(This story is dedicated to my girlfriend, whose birthday is today. Happy birthday, Yoshi. I love you.)
She awoke to the sound of rain pounding on the window. Blinking, she sat up and looked around, wondering where she was at first. It took a moment for the realization to sink in: she was in Seattle for a fashion conference, and she was all alone. Remembering that today was her birthday, she eagerly grabbed the phone, hoping that her boyfriend had called or sent a text wishing her a happy birthday. But as she booted the screen, her hopes were dashed: there were no missed calls, or unread text messages. Slowly setting the phone back down on the table, Rachel quietly started crying as she remembered the fight she and Ross had before she left.
"Ross, I have to go," Rachel said, as she walked out of their room, trailing a suitcase behind her. "This is an important conference, and could be big for me."
"Rachel, please," begged Ross, as he followed her out. "I'm only asking for one day, so we can celebrate your birthday. You said the conference doesn't start for three more, so I'm only asking you to stay for this one."
"I need to get there early for the setup. We've been over this already. You KNOW that."
"Rach-"
"Jesus Christ, Ross!" Rachel exploded, whirling around. "I gave up Paris for you, wasn't that enough? What do you want me to do, stop working and be a stay-at-home mother with Emma and Ben, when he's over?"
"Okay, you know what? Go to your damn conference," fumed Ross. "It obviously means more to you than your FAMILY."
It wasn't until after she arrived that Rachel started regretting her harsh words to Ross. She knew he only wanted to celebrate her birthday with her, considering how she had reacted to her thirtieth birthday. And she was more than certain that Emma wanted to celebrate her mother's birthday, as well. Burying her face in her hands, Rachel quietly started sobbing. "Ross, please call," she whispered to the empty room.
Rachel awoke to a darkened room, wondering what it was she heard that woke her. The only thing she could hear was the sound of rain striking her window, which she had fallen asleep to. Squinting, she noticed the light to the living room in her suite was on. Frowning, Rachel reached for the covers, and pulled them off. Walking into the room, Rachel was stunned to see a birthday cake sitting on the table. But before she could recover from that, another surprise greeted her.
"MOMMY!" cried Emma, as she ran over and hugged her mother's thigh. Rachel laughed, and bent down to pick up her daughter, who proceeded to hug her tightly.
"Happy birthday, Aunt Rachel," said Ben, smiling as he held out a bouquet of lilies to her. Rachel smiled, as she took them and hugged him. "Aw, thank you, Ben! They're lovely."
Rachel set Emma down, and went to put the lilies in a cup. "Where's your dad?" she asked, noticing that the kids were alone.
"He went to get something downstairs," Ben replied. The door almost immediately opened, and Ross walked in. Upon seeing Rachel standing by the kids, he stopped walking. "Oh," he said, shutting the door.
"Hi," said Rachel, as she hesitantly walked over to Ross. "I was wondering why you didn't call."
"Well, this WAS going to be a surprise for you, but I guess the kids woke you up," said Ross, as he set the bucket of ice down on the counter.
"I couldn't sleep, anyway," whispered Rachel, as she hugged Ross. "Ross, I'm sorry about what I said, when I left. I know you wanted to celebrate my birthday with me."
"Forget what we said, Rachel," Ross replied. "We were both mad and said things we didn't mean. I know your family means a lot to you. I shouldn't have said that." Ross leaned back, and reached into his pocket. "I was going to do this at the planetarium after dinner back home, but I think this is as good a time as any." Ross pulled out a small black box, and sank to one knee. "Rachel," he asked, as he opened the box, to reveal a stunning engagement ring, "will you marry me?"
Rachel cried, as she nodded her head. "Yes," she whispered. Ross stood up, and slid the ring on Rachel's finger, as Emma started jumping up and down, yelling in excitement. Ben grinned, as he ran over to hug Rachel. "Does this mean I have to call you Mom, now?" he asked. Rachel laughed. "Only if you want to," she said.
Ross leaned over, and lit the candles. "Make a wish," he said, as he picked up Emma. Rachel smiled, and blew out the candles. "What did you wish for?" asked Ben.
Rachel smiled. "I can't tell you, or it won't come true," she said. Ross smiled. "Happy birthday, Rachel," he whispered, kissing her.
"Thank you, sweetie," she said, as she looked at her family gathered around her. "I think this is the best birthday I've ever had."