 years before moving in together. Shells wasn't crazy with the idea of living with a guy she wasn't married too. As her friends put it, she was just 'old fashioned' that way. Brett had done a lot of smooth talking, begging and pleading and finally convinced Shelly this was for the best. They would be able to save money, eventually become engaged and then married. Shelly was a kindergarten teacher and Brett managed a local grocery store chain. They weren't rich but they managed to put away enough to make their dreams seem more possible. It wasn't much and it wasn't glamorous, but their lives made Shelly content and happy.

At least , until one morning in October. Shelly had taken a half day with plans to stop at Brett's work and kidnap him for a surprise evening out. She stopped by the store where he was supposed to be and was surprised to find out Brett had called in sick that morning. Usually she left while he was still sleeping, headed to the gym for an hour, then to the school to prepare for the day and didn't call him until lunch, so she hadn't know he wasn't feeling well.

She got back in her car and tried calling his cell phone. It went straight to voice mail and, deciding that he must be napping, decided not to leave a message. Worried about him, Shelly had driven home to see if he was alright. She got to their little townhouse and parked out front. She walked up the front stairs, unlocked the door, bent down to pick up the mail from the floor, stood up and then froze.

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What should happen next??