Hello readers! This chapter was updated in October 2014. There were a few parts that I felt weren't done justice. I hope you all enjoy the changes!
Love from,
DARecruit
Chapter Three: House Hunting
"Rachel, what are you doing?" Shelby moaned early the next morning. She wasn't sure what time it was, but it felt early. She cracked an eye open and noticed that it was still fairly dark in the room.
Rachel was moving around, trying to extract herself from her mother's arms so she could get up. She was an early riser, and she was ready to start her day. Her mother groaned.
"Rachel, lay back down. It isn't time to get up," Shelby said sleepily, pulling Rachel closer to her and kissing her head. She had to smooth down her daughter's bed head so that her hair didn't get in her face.
"Mom, I'm not tired," Rachel whined, squirming in her mother's grasp. She really wanted to get up. It was six thirty—that was plenty late enough.
"Shhh, it's sleepy-time," Shelby replied, closing her eyes. She refused to let go of her stubborn daughter. How was she not still tired? They had a full day yesterday and then Rachel had woken up around two from a nightmare.
Rachel rolled over onto her stomach, hoping to be able to slide out from under her mother's arm. "Mom!"
"Just lay with me, baby," Shelby all but whined. She just wanted to go back to sleep. What was wrong with her child that she didn't like sleeping in?
"I don't want to," Rachel said through gritted teeth, pushing her mother away and sitting up.
Shelby huffed. She was definitely not a morning person, especially when her sleep was interrupted during the night. She didn't mind having to comfort her daughter after her nightmare—quite the opposite, in fact—but she was not expecting a tantrum from said child at this ungodly hour now. "Rachel Barbra, lay back down," Shelby said, now sitting up herself. It was too early for this crap.
Shelby softened slightly at Rachel's timid look she was now giving her. She didn't want to yell at the girl, and she wasn't angry. She was just…a bit cranky. It was too early to be up, and Rachel needed to lie back down for a bit.
"You don't need to sleep if you don't want to, but I want you to lay down with me until at least eight o'clock. That's the earliest any Corcoran in this house will be up and moving. Come on, baby," she said, opening her arms in invitation. She smiled when Rachel scooted back over to her and lay down beside her. Shelby sighed in relief when she returned to her comfy position in bed.
"Just close your eyes and relax. Shhh," Shelby soothed, moving her hand to Rachel's bottom once more to place gentle pats there. She could feel Rachel relax back into the bed and sigh deeply.
Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms
Shelby was up and on her first cup of coffee by nine o'clock. Rachel was fast asleep in bed. Shelby herself had gotten up around eight-thirty and shook her head at her little girl. For someone who "wasn't tired", she was sure sleeping soundly now. "Stubborn little girl," Shelby whispered, tucking the blankets around Rachel and kissing her head before heading down the hall to the bathroom.
"Morning, Shelby," John smiled at his daughter when she shuffled into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee pot. "How'd you sleep?"
"Pretty good, Daddy. Rachel gave me a heart attack late last night when she woke me screaming from a nightmare though," Shelby replied, taking a long sip from her cup before going to sit across from her dad.
"Did she? Funny, your mother and I didn't hear a thing. Was she alright?" John replied, putting his morning paper aside to focus on his daughter.
"She was fine. She had a dream that Mom was chasing her with her slipper. She told me not to let Nana get her," Shelby said, laughing softly.
John chuckled and shook his head at his granddaughter's dream. "That is a nightmare, isn't it?" he joked.
"What's a nightmare?" Diane asked as she entered the room, stopping to plant a kiss to Shelby's head before moving about to begin breakfast for her.
"Rachel had a dream that you were chasing her with your slipper. Then she asked me if you would ever actually take your slipper to her," Shelby said.
"And what did you tell her?" Diane asked, placing her hands on her hips and staring at her daughter intently.
"I told her of course you wouldn't! Calm down, Ma. I tried to explain that it was a joke…it was late. I'm not going to let her be scared of you, don't worry," Shelby said quickly, not liking the look her mother was giving her even at thirty-six years old.
"Well, let her stay a little afraid of me. Nothing wrong with a healthy dose of fear," Diane said, winking at her daughter before opening the fridge to pull out the carton of eggs and gallon of milk.
Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms
Rachel squinted her eyes at the morning light streaming in the window. It was definitely much brighter out than it was the last time she woke up. What time was it exactly? She reached a probing hand out behind her, searching for her mother. When she didn't feel her, she quickly rolled over to an empty bed. Sitting up, she looked over at the clock. It was ten-thirty in the morning! She never slept that late!
Grumbling, Rachel pushed the covers off of herself and stood up. Her mother made her get back in bed this morning when she didn't want to. If she weren't forced to lie back down, she wouldn't have slept this late. What was wrong with her mother? The woman seemed to think it was perfectly acceptable to sleep the whole day away! Still grumbling, the girl made her way to the bathroom to shower.
