Chapter 11

A smile stretched Rachel's lips at the sound of a soft knock at the door. Faith lifted her head from her bed in the corner of the room. "Come in."

The door creaked open and Lily limped into the bedroom, greeting Faith who ran to her side excitedly. She looked up to her parents who were cuddling in bed. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving." Rachel grinned as she pulled herself out of Finn's arms and scooted towards her end of the king-sized bed.

Finn scooted over too and patted the middle of the bed. "Already have the parade on. We thought you were going to sleep in a little later though."

Lily shook her head as she slowly crawled into the middle of the bed, carefully avoiding aggravating her injuries. "It's tradition. Besides, sleep hasn't been too easy."

Rachel frowned at her last comment. She was all too familiar with sleep trouble due to trauma and injuries. However, warmth spread throughout her body that even at sixteen years old, Lily was lying in bed with them watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was a tradition of the Berry-Hudson clan since Rachel and Finn first moved in together. Liam and Lily gathered in their bed and watched the duration of the parade together. It somehow managed to continue even as Lily and Liam reached their teenage years, although they now often made their way into the bedroom a little bit after the start of the parade. It was moments like this that Rachel cherished.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Finn asked.

"Not really." Lily shrugged. "And not because I'm pushing you guys away but I kind of just want to try to enjoy the holiday."

Finn offered his daughter a smile and reached over to plant a kiss on her forehead. "That's fair."

Thirty minutes after the start of the parade, the door clicked open again and this time it was Liam to stroll into the bedroom. "Hey, I usually beat you here."

"Not this year." Lily spit her tongue out at her brother teasingly and he hopped onto the bed and squeezed between Lily and Finn. Faith followed, squeezing herself in between Lily and Liam.

"We may need a bigger bed next year when this little girl joins us." Rachel laughed as she rubbed her stomach, seemingly growing by the day.

"How come you never performed at the parade?" Lily asked as Broadway stars performed a medley on the television mounted on the wall ahead of them.

"I didn't want to miss this." Rachel said, motioning towards them.

"Wait so they asked you?" Lily's eyebrows rose.

"Many times. Every year at the beginning of my career." Rachel nodded. "It would have been cool, but it definitely wouldn't have beat this tradition. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I wouldn't miss it with you guys for anything."

Finn met Rachel's eyes and his heart skipped a beat. As ambitious as Rachel was and as big as the dreams she chased were, she always put her children first. Even now that they were teenagers and were less dependent. It was one of the things Finn loved about his wife the most.

"It smells so good in here." Liam groaned as he entered the kitchen. He grabbed a small piece of cornbread from the tray on the counter.

"Um excuse me." Rachel raised an eyebrow at her son.

"Nobody is going to know one is missing. There's enough for everyone living in New York." Liam chuckled as he shoved a piece of the bread into his mouth. He and Finn always tried to sneak food during holidays and Rachel always scolded them. Rachel never failed at making enough food to send generous leftovers home with everyone and still have a surplus no matter how many people came. Carol, Burt, Leroy, Hiram, Kurt, Blaine, and their 4-year-old daughter Adeline always attended the Berry Hudson Thanksgiving, but they sometimes had additional guests. "But would it be okay to add another guest?"

"Who?" Rachel asked as she slid a tray of green bean casserole into the oven.

"Andrew. His parents are flying to Florida as we speak. His Grandma's in the hospital. She's okay. She fell and broke her hip but she's going to need help." Liam explained. "He was invited to his aunt's, but she lives upstate and his other crazy aunt is going so I felt bad and invited him here."

"Oh my goodness. Of course. He's always welcome here." Rachel said. "I'll check in with his mom later. He's welcome to stay here while they're gone."

"I'll tell him." Liam nodded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. After texting Andrew, he slid his phone back into his pocket and glanced at the organized food preparation occurring in the kitchen. He knew his sister was always in the kitchen assisting Rachel with cooking for holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was something she started doing when she was four. It started with simple mixing of ingredients or pouring milk or melted butter into a bowl, but now she usually made a few of her own dishes. A broken wrist and a leg with multiple injuries prohibited her from participating in the cooking this year and Liam knew that both his sister and mother were missing that tradition. "Do you need help?"

"Thank you, but I got it." Rachel offered her son a smile and gently patted his arm as she passed by him to grab a pot by the cabinet he stood by. Not only was Lily's presence in the kitchen a bonding experience, but she also made it easier and Rachel was noticing just how much her daughter normally did. But she also knew that her son's help would most likely result in him eating food and her stopping to explain what needed to be done.

"You don't need a taste tester?" Liam grinned as his eyes scanned the different types of food around the kitchen.

A chuckle left Rachel's lips. "No. I think I've got it under control. Go watch the game with your father."

"I mean if you're demanding me to…" Liam shrugged with a smirk, earning another laugh from his mother before he strolled into the living room to join his father on the couch.

"Andrew." Lily breathed when she met his eyes after exiting her room.

Andrew swore all oxygen escaped his lungs as his gaze fell on the brunette. Long, shiny locks cascaded down her back in loose waves. She wore a burnt orange, wrap sweater dress that wasn't tightly fitted but hugged her curves. "L-lily. Hey...happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving." She flashed her contagious smile and it made his stomach flip. "What are you doing here?"

"My parents had to fly out to my grandma. She fell this morning and broke her hip." Andrew watched Lily's face contort with worry. "She's okay. But she's going to need a lot of help."

"I'm sorry. I hope she has a speedy recovery." Lily frowned. "But you know you're always welcome."

"Thanks. I'd much rather hang out with you guys than my extended family." He laughed, earning a smile from Lily. He glanced at the braces decorating her wrist, knee, and ankle. "How are you feeling?

Lily pursed her lips and she shrugged. "It's getting there."

