A/N : Once again thank you for all the reviews on the previous chapter, it's wonderful to see such a response to this short little story.
This chapter sees the meeting of Rachel and Shelby for the first time; and I wonder how many of you will pick up on the other reference to how close someone got to be near to that of someone Shelby mentions, from the main story.
Anyway, you know what do to at the end; and I thank you once again for your loyal support.
Love always,
KJ xoxoxoxox
The next weekend, Rachel along with Mikki; went to the bridal shop, where Mikki had years ago purchased her wedding dress.
Walking into the shop, Mikki quickly turned to Rachel. "You okay?"
"Yes" replied Rachel. "I just hope that she maybe wants to meet me as well"
"I'm sure she will be thrilled to meet you" said Mikki, as they walked into the shop; and they saw April who had been the one that had seen when they had been there was straightening out dresses.
"Hi" said Mikki, and April turned around and looked at them.
"Well hi y'all" said April, with a smile and walked over to them. "If it's not one of our beautiful former brides"
"You remember me?" asked Mikki.
"Of course I do" said April. "You are on our wedding wall of our former beautiful brides"
Mikki laughed, as April pointed to a wall that was behind the counter; that had almost the entire wall covered with pictures of women in wedding dresses.
"I'm just trying to think of your name though, which I can't remember" said April.
"Mikki Anderson" she replied. "Although back when I got the dress it was Mikki Kapowski"
"You were in advertising, correct?" asked April.
"Yes" replied Mikki. "And I still am. I can't believe you remember all that"
"Oh well we pride ourselves here on remembering people, it makes them want to recommend us to their friends" said April. "And whilst we do well enough with what we do ourselves, it's always good to get an expert opinions on things like advertising"
"Anytime you want anything, then do give me a call" said Mikki. "The company is A Rose Between Two Thorns"
"I'm guessing you're the rose" said April, with a laugh.
"Yes, considering that apart from the receptionist we have, all the others are guys" said Mikki, with a laugh also.
"So do you need another wedding dress?" asked April. "Or maybe your friend here is needing one"
"No I am still married" said Mikki. "And Rachel is as well"
"Oh well that's good" said April. "I like that couples stay together, even though it means I can't sell you more wedding dresses"
"We were actually wondering if Shelby was here?" asked Mikki.
"Shels" said April. "She's out the doing some alterations on dresses"
"Would we be able to see her?" asked Mikki.
"Sure of course" replied April. "I'll just go and get her"
"Thanks" said Mikki, and April headed out the back to get Shelby, and Mikki looked at her. "You ready for this Rach?
"I think so" replied Rachel, with a nod; as April and Shelby came out from the back.
"Mikki" said Shelby, as she headed over to both her and Rachel. "It's so lovely to see you again"
"Yeah, lovely to see you again as well" said Mikki, with a nod.
"Still happy with your husband?" asked Shelby.
Mikki nodded. "Yes very"
"Lovely to hear" said Shelby. "And we always love it when former brides that we have made so happy for there big day, come in and say hello"
"Yes, it's so nice to see those who are still happy in love" said April, as Rachel was just looking at Shelby in a somewhat awe of being in presence of her mother.
"I don't remember you as one of our lovely brides that we dressed for her big day" said Shelby, looking to Rachel.
Rachel shook her head. "No Miss Corcoran"
"Miss Corcoran" said Shelby, with a laugh. "How did you know that was my last name?"
"It's all over our social media page, Shels" said April, with a laugh.
"Yes, I know" replied Shelby. "But I don't think anyone has ever addressed me as Miss Corcoran"
"I'm sorry" said Rachel. "I just didn't know how to address you"
"Well Shelby is perfectly fine" she replied. "And you are?"
"Rachel Puckerman" she replied. "My father's are Leroy and Hiram Berry"
"Oh my goodness" said Shelby, looking at Rachel in what was that of utmost shock. "You're...you're..."
"Your daughter?" asked Rachel, finishing off for Shelby.
"This is your little girl?" asked April. "The one you had as a surrogate all those years ago?"
"I am" replied Rachel. "If you're the Shelby that my father's used for a surrogate"
"Yes, that's me" said Shelby, with a nod. "I can't believe you're her"
"I know this must be so weird for you" said Rachel. "And I hope you're okay with me making contact with you, I just wanted to see you and meet you, and also maybe get to know you"
"I'm fine with it Rachel" said Shelby.
Rachel looked at her and nodded, not knowing what else to say.
"I have often wondered about you over the years" said Shelby. "And what you were like, what you were doing, and you're here in New York now, as I am"
"I've been in New York ever since I left high school" replied Rachel. "I studied at NYADA"
"NYADA" said Shelby. "That's a very prestigious performing arts school"
"Yes" replied Rachel, with a nod.
