A/N – Hey, everyone. I'm really sorry about the delay in getting this chapter posted. My best friend is moving to the other side of the world in a few days and I've been spending as much time as possible with her before she leaves. I'm extremely excited for her, but will miss her so much.
Anyway, I really hope you like this chapter. Thank you all so much for your reviews and messages and for reading. It means so much to me.
Disclaimer – I don't own Glee.
Shelby made sure to set her alarm for that morning so she wouldn't sleep too long and keep Rachel waiting. Rachel had talked last night about getting an early start and Shelby calculated the drive to Columbus into her decision to get up at 5:05 on a Saturday morning. She sat in her bed for a few minutes in a daze as she tried to brush off the sleep. She looked longingly out at the moon and knew she should still be asleep. But Rachel wanted to go early and if that's what Rachel wanted, she would do it.
Shelby dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom so she could shower and get dressed. She expected to see everyone up and having breakfast by the time she made it downstairs at six so she was surprised when she was greeted by an empty kitchen. There was no coffee ready or breakfast made and most importantly, there were no people. Was this some kind of joke? Shelby decided that she'd take the opportunity to surprise the family and make breakfast for them. They'd probably be downstairs soon.
By 8:30 she was on her fourth cup of coffee and she'd eaten three pancakes and some bacon and only fixed herself some eggs. Everything else was there and waiting but was now cold because the members of the Berry family had yet to appear. Shelby was sitting in the living room watching a weepy Lifetime movie when she finally heard someone on the stairs.
"Morning," LeRoy greeted sleepily. He was just in a t-shirt and sweats. "You're up early. And you made breakfast!" he said as he surveyed the kitchen.
"Don't get too excited," Shelby said. "It's all cold. Rachel said she wanted to get an early start today so I made sure to get up and get ready. But I haven't seen her yet. She was up so early yesterday. You all were."
"She had school yesterday," LeRoy said. "Even Rachel sleeps in on the weekends. But I heard her stirring around. I think she's getting ready to take a shower. How long have you been up?"
"Since 5:05," Shelby said and she frowned when Leroy started to laugh.
"Are you sure you're ready to go out there with her?" LeRoy asked as he poured himself some coffee.
"Of course," Shelby said. "I want to spend as much time as possible with her and she and Kurt are excited about the trip and-"
"I meant because of the news just breaking," Leroy cut her off kindly. "I know no one knows you're going to be in Columbus, but they're looking for you here and it's not going to take very long for people to put it together."
"Oh," Shelby said. "Yeah. If we see anyone I'll handle it. The ability to ignore really is a fine art."
"It won't be as easy for the kids though," LeRoy reminded her. "You're used to it."
"I actually don't get bothered that much in New York," Shelby said. "A picture will show up occasionally, but no one really cares. Even in L.A. it's not so bad. I'm not young and fresh anymore. I'm too boring."
"I think this news is going to make you anything but boring for a while," LeRoy said.
"We'll be fine," Shelby said. "I'll talk to the kids so they know not to engage anyone and to let me handle it. I'm not going to let anything happen to them."
"I know that, Shelby," LeRoy said.
"Good morning," Hiram said as he made his way down the stairs. "Oh, pancakes!"
"They're cold," Shelby said.
Hiram stared at them for a second and then picked one up and took a bite. "Doesn't matter," he said with a mouth full. Shelby laughed as LeRoy rolled his eyes.
Shelby was surprised when she had seen Rachel come downstairs dressed up with her hair done perfectly. The pretty blue dress she was wearing made it look like they were going to a fancy dinner and not to the mall on a Saturday morning. From the short time she had been around the girl, Shelby had gathered that Rachel's view of casual didn't really mesh with everyone else's, but still, this was more dressed up than normal. By contrast, Shelby was in jeans and a sweatshirt and she had donned a Yankees cap and her sunglasses.
Thankfully there wasn't anyone around the house when they went outside to get in the car. She had seen a piece of the news last night about how she was still in Ohio, but Meredith had put out a rumor that Shelby was flying back to New York City early that morning. With any luck, the paparazzi would be waiting at the airport in New York and not stalking them in town. They had kind of met it head on by releasing a picture of Rachel so that the cameras were clamoring to get a shot of her. Meredith had told her that people wanted to see pictures of the two of them together and so Shelby knew once they were caught there wouldn't be any stopping the cameras.
