A/N- I'm tentatively writing again. I hope all of you reading are safe and well.
Chapter 20: Who's Carrie?
Rachel's eyebrows crumpled in confusion. Her thoughts started racing.
'Who the hell is Carrie?'
'Why am I being compared to Carrie?'
Of course her ever faithful ED voice was telling her that Carrie was probably someone who stuck to their diet.
Quinn pulled Rachel close to her and, whispered in her ear. "It's OK Ray. Nothing is wrong with you. "
Shelby cut her eyes at her Mother as she made her way over to Rachel and Quinn." Rachel, this is your Grandmother Lauren Corcoran. "
Lauren composed herself, and walked up to Rachel, taking her in." Hello, Rachel, it's about time we met." She says giving Shelby a look.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Rachel says politely.
"Shelby she looks like a mini version of you." Lauren gushes.
Shelby smiles proud and wide. "Thanks Mom."
"Who is this other young lady?" Lauren asks, finally gazing in Quinn's direction since they stepped into the room.
"This is Rachel's girlfriend Lucy Quinn Fabray." Shelby says.
"Fabray… As in Russell Fabray?" Lauren asks, giving Quinn a once over.
"He is my Father but I'm nothing like him, not anymore." Quinn says respectfully.
"Could we please stop speaking in riddles? Who the hell is Carrie?" Rachel asks.
"Why don't we all have a seat." Shelby suggests, taking Rachel's free hand and pulling her into the living room and down onto the couch.
"Carrie was my baby sister." Shelby starts. "She was beautiful. To know her was to love her. But she was so fragile. After I decided not to go to college, and I moved here and had you, the whole situation. It caused a divide between your grandparents and I. Carrie fell under the pressure to go to college and make Mom and Dad proud in all the ways I didn't. She became withdrawn. She would hardly come home. She would dodge visits and phone calls. Until finally your grandma Lauren had enough and went to see her. And when she found her in her dorm…" Shelby broke down and let the tears flow.
Rachel found herself dabbing at her own eyes. Seeing the pain on her Mother's face brought tears to her eyes." What happened to her? " she asked softly.
" She was skin and bones. " Lauren answers through her own tears. "She had starved and vomited herself to death." She says finishing the story.
"Oh… And you're saying I look like her because… I'm skin and bones?" Rachel slowly begins to connect the dots.
"Ray, I didn't ask your grandma to come here to punish you or make you feel ambushed. Your grandma has waited so long to meet you and I thought it was a good time for her to come now." Shelby said.
Quinn had sat there and held Rachel's hand the whole time. She had questions of her own but would wait until later to ask them.
" I just want you to know you have more than your Mother to love and support you through this Rachel. " Lauren said.
Rachel nodded. It was a lot to take in. "I'm sorry about what happened to Aunt Carrie Mom. I'm sorry for what I've been putting you through. I'm going to try to beat this." She said. She meant it. She was going to try.
