Hello my lovelies. Hayley here. Sorry we've been gone for so long (I wouldn't expect another update super soon, either). It's not that we don't want to write. GODS do we want to write. But my schedule just hasn't been allowing it recently. I miss writing so much and I had a free night for the first time in forever tonight so I decided I really wanted to spend it working on this beautiful story.
After that it's back to working on all of these damned college essays. :/ I'm very sorry that my school work is causing more or less a hiatus in my writing, but school has to come first.
We love you all and thank you all so much for your interest and love for this story. We love it also, so very much.
Note: Aunt Dee, who is introduced in this chapter, is supposed to look almost identical to Shelby. That being said, she looks like Idina Menzel and, surprise surprise, we couldn't resist using the name "Dee" as a result. xD
Enjoy!
Chapter 51: Just Full of Surprises
Cass, Shelby and Rachel entered the Lima Bean, rushing through the door to escape the cool late February chill. Winter still had a firm grasp on the small town and the family welcomed the warmth and the smells of coffee and sweet, fresh baked cookies and pastries. The family of three had established a routine, this being their fourth family counselling session at Dr. Kodema's office. After the session, the family made their way to the nearby coffee shop to relax, process the session, and enjoy a treat.
"Oh gods, Judy has been cooking banana nut muffins this morning," Shelby groaned; her mouth was watering at the smell alone. "I swear I gain two pounds just from smelling the muffins, cookies and French pastries…Oh la-la, Cass you know those are my favorite," she turned to her wife with a small, pleading smile.
Rachel giggled, putting her hands on her hips condescendingly, her brown eyes twinkling.
"Mommy you can't gain weight by smelling," Rachel laughed, "You don't eat any of the good stuff anyhow."
"Yes, Shelbs," Cass commented, "Live a little today. Get something besides black coffee."
"The musical, the costume…" Shelby commented, "I really shouldn't,"
Cass hrumphed and patted Shelby's back, stepping to the counter.
"Usual, Rach?" she asked their daughter to be sure that's what she needed to order. "Chocolate chip muffin and milk?"
"Yes, mama," Rachel replied, taking her mommy's hand and pulling her towards one of the employees who was setting out the banana muffins. "Oh, Mommy, look they're fresh! I bet they are still warmmmmmm!"
Rachel, after observing Cassie's behavior for weeks, had slightly taken to mimicking her teasing behavior. The blonde mother found it adorable, and Shelby had to agree.
"Relax, my love," Cass turned her head and kissed Shelby's lips with a quick tender kiss, "I will help you work it off." The blonde let her hand slide down her wife's back until it reached Shelby's firm, shapely ass. She patted it gently, totally amused at the blush that rose on Shelby's cheeks. Cass loved how reserved Shelby reacted when sex was discussed. But get her into bed and Shelby was anything but. She knew how to make Cassie's body sing.
"Mama," Rachel pulled on Cass's leather jacket. "Miss Judy wants to know what you and Mommy want."
"My wife will have a black coffee and I will have a banana nut muffin, a cranberry muffin, and a hot tea with lemon," Cass spoke, pulling out her wallet and paying. The three walked to a table near the window and sat down with their tray.
"I really shouldn't," Shelby protested even as she opened her mouth as Cass broke off a small piece of banana nut muffin and fed her a bite.
"You should," Cass purred, flirting, letting her finger linger on her wife's lips. "It's so gooood."
"Yes Mommy, you promised to Dr. Kodema to do a little something for yourself every day," Rachel told her mom, taking a big bite of her chocolate chip muffin. "And this is it! Remember, my job was to remind you."
"Yes it was, baby girl, and you are doing a fantastic job," Shelby praised her daughter, opening her mouth for another bite.
"Mama, I think Dr. Kodema thought you were extra brave that you wrote that letter to your daddy," Rachel told Cass, taking a swallow of milk, "I really liked how we burnt in in the Dr. Kodema's fireplace when you finished reading it."