Twenty minutes later, she found her family down in the living room, chatting amiably. They all smiled when she came in. Rachel noticed, much to her irritation, that her mother was smirking at her.
"Not tired, huh Rach?" Shelby asked, raising her eyebrow playfully at her daughter.
"I wasn't tired, and if you weren't such a dictator and had just let me get up when I wanted to, I wouldn't have wasted my whole day!" Rachel yelled, storming out of the room.
Shelby stared off after her daughter as she stomped out of the room, shocked at what just happened. That was the first time Rachel had ever yelled at her, and quite truthfully, Shelby needed a moment to process.
"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," John said, shaking his head and chuckling softly.
"John, this isn't funny!" Diane scolded her husband. "Shelby, aren't you going to go after her? She can't speak to you like that, it's unacceptable!"
"I…This is the first time…I don't know what's up with her," Shelby said, flustered. She was still in shock. For the little bit of time that she had known Rachel, the girl was always so sweet and even-tempered. Hiram and LeRoy had warned her that Rachel could be dramatic at times and had mood swings. They said she could be fine one minute and screaming the next. She hadn't believed it until now.
"Takes after her mother," John said, smirking as both his wife and daughter turned to glare at him.
"What? Daddy! I don't know what you're talking about," Shelby said, making a face at her father.
"Please Shelby, you were exactly the same at Rachel's age. We couldn't talk to you for at least an hour after you got up if we didn't want our heads bitten off. She just needs time to wake up," John replied.
"Go find her and tell her to come to the kitchen, Shelby. I'll start her breakfast," Diane said, getting up to begin pancakes. "And talk to her about that attitude!"
"Mom, Rach and I are still adjusting to each other," Shelby sighed.
"I understand that Shelby, but it's still your responsibility to step in and correct her when she gets out of line," Diane said.
"Mom, I haven't even had her for a full forty-eight hours yet! Things have been going so well, I don't want to rock the boat."
"Shelby, Rachel needs to know who's in charge. You're her mother, not her friend. Act like it," Diane said, shaking her finger at her daughter. Shelby watched her mother leave and shook her head at her when her back was turned.
"Daddy," Shelby whined, turning towards her father.
"Don't listen to your mother, Shelly," John said quietly, turning his head quickly to make sure his wife was nowhere in sight. "You have good instincts when it comes to Rachel. Go talk to her, but I really do think she's just cranky. My bet is she will be back to normal after getting some food in her belly. But remember, how you deal with your daughter is up to you. Don't let your mother or me make your decisions for you. Go with your gut, munchkin."
"Thank you, Daddy," Shelby said, smiling at her dad's childhood nickname for her. She was such a daddy's girl.
"Eventually you will have to correct Rachel though. Not saying today, or tomorrow…I'm just saying that parenting comes with both good and bad. At some point, Rach is going to make mistakes, and you're going to have to discipline her. It might be a good idea to go over some ground rules with her, so you both know what to expect," John continued.
Shelby nodded, going over to kiss her dad's head. "I know, Dad. I'll go find her and talk to her…Tell Mom we'll be down after our chat."
Shelby found Rachel in the guest room, sitting on the bed with Henry clutched in her hands. "Hey baby, let's talk," Shelby said as she stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind her. Rachel looked up at her with a defiant glare that took Shelby by surprise.
"I don't want to talk," Rachel mumbled, playing with Henry's mane.
"Where's the attitude coming from?" Shelby asked as she crossed the room and sat on the bed next to her petulant daughter.
"I don't have an attitude," Rachel retorted.
"Rachel, talk to me. Tell me what's going on in that head of yours," Shelby pleaded. Rachel was like a completely different person right now. Where was her sweet girl who took every opportunity to cuddle and be as close to Shelby as humanly possible?
"There's nothing to talk about! Why can't you just leave it alone?" Rachel said angrily, trying not to yell. She wasn't exactly sure what was wrong. She was angry with her mom for making her get back in bed when she wanted to get up. Why couldn't she make just one decision for herself? She hadn't been able to make any decisions since finding out her fathers were giving her away. Yes, Rachel loved her mother and was happy, but…everything just happened so quickly. And Rachel still couldn't figure out why her fathers didn't want her. They said they loved her, but you don't give up on someone you love.
"Because clearly something is bothering you or you wouldn't be screaming at me. I'm trying to help here, Rach. I can't do that if you won't tell me what's wrong," Shelby said, reaching over to run her thumb over Rachel's hand. Why couldn't Rachel just talk to her and tell her what was wrong?
"Nothing is wrong, Mom!" Rachel yelled, rising from the bed. She was planning on doing one of her infamous storm outs, but her mother caught her around the middle before she even made it two steps.
"Sit your butt back down. You will not walk away from me when I'm having a conversation with you," Shelby said, her voice stern. She surprised even herself in that moment. Oh God, I'm starting to sound like my mother! Shelby thought. But seeing the stunned look on Rachel's face made Shelby stick to her guns.