"I can't believe we have been in the same state for years, and never come to cross paths" said Shelby.
"Me either" said Rachel, shaking her head.
"So, if you're okay here Rach" said Mikki, looking at her friend. "I might leave you and Shelby to talk, and go annoy Kurt"
Rachel looked at her and nodded with a smile. "Sure, I'll come down there later when done here. If it's okay with Shelby that I stay and talk a bit"
"It's fine by me" said Shelby. "I need to know what you've been doing, everything about you"
"I'll come by the coffee shop later then" said Rachel.
"Okay, I'll see you there" said Mikki, and looked to April and Shelby. "It was lovely to see you both again"
"You too sweetie" said April. "And you know who to tell people to come and see if you have any friends getting married"
"I most certainly do" replied Mikki, with a laugh. "Bye"
"Bye" said Shelby, and Mikki gave Rachel one last reassuring smile and left the shop.
"Well you two have a lot of catching up to do" said April. "And I will go and finish up those dresses you were working on Shels"
"Thanks April" replied Shelby looking to her friend.
"Would you like a coffee, either of you before I get to work?" asked April.
"Coffee, yes that would be lovely" replied Shelby.
"Rachel?" asked April, looking to her.
"Umm just a water for me" she replied. "If that's okay"
"It most certainly is" said April. "I will go get one coffee and one water"
"Thank you" replied Rachel, as April headed out the back of the shop where the kitchen was located.
"So, Rachel" said Shelby. "Please sit"
"Okay" replied Rachel, with a nod and sat on the seating that was in the shop that was there for customers.
"I just can't believe that you're my little girl" said Shelby.
"So you've wanted to meet me?" asked Rachel.
Shelby nodded. "Yes, I however also thought it was best if were the one to approach me, as I truly believed that if you wanted to know me it should be your decision"
"I only just recently thought about meeting you" said Rachel. "Before then I had no desire to really want to know anything about you"
"Can I ask what made you change your mind?" asked Shelby.
"Jayden" replied Rachel. "He's my step son, and he had to do this family tree assignment; and when he asked me about who my mother was, I realized that I wasn't able to tell him anything about her; and I also wouldn't be able to tell my own children one day when they also ask about who my mother is and why don't I know anything about her"
"So you have a step son, and also children of your own then?" asked Shelby.
"Yes" replied Rachel, with a nod. "So you're a grandmother"
"I'm a grandmother" said Shelby. "Wow"
"I'm sorry, if this is a lot for you to take in" said Rachel. "Meeting me, and also finding out that you're a grandmother all in one day"
"No, it's fine Rachel" said Shelby. "I often thought that you might have gotten married and had children, and that I may have grandchildren"
Rachel nodded. "Well you have three grandchildren that are biologically mine and my husband Noah's; and Jayden who is my step son is from Noah's first marriage"
"So Jayden is his" said Shelby.
"Yes" replied Rachel, with a nod, and grabbed her phone out of her handbag. "And then there is Elisabeth, Aaron and Sophia; who are mine and Noah's. But I still see Jayden as being one of mine as well, I've known him since he was born"
Shelby nodded, as Rachel went to the gallery section of her phone; and got up a picture of the four children together.
"This is one of my favorite pictures of them together" said Rachel, showing it to Shelby.
Shelby looked at the photo and smiled. "They are gorgeous children, Rachel"
"They are" replied Rachel, with a nod. "They're mine and Noahs' everything"
"Here we go one coffee" said April as she headed back over to him. "And one water"
"Thank you" said Rachel, as she took the glass of water from April.
"I'm a grandmother" said Shelby, as she took the cup of coffee from April. "Can you believe that"
"Wow" said April. "We'll have to get you a walking stick very soon"
"Very funny April" said Shelby with a laugh. "Look aren't they just the most darling little things you have ever seen"
"Here" said Rachel, and showed the picture on her phone to April.
"Oh look at them" said April. "They are just to die for"
"Aren't they" replied Shelby.
"So, I have to ask something Rachel" said April.
"Umm okay" replied Rachel, and looked at April nervously.
"You have been in here before, and never realized that Shelby was your mom" said April.
"No, I didn't realize" replied Rachel. "The only time I was ever in here, was with Mikki that one time, and she, Shelby; wasn't here that day"
"Such a small world" said April. "If only you had been in a day when Shels was here"
"Yes, when I realized that it was the same shop that Mikki had gotten her dress from" replied Rachel. "I did think that as well"
"And you and Mikki are friends obviously" said Shelby. "If you were one of her bridesmaids"
Rachel looked at her and nodded. "We've known one another since freshman year of high school back in Ohio"
"That's lovely" said April. "And you both remained friends"
"Well we lost touch after high school" replied Rachel. "I came here to New York, and Mikki she went to California. But I got back in touch with her again well over ten years ago now, and we reconnected, and if we hadn't I probably wouldn't be sitting here talking you to now"
"Why do you say that?" asked Shelby.