Kurt was ready and waiting and he too was dressed perfectly and Shelby was beginning to wonder if she had somehow forgotten about a conversation they had. Had Rachel mentioned to her that this wasn't a casual affair? Oh well, it was too late now.
"Good morning, Kurt," Shelby greeted when he climbed into the car.
"Good morning," Kurt smiled widely. This was actually happening. He was spending the day with Shelby Corcoran. He had talked his father's ear about her the night before. Burt could probably give a speech about his new found knowledge of the Broadway star.
Shelby told stories and answered questions for the entire ride to Columbus to go to the mall. Kurt and Rachel had no shortage of things they wanted to talk about and she had no problems indulging them. She kept them entertained with stories of backstage antics; abridged of course for her teenage audience, and she gave them information about the things that go on at the Tony Awards that you never get to see on TV. The kids were enthralled. It was official; Shelby might just be the coolest person on the planet.
They were able to park fairly close to the mall and Shelby was pleased to see that there wasn't anyone lingering around. Rationally she knew that that most paparazzi were based in L.A. and New York, but she'd also learned that they could be everywhere. And there was no doubt that some of them had started to make their way to Ohio as soon as the news came out. Rachel and Kurt seemed to be looking around as well as Shelby ushered them into the mall.
The kids were pleased with this shopping suggestion because Lima didn't have anything that resembled a real mall like this. There were enough stores to occupy them for hours. Shelby hadn't understood the way Hiram and LeRoy had smirked at her when they said 'good luck' as she and Rachel left that morning.
"Where should we start?" Shelby asked. They had entered in the center and the mall branched off in five different directions from there.
"Let's go left," Kurt said.
"Right," Rachel said over top of him.
The two kids stepped in opposite directions leaving Shelby to reach out and grab two arms and pull them back.
"Let's stay together," Shelby said and she led them in a direction neither had chosen. Rachel wriggled her arm free and instead clasped onto Shelby's hand with her own. Kurt didn't dare move his arm as he had a silent freak out over the fact that Shelby Corcoran had grabbed his arm and hadn't let go. Best. Day. Ever.
Shelby was recognized in the second store they went in. It was a young teenage girl there with her mom and she timidly asked Shelby for an autograph and picture while Rachel and Kurt were looking around. Shelby obliged with a smile as the girl's mom readied her cell phone and snapped the photo. She could see it as soon as the girl and her mom left. Other people were now staring. She could see them trying to work out who she was. And she knew the moment it clicked.
"Mom," Rachel said as she walked up to Shelby. "Look what I found."
"Do you need one in every color?" Shelby asked as she looked at the five headbands in Rachel's hand. The kid behind the register was trying to look inconspicuous as he snapped a picture of them together.
"Yeah," Rachel said. "I have outfits that would match each of these. Can I get them, Mom, please?"
"Sure, sweetheart," Shelby said. "Go see if Kurt has anything."
Rachel's innocent face smirked a little devilishly as she turned away from her mom. That was so easy. That look rarely worked on her fathers anymore.
Kurt only had one thing and started to pull his money out only to have Shelby tap his hands for him to put it away. He gave a half-hearted argument but she waved him off. They could get out of there more quickly if they didn't have to wait for two transactions to go through. And besides, this was her treat. Shelby had told herself the night before that she was going to indulge Rachel and Kurt, but she wasn't going to let them get everything they wanted. She would set a limit and draw a line. So far so good, she reasoned.
By the time they finished in the fifth store, they'd gathered a small crowd and more than a few bags. Shelby hadn't bought anything for herself, but she was helping to carry the kids' bags. The people following them around all tried to appear like they just happened to be in every store at the same time, but Shelby knew better. And so did Kurt and Rachel.
"Did you see that lady taking our picture?" Rachel whispered to Kurt behind Shelby's back.
"Yeah," Kurt smiled. "I hope she got my good side. I did a double moisturizing routine this morning."
The first professional photographers, if they could be called that, showed up an hour later. There was no doubt that the cell phone pictures that had been snapped all day were landing on Facebook and Twitter. They were in the food court eating lunch and Shelby was doing her best to ignore them. Rachel and Kurt sat up a little bit straighter and turned to face them, naturally of course. Shelby rolled her eyes as she finally understood the reason for their attire. They were expecting this and looking forward to it. If they only really understood what it was like.
