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Chapter 23: Heart of Gold

"Do you not think it could be a coincidence?" Eddie whispered to Rachel as they stood outside her office.

"Oh Eddie," she glanced at him, "I highly doubt it."

Eddie sighed, and placed a hand on her shoulder. All he wanted to do was to wrap her up in her arms, convince her that everything was going to be alright in the way that works best. Yet Joyce was sitting at her desk just a metre or so away. And he was aware that anyone could walk into the room at any moment, so settled for this more discreet form of comfort.

"So do I Rach. But we can't be sure, can we? We need to be sure before we start jumping to conclusions."

Rachel nodded, agreeing with him entirely. Eddie's words and supportive hand had calmed her instantly. She angled her body towards him slightly more, with hopes of showing him just that.

"In the next hour or so, we should have been sent all the necessary safeguarding forms, from her legal guardian. The information about Mollie's...birth parents should be on there."

Eddie smiled softly. He was unable to hold back just how proud he was of Rachel for composing herself within a matter of minutes. He really didn't know how she did it, day in day out. Bringing his free hand up to Rachel's other shoulder, he gently turned her to face him. He squeezed her shoulders lightly, hoping to show that pride he had felt just moments ago.

"It'll be okay Rachel."

She nodded, smiling her thanks.

Eddie dropped his hands, allowing one of them to covertly reach for her hand to rub the back of it gently.

Rachel glanced up at him, and he could see every ounce of feeling swimming in her eyes. Seeing as he had to reign in his emotions slightly whilst at work, Eddie settled for mouthing I love you. He received the desired effect - Rachel suppressed a giggle before reciprocating his action.

He didn't take his eyes off of her until she was back in her office. Just as much as Eddie was reassuring her, he couldn't stop his own mind from running into overdrive. It was Rachel who was at the forefront of it. He cared about her deeply, and it utterly pained him to see her go through such tiresome times. He was worried about her. Others may not be able to see past her facade, but he could. Expertly. And this was certainly affecting her more than she was letting on. She deserved the absolute world, and it almost angered Eddie that she wasn't getting exactly that.

….

Rachel didn't know if her mind was playing tricks on her or not. It seemed that now the possibility of Melissa being Mollie's mother was in her mind, she was aware of how similar they were. From the girl's eyes down to her mannerisms, she was every inch of an eleven year old Melissa. It unnerved Rachel, to think that this young girl could be her niece. Rachel had spent the past thirteen days convincing herself to not get involved in Mel's life again. Yet here she was. It seemed her life couldn't escape Melissa's world and all the consequences that came with it. Still with these thoughts came a pang of guilt. Despite everything, despite her selfishness and heartlessness, Melissa was her sister. The question was, would Melissa also be feeling this way if the tables were turned?

Realising that she had been silent for too long, Rachel gathered up Mollie's timetable. The girl herself remained seated on the sofa, anxiously biting her nails and tapping her foot.

Rachel knew that she couldn't let slip any of her personal thoughts to this new pupil. She had to treat her like any other student at Waterloo Road. Besides, Rachel shook herself mentally, she didn't even know if this was Melissa's daughter for sure. Not yet.

"Right, Mollie," the girl looked up as Rachel spoke. She looked slightly less nervous now, but the apprehensive movements remained, "I have your timetables here. Looks like you've got… French now, with Miss Haydock, the lady who brought you up here earlier."

Mollie merely nodded, with Rachel smiling in return. They began to make their way to the french classroom after Rachel realised the girl wouldn't have a clue how to get there. It seemed that the shock of this whole situation was having a significant impact on her.

"I'm not used to this. School."

Rachel was somewhat surprised at Mollie's sudden stab at conversation, given that so far, their walk to the classroom had mainly consisted of silence.

"Oh, really? Why's that?"

She brought Mollie to a halt a few metres away from her destination. Rachel sensed that the girl was perhaps willing to open up to her. Seemingly, this was a miracle, after what? Thirty minutes in her company. If she was Melissa's daughter, she certainly wasn't anything like her auntie in that respect.

"Julie my… adopted mum, she's always home schooled me."

Rachel smiled slightly, leaning down an inch so that she could be heard better by Mollie.

"Well, I can assure you Mollie… that, at Waterloo Road, we will make you feel as welcome as possible."

The girl nodded and smiled at her headteacher, before making a move to the classroom.

"If you need anything Mollie, or if you have any questions. Just pop and see me, alright?"

"Thanks erm… miss?"

"Mason, miss Mason."

Sighing as she watched Mollie walk away, Rachel concluded that she couldn't quite believe this was happening. She just hoped that the information regarding Mollie was now available. Rachel wasn't sure how much more she could take of the unknown.

….

Rachel felt sick. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about the sheet of paper sitting on her desk. Mollie was Melissa's daughter. She was her niece. Rachel couldn't quite grasp the concept. What caused Melissa to leave when her daughter was young? Was Philip aware of all this?

Too many questions and very little answers were circulating in Rachel's brain. But one other phenomenon seemed to spring to mind as Rachel read over the information once more. There was no mention of a father. Who was Mollie's dad? Did she share the same father as Philip? It was unlikely, given the five year age gap and Melissa's break up from Philip's father when he was a baby. None of this made sense.

As Rachel collapsed her head into her hands, her mind only drifted to one person. Eddie, the only person who seemed able to calm her irrational thoughts in a situation such as this one. Yet he was teaching, and she couldn't disturb his lesson. It was frankly unnecessary and…

"Eddie?"

As Rachel's office door swung open, she was overwhelmed to see the very man standing in front of her desk.

She stood up to be level with him, "you have a lesson don't you?"

"Yes but… Hayley is covering it. I couldn't stop thinking about everything Rachel. I had to be here, to support you."

Despite the circumstances, Rachel felt an unbelievable swell of emotion and love for Eddie in that moment. It was just a mark of how incredible he was, and how he truly could calm her erratic thoughts.

She walked around the desk and towards the sofas, sitting down and gesturing for Eddie to follow. He did, and it wasn't long before Rachel was explaining everything and showing him the notes from Mollie's file. Her own words made Rachel shiver. It was as if saying it out loud made it all the more real.

Eddie instantly wrapped his arms around her, shifting his weight so that they were more comfortable. Rachel was entirely grateful that this was his first gesture. She needed comfort first and foremost. It was undoubtedly certain that Eddie could give that to her.

He planted a kiss into her hair before beginning to speak.

"What about Philip, do you think he knows about this?"

Rachel shrugged, "I guess we are going to find out. We have to approach the subject with him, either way. We can't have him questioning Mollie's surname, just as we did earlier."

"Mollie said that her mum… Melissa," Rachel continued, glancing up at Eddie, "left when she was young. Too young to remember by the sounds of it. I don't understand how she could do that Eddie… especially after everything we went through as children."

Eddie sighed, "neither do I. But after her upping and leaving Philip, it doesn't come as the greatest surprise to me."

"Melissa never did learn from her mistakes."

Eddie nodded, planting another kiss in Rachel's hair, "looks like she didn't follow your example with a heart of gold."

Rachel smiled sincerely now as she looked up at Eddie. Brushing his cheek with her fingers, she allowed him to tilt his head and kiss her palm lightly before she spoke.

"You're the one with the heart of gold, remember."

He chuckled in response, and with that sound of pure joy, Rachel allowed herself to believe for just one moment that everything would be okay.