"Mama is Cassie the Brave and she is my champion," Shelby added, kissing the fingers that had just pulled away after feeding her another bite. "Mama is the strongest, bravest, most determined person in the whole wide world. Today just showed me again why she is my hero."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," Cass quipped, using humor to light her wife's statement. Cass reached over to kiss Shelby's soft lips once more (more PDA today than usual due to the Lima Bean's lack of customers) and then leaned over to kiss Rachel's forehead as well. "Both of you were equally brave in there today. That picture you drew of your Daddies, Rach, must have been very hard for you. Mommy, she is the reason we can be brave. Isn't that right?"
"Yes, Mama," Rachel spoke after chewing another bite. Deciding her mommy needed a hug, Rachel got of her chair and moved to Shelby's and wrapped her in a tight embrace. "And I am sorry, Mommy, for not understanding that it hurt worse when Mama and I talk about our daddies only with each other. I did not understand what Dr. Kodema explained. It hurts you because what my daddies and the Reverend did no matter if I tell you or keep it to myself."
"Like I said back in the office, Baby Girl," Shelby said softly, pulling Rachel onto her lap. "I forgive you and I should have talked to you and Mama about how I was feeling instead of keeping things to myself too."
Rachel ate up the attention her mother was giving her. She always came out of Dr. Kodema's sessions feeling tired and needy. Her mothers' arms gave her the most comfort of anywhere in the world. Cass sipped on her tea and watched her wife and their daughter.
For having such a fucked up childhood, it did not actually fuck my whole life, Cass told herself, taking a bite of her muffin. I love Shelby and Rachel so much. We may be damaged, but none of us are broken. I think this therapy thing may just work out.
"Mama," Rachel waved her hand in front of Cassie's face. "Did you hear your phone? It chimed. Mommy's did too. Auntie April sent a picture on Mommy's phone. Did you get one too?"
"Just counting my blessings, Little Star, I love you and your Mommy so much," Cass told the young girl who just nodded and craned her neck across the table to look at her mother's phone.
"A house?" Shelby spoke curiously, "Did you get one too?"
"Yes, it's the Victorian next door," Cass recognized. "What the…" Cass stopped herself before the curse word left her lips. Shelby's stares when students let certain words fly were like green daggers. Cass made a point to avoid receiving one from Shelby Corcoran herself.
"What does that mean, Mommy?" Rachel asked Shelby, leaning over to grab her muffin from the table in front of her seat. "Why is Auntie April sending you a picture of the house next door?"
Curiosity peaked and fanned by the fact neither Holly or April were answering their texts back, Cass, Shelby and Rachel finished up instead of lingering in the Lima Bean. Ten minutes later, they were in the vehicle and on the way home. To what? They would soon find out.
Cass was tempted to speed home, but she distinctly seemed to remember that Stef was working today. The blonde police officer got all bad ass when she was trying to make her ticket quota. Cass had the keen ability to flirt her away out of most tickets in New York as well as the other places she had lived while working on shows over the years. However, her curves and the blinking of her green eyes had absolutely no effect on Stef Adams Foster. Her friend had absolutely laughed at Cass the last time she'd tried it. So instead of hurrying home, Cassandra drove the speed limit.
"They're not answering. Why aren't they answering? Why are they being so elusive?" Shelby wondered, typing rapidly into her phone. "Why would they do that? They know we're anxious people. We don't wait for information!"
Cass had to laugh, lightly. "I'm sure they'll tell us when we get there…" but she too was a bit anxious. What was going on with the Victorian house next door? What was going on?
Rachel looked out the window from the back seat, holding Elphie on her lap. It was not really that far from the Lima Bean back home. They would be home in like five minutes. Though Aunt Holly and Auntie April did not answer, Rachel was sure if they called Natty she would.
"Mommy?" Rachel asked watching her mother frown at her phone. "Want me to call Natty's phone? She ALWAYS answers when I call her." Though Rachel did not have a phone, her mothers let them use theirs to call each other just about every night at bedtime.
"Honey, I'm not sure they'd be able to tell the difference between you and us from caller ID," Shelby tried to explain. "But thank you for offering. We'll be home once we turn this corner and then—" she dropped her jaw, not finishing her sentence. As they rounded the block, they spotted a large moving van sitting outside the Victorian house, April and Holly smiling and waving from the front of it and Natalie sticking her head out the back window with a small little grin on her face.
"Guess what?" April called cheerily as the Corcoran-July crew got out of their car, looks of complete surprise on their faces. "Surprise! We're your new neighbors!"
