A/N: This is obviously very much AU. This is just a short fic about how I envision Shelby and Leroy's relationship. (This is a companion piece for another fic that I'm currently working on and it was stuck in my mind so I had to write it.) Songs used within this fic: The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand, Someday When I Stop Loving You by Carrie Underwood, and Awake by Josh Groban.
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I wish I did but I don't. Also I don't own the lyrics that are used within the story.
Shelby was sorting through boxes. She needed to see which ones she needed to put in the attic. She came across a box that wasn't labeled; think that one of the kids had forgotten a box she opened it, what was inside and why it wasn't labeled didn't surprise her. The box was full of pictures. She picked up the box and sat down on the couch to look through it. The first photo she retrieved was one of Leroy, Santana, and herself.
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Today marks the day where there little precious angel Santana turns ten months. The young mother watched as her daughter and fiancé play peek-a-boo. She grabbed the camera that was lying on the table in front of her and took a couple of photos. The father-daughter duo looked over at her then continued to play their game.
"Come on Tana, let's go and play with momma." Leroy said as her picked up his daughter.
"Momma…Momma…Momma." Santana chanted as they made their way closer to Shelby.
"Hey baby." Shelby said as she took Santana from Leroy and peppered her cheeks with kisses causing the little girl to giggle.
Leroy took the camera from Shelby when she grabbed Santana. He took the opportunity to capture a family moment. Santana had placed her hands on Shelby's cheeks and kissed her while Leroy planted a kiss on Shelby's cheek beside Santana's hand. The flash went off seconds before Santana tried to pull away.
"That's going to be a great photo if it captured the moment that you wanted." Shelby told Leroy as he pulled away.
"It is and I pray that it got it because we're never going to get another picture perfect moment like that." He replied. Leroy looked at the camera, "Besides that was the last picture on this camera."
Shelby sat the photo down on the couch and continued looking through them. The next one she picked up was a picture of just her and Leroy; she was pregnant with Blaine in the photo. They were lying in bed just talking about baby names. She doesn't remember who took the photo but she was happy that they did.
I remember that night we lay in bed, naming all our kids that we hadn't had yet.
It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and Shelby and Leroy were lying in bed enjoying the quietness. Leroy was rubbing Shelby's heavily pregnant belly.
"What do you think we should name him?" Leroy asked.
"How do you know we're having a boy, what if we have another girl?" Shelby countered.
"I just know that this one is a boy. Back to my question what should we name him?" He responded.
"Touché. I don't know I want him to have your father's name for a middle name though, since Santana's middle name is a form of my mother's name." She told him.
"Ok so now we just need a first name Shel. Blank Nathaniel Corcoran-Berry isn't a very suitable name." He teased.
Shelby rolled her eyes at him, "What do you want to name him?" She asked.
Leroy thought for a second, "How about Bryan?" he asked.
Shelby shook her head, "No I don't like it."
"Trevor? Tyler? Blake?" He questioned.
"No. No. Really Leroy; Blake." She answered.
Leroy took a moment then it hit him, "Blaine. Blaine Nathaniel Corcoran-Berry is his name."
Shelby looked over at him and smiled, "Blaine, I like it no wait I love it and so does he." She stated feeling the baby move. Leroy returned her smile as he also felt Blaine move around to his name.
"So shall we start planning to name our next child seeing that it'll be a girl." Leroy joked.
"Haha no. I think two children will be enough for us one girl and one boy."
Shelby went through a hand full of pictures when she stopped on one that was bigger than the rest; it was a family portrait, all five of them. The significance about the photo that it was taken exactly a year before their world fell apart.
If I could make these moments endless if I could stop the winds of change if we just keep our eyes wide open then everything would stay the same
The Corcoran-Berry clan arrived at the photographer's studio to take their annual family portrait. Despite the problems that Shelby and Leroy were going through they made an effort to get through them for the sake of their children.
Seven year old Santana is pulling at the ribbon her mother tied in her dark, curly hair. Six year old Blaine is in one of the studio mirrors mimicking his father fixing his tie. Five year old Rachel is attached to her mother's hip; not wanting to get dirty.
Shelby on the other hand could not wait for them to get done with this photo.
"Santana Noelle Berry! Get down now!" Shelby yelled at Santana; who was climbing up on props.
Santana climbed down and ran over to get into something else this time bringing her little brother along for the ride.
Shelby pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand, she was about to tell her children to stop but Leroy came up behind her and pulled her into a hug.
"Shel, don't worry about Tana and B; as long as they don't break anything they'll be fine to play. Calm down honey. " He told her.
Shelby took a deep breath to calm down, "Alright, I'm calm." She told him.
Leroy went to get Santana and Blaine from causing mayhem with the giant crayon props.
The photographer walked over to Shelby telling her that she was ready to take their photo. Shelby and Rachel waited for Leroy, Santana, and Blaine before the photographer situated them in the position she wanted them for the first picture.
After several poses the family sat down to pick out their best one. There were various shots of the older two Corcoran-Berry children making funny faces that made them laugh and Rachel smiling in every photo reassured them that they had at least one photogenic child. Leroy and Shelby had narrowed it down to two of their best poses and decided to let the children choose.
"I like that one." Santana said pointing to the one Leroy chose.
"But I like the one momma pick out." Blaine countered.
Leroy and Shelby sighed it was up to Rachel to choose the one she liked best and they would get that one.
"Which one do you like Rachie?" Shelby asked.
Rachel bit her lip as she looked over both photos, "I don't like either of them." Rachel told them. Rachel signaled for the photographer to go back to all their poses, "I like that one." She said as she pointed to the photo on the screen. It wasn't a traditional portrait pose; the family was sitting on the floor Leroy and Shelby sitting behind yet off to the side of Santana while Rachel and Blaine lay down on their stomachs carter-cornered of her. The whole family smiled.
"I think we can all agree on this one." Leroy told the photographer.
Shelby quickly wiped the tears that pooled in her eyes. Shelby did miss her life before all the divorce drama. She continued looking through pictures smiling at some of them. She stopped on one that was facing backwards; she read the back of it, 'Finally Married! 06/23/98'; she turned the photo around and it was a picture of just Leroy and herself smiling at each other.
Remember all the love we share today
Leroy and Shelby had finally did it; they finally got married after being engaged for years despite of the trials and tribulations they went through they managed to stay together and finally tie the knot.
Leroy took his blushing bride aside for some alone time in a secluded corner, "I love you Shel."
"I love you too Lee." She said then placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
The young couple was in their own little world that they didn't see Shelby's father take the photo.
Shelby held the photo in her hand and balled it up. She took a deep breath to compose herself. The thought of burning every photo within the box crossed her mind but each photo had a special memory not only to her but to her children as well. She sighed and tossed the photos back in the box. The front door opened and Santana, Blaine, and Rachel walked inside chatting animatedly about their day.
"Mom! We're home." Rachel yelled as they walked towards the living room.
Once they entered the living room they saw their mother sitting on the couch, looking as if she was in a daze.
"Mom, are you ok?" Santana asked seeing tear streaks on her face.
Shelby was in a daze. She didn't realize that her kids were home and surrounding her.
Snapping out of her daze Shelby looked over at her children, "Yeah I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Blaine asked as the three of them went to join her on the couch.
Shelby wiped her eyes and cheeks, "I'm sure; I got lost going down memory lane."
Santana reached into the box and pulled out some pictures, "Can we get lost down memory lane with you?" She asked as she handed her mother the photos.
Shelby smiled as she looked at the first picture, "Sure. Ok now I like the memory to this picture." She stated then proceeded on with her story.