"When I contacted her again, I was about to get married" said Rachel.
"About too" said April. "Oh I don't like the sound of that"
"No, me either" said Shelby. "I am guessing this wasn't to your husband now, Noah"
Rachel shook her head. "His name was Jesse, and we'd met at NYADA; and on my wedding day, I caught him having sex with my maid of honor, who wasn't Mikki for the record, but another friend from NYADA; Harmony"
"Oh that's terrible" said Shelby. "How could he do such a thing like that"
"He tried to tell me it was just one last fling before we married" said Rachel, with a laugh. "But I knew I would never be able to get his betrayal out of my mind; and never not be able to see the two of them together, and wonder if they were ever going about behind my back"
"Well I'm glad you told him where to go" said Shelby, with a nod.
"Yes" replied Rachel, with a nod also. "And as chance would have it, I didn't have time to invite Mikki to the wedding; as I had left reconnecting with her too late for that, so when I ran from the hotel it was meant to be at, I found her at the coffee shop, and moved in with her since I had nowhere else to go; and I guess they say the rest is history"
"And then you've met Noah, and fell in love with him" said Shelby.
"I was kind of in love with him in high school" replied Rachel, with a blush of the cheeks. "He and Mikki are cousins, so I've known him for a very long time"
"Awww" said April. "So you reconnected with an old boyfriend, that is so beautiful"
Rachel looked at her and laughed. "Never was my boyfriend in high school, my love for him was unrequited; with him being a year older then both Mikki and myself"
"Well marrying your high school crush" said April. "And having him feel the same way, that is what dreams are made of"
"Yes, it was kind of like that" said Rachel, with a nod; and turned to Shelby again. "I'm sorry, I've not let you get a word in. What about you and your life? You must have much to tell me as well"
"I'm an open book" said Shelby. "Whatever you want to know"
"Umm, well are you married?" asked Rachel, as the phone in the shop started to ring.
"Continue talking to Rachel" said April. "I will get it"
"Thanks" replied Shelby, and April walked over to the ringing phone and Shelby looked back to Rachel. "I am married yes, although as you may have figured out I didn't take his last name"
"It that because you were established as Corcoran?" asked Rachel. "I often thought about using Berry as a stage name, and Puckerman privately. But in the end I wanted to be known as Rachel Puckerman more"
"Mine was more vanity then anything" said Shelby with a laugh. "Dustin's last name is Goolsby"
"Goolsby" said Rachel, with a laugh. "I'm sorry, it's probably not funny, but it also kind of is"
"Oh, I don't mind if you laugh" replied Shelby. "The thought of being called Shelby Goolsby, just wasn't something I could ever imagine"
"Does he know that you were once a surrogate?" asked Rachel.
"Yes he does" replied Shelby. "I have though, never told our daughters that I was; and I guess that is probably something I should probably now do, since you have made contact with me"
"I have sisters?" asked Rachel.
"Yes, you do" replied Shelby, with a nod. "Two of them"
"Wow" said Rachel. "I guess it really never crossed my mind, that my mother would have had other children, and that I would have siblings"
"Yes, I can see why it never would have crossed your mind" said Shelby, standing. "I'll be right back, I will go and get my phone, show you photos of them"
Rachel nodded as Shelby stood up and headed out the back of the shop; and looked down and saw that a text message had come through from Puck, asking if everything was going okay with meeting her mom.
Texting back, she looked up to see Shelby quickly talk with April who had gotten off the phone, and then the blonde headed out back; and Shelby walked back over to Rachel.
"So these are my two girls" said Shelby, as she sat back down next to her; and Rachel sent her text off to Puck.
"They're very pretty" said Rachel, looking at the photo of the two girls.
"Yes, they are" said Shelby. "And it's amazing how much you also look like them as well, the three of you could definitely pass as sisters quite easily"
"Yes" replied Rachel, with a nod. "What are their names?"
"This one is Kendrix and this is Samantha" said Shelby pointing to each girl as she said their names.
"They're younger than me?" asked Rachel.
"Obviously yes" replied Shelby, with a laugh. "Kenz is twenty seven and Sami is twenty four. I didn't meet Dustin, my husband until I was twenty nine and we married when I was thirty one"
"And you had me when you were how old?" asked Rachel.
"I was twenty one" replied Shelby. "And in my final year of college"
"And you decided to become a surrogate?" asked Rachel.
