AN: I can't thank those that took that time to review enough! The positive response blew me away! Please keep it up. :)
Disclaimer: As always I own absolutely nothing!
Elizabeth Carol Anne
That night they brought the letters down to the kitchen table and Aunt Susan, whose solution to any scrape or difficult situation is to put on another pot of tea, did just that. Beth let her read over the letters as they quietly sat sobbing and sipping tea.
"I figured that's what was in the envelope. I knew they had wanted to tell you everything when you were old enough to understand but I didn't know about the letters from your biological parents", said as she delicately touched the edge of her parent's letter, almost as if she was afraid it would turn to dust.
They were quiet for a bit before Aunt Susan interrupted the silence.
"Did you know that your mom gave up a baby once?"
She was shocked. Eyes wide she just shook her head and waited for her aunt to continue.
Aunt Susan looked a little unsure of how to proceed, absentmindedly drawing on the table with her finger as she tried to find the words.
"She did, a little girl. When she was young she dreamed of becoming a star on Broadway. She wanted it so badly that she was willing to do anything to get there, including being a surrogate for a gay couple. They were very sweet and kind to your mom but in the end they thought it was best for the baby if she didn't have any contact with her until she was 18. Your mom agreed at the time but even after years she found it impossible to forget and eventually her regret prevented her from making it as a star. It didn't help when she found out she was no longer able to have kids of her own. She was devastated that she gave up her one chance to have a family. It was a rough time for all of us. Then she heard about a young girl in one of the neighbouring high schools that was pregnant and looking to adopt out the baby. She went to see you at the hospital after you were born. You were so perfect. A little girl, just like the one she had lost. Of course we all thought she was insane to adopt a baby without a husband. But your mom was always so headstrong that there was never any use trying to talk sense into her. One thing's for sure, I'm glad none of us ever succeeded. You've been a blessing to us all, Beth."
Beth smiled through more tears, amazed that she still had tears left to cry.
"Then two months later your mom met your dad and it was love at first sight. He was head over heels for her and more importantly smitten with you. You're mom got her happily ever after, after all", she finished with a twinkle in her eyes.
Beth had to agree that it was the perfect fairy tale. With a perfect happy ending. If only that was really how things ended. But fairy tales never tell you what happens after the prince and princess get married. What happens later is never quite as magical. Her parents are gone now. What kind of fairy tale ends in a fatal car crash?
"What do you know about my real family?", she hears herself whisper. The voice that comes out sounds strange in her ears
Aunt Susan looked torn, "Not much I'm afraid. I know they were just kids, only in grade 10 I believe. Not much older than you really." She stopped and then a small smile spread across her face.
"She named you, you know. Your birth mom. Beth Carol. Your mom of course wanted to add her own touch to your name so she named you Elizabeth instead and added your second middle name, Anne, after Grandma, of course."
Beth smiled at the mention of her late Grandma who was notorious for her sweet tooth and biting wit, even up until the end.
It's funny, she always thought her name was so plain. So unoriginal. How come with a mother named something cool like Shelby and a father named Sawyer she got stuck with a plain Jane name like Elizabeth Carol Anne. However, now that she knows the history behind it she couldn't be more proud. She was like a patchwork quilt, tons of tiny little scraps and pieces sewn together to make something truly unique.
"Let me just make one thing very clear though Beth. You already know about your real family. Your mom and dad were your real family. They loved you more than anyone could ever love you and just because you've now found out that you originally came from someone else doesn't change that. It doesn't make your parents any less real or your biological parents any more valid."
She nodded in understanding, but it didn't change the fact that she now had two other people out there that were a part of her, her flesh and blood. She'd lost so much over the past few weeks that she desperately wanted to hold onto the one thing she seemed to have gained. Was that really so wrong? And what if she had brothers and sisters out there? Or two other sets of grandparents? How many dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins was she missing out on? What if she wasn't as alone as she thought she was?
She said goodnight to her aunt, not because she was tired but because she could see the dark circles beginning to form under her aunts eyes. She collected up her letters and made her way up to her bedroom.
As she lay in her bed unable to sleep she flipped through the letters until she found the pages of lyrics that were tucked in with the brown envelope. She had never heard the song before but the words were beautiful. Sad but beautiful.
She whispered them aloud and then something dawned on her.
She quickly sat up and in an instant of clarity she grabbed her laptop off of her dresser and started to search the local Lima Ohio phone listings. She found no trace of a Noah Puckerman or Quinn Fabray in Lima but she did see one F. Hudson. In fact he only lived across town. She made up her mind in that moment that she needed to meet him. She needed more answers. She needed to know who these people were and how she fit into their story.
Grabbing her backpack, she frantically started stuffing it full of clothes and other necessities. She carefully placed the letters into the front pocket, made sure she had enough money to catch the couple of buses it took to get across town before jotting down the address she needed and writing her Aunt a quick note.
I'm sorry Aunt Susan, but I need to know more. I promise I'll be careful.
XOXO
Bethy
Oh, why you look so sad, AN: Sorry for any typos or spelling errors. As usual I edit it a thousand times and yet there are always a handful of mistakes that slip through.
Tears are in your eyes,
Come on and come to me now.