Shelby's stern words sliced through Rachel's defenses like a sword, and Rachel stared at her mother in shock for a moment before bursting into tears. The complete three-sixty took Shelby by surprise, but she quickly scooped Rachel into her arms and leaned back against the headboard.
"Tell me what's wrong baby, please," Shelby pleaded, feeling tears prickle at her own eyes. Rachel was lying almost completely on top of her, with her head tucked in Shelby's neck, her tears making their way down to Shelby's collar.
"I-I-I'm sorry I yelled at you! Are you g-gonna send me b-b-back now?" Rachel cried. She tried to breathe in the sweet smell of her mother while choking back sobs. This could be the last time she got to be this close to the woman. She needed to ingrain her mother's scent into her memory now before it was too late.
"What? No, of course not, Rach! Why would I send you anywhere?" Shelby asked, wrapping her arms around her baby in an attempt to make her feel safe.
"I h-haven't even been with you long and I'm already s-screwing up!" Rachel wailed.
"Hey now, you are not screwing up!" Shelby assured, running a hand through Rachel's hair.
"I am! I screw everything up! F-first my dads, and now y-you're gonna leave me! I-I'm unlovable!"
"Now you listen here, little girl," Shelby said firmly. "You aren't screwing anything up, I'm not going to leave you, and you are the furthest thing from unlovable there is!"
"But Mom—"
"No buts, Rachel. There isn't anything you could do or say that will ever make me stop loving you. You are my daughter, my flesh and blood. Yes, I gave you up when you were a baby, but I thought I was giving you to a good family. Turns out your fathers weren't able to provide for you in all of the ways you needed, and they did what was right for you by finding me. Your fathers are good men, Rach…they just…they realized they aren't parent material. I wish they had realized that when you were still a baby, but I have you now and I'm never letting you go," Shelby said.
Shelby held Rachel close and let the girl cry herself out, crying along with her. This whole situation was painful, but Shelby knew good was going to come out of it. She also knew that it was going to be a bit of a bumpy road for her and her daughter for a while, until they adjusted to one another and their new life together.
After another ten minutes, Rachel's crying was under control save for a few hiccups. Shelby had been alternating between rubbing her daughter's back and humming softly in her ear.
"Mommy?" Rachel said quietly while scooting off of her mother and sitting up. She wiped at her eyes and nose with the back of her hand.
"Yes baby?" Shelby replied, quickly sitting up and reaching for the box of tissues on the bedside table. She pulled one out and went to work cleaning Rachel's face from tears and snot.
"I really am sorry for yelling at you," said Rachel, letting her mom clean her up without any fuss. She knew she was more than capable of doing that herself, but it felt good to have her mom take care of her.
"I know, sweetheart. I forgive you," Shelby smiled, handing Rachel a third tissue after using the first two to successfully remove all remnants of Rachel's crying from her face. "Blow," she ordered when Rachel took the tissue and began balling it in her fist.
Rachel rolled her eyes but did as she was told, handing her mother the used tissue when she was done so the woman could throw it away in the waste basket next to the side table. She was attempting to crawl over her mother to stand up when her mom pulled her back into a sitting position besides her.
"Rach, before we go back downstairs, I want to go over a few things with you," Shelby said.
"Like what?" asked Rachel, reaching for Henry. She brought his face close to hers and breathed in her mother's perfume.
"Like what I expect from you," said Shelby, watching as Rachel's face sunk. "No, it's nothing bad, sweetie. I just want to go over my rules with you so we're both on the same page. We're going to have to talk about it eventually, and now is as good a time as any."
Rachel sighed and looked at her mother expectantly. She supposed this conversation was going to happen sooner or later, but she had been hoping for later…or never.
Shelby let out a sigh of her own before jumping in. She had been thinking about this conversation for a few weeks now, ever since she found out she was going to be raising Rachel. Shelby thought it was important to really think about her parenting style and figure out what her rules would be. She had grown up with strict but understanding parents. Shelby had always known where the boundaries were and what would happen if she crossed them. She wanted to raise Rachel the way she was raised.
"Ok Rach, first off, there are some things that I just won't tolerate. Lying, cheating, and stealing are high on that list, as are deliberate disobedience or doing anything dangerous. Any of those things will earn you a spanking, every time," Shelby said, sounding much more certain than she felt at the moment.
"Mom? Spanking? Really?" Rachel asked, incredulous. "I'm too old!"
"You'll fit over my lap just fine, little girl. Remember that. Those things I won't budge on, baby."
"But Mom, I…I don't want to be spanked!" Rachel whined.
"You won't be spanked for everything, Rach, just the major stuff. Everything else will result in privileges taken away, grounding, that sort of thing. I'm not going over the rules to scare you, baby. You need to know what I expect from you and I think it's fair for you to know the consequences you'll face if you break a rule," Shelby said gently.
