The Importance of Relationships
AU Theatrically. A different outcome (a more cheerful one I think) of the reunion between Rachel and Shelby, how I think it should have went, and a bit extra. Fluff.
Rachel POV
I have to admit it to myself that Miss Corcoran is a VERY good singer, however brilliant it is, I feel like I've heard this voice before. The coach of Vocal Adrenaline sounds like she could sing something like, I don't know, I Dreamed a Dream maybe? Wait a second. Oh my god. I HAVE heard Shelby Corcoran sing and she did sing I Dreamed a Dream. Mom? I have to meet her. She's my mother for crying out loud!
Everyone's POV
Rachel takes the steps slowly one at a time. She can't believe it. Her own mother singing Funny Girl right in front of her. This is her chance, her shot. Her moment when she can finally meet someone who might fulfil her dream that she has had since she was a child.
Rachel is sitting in the chair across from the long ebony table, the woman who looks a lot like her yet a bit older sitting behind her gently brushing through her long dark brown locks. They are singing together. It's their favourite, Defying Gravity. Once they finished, Rachel's mother turns to her and tells her the one thing she has always wanted to hear.
"I am glad you got the singing from me, I am so proud of you, you are a wonderful singer and we are gonna sing duets together for a long time. You can pick! So come on sweetie? What's next?"
The biggest smile known to man is on that little girls face, beaming towards her mother and she opens her mouth, she graciously replies-"
Rachel is immediately taken away from the daydream that constantly invades her by the final notes of Funny Girl, she looks up, a bit startled and realised that her mom had just realised her presence and was waiting for her to speak. Her mom! She realises that her mom is still waiting for her. So she decides to just say it, let her know and hopefully maybe even make her life-long dream come true.
"Miss Corcoran? Erm, I'm Rachel Berry. I'm your daughter."
Silence. She's greeted with silence. The silence makes her so nervous, why can't her mom just answer her? Say something, anything! Then whilst she has been standing there with baited breath silently stewing over her own thoughts, she never realised that her mom was making her way over to her until she heard the tell-tale sounds of footsteps descending stairs. She looks up to watch her mother's progress.
Rachel is still very nervous. "Mom?" she asks. Shelby says nothing, and pulls her into a hug. It was like an explosion was happening inside of Rachel at this very second. She felt all these emotions! Joy, happiness, acceptance, laughter, a bit of confusion, tiredness, nervousness, and a hint of worry for the future. She pulls away from the hug to look her mother in the eye. She's about to ask a question, but her mother beats her to it.
"Can we talk about everything, and more importantly, can I be in your life even though I've missed out on so much of it already?"
Rachel's POV
It's like I'm dreaming. The exact words I was hoping my mother would say to me if we ever had an untimely reunion have just been said. I am radiating joy at the moment, I immediately answer back, "Yes!"
Shelby's POV
Finally! She's found me! Just like I knew she would. I knew she would be too curious to not come and find out who I am. I can't wait to talk to her and learn everything about her. I am sure we are going to feel a spark once more when we start talking properly to each other. I mean, I'm sure she felt the same as me when we hugged, right? Of course she did. That's why I'm positive we're going to make this work, and I'm going to try my damn hardest to do exactly that. Make it work.
Rachel's POV
I asked the question I was bursting to know the answer to. "Did you ever regret it?" My mom answered back with exactly what I wanted to hear, almost as if she was reading my mind. "Of course I did! Every single second, you would pop into my mind. What did you look like? Did you look like me? Did you have my singing talents? Which you obviously have by the way. But yes. I always regretted it, because even though I was able to try for my dream again, it didn't work out anyway. So I could have helped raise you and be a part of your life if only I hadn't signed that damn contract your dads gave me. It said that I wasn't allowed to contact you until you were 18; you could contact me whenever of course, which meant that you had to make that first move. Which you did. And I am forever grateful, for the chance we are getting now, and I am going to work so hard to give you the relationship we both want."
I think my heart just melted into mercury right in front of me. I was so shocked by what my mom had just said to me, it sounded so amazingly good to hear that coming out of her mouth. It finally hit me, this could work. We can actually do this, and have a great mother/daughter relationship that I've always dreamed of.
Plans were already buzzing round my head of what we could do together to get the ball rolling. Some female bonding, that's what we needed!
"Hey mom!" I call to her, "Are you doing anything tomorrow night? Do you wanna, maybe, get together, the two of us, for dinner, or something similar maybe?"
"Sure, hon. I'm not busy. How about we start with dinner and see where we go from there? Dinner will give us a chance to find out more about each other and what we have missed from each other's lives because of our unfortunate circumstances." My mom replied enthusiastically.
Shelby's POV
Yes! This is perfect! The chance to get to know my lovely daughter more. I'm just so happy she's willing to put in extra effort into this working relationship, just as I am. I am now looking forward to tomorrow night's dinner, just because it means I will get to spend more time with the girl who has so quickly stolen my heart, just like she was supposed to. I am forever grateful to her.
Rachel's POV
Yes! She agreed. I can't wait to spend more quality time with my mom, just like every daughter is supposed to. Now I have someone who I am comfortable with to talk about my problems without feeling embarrassed by it, and I have someone who can fully support me in following my dream and know exactly what I need all the way through because she has been there and done the same thing herself.
I love my mom, we have a bright future.