"Shelby, introduce us to your daughter," one photographer called out as they headed for an escalator to go back down to the main level of the mall and continue shopping.
"Look this way," another one said. "Rachel. Over here."
Rachel look, more on instinct than anything else, but she flashed an award worthy smile. Oh my god, she was getting papped! Kurt looked too smiled with an air of superiority. Yes, he was hanging out with Shelby Corcoran today. No, no; it's not a big deal. Shelby kept her gaze straight ahead.
They entered into another store and the photographers seemed to take a break and didn't follow them in and Shelby was glad for the break.
"Are you guys ok?" Shelby asked even though she already knew the answer to that.
"Perfect," Rachel answered. "They're not bothering us."
"We're just ignoring it," Kurt said with an uninterested shrug. Right, like bears ignore honey. They were eating it up.
They moved farther into the store and away from the prying photographers and Shelby jumped when Kurt suddenly squealed loudly.
"Oh my god, look at this dress," the boy exclaimed. "Rachel, try it on."
"It's not really my style," Rachel said.
"Exactly," Kurt said. "You'd look amazing in this. What do you think, Shelby?"
"It's a beautiful dress," Shelby couldn't help but agree. "But I don-"
"You like it?" Rachel asked, suddenly much more interested. "I'm going to try it on."
"Rachel, I don-"
"Here, can you hold my bags?" Rachel asked as she handed them over to Shelby.
"Sure," Shelby couldn't say much else. She sat down wearily on a bench outside of the dressing room while Kurt continued to look around. Shelby looked at her watch as she yawned. How was it only one in the afternoon? She was exhausted.
Rachel gaped at herself in the mirror with the black dress on. It wasn't anything like she would normally wear at all and she was pretty certain her fathers wouldn't like it very much, but she felt so grown up. It was strapless and low cut and she felt very grown up and sophisticated and refused to acknowledge that she didn't quite fill it out properly yet. The dress was clearly meant for someone older and Rachel knew she wouldn't be attending any cocktail parties anytime soon, but for some reason she just had to have this dress.
Shelby looked up when Kurt whistled and she saw her daughter standing in front of her wearing a dress meant for someone ten years Rachel's senior. The dress was short and tight and low cut and showed way too much cleavage and even Kurt was staring even though Shelby knew he wasn't interested. Shelby considered herself to be quite liberal and open and understanding, but the mother of a teenage girl shown through when she left all of their bags and jumped up and spun Rachel around and pushed her back into the dressing room. The last thing she needed was for one of the photographers to have come into the store and gotten a picture of Rachel in a dress like that.
"What do you think?" Rachel asked. She was admiring herself in the mirror.
"You look…" The words 'way too young to be in that dress' didn't come to her. "Rachel, I don't think that dress is right for you."
"But I like it," Rachel said. "I think it's beautiful."
"It is," Shelby agreed. "You just, um. It's not-"
"Can I get it?" Rachel asked.
No. Absolutely not. "Where would you wear it?"
"To a party or something like that," Rachel answered. "Don't they always say that every woman should have a little black dress?"
Shelby's immediate thought was that Rachel was not a woman. She was a girl. Fifteen, yes. But still a girl who had no use for a little black dress, especially not one like that. The thought that Rachel looked like she was playing dress up in a woman's closet made Shelby smile briefly, but the reality of Rachel's not so concealed assets were staring her in the face. Shelby wished she hadn't left her jacket out there with the bags because she wanted to cover Rachel up.
"Honey, I think you're a few years off from needing a little black dress," Shelby said as diplomatically as possible.
"Then I'll save it," Rachel said. "Please, Mom. I need this dress."
"Rachel, I don't think-"
"Please, Mom," Rachel pouted.
There was that look again. The one that made Shelby's eyes go soft and a smile appear on her lips.
"Ok," she relented. "But it has to sit in your closet for at least three years before you can even think of wearing it."
"Mom," Rachel chuckled and waved her off.
"Take it off now," Shelby said. "I'll wait right outside the door."
Shelby took the dress when Rachel handed it over the door and she looked at the price tag. $350. Jesus. She carried it out of the dressing room and found Kurt waiting with all their stuff.
"Wait here while I go and pay for this," Shelby said gently.