"Am I…Are you going to spank me for yelling at you?" asked Rachel, glancing up at her mother nervously.
Shelby laughed. "No Rach, I wouldn't spank you for that. I am more than happy to talk to you about anything that is bothering you, but you will do so respectfully. Do you understand?" Rachel nodded.
"Good girl. Other than that, I expect you to make your bed in the mornings, keep your room clean, do your chores, get good grades in school—the normal stuff," Shelby said.
Rachel nodded again. Those were normal rules, and she could handle them without any trouble.
"Rach, I want you to know that you can always come to me with anything, even if you think I won't like it. I'm your mother. It's my job to take care of you and help you learn and grow. Sometimes I'm going to have to punish you, but I want you to know that I will love you no matter what," Shelby said, pulling her daughter over to her for a hug.
"Let's go get you some breakfast, what do you say? Nana was making pancakes," Shelby said, standing up and pulling Rachel up with her.
Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms
The next few days went by in a blur for Shelby. Lauren was a real estate agent, so she was taking Shelby and Rachel to what felt like every house up for sale in Ohio. Rachel had vetoed the three houses Shelby had originally chosen to look at, and even Shelby had to admit that she wasn't thrilled with any of those houses once she saw them in person. Rachel had also hated every other house Lauren had shown them. One was too small, the other too big. Another had creaky floors and one was deemed "creepy". To top it all off, the paparazzi were again following Shelby everywhere. By Thursday, Shelby was ready to scream and pull her hair out.
"Mom, I'm tired of looking at houses!" Rachel whined Thursday morning as she and Shelby waited for Lauren to arrive.
"So am I, sweetie. We need to find a house though, and the quicker the better! We leave for New York tomorrow night. Aunt LuLu has four more houses to look at today, and we're going to pick one of them," Shelby replied.
"But what if I don't like them?" Rachel asked.
"Well then, I'll choose for us," Shelby said, sighing. Rachel had been arguing over houses with her all week, and quite frankly, Shelby was getting sick of it.
"But that's not fair!" Rachel moaned, her voice going up an octave. She wasn't yelling—she had been scolded numerous times this week already and Shelby had told her if she yelled once more, she would be punished. Rachel didn't want to chance it.
"Rachel," Shelby warned, giving her daughter a stern glance. She wasn't up for any more of Rachel's screaming. The girl could reach levels that Shelby didn't even know were possible. "It's more than fair. We've looked at twenty houses or more this week. The ones today are the last, and we're choosing one."
"Mooooooom."
"End of discussion, Rachel. Stop it now," Shelby said, sitting down on the living room sofa and motioning for Rachel to come to her.
Rachel eyed her mom suspiciously. Why did she want her over at the sofa? Why couldn't she stay where she was—far out of Shelby's reach? Her mother raised her left eyebrow, and Rachel begrudgingly went to her—that eyebrow was scary.
Shelby sighed when Rachel came to her and quickly pulled the girl onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around her girl and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Rach. Let's not argue over this," she said, rocking the two of them gently. She felt Rachel relax into her and Shelby enjoyed the quiet moment cuddling with her daughter.
"Shelby! Rach! I'm here!" Lauren called out, appearing in the doorway a moment later. "And I brought a stow-away!" she added, pointing to Lexi.
Rachel smiled and jumped out of her mother's arms, running over to her cousin. Out of all of her cousins, Rachel was becoming closest with Lexi. When first meeting her, Rachel was a little timid because Lexi looked like all of the popular girls at school that picked on her—she had long, dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes, and was absolutely beautiful. Plus, she was on the cheerleading team at Carmel. But Lexi was also into the arts—theatre, singing, and painting. She wasn't your typical blonde cheerleader by any means, and Rachel adored that about her.
"I thought Rachel could use a distraction," Lauren whispered to her little sister as she took a seat next to her. "Hopefully having Lexi along will calm little Miss Opinionated down and we can settle on a house already!"
"You are amazing," Shelby whispered back, smiling broadly.
"I know," Lauren quipped, wagging her eyebrows at her sister.
Shelby looked over at the two teenagers giggly and talking quietly. She was glad Rachel was getting along so well with her niece; she knew she would, the two were so alike.
"Alright girls, let's get on the road. Those houses won't show themselves!" Lauren said as she stood and held her hand out to pull Shelby up.
Open Arms * Open Arms * Open Arms
"Mom, I love it!" Rachel said, bouncing up and down in the living room of house number four.
It was music to Shelby's ears. The previous three houses Rachel had torn to shreds. The rooms were too small, the carpet was ugly, the windows were old—the list went on and on. Shelby didn't even pay attention anymore. The houses were all fine…but even Shelby didn't feel like any of them were the right fit for her and Rachel. Not until they pulled up to 2218 Sycamore Lane.