"That's sooo cooool!" Rachel cheered excitedly, running over to Natalie and hugging her tightly. The girls danced around happily and giggled happily. Hand in hand, both girls skipped towards the Victorian. April watched the two for a second. It was such a wonderful thing to witness these two abused young girls laughing and see both slowly come out of their shells. The doctor turned to give the other two Corcoran-July women her attention. Shelby was staring at the house, hands on her hips in contemplation. Cass stood with arms folded and jaw dropped.
"We got them," Holly proudly told her girlfriend. "I told you they did not suspect anything. They are living "Cats" twenty four seven now."
"We did. We are soooooo goooooooood," April purred, walking over towards Shelby and pulling her into a one armed hug. "Surprise." April leaned over and whispered into her best friend's ear before grabbing Shelby's hand. Her best friend still stood in shock. What amused the doctor the most was that the singer looked like she wanted to jump around like her daughter did. The thing was, Shelby also looked like she wanted to give her the finger for keeping this secret from her.
"Come on, Shelbs," April pulled on her friend's hand. "I will give you a tour. Lover, close Cassie's dropped jaw and pull her along too. After the tour, we are putting them to work."
. . .
Shelby's Aunt Dee had decided to drop in for a surprise visit, therefore had showed up un-announced. She had been out of the country as of late, but didn't want to miss the musical that Shelby and Cassie were putting on this year.
Since she had been out of the country and out of the loop for quite some time, however, she had no idea what was going on with Shelby and Cassie recently. She didn't know that they now had custody of Rachel, she had no idea about the young girl's abuse, and she didn't know the stress that everyone was under. The last thing that Dee had heard about Rachel was quite a few years ago, when Holly was still looking for her.
Stepping out of her car, Dee pulled her jacket closer to her and walked down the long, shoveled sidewalk and towards the mansion. Looking around, she noticed multiple moving vans and quite a few cars between the mansion and the Victorian house next to it. The driveways were being shared and there were boxes everywhere-somebody close to Shelby and Cass was obviously moving in. Dee assessed the situation a bit more. Holly, she decided. Holly must be moving in.
She spotted April and Holly as they walked out onto the porch of the Victorian house and shared a kiss. Dee's lips pulled up into a smirk. So Holly and April were moving in together. A bit more understanding washing over her, Dee made her way into the mansion to see if Shelby and Cassie were in there at the moment, or if they were over at the other house. She figured she should at least say hi before crashing their little "moving day".
Even though Dee was nearly ten years older, her resemblance to Shelby was uncanny-from her long brunette hair to her perfect little body shape, all the way down to her gorgeous green eyes and her exceptional poise. That being said, when she walked into the mansion and locked eyes with Shelby, it was more like looking in a mirror.
Shelby's green eyes widened in recognition and a broad smile spread across her face. "Aunt Dee!" she practically squealed, setting the box she was packing on the counter behind her and running into her aunt's arms, feeling like a little girl again. "What are you doing here?!" she wrapped her arms tightly around Dee.
"I came to see your show, of course!" Dee rolled her eyes at her niece being ridiculous. "Do you think I would miss ANOTHER year? Hell no! I heard you're directing Cats this year...Cassie must be thrilled..."
Shelby laughed and pulled back a bit so that she and her aunt could catch up. Suddenly her day had been made a bit brighter. Her Aunt Dee seemed to always just be there when she was struggling, and for that Shelby would forever be grateful.
"Haha...yeah, she is. She's been directing it, mostly. She's got most of the details figured out and she's our main choreographer...it's easier for her since she's done it before," she noticed she was rambling.
"Right, of course..." Dee agreed, looking around the room. "You look pretty busy," she commented. "Did I come at a bad time?"
"No, no..." Shelby bit at the inside of her cheek. "I mean yeah, we're busy...these days we're always busy...today has just been full of surprises, we found out that Holly, April, and Natalie are moving in next door..."
"Who's Natalie?" Dee had a quizzical look on her face.
"Umm..." Shelby searched her head for the quick answer and found none. Before she could even attempt to come up with a response, Holly was jogging her way towards them.
