by Tina
Thanks so much for the great reviews :D Now... life's been busy lately and my brother's been using the computer way too much for my taste, lol! Which explains why the chapters are taking longer to come around... Sorry for that!
Note to brazilians: I don't know if that airport at the beach in Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont, is it?) makes international flights. If it doesn't, let's say Rachel switched planes in Cumbica (the international airport of São Paulo :P). It's pretty irrelevant, I know, but I get all sorts of e-mails and comments saying these things shrugs
Ross opened the door to Ella's old bedroom. He had to run a few adjustments here and there over the last few weeks to suit his daughter's current age and now it was perfect. The walls were still the same pale pink they were when she left, but the old crib was replaced by a small bed. Most of her toys had been taken back to the States, but Ross had bought new ones to refill her shelves. The room was rather large and, when visiting the furniture store, Ross couldn't help himself. It was now completely packed with all sorts of things for Ella.
Nothing would ever be too much for his princess.
He walked in and picked up one toy. That one was an old one, Ella had got it at the hospital the very day she was born. Despite the hardness of the circunstances, Ross still recalled that day with great affection.
His parents and the whole gang had flown down to Brazil to meet the baby. Rachel had a C-section this time, so she was able to set a date and everybody planned a one week trip. By then things were already rough between the two of them, but he always figured it was the pregnancy. Blaming her hormones was the easier choice.
He placed the stuffed animal down again and shook those thoughts away. That didn't matter now. What mattered was the next few weeks and all the plans he had for them. He felt he had the need to satisfy everyone. Mike was sure going to love it anyway, but he had to finally win Ella. And Rachel... as long as she could just realise how much this meant for him, it'd be enough.
He sighed and looked around the room one last time. For weeks now, this had been some sort of ritual. He would go there and long for the day they'd arrive.
And that day had finally come.
Why wasn't he prepared?!
Rachel couldn't control the sweating of her hands. Nor the mad butterflies in her belly and the strong beating of her heart. She dared looking out the window of the plane, to which Mike had his face pressed against. It was a sunny day outside, the sky was so blue. She managed to see a bit of the sea and green tops of mountains. At the flight atendants' message, she leaned against her chair and sighed.
They'd be landing in about fifteen minutes.
She looked down at Ella, between her and Mike and saw the girl simply clutching on the stuffed animal her father had given her on his last visit. Ella usually got tired of her toys after a week or so, but she hung on to that one. Rachel was glad she did, she knew this very simple act would make Ross' day. That and... oh, so much more.
Some time later, Rachel had picked all of her lugage and was leaving the gate, followed by her two children. Gradually, the language people were speaking changed. The familiar sound of the new language brought back memories. The musicality of the words she knew, the so many times she didn't know what people were speaking, what Ross was speaking... And many other irrelevant moments to the matter.
It was all just very much discomforting.
Without noticing, they were already out and surrounded by many people who were waiting for the other passengers.
"Mike, stay around, sweetie"
Rachel held Ella's hand with one of hers and pushed the cart with another, while Mike wandered around looking for Ross.
"Mike, come here!"
Mike looked back at his mother for just a moment, and then continued his journey. Rachel sighed, Mike was only reluctant to listening to her when it came to Ross. She absolutely hated that. When the boy ran and became out of sight, Rachel panicked.
"Michael Geller Green, come back here!"
And Ross stepped closer between a group of people, holding Mike on his arms. He couldn't understand the angry look on Rachel's face.
"What, what is it? What happened?"
Rachel ignored him and looked straight at Mike.
"Don't you ever do that again, Mike, do you understand me?"
"But I'd seen dad!"
"I don't care, you don't just run away like that in an unknown place out of my sight! And don't you dare ignore me like that again!"
Rachel's outburst took Ross by surprise. He knew her too well, though. Even though Mike's actions had been indeed very wrong, she would normally not talk to him like that. Other things were bothering her and she took it out on Mike. He wasn't about to blame her though. He looked down at the final realisation that the next couple of weeks were not going to be a fairy tale. Too many emotions were being hidden and disguised. And they were going to end up rising once in a while, one way or another.
He put Mike down and knelt down next to him.
"Did you ignore your mother, Mike?"
The little boy looked down.
"It's just that I'd seen you and I wanted to talk to you and she told me to wait and I didn't want to wait anymore!"
Ross and Rachel were both touched by that, but did't want to show. They couldn't let Mike's round blue eyes get away with everything, as much as they were tempted to, sometimes.
"I get that, son, and I apreciate it too. I didn't want to wait, either. But you can't treat your mother like this." the boy remained in silence. "Understood?" he just shook his head yes, still looking gloomy. Ross quickly looked up at Rachel before hugging Mike again. "Now, we're all here and we're gonna have a good time, right?"