It was a beautiful butter yellow Cape May Victorian with a large wrap-around porch and white picket fence. It was…perfect. The yard was large enough to put a pool in if Shelby wanted, with ample space left over for cookouts and games. It had a driveway large enough to fit at least four cars in and had a sunroom that led out into the backyard that Shelby absolutely adored.
The inside was just as gorgeous as the outside, with large, open rooms and four bedrooms on the second floor. The master bedroom had its own in-suite bathroom and a second bathroom joined the two larger bedrooms with another door leading into the main hall. The fourth and smallest bedroom would make a great office space. Rachel would take the bedroom directly across from the master, and the last bedroom Shelby would turn into the guest room.
"Lu, this is it," Shelby said happily, taking a deep breath of relief. She was thrilled their house hunt was over and their next chapter as mother and daughter could begin.
"Let's check out the basement, shall we?" Lauren replied, returning her sister's smile. She walked over to her bouncing niece and steered her into the kitchen and through the door to the basement.
Shelby signaled for Lexi to go down before her, while she paused in the kitchen. Shelby could already imagine cooking dinner in the house, the smell of herb chicken wafting from the oven as Rachel lounged in the living room watching tv and talking animatedly to her through the large archway connecting the rooms. Shelby ran her fingers over the sandy-colored granite surface of the kitchen island, imagining Rachel sitting at a stool on a Saturday morning watching as her mother prepared pancakes for breakfast.
"MOM! C'MON!" Rachel yelled from downstairs, shaking Shelby out of her daydreaming.
"Rachel, jeez, yell louder. They couldn't hear you five miles away," Lauren said in jest, shaking her head at the little drama queen. The girl was practically bouncing off the walls she was so excited.
Rachel bounded over to her mother and hugged her tightly, attempting to get her to jump up and down with her. Shelby had to quickly regain her balance and wrapped her arms tightly around her child so the girl wouldn't send them both tumbling towards the ground. She was just a little ball of energy. Shelby hoped, at least, that she would sleep well tonight and not fight her bedtime like every other night previously.
"Rach, calm down now, sweetie. I know you like the house," Shelby said into Rachel's hair, just barely managing not to be hit in the chin by the bouncing head.
"Mom, look how big it is down here! Can we get a piano? And a puppy? We should put a pool out back! Oh and—" Rachel said excitedly, still bouncing.
"Whoa, Rach! One thing at a time! Why don't you and Lexi go check out the backyard while Aunt LuLu and I talk about the boring stuff?" Shelby said, pulling back and trying to hold her daughter still. It wasn't working.
"Yeah Rach, c'mon! We can go figure out the perfect place for the pool!" Lexi said, grabbing her cousin's hand and dragging her towards the stairs. Shelby just shook her head after the two teens.
"This is a beautiful house," Shelby said as she surveyed the basement. It was a large room, completely finished with hardwood floors and a nice built-in entertainment center. A small hallway led to the laundry room and a small storage room with shelves lining the walls.
"It is. I think this will be a great house for you and Rachel. It's in the perfect location; it's calm here, quiet. Plus it's about equal distance from McKinley and Mom and Dad's house. Can't get much better than that, Shel," Lauren said, coming over to hug her little sister.
"It would be awesome if Aunt Shel got a pool put in. Then I know me and JJ and Haley would be here all the time! The rest of the kids too," Lexi said as she and Rachel made their way out to the backyard.
"Yeah," Rachel said, smiling at her cousin. She hoped her mom would get a pool so her cousins would want to come over all the time. She liked when they were around, especially Lexi. "Will you…will you still come over even if we don't get a pool?" Rachel asked timidly, casting her eyes down.
"What? Of course, silly! We're family," Lexi said, punching Rachel's arm like she would her older brother or cousin Haley. Rachel was one of them now, even if she didn't grow up with the rest of them from a baby. She was a Corcoran and that's what mattered. "And we're friends," she added.
Rachel smiled at her cousin and felt a few tears pool in her eyes. "I-I'm not used to having friends," she whispered, quickly swiping at her eyes.
Lexi reached over to place a gentle hand on Rachel's shoulder. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Rachel was going through. She spent fourteen years with parents that she thought wanted her, only to find out that they couldn't or didn't want to be her parents. Then she gets sent to live with a mother she doesn't even know. Lexi loved her Aunt Shelby; she was probably the coolest person she's ever met, but she would probably be afraid too if she had to go live with someone she didn't know, even if they were family. Rachel seemed to be adjusting pretty well to the family so far. Lexi saw how close Rach and her aunt were already; they acted like they had always been together. But Lexi was sure Rachel was hurting inside anyway. And now Rachel said she wasn't used to having friends…Lexi's heart broke for her younger cousin.
"Aunt Shelby told my mom that you're in a lot of clubs at school…And you're amazing at singing, Rach. Don't you…don't you have at least a few friends at school? People you hang out with?" Lexi asked gently, not wanting to upset Rachel by her questions.
