Mother-daughter dance
Rachel stirred apprehensively in her seat as Mr. Shu announced the next fundraising event at William McKinley High School. "A Mother-Daughter Dance" he said proudly. "And best of all" he continued, "each mother-daughter duo will perform a song together!". No one looked too excited, but no one seemed truly opposed to the idea either. As a few comments were exchanged around the room between the girls, Santana announced "Well ya'll best bring it, because my mommy dearest and I will be blowing ya'll out this joint". "That's the spirit" Mr. Shu said. "And whichever mother-daughter duo performs the best will win...A free day at the spa!". That's when the excitement really started. "My mother and I always go to the spa!" Mercedes bragged proudly. "My mom and I only go to spas to make fun of the people covered in mudd" Brittany said with a dazzed look in her eye. Rachel became less comfortable by the second. 'I mean everyone knows...' she thought to herself. However, this whole situation brought about more sadness to her soul then she was willing to admit. I mean, her mother is in New York for goodness sake raising her enemy's baby. There was no way in heck that she would even consider coming back to Lima for something as pointless as a mother daughter dance. As the bell rang ending the first glee club meeting of her senior year, Mr. Shu called her over. Rachel knew all too well what this was about. Looking very vulnerable, Rachel barely made eye contact with Mr. Shu as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Look", he said, "I wouldn't have created a fundraiser like this if I didn't think you couldn't handle it". He has some mysteriousness in his voice which made Rachel think he had something planned up his sleeve. "Okaaaayy" Rachel said trying to figure out what was going on. "I mean, this is only your first day of school, so you couldn't have found out that quickly...", "What are you talking about?" Rachel responded. "Figgins called me into his office this morning to introduce me to a new faculty member this year, and lets just say that this particular person and I have already met"..."Mr. Shu, I don't..." just as Rachel was able to reiterate her lack of understanding, she heard a set of high heels walk hesitantly into the room, before she could look up, Rachel took a deep breath hoping that the face she was about to see looked like the face she met in the mirror everyday. After all, they were just talking about a mother-daughter dance...so who else could Mr. Shu be talking about...?
Rachel looked up quickly after that moment with tears in her eyes. Her mother had come back for her after Rachel had just about given up any hope that she could ever have a woman role model to talk to, let alone her very own mother. "I'll give two a minute" Mr. Shu said stepping out of the room. "Hi" Shelby said reaching out to hug her daughter. Instead of embracing this well-needed hug, Rachel threw her fists up into the air pushing Shelby's arms away from her while gently striking her with her hands much like a four year old would do when fighting a parent trying to pick them up and carry them. "You abandoned me! Remember?" She screamed. "How could you come back here after all this time and expect everything to be okay". She continued, still screaming. "CALM DOWN Rachel" Shelby said in an elevated yet soothing voice". Rachel then looked straight at Shelby, her eyes piercing Shelby's like daggers, and in a calm but broken voice she said: "you left a teenage girl to fend for herself". Hearing Rachel say that and seeing the pain in her eyes caused tears to run down Shelby's face. "I'm sorry baby". She finally said after what seemed like a decade of silence. "But you have got to know that I have thought about you every single day for the past seventeen years. I have constantly wondered what it would be like for you growing up without a mother, worrying what it might do to you. And I have regretted ever since the day you were born, giving you up". "But you know what", she continued, "You are absolutely fine. And you are gonna be okay for the rest of your life. The only reason I came back is because I realized that I need you way more than you need me". Shelby paused for a second and took a seat in a choir room chair. " After I left last year, it came to me that I had just given up the most precious thing my life has ever offered me". "What was that"? Rachel said in a sob. "You" Shelby replied with the brightest and most hopeful eyes Rachel had ever seen. The smile that appeared on Rachel's face then said it all. Rachel sat down in Shelby's lap and hugged her mom for what seemed like the first time. :)