When she returned, Rachel was there and waiting with Kurt.
"Thank you, Mom," Rachel said delightedly.
"Now we need to find some shoes to go with it," Kurt announced and led them towards the entrance of the store. Shelby groaned. How many stores did this stupid mall have anyway?
Three hours later Shelby was practically dead on her feet though she was keeping up a brave face for the kids and the incessant photographers who wouldn't leave them alone. Kurt and Rachel still didn't mind their presence though Shelby was growing increasingly annoyed. The kids were happy to stop and pose when Shelby wanted to hurry them along.
"Give us one together," one photographer said when the neared a Starbucks. Shelby was so looking forward to the largest form of caffeine and espresso she could get. A vat would be sufficient.
Shelby dropped her bags down by one of the tables next to the Starbucks and went over to the photographers were snapped as many pictures as they could and also filming the entire thing.
"How about we make a deal," Shelby said to all of them. "Rachel and I will pose for a few pictures and then you guys will leave us alone. Surely you've got more than enough already. We're just trying to have a nice day with her friend." She was careful not to give his name out. "Alright?"
There was a round of agreements because she was right, they had a ton of pictures and the photographers were actually eager to get out of there and download what they had so they could start to sell them. They all just needed that one good one of mother and daughter together.
"Ok," Shelby nodded. She turned back and motioned for Rachel to come to her. "We're just going to take a few pictures and then they're going to leave."
"Ok," Rachel smiled widely. She'd been practicing for this her entire life.
Shelby put an arm around Rachel and they stood and smiled and accommodated every call for 'look over here' and ' this way, please.' She gave them less than a minute.
"Ok, that's enough," Shelby said. "We're going to have some coffee and you guys are leaving."
Pictures snapped even as Shelby and Rachel turned away, but true to their word, the photographers started to trickle out. There were some who lingered to get shots of them all sitting at the table together but within a few minutes they were gone. The crowds were still staring at them though. Shelby didn't even care as she inhaled her caffeinated goodness. Let them stare.
"What magazines do you think those pictures will be in?" Rachel asked as she too had some coffee. She assured her mother it was fine for her to have espresso shots as well.
"Probably lots of them," Kurt said with equal excitement. "I'm going to scour the internet to find some of the pictures when I get home."
"Most people don't enjoy being followed by the paparazzi," Shelby pointed out. "It borders on harassment sometimes."
"I've always known that I'd be famous enough to warrant photographers following me around; I just never knew it would be so soon," Rachel said. This would be an amazing chapter in her book one day.
Shelby just rolled her eyes and took another swig of her coffee. Had she really ever been that wide eyed and sure of herself? Her childhood wasn't as idyllic as Rachel's had been, but the reality of Shelby's dream world as a teenager wasn't too far from how Rachel saw herself now. It wasn't until later that she discovered how hard everything was. Shelby wasn't about to burst the bubble of that dream world for the two excited kids in front of her. She had recognized the vulnerability that lay beneath Rachel's seemingly never ending confidence and it was the quiet insecurities that she wanted to spare.
They were headed towards the exit when Shelby noticed a local news crew coming their way. The reporter was young and had a crazy eagerness in his eyes and was clearly thrilled to have spotted them.
"Ms. Corcoran, please, can I have a word?" he asked. "I'm Dan Hitchens and I promise I won't take up too much of your time. It's not every day we get a star of your caliber in our city. And with your recent news, I'd love to ask you a few questions."
"I'm sorry," Shelby said. "I am not giving any interviews at this time." And she certainly wasn't giving one to Dan Hitchens from Columbus, Ohio. He couldn't be more than 23-years-old.
"Oh, but it would just take a minute or two," Dan said.
"No," Shelby said again. "I will give you a brief statement that you can read on air when we are no longer here. But I won't give an interview or appear on camera and neither will these kids." She missed when Kurt and Rachel sighed in disappointment.
"Oh. Ok," Dan said. "I would love a statement."
"Ok," Shelby said. "I am thrilled- Do you want to write this down?"
"Oh yeah," Dan said and he fumbled for a second to pull out a small notepad and a pen. "Ready."
"I am thrilled to have connected with my daughter and getting to know her," Shelby said. "We ask for continued privacy in this family matter. Thank you." Short and precise and not at all the interview Dan's producers had hoped for when they sent him down to the mall when word spread that she was in town. But it was better than nothing, he reasoned.