Rachel sighed and shook her head. "Can this stay between us?" she asked.
"Of course. I won't tell," Lexi replied, pretending to turn a key at her lips to lock them.
"I'm picked on all the time at school. People would make fun of me because I have…had two gay dads. They laughed at how I dress. Someone started calling me Man-Hands last year and it stuck. Now everyone calls me that. I'm in a lot of clubs because I thought it would look good on college applications. I sit by myself all the time…I eat lunch in the auditorium a lot. No one goes in there, so I'm left alone for at least half an hour every day," Rachel said, tears now falling steadily down her cheeks. She had never told anyone about her school life. It felt good to finally tell someone.
"Oh Rach," Lexi said, tears in her own eyes. She pulled the smaller girl into her arms and hugged her tightly. She could feel Rachel relax into the hug; she rubbed her back like her mother always did when she was upset. It seemed to help, and Rachel pulled back a few minutes later, her crying subsiding.
"You should talk to Aunt Shelby about this, Rach. She could help," Lexi said.
"Yeah…my mom, the famous Broadway star…like she knows about being picked on. Besides…I don't want her to know I'm a loser," Rachel scoffed, wiping the back of her hand across her nose.
"You aren't a loser," Lexi argued, reaching for Rachel when the girl started to turn. "Rach!"
Rachel ignored her cousin, staring off towards the next house over and the girl who was getting out of the passenger side door of a blue Jeep Cherokee. Quinn Fabray. Rachel felt her blood turn cold and she stood stock still like a deer caught in the headlights. Move Rachel, before she sees you! MOVE! Rachel screamed in her head.
"Lexi, c'mon!" Rachel whispered urgently, grabbing the girl's hand and tugging at her to follow.
"What's wrong?" Lexi asked as Rachel pulled her back into the house quickly.
"We can't move in here!" Rachel yelled, stopping in front of her mother and aunt in the kitchen, startling both women with her forcefulness.
"Rach? What…why?" Shelby asked, completely taken aback by Rachel's actions.
"I hate this house! I don't want to live here! Mom, we can't live here!" Rachel continued to yell, stomping her foot and flailing her arms. She was turning red in the face.
Shelby was confused, but she was also getting upset at her daughter's behavior. She had spoken to her multiple times over the last four days about her yelling, and she knew the girl knew better.
"Rachel, stop yelling at me, right now!" Shelby scolded, taking a step towards her daughter. Rachel continued on with her tantrum.
Shelby grabbed her daughter's right arm and pulled her close. "Rachel, you are too old to be acting this way! Now stop it!" Shelby said, popping her daughter hard on the bottom three times. Shelby knew Rachel felt the swats; Shelby's hand stung from them and Rachel was wearing a thin cotton sundress that did little to cushion the blows.
Shelby turned her daughter to face her, noting her watery eyes. It hurt Shelby to see her daughter upset, but the girl couldn't continue with her actions. It needed to stop. "Now, I want you to tell me calmly what is going on. Why can't we move into the house?" Shelby asked. She had no intention of not moving into this house, but she really did want to know what had gotten Rachel so worked up.
"Because I hate it! It's a stupid house and I don't want to live here!" Rachel said angrily. She wasn't yelling exactly, but it was still too defiant for Shelby's liking.
"That's not telling me calmly, Rachel Barbra. I don't know what has gotten into you that's made you change your mind so drastically, but I have news for you, little girl. We are buying this house and that's the end of it. Now stop this tantrum," Shelby said sternly, swatting Rachel's backside twice more. Rachel cried out, sending a painful jolt through Shelby.
Rachel's bottom stung from where her mom spanked her. She couldn't believe she had actually gotten spanked. Why couldn't her mom just listen? They couldn't move into this house, not if Quinn Fabray lived next door! Quinn was one of the main people at school that made Rachel's life a living hell. She couldn't go home and see here there too!
"MOM! You're being so unfair! Why won't you listen?" Rachel cried, stomping her foot in her frustration.
Shelby looked skyward, asking for strength and patience. "Because you are yelling, Rachel. You've been yelling all week. I'm tired of all the yelling. It stops, right now young lady. Am I understood?" Shelby said sternly.
"Mom—"
"Go wait for us in the living room. Now," Shelby ordered. "Lexi, will you give your aunt and I a moment?" Shelby asked, turning to the girl, who nodded and quickly left the room.
Lexi breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the living room. Rachel was standing near the hallway entrance and foyer, crying softly and rubbing her bottom. Lexi knew her cousin's bottom must be stinging something awful. She had cringed each time her aunt's hand came in contact with Rachel's backside; the sound was so loud, Lexi could almost feel the sting in her own bottom. She had actually been surprised that Aunt Shel had swatted Rachel—not that Rachel didn't deserve it—but Aunt Shel was always the cool, easy-going aunt. She had never swatted Lexi or any of the other cousins. Lexi supposed that because Aunt Shel was Rachel's mom, that's why she swatted. After all, if Lexi had spoken to her mother that way, she'd have gotten those swats and then some. She'd probably have found herself over her mother's knees for a full spanking.
