The Nerd & The Cheerio ch. 35
When I heard that Rachel's Dads has passed away, I knew that it was going to be incredibly difficult for her but the last thing that I was expecting for her to run and disappear for nearly twelve hours. Frannie had called the police but there was nothing that they could do until she was missing for twenty-four hours so I called the guys and Gabby to see. I asked if the singer was with them unfortunately none of them has seen since hey went to the mall and when they asked what was going on, I explained everything to them as they rushed out into the rain to search for her.
There was nothing that was going to stop me from looking for her but I couldn't find a single trace of my girlfriend as I returned home to wait until she came home. I couldn't stop pacing back and forth, waiting for someone to tell me that they found Rachel but nothing and I couldn't help but assume the worst that could've happened to her. I don't know how I managed to fall asleep on the couch but I woke up form the sound of the door being opened to rush to see Rachel walking in, completely drenched from the storm. A rush of relief washes over me as I take the smaller girl in my arms, hugging her tightly before checking her for injuries and she's unharmed which I'm thankful for as I take her face in my arms.
Her eyes are glazed over with a far-off look like she's physically here but her mind is completely somewhere else. The singer moves around me, walking up the stairs wordlessly and I don't know what to do or how to comfort her as I followed her to her room, grabbing some dry clothes then going into the bathroom. I sit on the bed, waiting on Rachel's return as the shower quickly turns into two hours before getting up to knock on the door to hear the water running and sniffing. It pains me to hear my sweet girlfriend cry like this and everything in me wants to go in there to comfort her but this stupid door is separating us.
I pulled a bobby pin out of my hair, effectively picking the lock and opening the door to find Rachel sitting under the spray of water with her head buried on the top of her knees, arms wrapped around herself. Her shoulders trembling as her tears run down her cheeks with the water but I don't hesitate to climb into the shower behind her, wrapping my arms around her. I don't care that I'm getting wet from the shower head because the singer needs me and she's worth getting drenched for as her sobs eventually quiets down to whimpers before looking over her shoulder at me.
I leaned her back a little so I could kiss her on the forehead as we get out of the shower into drier clothes before lying on the bed with Rachel on her back, staring up at the ceiling as she gets lost in her thoughts. Reaching over to cup her cheek, guiding her to look at me as I see an variety of emotions ranging from grief to sadness swirling behind her eyes and I wish that there was something that I could say to make her feel better but nothing feels right.
I just pulled her into my arms as she buries her face into my chest, gut wrenching sobs fill the room as Rachel weeps for the death of her fathers and I wish that I could bring them back. It was about an hour before the sobs crease as I carefully untangle myself from the sleeping girl to walk down the stairs to find Frannie in the kitchen, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of her.
"How is she?" Frannie asked looking up at me.
"Sleeping but mentally she's grieving because of her fathers' deaths and I don't know how to comfort her" I said running my hand through my still wet hair.
"Being there for her and making sure that she knows that you're not going anywhere is all that you can do" Frannie said placing her hand over mine.
"I'm not going to leave her but it doesn't feel like it's enough"
"I know that it doesn't feel like it's enough but trust me, it goes a long way" Frannie said squeezing my hand reassuringly. "Why don't you go back upstairs and get some sleep. You look like you're ready to drop"
"I'm not tired" I said through a yawn.
"Uh-huh right" Frannie said unconvinced. "Quinn, you've been up the entire night, looking for your girlfriend and a good portion of the morning. Go get some rest"
"Fine, fine" I said getting up.
I walked up the stairs toward Rachel's room, expecting to see her still sleeping but I was caught off guard by Logan tucking in the grieving girl with MC Teddy placed under her arm. He kisses the singer before quietly sliding off of the bed before turning to face me as he pushes me further into the room then closing the door behind him. I climb onto the bed, wrapping my sleeping girlfriend in my arms before falling into a deep slumber and by the time I woke up again, it was almost four in the afternoon but Rachel wasn't in the bed.
I looked around to that she's not in the room at all before quickly throw the cover off myself before running out of the room in search of the singer, hoping that she didn't disappear on me again. I check almost every room in the house with no sign of my girlfriend until I come to the entertainment room to find the tiny girl on a large tan recliner with Logan sitting in-between her leg, watching Spiderman 2. I sigh in relief that she didn't disappear without a word like last night but I couldn't help finding seeing these two cuddled up and spending time together and I was about to go in when my nephew ask the singer a question.