Shelby nodded. "Yes, I had seen my uncle; my mother's brother struggle for him and his partner to have a biological child of their own; and even though they were able to adopt, I found it so sad that a person could not have a child that was a part of them, just because of their sexual orientation. So I made the decision to become a surrogate, and I knew as soon as I got the chance to meet your father's, that I wanted to be the one to help them have their dream of a baby; and you were the result of that, and I couldn't be more proud of that fact"
"That was a really nice thing for you to do" said Rachel.
"Thank you" replied Shelby. "And even though there are only a few people who know of my being a surrogate, such as April who I've known since I first started college, my husband and also some of my family; there are not many others who do know; and that's because people still are so judgmental and wonder how I could have ever given a child up and never be a part of her life"
"I understand that" replied Rachel, with a nod.
"And it's entirely up to you if you want to take any sort of relationship with us further" said Shelby. "I am not going to push you into something you don't want"
"I would like it if you could be a part of my life and also that of my children" said Rachel. "That is if it is something that you want to do, as I don't want you to feel pressured either"
"I honestly think" replied Shelby, with a smile. "That we are on the same page here, and do want to be a part of one another's life in someway"
"Yes, I do want that" said Rachel.
"Me too" replied Shelby, with a smile. "Although I think right now, we have to take this slowly. As I have to tell my girls about you still, and you also have to talk with your children as well"
"Yes" said Rachel, with a nod.
"So how about we exchange phone numbers" said Shelby. "And we can keep in touch with one another, and slowly get to know one another's families"
"I like the sound of that" said Rachel, as she held out her phone to Shelby. "You can pop your number in mine"
Shelby nodded and held her phone out to Rachel. "You can do the same"
Each of them took one another's cell phone, and entered their phone number under their name.
"Do you live close by Rachel?" asked Shelby, as she entered in her phone number to Rachel's phone.
"Pretty close" replied Rachel, with a nod as she finished entering her number into Shelby's and held it out to her. "I live in Pelham"
"Pelham" replied Shelby, with a laugh as she took her phone from Rachel, and handed her back her one. "I live in Eastchester; we're practically neighbors"
"Wow" said Rachel. "We've been such a short distance from each other for many years and never realized it"
"No" replied Shelby, shaking her head. "Small world indeed"
"So I should probably let you get back to work" said Rachel, placing her phone back into her handbag.
"Okay, we will catch up soon then, I hope" said Shelby, as she stood and Rachel did also.
Rachel nodded. "Yes, I think we need to both talk with our families and tell them things; and then hopefully one day you will be able to come over and meet your grandchildren and also Noah"
"And you can come and meet your sisters and Dustin" said Shelby.
"That would be really nice" said Rachel. "I can't believe I have sisters"
"And I can't believe I am a grandmother" said Shelby, with a laugh. "Thank you so much for coming and seeing me Rachel"
"No thank you" replied Rachel. "I was so nervous and I thought you might not want to know me, but I am so glad that you did and that maybe we can give this a go at being in one another's lives"
"Can I give you a hug?" asked Shelby.
Rachel looked at her and nodded her head, and Shelby hugged her.
"It was so very lovely to meet you Rachel" said Shelby. "And I hope we can see one another soon"
"I will definitely give you a call" replied Rachel. "I am sure my children will love to meet you"
"And I look forward to meeting them" said Shelby.
"Well I should go" said Rachel. "Make sure Mikki isn't torturing poor Kurt"
Shelby gave a laugh. "She's an interesting one, that friend of yours"
"Yes" replied Rachel, with a laugh. "But like I said, if not for her. We might not be here talking right now"
"Yes, please thank her for me" said Shelby.
"I will" replied Rachel, with a nod.
"Bye Rachel" said Shelby. "I will see you soon"
"See you soon" replied Rachel, and with one last smile at Shelby she left the dress shop; and Shelby quickly dialed her husband's cell phone number.
"Dustin, you're never going to believe who I just met" she said when he answered the phone, and proceeded to tell him all about her encounter with that of her surrogate daughter, before getting back to work.
End Note: So there you have it - Rachel and Shelby have met; and I think it's safe to say it went a lot better then it did actually go in canon.
There will also be another off shoot of this - and that will be one called "Sisters"; and that is because I want this one mainly to be about Rachel and Shelby, and the Puckerman side of the family getting to know each other. But I also want to as well go and explore the Corcoran/Goolsby side also getting to know Rachel and the others as well; and that will be posted soon, probably running in conjunction with this one. So keep an eye out for that.
Anyway, thank you for reading; and I will be back soon with another update.
Love to you all,
KJ xoxoxoxoxo