"I don't know what's gotten into her, Lu! First she loves the house, now she hates it? What the hell just happened?" Shelby huffed. She was frustrated and upset with her daughter. Everything had been fine, and then BAM, full-blown temper tantrum. It was giving Shelby whiplash.
"She's testing you, Shel," Lauren said simply.
"I don't know, Laur. Something definitely upset her…but she's been yelling all week. I just couldn't stand it any longer," Shelby said, running her hand through her hair. "I didn't mean to swat her though."
"You're right, she has been. Even if she's upset, that doesn't excuse the yelling or the tantrum. She deserved those swats, Shel. And it didn't hurt her much. Hopefully that will be enough to fix her attitude. She's lucky I didn't pull her over my knee," Lauren said.
Shelby just looked at her big sister with watery eyes. The fight with Rachel just now had been physically and emotionally draining for Shelby. She absolutely hated making Rachel cry out from her swats. She knew that Lauren was right and Rachel deserved them, but it didn't make the heartache go away.
"It will be ok, baby girl," Lauren soothed, pulling Shelby in for a brief hug.
"Rach? What happened?" Lexi asked quietly, not sure if she was supposed to be talking to her cousin or not. She glanced behind her but didn't see either of her aunts coming into the room, so Lexi took a few steps closer to Rachel.
Rachel sniffed and turned slightly so she didn't have to look at Lexi. Her butt hurt and she was embarrassed that her mother spanked her in front of her aunt and cousin. Rachel wasn't at all sure how this spanking thing worked, but she figured it shouldn't be done in front of others. That just made it worse.
"Quinn…Mean…Don't want to move," Rachel mumbled between sniffles. Ugh, she really wished her butt didn't sting so much—it really hurt!
Lexi opened her mouth to respond, but Aunt Shel and Aunt LuLu joined them then. "Alright, let's go home," Shelby said, going over to join her daughter. She sighed and pulled Rachel in for a hug. Rachel melted into her mom's embrace, wanting to be comforted. Shelby kissed Rachel's head before letting go of Rach and holding her at arm's length, saying, "When we get home, you're going straight to bed. If you're going to throw a tantrum like a toddler, then you're going to take a nap like one."
The ride back to Nana and PopPop's only took about twenty minutes, but it was the longest car ride in Rachel's whole life. She couldn't help but squirm every few minutes because of her bottom. She couldn't believe how much it still stung even long after the swats were given. Rachel knew one thing though: she did not like spankings one bit!
Aunt LuLu pulled into the driveway and turned off the car. Shelby got out of the passenger side and opened the back door behind her, helping Rachel out. She took a firm hold of her daughter's upper arm and marched her into the house, not pausing to say hello to her parents, and lead the girl up into the guest bedroom she had been staying in all week.
"Change into your pajamas and get into bed. You're going to take a nap for an hour and then I'll be in and we can talk about earlier," Shelby said, letting go of her daughter and crossing her arms.
She waited for Rachel to change out of her yellow sundress and into a pair of blue shorts and a white tank top. Shelby walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets down, motioning for Rachel to crawl in. Rachel gave her mother a watery look, but Shelby held firm. "Get in bed, Rachel," she ordered.
Rachel wanted to cling to her mother and tell her how sorry she was, but her mom was staring at her sternly and pointing to the bed. Swiping a hand across her eyes quickly, Rachel got into bed and lay down.
Shelby pulled the covers over Rachel before handing the girl Henry. Rachel took the stuffed animal immediately and held him up to her nose, breathing in her mother's perfume. Shelby bit her lip and willed herself to be strong. She wanted to cry. This was just as hard, if not harder, on her than it was Rachel.
"I love you Rachel, but your actions this afternoon were unacceptable," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. She reached out and smoothed the covers over her girl.
"Mom, I—"
"Shh, Rach. I want you to lay here and don't move until I come in to get you. You can either nap or think about your actions. But stay in bed. Am I clear?"
Rachel gazed at her mother tearfully and nodded her head sadly. "Yes, Mom," she whispered.
"I do love you, Rach. So much," Shelby said, kissing her daughter's head. She walked to the door with tears streaming down her face.
As soon as her mother shut the door, Rachel rolled over on her stomach and began to cry into her pillow.
Shelby leaned up against the wall outside of the bedroom and listened as her daughter began to cry. She squeezed her eyes shut while more of her own tears made their way down her face. She hated this. It was the first time she was punishing Rachel. Shelby hadn't even really thought about giving Rachel the earlier swats, they had just happened. Now that a bit of time had passed, Shelby felt a little better about dishing them out, but it still hurt. No one ever told you how much it would hurt to have to punish your child.