"Rachel, you love Auntie Quinn right?" Logan asked curiously.
"Of course I do, with all of my heart. Why do you ask?"
"Does that mean that you're going to get married?"
"Not now but later in life, I would like to ask your Auntie to marry me" Rachel nods.
"So if you two get married, would that make you my auntie too?" Logan asked tilting his head.
"Yeah, it would. Would you be okay with that?"
"Yay then we can go to the park, read books, and you can sing to all the time" Logan said grinning.
"Quinn and I don't have to be married for the two of us to do all of those things. I do all those things with you because I like spending time with you" Rachel said ruffling his hair.
"Okay but I like the idea of us being a family" Logan said shrugging his shoulders.
I could see Rachel's eye watering a little as she kisses Logan on the top of his head before turning their attention back to the movie and I couldn't be more proud of my nephew. He may not know fully what's going with the singer but I know that's made her day with that comment as I waited a few seconds before snuggling up to my girlfriend, spending the rest of the day watching movies and eating popcorn. At the end of watching The Fox & The Hound was when Frannie came down to see collect Logan to put him down for bed before calling us to the living room, pulling Rachel into a tight hug which she reciprocated.
"I asume that this is about my Dads" Rachel said pulling away from Frannie.
"Yes, I've looking through your Fathers' life insurance policies and it covers the cost of their funerals with a huge sum left to cover the bills on the house and necessities plus tuition and things that you need if you choose to go college. Their wills states that everything will be left in your name and there was a envelope with your name on it but I didn't look at it" Frannie said holding a envelope to Rachel.
Rachel takes the letter from Frannie, staring at it for a long moment before handing it to me, silently asking for me to open it and I open it.
Dear Rachel,
We know that we weren't there for you like we should have been and there's no excuse for all of the business trip and conference that we have undertaken lately. You deserve so much better and if you're reading this letter then it means that your Dad and I have passed. We're leaving you the house, both of the cars, a sizeable amount of money to take care of yourself even you have been doing that and I wish that we have been the fathers that you've deserve. The love that we have for you will never change and we do love you even it does seem like we didn't.
~Love your Dads
P.S. if you ever want to get in contact with your birth mother. Her name is Shelby Corcoran and her number is XXX-XXX-XXXX
By the time I had finished reading the number, Rachel was in tears and I know that she's overwhelmed after for so long of thinking that her fathers didn't care about her. I wish that they were man enough to say these things when they were alive, face-to-face but at least the singer can get some closure as I pulled her into me, kissing her temple as she takes the letter from me. The jock looks down at the letter, wiping the tears away as now the only living relative that she has left now is this Shelby woman and I'm curious to know what this woman is like but the last thing that I want is for my girlfriend to get hurt. We know nothing about Shelby and who knows if she wants to be in Rachel's life again plus who knows what she's been doing up until now.
"What happens now?" Rachel asked softly.
"I talked to a few of my colleagues and you might be put in a group home until you're eighteen"
"That's not gonna happen" I said frowning.
"Your other option and I think that's better for everyone is that I'll become your legal guardian if that's what you want"
"I want that" Rachel said smiling softly.
"Good because I already got the progress start. I do care about you Rachel very much and there was no way that I was going to let you go to a group home" Frannie said wrapping her arm around her shoulders.
"Thank you Frannie" Rachel said resting her head on Frannie's shoulder.
"Do you want to look for this Shelby woman?" I asked curious.
"I don't know. I mean I don't really know this woman and I don't know if I should contact her or if she wants to me in her life but I do have questions" Rachel said unsure.
"You don't have to make up your mind right this minute. You have her number and when you decide that you're ready then we'll support you no matter what plus you always have family. You're never gonna be alone ever again" Frannie said kissing Rachel on the temple.
"Thank you, both of you. You don't know how much this means to me"
"We love you, baby and we're not going anywhere" I said kissing her cheek.
"I love you both too" Rachel said smiling. "And I'm sorry for disappearing last night"
"Never do that again, you scared the crap out of us. I know that the news about your fathers came as a shock and it's not something that I would wish on my worst enemy but anything could have happened to you and that's a scary thought to have" Frannie explain.
"I know and I promise that it will never happened again" Rachel said nodding in acknowledgment.
"Good now that we understand each other, it's getting late and you two have school in the morning so head up to bed"
"Right good night" Rachel said hugging Frannie.
"Night Frannie" I said hugging my sister.
~Nicole The Dragon Rider signing off
End of ch. 35