"Thanks," Dan said and he smiled genuinely at her for the first time. "Will you, um, will you sign this?" He held out the notepad where he had scribbled her statement.
"Sure," Shelby said as she softened. He really was just a kid. She took his pen and signed below the statement she'd just made and handed it back.
"Thanks!" Dan was excited. He couldn't wait to show his mom. She was going to flip.
Shelby bid him the cameraman a gracious goodbye and led the kids out to the car.
Shelby wasn't sure if everything they bought was going to fit into the trunk of her rental car. Some of it was going to have to sit in the back with Kurt. Where had all of this stuff come from? She had told Rachel she couldn't have everything she wanted, right? Her credit card had certainly gotten a workout today.
They found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Columbus to have dinner and Shelby let them ask more questions. They talked about making movies and what it's like to be on a talk show and everything in between. She had expected the conversation would stay focused on her and her career and she promised herself she wouldn't change it because she wanted them to get their questions out of the way so that they could move past the fact that she was a star. So she was pleasantly surprised when the conversation turned to school and mundane things like homework and projects.
"Where are you on Mr. Johnson's paper?" Kurt asked.
"I haven't even started it," Rachel lamented.
"When is it due?" Shelby asked and both kids turned and stared at her like they'd momentarily forgotten she could hear them. They had that 'oh crap, Mom's asking about homework I haven't done' look in their eyes. Shelby was proud of herself in that moment. "What?"
"Nothing," Rachel said. "I'll get it done."
"Before it's due?" Shelby asked. "Is yours done, Kurt?"
"Yeah," Kurt nodded.
"It'll be fine," Rachel said.
"When's it due?" Shelby asked again.
"Monday," Rachel mumbled.
"Monday?" Shelby exclaimed. "Have you even started on it?"
"No," Rachel said. "I've been preoccupied."
"But Rach, your grandparents will be here tomorrow," Shelby said. "When are you going to do it?"
"Tonight," Rachel shrugged. "Tomorrow night."
"What class is it?" Shelby asked.
"History," Kurt answered.
"Oh!" Shelby smiled widely. "I love history; I can help you with it."
"Really?" Rachel asked.
"Of course," Shelby said. "I told you I would. And I've got a good friend who is a History professor so there's more help if we need it."
"Awesome," Rachel said.
They sat at the restaurant for close to two hours talking and Shelby's coffee and espresso had worn off by the time dessert was finished. She was exhausted and she still had to drive for another hour and a half back to get back to Lima. She didn't know how Kurt and Rachel weren't tired. But maybe that was a good thing because they insisted on blasting show tunes on the radio on the drive home and the singing and laughing helped to keep Shelby awake.
They sorted out bags at Kurt's house and walked him to the door. Burt met them on the porch so he could say hi to Shelby.
"Whoa, how much did you buy?" Burt asked when he looked at Kurt's bags. There were only four of them, but a couple small bags had been stuffed inside of others. And it was nothing compared to the loot that Rachel had stashed in the car. "Did you get him all of that?"
"It was my pleasure," Shelby said. "Thank you for letting him come with us today. You have a wonderful son."
"Yeah," Burt softened and smiled at her. "I do. Thank you for taking him. And for all of whatever this stuff is." He was torn between offering to pay her back because he honestly didn't know if it was rude to or rude not to.
"Please, don't worry about it," Shelby said. "I wanted today to be special. Rachel, why don't you help Kurt carry his stuff to his room."
"Ok," Rachel looked at her skeptically. Kurt didn't need any help, but the kids disappeared all the same.
"Mr. Hummel, I wanted to give you fair warning that we were photographed today at the mall," Shelby said.
"Burt, please. And I read your story," he said. "Kurt mentioned that it was a huge deal."
"I don't know what all shots they got of Kurt, but I never mentioned his name so it shouldn't be printed," Shelby said. "At least not from me."
"Don't worry about it," Burt said. "I never quite know what he's going to be wearing, but I think he wanted it considering how dressed up he was when he left this morning. I imagine he's thrilled at the idea of showing up in some magazine with you. As long as they didn't hurt him or harass him, it's fine."
"They didn't," Shelby said.
