A/N: I'm back! Finally have my own laptop. Still not in a permanent home, but will be soon. I hope. Thank you all for the amazing patience you all have shown me. I will be updating I Love You, More soon as well. Thanks again for hanging in there with me.
Shelby's POV
"Shelby. What? How? When? We need to talk!" I hear Rachel getting out of the bed, but my eyes are stuck on Hiram. I nod. He leads us into the living room; grabbing Rach's other dad by the arm and dragging him with us. I see him look at me and his eyes go big. Rachel and I are on the couch and her fathers are on the love seat.
"What is going on here, Hiram?" Rachel's dad asks.
"LeRoy, this is Shelby Corcoran. You don't remember her?" Hiram responds. That's his name, LeRoy.
"Uhm, of course I know her. She is a Broadway legend. You think just because I like sports, I don't know about Broadway? I mean hello, look who our daughter is." He turns to me. "Welcome to our humble abode." He smiles. Oh God, he doesn't know who I am. I look over at Rachel, she seems amused by her father. She looks at me and smiles, grabbing my hand.
"I swear you play stupid sometimes, Leroy. Yes, Shelby is a Broadway legend, but she is also Rachel's biological mom, you nimwit." Hiram is fuming and I pay very close attention to LeRoy and wait for him to be upset too but he just continues to smile.
"I know that, honey. Calm down. Let's hear what she has to say. Okay, then we can decide how to react." He turns to me. "You have to excuse my husband, he is a bit dramatic. So why don't you tell us what you are doing here at our house."
I started at the beginning and told them how Rachel reached out to me and told me how she was harming herself. I brought it around full circle to sitting here on the couch with them. When I finished, LeRoy was in tears (apparently the more sensitive one) and Hiram still looked disgusted.
"Baby, is what she said true? Did you reach out to her about hurting yourself?" Rachel nods, squeezing my hand tighter. He is up and pulling her into his arms in no time. "I am so sorry baby. I didn't realize things had gotten that bad. Hiram, get over here and hug your daughter."
"No." He states flatly and then takes a deep breath. "Well this has been some coming home. But I have some things I need to get off of my chest." We all turn to face him. "LeRoy, you know that I have not been happy in years and the only reason we have stayed together is for Rachel. But it seems now that Rachel can handle her own life. I mean hell, she found her mother. I want a divorce. I want to sell the house and move to California for work. I am tired of being tied down to this family in this small ass town." The air feels like it was just sucked out of the room. I hear Rachel gasp before letting out a gut retching sob and falling into LeRoy's lap. LeRoy is just looking at Hiram like he has grown three heads, I believe he might have because I can't take my eyes off of him either. My poor baby has been living with someone this selfish and cruel. Who the hell ends a marriage in front of company? Apparently this man. Rachel can't take it anymore and bolts out of the room. I get up to follow her. I find her laying on her bed, sobbing.
"WHY?!" she screams into her pillow. I sit down beside her and rub circles on her back. After about twenty minutes, her breathing has slowed and she is knocked out. I place a kiss on her head and walk back out to the living room. I see LeRoy sitting on the couch, I walk over to him.
"May I?" I ask, holding my arms out for a hug. He smiles through his tears and nods. I give him the biggest hug I can muster up before sitting on the couch next to him. "I am so sorry for causing all of this to happen," I hear myself saying, "If I had left well enough alone, maybe he wouldn't have left like this."
"Oh no. He would have. I knew he wasn't happy, I just didnt expect him to do it so bluntly. It has nothing to do with you, Shelby." He reaches over and grabs my hand.
"I am still sorry. If you need anything, anything at all - "
"Oh no, we will be fine. I have been saving money for years now waiting for this day. Can I ask you a favor?" He turns to face me. I nod for him to continue. "Could you maybe keep Rachel for a few weeks until I can get to New York? After you walked out to check on her, he told me that he is going sign over his rights but he wants the house. I don't want Rachel to have to live here in a poisoned environment and to watch this divorce unfold. I have a job offer in New York and I accepted this morning. I will need a few weeks to get everything settled. Is that okay?" I can't help the smile that graces my face.
"Of course. But how sure are you that she will want to go with me?" I ask.
"Well, she has no real friends here besides Kurt. She has always wanted her mom, but Hiram threatened me if I told her about you. She loves Broadway and New York. I think she will be ecstatic to move in with you for a bit."
" Well, then yes. I will take her. When should we tell her?"
"When do you fly out?"
"I was supposed to leave today at 2 but I cancelled that flight last night and haven't booked another one yet. So whenever you want me to take her is fine."
"Take me where?" I hear Rachel ask before I see her. She comes around the corner, eyes still red and puffy. She sits down on LeRoy's lap and cuddles into him. She must be closer to him, she fits perfectly in his lap.
"Baby, Hiram has given me full custody of you but he wants this house. I accepted an offer for a job in New York so while I get everything packed up here and get settled in there, I was going to let you go with Shelby. That is, if you want." I watch her face. She remains calm the whole time.
"Will you be okay here, Daddy?"
"Yes. I will be fine. I just want you out of this town as quickly as possible. I know you have Kurt here but other than that, you don't really have anyone." She locks eyes with me
"And you want me?"
"Of course, Baby. More than anything." She takes a minutes and thinks over everything. I get it, it is a lot to take in.
"Okay." She finally speaks.
"Okay what, Rachie?" LeRoy asks her.
"I will go with Mom." My heart stops. I love hearing that name. MY BABY IS COMING TO LIVE WITH ME! I just want to scream, but decide against it. "When do we leave?"
I look to LeRoy because I am not sure his plans.
"Tomorrow?" He looks at me and I nod assuring. "Tomorrow."
"Then I better pack. Mom, will you help?"
We get to her room and she turns on her music, sits on the bed and asks me to sit next to her.
"Thank you so much, Mom, for letting me come live with you. I have always wanted to be with my mom."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I am just sorry that it had to happen this way. Are you okay?"
"Yes. I am okay. Dad has been distant for a while. I've looked it up and saw that it was a sign that a couple was headed for a divorce."
"Really, Rach? You googled your fathers' relationship?"
She nods and leans over to give me a hug.
"We better get to packing if we are going to New York tomorrow." I nod and stand up.
"I love you, Rachel."
"I love you too, Mom." She smiles and my life finally feels complete.