Rachel was soaking her pillow with her tears, but she didn't care. She had messed everything up. She really had loved that house until finding out Quinn lived next door. She knew she should have probably explained that to her mother to begin with, instead of yelling, but Rachel really didn't want her mom to know how much of a loser she was. Maybe her fathers knew and that's why they got rid of her. Rachel didn't want to give Shelby any reason to leave her. But…wasn't yelling and having a fit going to push her away too? Yes, Rachel really had messed it up. Her cries turned into wails.
Shelby went into her room down the hall and tried to distract herself until it was time to go get Rachel. She tried reading, but she wound up reading the same sentence twenty times over. The tv was no better, she just stared at the screen. She then took up pacing back and forth. That seemed to help a bit—at least she was moving. She kept glancing at the clock. Five minutes had passed, then ten. She opened her door and could hear Rachel's cries from two rooms away. Deciding they needed to go ahead and have the talk now, Shelby made her way back to her child.
The door opened and Rachel turned to see her mom coming into the room. Her crying got even louder, if that was even possible.
Shelby crawled into bed beside her baby and pulled her into her arms. Rachel immediately laid her head on Shelby's chest and wrapped an arm around her mother's waist.
"M-M-Mommy! I-I'm s-s-s-sorry!" Rachel wailed.
"Shh, shhh, it's alright baby girl," Shelby soothed, crying softly herself. "Mommy's here, it's ok."
"D-d-didn't mean i-i-it! I'm sorry I y-yelled!" Rachel cried, soaking her mother's shirt in tears and snot.
"I know, I know," said Shelby, rubbing her daughter's back. She trailed her hand down to her daughter's bottom and she felt Rachel stiffen. "Shhh," she cooed, gently patting her bottom, knowing it was a sure-fire way to calm the girl.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Rachel's crying was slowing and the girl was beginning to take deep breaths.
"Mom, i-it hurt," Rachel cried, sniffling and rubbing her nose on her mom's shirt.
Shelby stopped patting Rachel's bottom, thinking it was hurting. "Is your bottom still sore?" she asked, frightened that she had hit her daughter too hard earlier. She could feel her heart beginning to beat rapidly inside her chest.
"N-no. Earlier. It hurt," said Rachel, trying to get even closer to her mom than she already was.
Shelby let out a sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh lightly. "I guess it did! It was meant to," she said, returning to placing light pats on Rachel's bottom.
"Mom, I…I'm sorry I made you s-spank me," Rachel said, lifting her head enough that she could look into her mom's eyes. A few tears made their way down Rachel's cheeks and she sniffed in an attempt to keep her nose from running. It wasn't really working.
This time Shelby really did laugh. "Oh sweetheart, that wasn't a spanking!" she said lightly.
"It…it wasn't?" Rachel asked, her brow furrowing. It had hurt like hell and that wasn't a spanking?! What did her mom classify as a spanking then?
"No, they were just a few swats, as a warning," Shelby chuckled. "But believe me, little girl, yell at me one more time and I'll show you what a real spanking feels like," she added, becoming stern. She watched as all the color drained from Rachel's face.
"I-I promise! No more yelling!" Rachel stammered, her heart thudding in her chest. If the swats her mom gave her earlier were only a warning, Rachel hated to think what an actual spanking would feel like!
"I mean it, Rach. Yelling at me is not the way to get your point across," Shelby said, and Rachel nodded quickly. "Now…let's talk about what got you so upset earlier."
"Mom, I…it was nothing," Rachel said, not looking in her mother's eyes. She just couldn't tell Shelby her real reason for yelling. "I said I was sorry…can't we…can't we leave it?"
"No, we can't leave it. I've forgiven you for yelling at me. That's over and done with; we don't need to mention it again. But I want to know what caused you to change your mind so drastically. I know you loved that house, Rach. So what made you say you hated it?" Shelby said, lifting Rachel's chin so the girl was forced to look at her. "You can tell me anything, baby. Talk to me."
"I…can I tell you later?" Rachel asked, biting her lip.
Shelby sighed. She really needed to know what was going on in her daughter's head, but she didn't want to force the issue. Rachel was starting to tear back up, and Shelby was finished with tears for the day. They had both cried enough. "Alright, you can tell me later," she relented.
"Thank you, Mommy," Rachel sighed, snuggling close to her mother again. She liked that they were back to cuddling. Rachel loved cuddling. She felt safe, and like she really belonged.
"Don't think I'll forget, Rach. We are going to talk about this," Shelby said in mock sternness. She was serious about talking, but for now, she was content just holding her baby close after a long week.
So, what did you think? Good chapter? I hope so, I worked on this none stop for about a week and a half! Parts of it just weren't coming together. I'm thrilled with how it turned out though.
Soooo, next chapter we'll see how Shelby and Rachel handle New York. What do you think will happen? Think Rachel can stay out of trouble in the Big Apple, or will the allure of the city pull her into some kind of mischief?
P.S: I love reviews! ;)