Rachel walked into the Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal attempting to ignore the familiar sound that was the vocals of their male lead Jesse St. James.
"Ok everyone, go get some food you've got another two hours to go" She heard her mother say as the students on the stage groaned "do you want me to double that?" with that they fell silent "That's what I thought." As the students left the stage Shelby turned around and spotted her daughter. "Hey baby" she said with a smile on her face, since finding each other mother and daughter had become close and even though Shelby was busy with VA rehearsals for Nationals they made sure that they spoke to each other on the phone at least once a week, how ever this was the first time in over three months that mother and daughter had seen each other.
"Hey Mom," Rachel replied stepping into the light for the first time since she arrived and allowing Shelby the take in her appearance. Rachel's hair was down in soft curls falling over her shoulders, she was wearing a dusky purple summer dress and leather jacket, with ankle cowboy boots. The soft cotton of the dress fell softly over her baby bump where her hand was resting. WHAT? Baby bump?
"Rachel? Do you have something you want to tell me?" Shelby asked her daughter who was looking at the floor, "Come on baby, you can tell me." She walked over to her and rested her hands on Rachel's shoulders.
"I'm sorry Mom," Rachel said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I know I should have told you as soon as I found out, but it was too big to tell you over the phone."
"How far gone are you?" She asked
"6 months"
"6 months… but that would mean… Rachel, is it Jesse's?" She watched as all her daughter could do was nod. "Does he know?" She already know the answer but when Rachel shuck her head her suspicion that Jesse had no idea that he was going to be a father in 3 months was confirmed. "Do you want him to know?"
"Yes, but I didn't have the courage to do so before but I have an idea; can I use the stage?"
Jesse St. James was almost back at the school when he got a message from Shelby telling him to get back to rehearsal ASAP. Honestly he wasn't surprised, Nationals were only a few weeks away and considering he was performing the ballad he had expected her to add extra rehearsal time on to make sure that it was perfect. However when he walked into the auditorium he found Shelby was not sat in her usual spot behind a desk half way up the rows of seats and there was someone, who wasn't tall enough to be Shelby, on the stage, someone he couldn't quite make out. He carried on walking as the piano started to play but stopped about ten rows back from the front as a familiar voice filled the auditorium.
"Whispering
Hear the ghosts in the moonlight
Sorrow doing a new dance
Through their bones, through their skin
Listening
To the souls in the fools night
Fumbling mutely with their mute hands
And there's heartache without end
See the father bent in grief
The mother dresses in morning
Sister crumples, and the neighbours grumble
The preacher issues warning"
Jesse watched as Rachel stepped forward in the single spotlight on the otherwise dark stage, suddenly his eyes were drawn to her rounded stomach.
"History
Little miss didn't do right
Went an ruined all the true plans
Such a shame, such a sin
Mystery
Home alone on a school night
Harvest moon over the blue lands
Summer longing on the wind"
At this point Rachel caught his eye, holding his gaze while she continued to sing and he walked up onto the stage.
"Had a sweetheart on his knees
So faithful and adoring
And he touched me, and I let him love me
So let that be my story"
He watched, moving closer to her, as she moved her hands to her stomach, causing her pregnancy to become noticeably obvious.
"Listening
For the hope, for the new life
Something beautiful, a new chance
Hear its whispering, there again."
"Hello, Jesse" she said, her voice breaking as she fights back the tears, he was only a few feet away.
"Rachel? What…?" He said, still in complete shock, "I… You're pregnant? I mean… Is it mine?"
Rachel nodded, "I haven't been with anyone else, I'm sorry Jesse, I should have told you earlier. I was just so scared, I mean when I found out I'd just been attacked by eggs, lost regional's, lost you. I didn't want you to hate me more than I felt you already did."
Jesse stood there in shock, she was scared to tell him about their child, and she thought he hated her. He had done that to her, he had caused her to keep this a secret from him. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Rachel's voice.
"I'm sorry, Jesse. I should never have come here." With that she started to walk away, but as always Jesse was quicker. He grabbed hold of the top of her arm and turned her around to face him.
"You honestly thought that I hated you, that I would have hated you even more if you told me you were pregnant? I've never hated you Rachel, I could never hate you. I'm still in love with you for goodness sake. If anything I hate myself for making you feel this way, for making you feel like you had to keep this from me."
"You love me?" Rachel asked in shock at everything Jesse had just said.
"I've never stopped." He stepped forward, pressing a hand on Rachel's stomach the other on the back of her neck as he rested his forehead against her's. Suddenly he felt something gently hit the palm of his hand, "Was that..?"
"Yeah, that was her," Rachel said rubbing small circles on the top of her stomach.
"Her… We're having a little girl?" Jesse asked in wonder and with a smile on his face, watching as Rachel beamed and nodded. He knelt down and put his forehead against the bump that held their baby, "Hey, baby girl, I'm your daddy. I'm sorry I've not been around so far, but I promise that from now on I'm not going anywhere. I will always be there for you and your mommy; I love both of you so much." With that he looked into Rachel's eyes as she gently pulled him to his feet.
"We love you too," she whispered pulling him closer to press her lips to his.
From the back of the auditorium Shelby watched her daughter and star pupil interact, Yeah, she thought, they're gonna be ok.