"You look good." He smiled. "I mean you always look beautiful, but you look good."

"Thanks." Lily blushed before she pointed towards the stairs. "I think they're watching the football game down there. I was just about to go down."

"Yes, halftime is just about over. Your dad, Liam, and Burt are watching. Carol's in the kitchen helping your mom." Andrew noted the way Lily's face faltered slightly. "I know you're usually in there with her."

"Yeah, but at least I don't have to run back and forth between the kitchen and living room to see what's happening in the game." She said, earning a small laugh from Andrew. "Is it still tied?"

"Still tied." Andrew nodded, watching Lily start for the stairs. "Can I help you down?"

"I've got it." Lily insisted.

Andrew watched her grimace as she slowly started down the stairs. He quickly moved to her side. "Can I please help? I know someone usually helps you with the stairs and you're supposed to be off that leg as much as possible."

Lily hesitated before succumbing to his pleading eyes. "Okay."

Andrew wrapped an arm around her waist to support her. Warmth spread throughout her body and her breath got caught in her throat. His hand resting on her hip felt like it was emitting an electric current throughout her body. His eyes caught hers and she felt her heart quicken. What was this effect he was having on her lately?

Andrew's own heart was galloping in his chest as Lily's arm snaked around his shoulder. Her sweet, but subtle vanilla scent made butterflies dance in his stomach.

"There's my beautiful granddaughter!" Burt grinned when Lily and Andrew reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Hi, Grandpa." Lily smiled as he rose from his spot on the couch beside Finn. Disappointment settled in Lily's stomach when Andrew's hand left her body and it was another feeling that confused her. "Thanks, Andrew."

He flashed a smile and she felt her knees go weak. "My pleasure."

Burt made his way over to Lily and greeted her with a hug. "You joining us for the second half?"

"Sure am." Lily nodded.

"So I have an announcement to make." Rachel said after placing the last dish onto the dining room table. She began to untie the apron hanging around her neck, earning curious eyes from the majority of the people surrounding the table. Carol and Hiram both shifted in their seats giddily, both making a guess as to what the announcement could be. "It's about to be obvious when I take off the apron."

Kurt gasped. "Are you…"

Rachel nodded excitedly as she pulled off the apron, revealing the bump in her otherwise thin frame. "I'm pregnant!"

Squeals erupted in the dining room followed by the chairs screeching against the wooden floor as Kurt, Blaine, Carol, Hiram, and Leroy all ran to swarm Rachel. Kurt placed his hand on his friend's belly. "How far along are you? This is passed the risky part right?"

"Yes. I'll be 18 weeks tomorrow." An ear to ear smile decorated Rachel's face as she glanced at the joyous faces around her. "We did have a little scare and I'm considered high risk because my amniotic fluids are below normal, but so far she is doing very well despite that."

"She?" Carol squeaked. "It's a girl? Another girl?"

Finn chuckled as he nodded. "Yes. It's a girl."

Another round of squeals sounded throughout the room. Hiram wrapped his arms around her daughter and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'm so happy for you, baby!"

They were all happy for her and Finn. They all knew of the long history of struggling the two had with conceiving and miscarriages. It was over three years ago that the two had excitedly announced they were pregnant after a year and a half of trying. It was shortly after they tried a second fertility treatment. They were ecstatic. They called their parents the day after Rachel confirmed the pregnancy with her doctor. They told their friends and co-workers a few weeks later. But it was only a couple of weeks after their announcements that Rachel woke up in the middle of the night with horrible cramping and bleeding. They had been absolutely crushed. The second time Rachel was pregnant, they waited until she was past eight weeks to announce it to their family and friends when the risk of miscarriage decreased drastically. But two days after their announcement, Rachel found herself bleeding during one of her rehearsals and called Finn hysterically. The next two pregnancies they kept between each other. The third pregnancy they only told their parents, and the fourth they kept between each other. They all knew the toll the lack of conceiving and the multiple miscarriages took on them, especially Rachel.

"Thank you. Let's sit and eat though before the food gets cold." Rachel waved for everyone to return to their seats and Liam was the first to jump at the chance to scoop food on his plate.

"Well, this makes our news a little more exciting," Leroy said as he glanced at his husband, sitting next to him.

Rachel's eyebrows knitted together as she glanced back and forth between her fathers. "What is it?"

"We've both decided to retire so we can move here to New York," Hiram announced.

"Are you serious?" Rachel's voice raised an octave as a wide grin stretched her lips. The grin somehow grew when both her fathers nodded. "That's great!"

"Congratulations on your retirement." Finn smiled at his fathers-in-law. Their careers were the only thing keeping them in Ohio for the past fifteen years. They came to visit often, but it wasn't the same. Carol and Burt had moved to New York once Rachel, Finn, and Kurt graduated from college and confirmed their permanent residence there. Life was so much easier with his parents a phone call away when Lily and Liam were still young and Rachel and Finn were both beginning their careers. Especially when they were dealing with Liam's chronic ear infections when he was six, which led to surgeries and him needing to repeat first grade due to long term absences.

"We're actually looking at some places at the beginning of next week," Leroy said before shoving a forkful of turkey into his mouth. "We were originally planning on moving by summer, but I think we may have to speed things up now. Do you have a due date?"

"May 1st." Rachel's hand found her stomach again.

"Looks like we'll be moving here by spring then." Hiram grinned as he scooped a chunk of stuffing into his plate.

"Wow, so much exciting news." Carol smiled.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Finn caught Rachel's eye and winked as lips curved up. This month was anything but easy and there was still so much unknown, so much anxiety. But they couldn't be more grateful for the people surrounding them.

Thanks for reading! Hope this chapter's ending wasn't too cheesy. I had the intention of getting this out before Thanksgiving, but hope you still enjoyed it. More to come soon!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving!