Dear Amelia and Noah,

You asked me the story of how your mommy and I met. I decided to write it down so you'll always remember. So, here you are.

She cradled her rolled up script in her left palm as she swung the glass coffee shop door open with her right. As she joined the 3 person long queue she started reading her lines again, she moved her lips along with the words. As the guy in front of her left the queue, I watched her crinkle her brow in concentration as she tried to find the emotion in the words on the page. She looks familiar, I just can't place her.

'Can I help you?' I ask before she realises she's standing alone in a coffee shop.

She raises her eyes to me and a slight blush appears on her lightly tanned cheeks as a slight embarrassment descends around her. I feel myself smile at her as she steps up to the counter looking at the menu board.

She sweeps her dark brown bangs out of her eyes with her right index finger. 'Hi, can I have a black coffee and...a banana nut muffin please?'

I grab a cardboard cup from the stack and tick the order on the side with my black Sharpie. I raise my eyes to her again. 'What's the name please?'

She smiles, her perfectly white teeth appear from her perfectly pink top lip. 'Berry. Rachel Berry.'

I scribble her name down on the side of the cup and hand it to another barista. Then it hits me where I've seen her before. 'As in the Rachel Berry...'

She smiled again and slightly nodded. 'That's the one.'

'I've seen some of your work, you're really good.'

The slight blush appears again and she looks down at the wooden counter before looking at me again. Her deep brown eyes have a hint of a sparkle. 'Thanks, always nice to meet a fan.'

I reach back across and quickly scribble down something on a napkin without her seeing. I nod to her. 'Your coffee will be on the counter to the left when it's ready.'

'Thanks a lot.'

A few minutes later I slide her coffee onto the napkin and put it on the counter to the left. She raised the plastic coating to her lips and her eyes caught the napkin. She neatly folded into quarters and slid it into her pocket without another word or glance at me. She promptly left the coffee house and I was pretty sure I'd blown it.

However, a few hours later, I was lying on my couch at home and my phone started to vibrate next to my head. I normally don't pick up unknown numbers, but I guess it was some sorta fate, that I did.

'You gave me your number...'

It was weird, how just hearing her voice made me smile. 'Rachel Berry...'

She laughed. 'The one and only.'

I scratched the back of my neck.'I don't normally do this, just y'know, give my number to customers.'

I could almost hear the amusement in her voice. 'Oh I bet you don't.'

'You busy...?'

I could hear her smile. 'I got a couple spare hours.'

'You wanna go...get a drink with me, or something...?'

'Yeah. Yeah why not.'

I got her address and picked her up in my beat up old Chevy. She sat in the passenger seat wearing jeans and a baby pink sweater with her hair loosely tied up in a ponytail. She smiled at me.

'I was thinking about it, and I realised, you never told me your name.'

I took my right hand off the wheel and shook her hand. 'Hi.' I smiled. 'I'm Quinn Fabray, your local coffee barista.'

She laughed. 'Do you always introduce yourself like that?'

I winked. 'Only to the loyal customers.' I whispered reassuring her.

She nodded giving me a toothy smile. 'Good to know.'

I pulled up outside The MilkShack and Rachel looked out the window and let out a short laugh. I shut off the engine and took out the key. 'You okay?'

She turned to me smiling. 'Yeah, I'm great.'

I lead her inside and we took a seat at the wide mahogany bar. The barman set a chocolate milkshake down in front of us and she turned on her stool towards me. 'Y'know, when you asked me if I wanted to get a drink, I thought you meant you wanted to go to a bar...'

I held out my arms and smiled. 'We are in a bar!'

She rolled her eyes playfully. 'A real bar, Quinn.'

I looked around quickly. 'Hold up...am I in Narnia again...?' I leaned into her whispering.

She let out a tinkling laugh. 'Okay, okay you're cute. Let's play a game...'

'Like Saw...?' I pulled back looking a little worried.

She shook her head smiling, her dark brown hair swirling around her. 'No, not like Saw. The word game. I'll say a word, you say what pops into your head. Okay?'

'Only if you answer too.'

She shrugged. 'Okay.'

'Okay.' I agreed. 'Fire away.'

She hummed thinking. 'College?'

I smiled. 'NYU. You?'

Her eyes sparkled. 'Juilliard.'

'Studying?'

'Literature. You?'

'Performing Arts. Duh!' she teased. 'Favourite colour?'

'Blue.' I motioned for her answer.

'Pink. Or gold.'

I took two pink straws out of the black circular holder and handed her one. We both dipped our straws into the milkshake at the same time and took a drink each. She took a little too much, and some chocolate milk settled on her perfect pouty bottom lip.

She caught me looking at her. 'Do I have something on my face?'

I smiled at her and took my opportunity. I rested my left forearm on the bar and leaned forward, taking her lips against mine. That's the moment that changed everything. I felt her smile against me as she rested her right hand against mine on the bar.

And that was one of the best days of my life kids. The day I met your mother.

All my love,

Your momma xxxx