When he pulled away he saw a faint yet genuine smile on his son's face. Shifting his sight again, he finally noticed Ella, who was just watching the whole scene with curious eyes. Sometimes he couldn't believe how gorgeous she was. Everytime he remembered her or looked at a picture, he thought he ought to be mistaken. No one could be that beautiful. But she so was.
"Hi Ella!"
Ross hugged her tight. Her tiny arms barely reached his back, but it didn't matter to him.
"How was the flight?"
She shrugged, shy.
"Good"
Such a soft and sweet voice.
He finally stood up and looked at Rachel. Despite the tired looks, he could say about her the very same things he thought about Ella.
"Hi, Rachel"
They politely hugged. He had to hold his breath to prevent himself from smelling her hair.
"Hey"
"How was the flight?"
"Well, long" he chuckled more out of politeness than anything "These guys got to sleep a lot, but I'm afraid I'm gonna have to go to bed earlier today"
"That's fine" he smiled. "Here, let me help you"
He took the cart from her.
"Oh, thanks"
On their practicly silent way to the parking lot - Mike seemed to still be upset - Ross' eyes recognised the stuffed animal Ella was holding and smiled to himself. When they reached his car, Rachel sighed. A black Jaguar, she should had known. The Mercedes didn't last for too long, why would the BMW? Same old Rio Ross, as she'd nick named him.
"Don't get fooled, Rachel" she mentally told herself.
After all the lugages had been loaded, she entered on the front seat beside him while the kids had trouble getting on the back.
"Put the seat belt on, guys, c'mon"
"It's hurting my neck" Mike held the cords with his hand, trying to avoid it to rub against his neck.
"Here" Ross helped him adjust the height and Mike smiled.
"Thanks, dad"
"Mommy!!" Ella's helpless voice caught their atention. The little girl appeared to be tangled.
Rachel couldn't help but chuckle. But before she could help, Ross was already at it.
"Does she use a car seat, still?" Ross turned and asked Rachel.
"Yes"
"Damn, I should've thought of that!"
The hard disapoitment portrayed in Ross' face for such a foolish thing did something to Rachel.
"Hey, don't worry"
He looked down at her hand which was touching his arm, surprised. When he looked back at her, she took it off and approached Ella.
After the seat belt fiasco had been solved, they were finally out of the parking lot, now with a lighter spirit.
The city which had been Rachel's home for a whole year was such a strange contrast between familiar and unknown. She realised she never really took the time to allow herself to get to know it, to come to love it. She couldn't. She wasn't supposed to. She'd be betraying so many ideals and plans. The life as she knew it.
Common sense.
It was like recognising something from a dream, a dejavú. You remember it so vividly, and at the same time so distorted.
She was completely oblivious to the conversation Ross and Mike were having. It seemed as if Ross was pointing out names of the places, while Rachel recalled memories of them. The hotel where they'd lived for a few months before they bought their apartment, the beach where she'd exercise every morning, the place where she'd take the kids in the afternoon for ice cream, the restaurant Ross had taken her once to. Standing on that bench completely by herself, watching as people passed by, played soccer on the sand, jumped from the big rock in Delta Wings. Just wondering, wandering,...
Quickly enough they were already driving down Barra da Tijuca beach, where Ross lived. Rachel remembered it was her who insisted on buying that particular apartment. The neighbourhood was quiet, full of little yet luxious apartments. It didn't look much like the rest of the city, it looked like a small resident area in Florida. Since Rachel didn't even get the time to look for a job there - and, honestly, she never intended to -, she spent most of her time in that neighbourhood. Mike's school was there and it was full of shopping malls. What else could she ask for in that one year?
And then something popped into Rachel's head.
"How's Flávia?" she didn't even realise she'd just cut Ross' sentense.
Nevertheless, he smiled.
"She's fine. I actually ran into her the other day and I told her you were coming. She's gonna give you a call so you can go out, just the two of you, if you feel like it some of these days"
Rachel looked back straight ahead. That'd be nice.
"Who's Flávia?" Mike questioned.
"She was my- our Portuguese teacher, don't you remember her, Mike?" The little boy shook his head. "Yeah, she'd come over everyday and spend some time with us, to teach us the language and help us doing our things like shopping and all"
But more than that, Flávia was the only person Rachel had to talk to those days. And she got paid for it.
She sighed and looked out the window again. Yes, being back was sure painful. So many memories she wished she could keep locked somewhere behind her mind, so many things she wished she'd forget, demons she wished she didn't have to face one more time. The garage door opened as did a little window in Rachel, releasing things she prayed and finally believed she'd lost along the way.
She was so wrong.
This is it for now. I was hoping I'd go farther, but I believe if I don't post this now, it'll take me a long time to do it! This is kinda of boring, yeah... But it'll get better soon (lol, I say this all the time, I know). I've just been very busy, sorry...! Either way, I already got the beginning of next chapter. I just didnt add it here 'cause it would mess up the structure of the story!
Hm, reviews?? :D