"Hey, Shelbs, do we have any more of those boxes, the one April was carrying broke..." she double blinked, looking at Shelby's new doppelganger. "Dee!" she exclaimed.
"Well hello to you too, hot stuff," Dee laughed as Holly went in for a hug, rustling Holly's hair as if she were a little kid. Holly rolled her eyes and laughed.
"Gods you look a lot like Shelby..."
"Aren't genetics a crazy thing?" Dee's sarcasm, much like Cassie and Holly's, was on point. What she wasn't expecting was to see a tiny little carbon copy of Shelby come running up to her and jump into her arms before anybody else could stop her.
"Mommy, Mommy, Natalie wanted to know if..." Wide brown eyes blinked rapidly as Dee held Rachel in her arms and stared at her incredulously. "You're...not Mommy..." Rachel realized.
Dee, Holly, and Shelby all let out a laugh. Shelby, who was standing behind Holly, moved so that Rachel could see her. "I'm right here, sweetheart," she promised, reaching her arms out. Dee transferred the nine year old and Rachel had a billion questions.
"Mommy, you have a twin? She looks so much like you! Why didn't you tell me about your twin, Mommy? Does Mama know this woman looks just like you do?"
"No, I don't have a twin. Yes, she does look a lot like me because she is my Aunt," Shelby told her daughter, who stared at the woman who looked just like her mother with wide brown eyes. Shifting Rachel slightly in her arms, Shelby paused to remember Rachel's other questions. "I didn't tell you about having a twin because I don't have a twin. I am an only child. Lastly, yes, Mama knows about my Aunt. They are actually close friends."
"Mama doesn't kiss her, does she?" Rachel asked bluntly. "I mean, she is pretty and beautiful like a princess like you, and she kisses you all the time."
Dee let out a laugh. "I'm not so lucky to have someone as amazing as Cassie as a partner, kid." She informed the little girl. "No, I don't kiss her. But thank you for calling me pretty."
"You're welcome!" Rachel smiled. "Good thing you don't kiss Mama."
Shelby admired Dee's composure in this situation, as she was sure her Aunt was slowly starting to piece all of this new information together.
Dee talking to Rachel directly was all it took for Rachel to feel the invitation to ask more questions was permissible.
"So what is your name? Why are you here? Where do you live? Are you nice?" Rachel babbled, then decided she'd better explain her last question. "I mean, Mommy's mother and father made her sell me. You weren't there, were you?"
Shelby gasped at Rachel's bluntness. Her little girl was not mincing words and was being very direct. A quick look at Dee showed that her Aunt was not fazed.
"I disowned Shelby's mother years and years ago, little one." She promised. "I would never hurt a hair on Shelby's pretty little head, or yours, or Holly's, or April's, or anyone else's."
That seemed to be enough to reassure Rachel, for now. She nodded her contentment and looked back up at her mom. Dee continued to answer questions.
"My name is Dee and I'm here to see you all. I live just about everywhere."
"I'm Rachel, and I am nine years old," Rachel reached out her hand without any shyness to shake Dee's. The little girl was not scared of this stranger. She felt like she was looking at her mommy and Rachel's instinct told her that this woman was safe and good. This woman also had a nice smile. "Santa gave me Mommy and Mama right before my birthday and you have a nice smile. You look like Mommy but you have little lines in the corner of your eyes. You don't look old though. Do you sing and dance? Do you want to see my room? Do you know Barbra? She is my best friend." Rachel started to ramble again. Even as Rachel spoke, she was reaching out in her mother's arms to touch what she realized was her honest to goodness Aunt. Rachel was so excited. She had not only her mother she was related to but this woman who looked almost just like her mommy. Rachel reached out and touched Dee's hair that was the exact color of her mother's. It was just as soft. It was a little longer than her mother's but not as long as Rachel's had been before she got her hair cut at Christmas time. Rachel had totally forgotten about her questions. Instead she was checking Dee's hands. She had some pretty rings and a bracelet on her wrist.
"You have pretty hands," Rachel said not looking at the woman's face. "I like your rings…your hair is just like Mommy's. It shines in the light."
Dee's heart flip flopped. This was the sweetest little girl and she looked exactly like Shelby at this age. And Dee had no idea what to say or what to answer the girl first. Green eyes met younger green eyes and the older Corcoran mouthed quietly, "She…is…precious…"
Shelby's heart warmed and she grinned from ear to ear, mouthing back. "I know, thank you."
