Happy Early 4th of July everyone (for my USA readers), and a hearty hello to all. Thanks for the feedback and stay safe!
Rachel snuggled under the familiarity of her comforter in her bedroom. It was a real treat just be home, in her full size bed after her unfamiliar cramped quarters in Bushwick. The apartment did have it charms, but as Dorothy wisely said in The Wizard of Oz, there's 'no place like home' – especially on a birthday.
"Happy Sweet 18," Hiram sang out, carrying a full breakfast tray.
Rachel sat up, stretching her arms. "Best Christmas break ever," she sighed.
"And you told your friends that you are ours for the day," Hiram reminded her. "Your Dad and I have plans for you."
Rachel nodded, digging into her French toast. "Do I get a hint?"
"You may want to have a song or two prepared," Hiram teased, stepping out of the bedroom.
Rachel reached for her tropical orange juice, eyeing the picture of Finn on her nightstand. He was still due to come back to Ohio around Christmas. "Please come home," she whispered, kissing the photograph.
"So your surprise involves a soundstage," Rachel noted as they stepped into a well-lit auditorium. "Am I performing with anyone special?"
"I should say so!" A distinctly feminine voice sent chills up Rachel's spine. It had been over a year since she had heard it.
"Mom!" Rachel called out, darting past her Dads. "Mom?"
"Happy Birthday, baby." Shelby Corcoran pulled her daughter close.
Rachel leaned into her mother. "I've missed you." Rachel's story with her mother was full of starts and near misses. Shelby was a young up and comer when she agreed to help LeRoy and Hiram have a baby. The money provided her set her up comfortably, but there was a condition that prevented her from reaching out to her daughter. By the time Rachel was in high school, Shelby felt bold enough to reach out. She was coaching a rival glee club at the time and knew that her path with Rachel would cross eventually. After the inevitable fallout from the revelation, Rachel felt able to talk to Shelby and eventually be able to give her the title of 'Mom'.
"How has my favorite star been?"
"Well from a professional standpoint, never better: I was one of the only freshmen to sing at the NYADA Winter Showcase."
Shelby pulled Rachel to a corner of the stage to sit. "And personally?" she hedged.
"Finn and I are still together."
"Stronger than ever?"
"It really depends," Rachel admitted. "When I'm with him – really with him – I feel like we're invincible, that nothing could ever split us up. But when we're apart – it seems so difficult."
"I remember young love," Shelby sighed. "I just hope you aren't letting love get in the way of your big dreams."
"I told you how well NYADA is going," Rachel laughed.
"Think beyond NYADA," Shelby encouraged. "What do you want to do when you graduate from there?"
Rachel closed her eyes. "I've love my name on a Broadway marquee with bright lights, playing to packed and adoring audiences every night."
"You make sure you don't lose track of those dreams," Shelby warned her. "Boys have a way of getting in the way of certain plans. Before I met your dads, I had my own dreams, only to be strewn to the wayside when I got with the wrong guy."
"Finn is not the wrong guy," Rachel insisted.
"But you don't know if he's 'the guy' for you," Shelby insisted.
"I believe him to be. He fits in with my plans."
"How does he fit in your plans when he's in the Army?"
"He won't be there forever. When he wakes up and decides to come back to Ohio or maybe to New York with me, I'll be ready for him."
"You just keep pursuing your dreams," Shelby warned. "Take a mother's advice and her birthday present." Shelby presented Rachel with a small silver box.
"You didn't have to get me anything – you being here is plenty," Rachel gushed, opening the box. Tucked inside was an antique star pin.
"It was given to me on my 18th birthday and brought me a little bit of luck. I'm sure it will do the same for you." Shelby hugged Rachel tight. "You are your own star Rachel, you don't need anyone else to shine bright – remember that."
Rachel felt tears begin to prickle in her eyes. "I will," she promised, allowing Shelby to attach the star to her right shoulder. "Are you back in Ohio for good?" she asked, eager to change the subject.
"I'm actually following a dream to New York," Shelby admitted. "It's another reason I wanted to see you again. I'm thinking of starting a daycare exclusively for the Broadway community – both on stage and behind the scenes. I have a business partner, and I've found an ideal location for the business, just outside of the heart of Broadway. And it's the perfect place for Beth." Beth was Shelby's adopted daughter that resulted from Quinn and Puck's brief period of hooking up in high school. "She'll be one of the older kids there, but it lets me keep her during the day before she goes to public school." Shelby pulled out pictures.
"I think of her as my sister," Rachel admitted. "She has Quinn's golden locks, and what looks like Puck's nose."
"I think she's perfect."
Rachel listened patiently as Shelby told her all of the milestones that Beth was reaching, milestones that she was never able to have with Shelby. It was clear that Beth was Shelby's second chance at motherhood and she was enjoying it very much. The ladies culminated their special day in an afternoon of duets and solos, with Rachel recreating her number from the Winter Showcase.