CHAPTER 12 – TOW One Last Happy Day
Rachel stayed for a couple more days in the hospital but when she felt better, she literally begged for Ross to get her out of there. He didn't want to because he thought that it would be bad for her but Rachel felt like the hospital was sucking the life out of her. She knew she would be a lot better out of it especially with her friends and family by her side.
True enough, when she got home, she felt a lot better than she ever did since finding out about this. It was like nothing had happened. She had everyone around her and it was all she ever needed. Nothing else mattered but them.
ROSS AND RACHEL's
Rachel woke up with the noise coming from below her house. She looked at the clock and it wasn't even eight in the morning. "This is surreal." She got out of bed and decided to check what was going on.
It was almost three weeks since she got out of the hospital and she was sure that she was getting so much better. She didn't believe in miracles but maybe it was the last hope she could hold on to. Maybe she was wrong about already having lost this battle.
What she saw was probably the best things she's ever seen in a long time. The house was filled with people. Right in the living room, her three kids, Jack and Erika, and Michael and Khalil were talking as if there was no tomorrow. When they saw her, they all stopped, said their "Hi's!" and hugged and kissed her.
"Oh my god, Rachel, you look so much worse than the last time I saw you!"
Rachel couldn't believe it but the voice was unmistakable. "Amy!" It was the last thing on her mind and not once had she ever thought she'd see her sister again. She hugged her so tight and it felt great. And then she saw another one.
"You really think I'd let her have all the fun here?" Jill approached both of them and joined the hug. It was the first time the three of them got together in a really, really long time.
"I cannot believe you're here!"
"We're so sorry it took us a long time to get here. It's just, you know, lots of things to do... the kids, the husband, the other guy-"
"Amy, shut up, okay?" Jill then faced Rachel. "Mom and Dad said they'd be here anytime soon."
"They're coming? Oh my gosh, this is the best day ever!"
"I know. So, your friends are all in the kitchen doing whatever they're doing. They miss you, I think. Like you don't see each other everyday."
"Jill, why can't you stop being such a bitch once in a while?"
Rachel left her sisters the way they were, bickering like kids. As they've told her, she went to the kitchen and found out they were right. Everyone was there. Monica seemed to be cooking, while Joey was doing the eating. Chandler looked like he was doing some silly stuff that was amusing Phoebe. Ross and Mike, on the other hand, were beside them, talking intently until they saw her.
"Hi, sweetie." Ross came up to her and gave her a big hug.
"Hi, honey. What's going on?"
"I'm teaching Phoebe some tricks," answered Chandler.
"Not to you, you doofus!" said Monica in a jokingly way. "We just thought we'd throw a little get-together, you know."
"Little? You've brought in a fleet!" Rachel said with the biggest smile on her face. "How'd you get my sisters here? Did you lure them some free stuff?"
"No, this was actually their idea," Phoebe said as she stood up and walked towards Monica. "What's this? Smells good."
"Ahhh, you might wanna stay away from that," warned Joey as Phoebe was about to taste it.
"Really?" asked Rachel in almost a disbelief.
"Yeah. Actually, Amy and I have been having communications since you got out of the hospital. I just didn't tell you because she and Jill wanted it to be a surprise."
"And I'm very surprised. Thanks, you guys..."
The whole day, Rachel just had fun. Her parents arrived later that day and it was the first time in years that she'd seen her family together in one place. It was like a flashback to when she was still young, just her and her sisters and Mom and Dad. Add her friends, their families and her own family and it was the happiest she'd been in a long time. All the people she loved were there and as she looked at them, there was nothing more she could ask.
It was night time when Rachel's visitors decided to leave. Ben, Emma and Ella went home with Amy's family and decided to have a sleep over. Erika and Jack also decided to have a sleep over at Phoebe's. It was only Phoebe, Joey, Monica and Chandler who stayed.
Rachel looked around her house. Seeing Monica and Chandler in the couch, Phoebe and Joey laughing like kids, and Ross just staring at her brought back old memories. "Wow." Everyone looked at her. "It's like old times, you know, when it was just us. The six of us." No one spoke. "Do you remember that very first day this group started?" Rachel sat down and Ross sat by her.
"How could we forget? You came in as a wet bride," answered Chandler.
Rachel looked at Chandler and thought, how could she have lived as great as she had without him? Sure, she didn't get his jokes sometimes. They were even irritating to some point but it was one of the reasons why she loved him. It was amazing that someone loved Monica as much as Ross loved her. She knew how that felt like and it was a relief.
"Without a groom," added Phoebe.
Then there was Phoebe, someone who thought in a way Rachel never thought she'd understand. But Phoebe had done so much that proved her to be one of the greatest people Rachel could ever have in her entire life. She remembered living with her. It somehow felt surreal but that feeling didn't come close to how awesome she felt about it.
"Worked for me," joked Ross and they all laughed.
Ross. Her husband. The father of her children. It scared her just thinking what would've happened if she didn't get off the plane... if they decided not to fight for what they felt for each other. Ross was the best thing that's ever happened to her. And it was painful knowing she'd be leaving him anytime soon. If only there was a way to relieve everything they've shared together...
"I can't believe it's been this long and here we are, still by each other's sides," commented Joey.
Joey had probably done the most help for her for the past couple of weeks than anyone in the world. But it had been way longer that he had been that protective of her. They'd been together and not as a couple and Rachel didn't regret any of it. But there's nothing more than she wanted for him right now but to find someone who'd love him the way he deserved to be loved.
All fell silent as they all realized that was almost coming to an end. No one seemed to want to speak of the obvious but they knew they were thinking of the same thing. And then Monica decided to break the silence. "Hey, this day is not for that, okay? Sudden silences are not allowed in this house today."
Rachel then remembered all those times she and Monica fought and made up. It's a silly thought but until now, she was still thankful that she wasn't that much of a bitch back in high school to have become friends with her. She was the person who had made Rachel a better person, the one who held this group together and she knew that this friendship would last forever as long as she was there.
Looking at all of them, talking... laughing... she knew it was okay to leave. They'd be fine.
