Prompt from Defygravity09- Rachel's opening night on Broadway, and Shelby being there.
Thanks, baby! This is for you! xo -hayleynymphadora
Opening Night
I'll admit, it hurt just a bit when I found out Rachel wasn't saving me a seat for the opening night of Funny Girl. I mean, didn't I tell her that she wouldn't be able to even try to stop me from coming to her opening night on Broadway? I told her that when she had me write her that "killer letter of recommendation". We're Facebook friends, for god's sake. Doesn't she understand that I know when opening night is from her incessant "countdown to opening night" posts?
Hell, maybe she didn't want me to come. Maybe she forgot about me.
But whether she wanted me to or not be damned—I'm here.
It's incredible, to be back in a theatre, even if I'm not performing. It's my baby performing, which makes it better.
True—I suppose I don't have the right to call her "my baby". I was never her mom. I'm just her mother.
But I'm also her friend. At least, that's sort of what we established when I helped with her callback. It's what we established when I wrote her letter of recommendation.
So I'm here. In the audience. I bought fifth row seats—I don't want her to notice me right away. I'll talk to her after the show.
By the time she's singing I'm the Greatest Star, I'm completely struck by her talent. I've always been amazed by her skill, but Fanny is her dream role, and it's amazing that not even a year after she's left McKinley, she's getting her one big chance. Her chance of a lifetime. She's beginning her Broadway career and I'm so proud of her for it. More than words can describe.
At the end of act one I'm speechless. I don't move an inch. I've heard her rendition of Don't Rain on My Parade before, and it is marvelous, but watching her perform it as Fanny took my breath away. She's living her dream. It's beautiful.
The end of act two comes around and I start the standing ovation. I'm also the first one to her dressing room door. And the only one her body guard will let in.
"You look familiar," the guard eyes me up and down.
"I'm Rachel's mother," I inform him. "Can I come in?"
"Does she know you're here?"
"It was meant to be a surprise…"
He's built big and tough but I've been around my best friend Cassie well enough to know that's just his disguise. Most body guards are just big softies.
"Prove you're her mother."
Shit.
"How?" I smile.
"What's her favorite icon?"
"Person or thing?" I challenge.
"Both," he raises an eyebrow, trying not to smile back.
"Gold stars and Barbra Streisand."
"Isn't her mother Shelby Corcoran? The show choir director? The one who used to direct Vocal Adrenaline?"
Does everybody know this? I'm sure now that she's going to be famous it'll be all over the Broadway chat rooms.
"In the flesh," I answer, pushing my hair out of my eyes.
"What's her best friend's name?"
"Are you serious? Kurt Hummel. Can I go see my daughter now?"
He laughs at this. I've actually managed to amuse him.
"I've been messing with you. She told me to keep an eye out—that her birth mother might show up tonight, and if she does let her in immediately."
I have to laugh back. "Is this letting me in immediately?"
He shrugs. "I have to have some fun every once in a while. Do you know how boring it is, just standing outside this door all night?"
I raise a daring eyebrow. "Are you saying that working for my daughter is boring?"
"Nah. She's a sweetheart. But a total diva."
"It's in her genetics." I give him a wink and he lets me in.
She's sitting in front of her mirror. She's taken off her wig and is brushing out her long brown hair. The hair that she got from me. She notices me, out of the corner of the mirror, and she drops her mouth, a smile appearing on her face. "Shelby!" she grins, jumping out of her seat and running towards me, crashing into me with the biggest hug she's ever given me.
"Hey," I laugh and hug her back. "You were incredible. You're so talented. Look at you!" She pulls back so I can see her mega-watt Rachel Berry smile.
She giggles. "I was going to save you a seat, but—"
"But you didn't?" I accuse with a smile. "What you doubted that I would come?"
"There was so much going on, and I just—"
"It's fine, Rachel," I tilt my head and smile. "I'm just giving you a hard time. You obviously thought I might stick to my promise, if you told your body guard about me," I tease.
"Oh, that." She laughs. "Yeah, well I was hoping." She grins and thinks for a moment before hugging me again. "Thank you for coming," she whispered. A tear falls from her eyes and onto my shoulder, bringing tears to my eyes.
I've missed so much.
"After everything I've missed, Rachel," I let a tear fall. "I wasn't about to miss this too. I would have never been able to forgive myself, and neither would you."
With a sniff, Rachel pulls back from the hug, wipes her tear, and smiles again.
"I love you, Rachel. I'm so proud of you."
"Thank you, Shelby. I love you too."
After the mother-daughter reconnection moment that I've always wanted to happen is over, I say something to break the awkward silence that's bound to happen—it always does, between us.
"Hey, Cassie came too, by the way."
"Cassie? You mean Miss July?! She was here?" Rachel looks astounded.
I give her a confused look. "You didn't want her to come?"
"I didn't expect her to…I thought she hated me."
"Oh, my Rachel," I pull her into a sideways hug. "No one could ever hate you."
Before she can respond, her group of friends comes crashing into the room, yelling and being excited and ready to celebrate. "Go have fun with your friends, okay?" I release her and turn to walk out the door, but not before giving her a parting glance.
She smiles at me as I walk out the door.
This is the best decision I've ever done as a mother to this young girl.
This is the best thing I've done in my entire life.