She smiled at her aunt with admiration, wondering how long she was going to stay. But she wouldn't get the chance to ask Dee this question, because Rachel was still rambling on and on, overwhelming the woman but doing so in quite the adorable fashion.
"How well do you know Mama? Did you know she's a really good dancer? Did you know Mommy played the Wicked Witch of the West except she's not really Wicked?"
Dee laughed, low and maternally. "Yes, Rachel, I did know all of that."
"Oh," Rachel stared, wide eyed. "Do you know everything? Can you tell the future too? What's Mommy going to wear tomorrow?"
All the adults laughed. Though Rachel did not know what was funny, she did likewise.
"Well, dear heart, I know for a fact that your mom will wear clothes," Dee looked at the young girl who glanced over at her with bright brown eyes. "And I don't know about I know a lot about the future but I do know in the short term future I would love nothing better than to go see your room, play with Barbra with you and I do like to sing. Your mommy and I used to sing a lot together when she was a little girl, your age, when she came to my house in New York"
Shelby, Dee and Rachel all shared a smile. Inwardly, all were thinking how they liked the idea of singing together.
Holly could not believe how alike all three of the Corcorans looked. She wished she, April, Cass and Natalie could all kick back, sit by the fire here in the mansion and talk all afternoon drinking hot tea and cider. But April was going to kick her ass if she did not get back to get the rest of the things in the house. Cass was currently helping Natalie put her new brass bed together. She had originally come over to get a new box after the one with some of Natalie's things had busted in the hallway in front of her room upstairs. Holly knew she would have to visit later. She would do so with her lover and Natalie.
"Well, it's great to see you, Dee, but duty calls," Holly told the three Corcorans, "Boxes? Got any we can use?" Holly got back on track knowing she really needed to get back and shuffle some things out of the box that had busted. The tech people from the cable company would be here soon to set up her home office she wanted to use for her law practice some days. With Natalie now a part of their household, she wanted her foster daughter to not be home alone.
"Attic," Shelby replied quickly, putting Rachel down then patting her bottom gently. "Rachel, remember Mommy has Mr. Gregg coming by to drop of the final changes of the musical arrangement. Why don't you show Aunt Dee your room and help carry her luggage to the guest room." On que, the doorbell rang. "Excuse me," Shelby told her aunt and child, dashing to the door.
"Did you know that your mommy looked," Dee stooped down to her knees so she could be on Rachel's level, "Just…like…you" Dee spoke with quiet emphasis leaning down and giving Rachel's cheek a soft caress.
"I bet that you looked like me too, when you were my age," Rachel said, still trying to get used to the idea that anybody could look just like her mommy.
"That I did," Dee answered, a wide smile on her face that Rachel swore brightened up the room as much as her mommy's did. It was then that Dee laughed. It was a loud, magical laugh that Rachel swore was funny because Dee looked like Elphie.
"You may look like Elphie but you laugh more like Glinda with a lower voice," Rachel told this woman. Hearing this made Dee only laugh all the more. This little one would keep Cass and Shelby on their toes. Dee reached down and opened her hand, inviting Rachel to hold it.
Rachel reached for it without hesitation and led her Great Aunt up the hall. She grabbed a small suitcase while Dee grabbed the larger carry-on bag. The two made their way upstairs and away from the chaos in both the mansion and the Victorian next door. She held Shelby's daughter's hand in hers and appreciated the small warmth and softness of it. She figured out by now that Shelby had gotten her baby back. It was a true miracle.
You are a great aunt now and you are going to be the best one in the whole world to make up for your miserable sister and brother in law, Dee thought to herself, letting herself be led into Rachel's room. The little girl smiled up at her and twirled around the room. Dee felt her own life now changing in an instant. She knew there was a story here. She knew Shelby would tell her as time permitted. Shelby did seem stressed. She was glad she had come for a visit.
Your short visit may be a longer one, Dee, the woman told herself, sitting on Rachel's bed while her niece rambled on about Barbra the Siamese. You can think on all of this later. Let's just enjoy time with your niece.
Dee Corcoran did just that.