"Ok," Burt said. "And thank you for taking him. He's been walking on air for days now. His friendship with Rachel has been so nice. He doesn't often have friends. And I appreciate you making him feel special. His mom always made him feel so special. She died when he was younger and I'm afraid I don't often know how to make him feel special. I adore him but I don't always understand him."
"He thinks the world of you," Shelby said. "He talks about you sometimes like you're a super hero."
"Yeah?" Burt smiled.
"Yeah," Shelby confirmed. "He said that you try and that you listen to him and, trust me, that's the most important thing you can do. I was never in Kurt's situation, but I had parents who didn't get me and my incessant need for Broadway," she laughed lightly, "and they never tried. There were so many times I wished they would just even pretend to care about my interests so that I could talk to them. I barely talk to them now. I haven't called them about Rachel."
"I think what you're doing with Rachel is admirable," Burt said.
"It's selfish," Shelby said. "I want to know her so badly."
"Not more than she wants you," Burt said. "From what I've read and what Kurt has told me, you've done right by that girl her entire life. Adoption and now stepping up and being a mom."
"It's a little more complicated than that, but thank you," Shelby said.
"Mom, are you ready?" Rachel asked as she came back to the front door.
"Yep," Shelby said. "Thank you, Burt. Please tell Kurt I said goodbye."
Burt watched them until they got in the car and then he made his way into Kurt's room.
"How was your day?" Burt asked.
"It was amazing," Kurt gushed. "She's so cool."
"She seems like it," Burt agreed. "Let's see what you got."
Kurt stared at him for a second and then smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah, let's see it," Burt said.
"Ok!" Kurt said as he reached for the first bag.
Shelby was so grateful to see the Berry's house when the car pulled into the driveway. She felt like it was two or three days since she'd last been to sleep. Oh sleep, how she missed you. A quick glance at the clock in the car told her it was only 9:07. This was usually when she was most awake.
Rachel carried most of the bags into the house, leaving only a couple for Shelby. The men looked up when the front door opened and got up to greet Shelby and Rachel in the foyer.
"Holy cow, how much to did you buy?" Hiram asked when he saw all the bags.
"Not too much," Rachel said. She somehow made room for the two bags Shelby had and took them from her mom. She quickly worked her way up the stairs so as to avoid any more questions about their purchases.
"Is there anything left at the mall?" LeRoy asked as they followed Shelby into the living room. She sighed in contentment as she sat down on the couch.
"She wanted the stuff," Shelby said through a yawn.
"That doesn't mean you buy it all for her," LeRoy said.
"But she was so happy," Shelby said.
"She played you," Hiram said.
"No," Shelby brushed them off. "I didn't get her everything she wan- Yeah, I did," she said after thinking about it. "But I wanted her to have a nice day."
"You can't buy a nice day, Shelby," LeRoy said. "She'd have had a wonderful time if you hadn't bought her anything."
"But we went shopping," Shelby said. "I wanted to indulge her a little bit. She said she wanted everything. What was I supposed to do?"
"Aw, Shelby," Hiram said as he sat down on the couch and put a hand around her shoulder. "Let LeRoy and me let you in on a little secret. There's this word we parents like to use in cases like that. It's 'no.' Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."
"But her face and her pout," Shelby said as she tiredly leaned her head on Hiram's shoulder.
"I know," Hiram cooed. "She's very tough."
"Don't make fun of me," Shelby pouted.
Hiram kissed the top of her head. "Ok, sweetheart." Shelby's pout deepened. "Sit tight, I'll get you something to drink."
"And I'll check on our master manipulator," LeRoy said.
LeRoy watched from the doorway of Rachel's room as the girl hurriedly tried to put everything away so it wouldn't look like as much as it was.
"I hope you thanked you mother for all of this," LeRoy said seriously. "She bought you way too much."
"I thanked her," Rachel said innocently as she smiled at her father. "We had such a wonderful day." Rachel went to LeRoy and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you, Daddy."
LeRoy looked down at Rachel's sincere eyes and saw none of the manipulation that he was almost immune to at this point. She was being genuine and he squeezed her tightly. "She loves you, sweetheart. She's in your life to stay, I promise."
"I love her so much and it doesn't have anything to do with shopping or Broadway," Rachel said. "I'm so lucky because I've always had the best parents and now I get to have one more. I love you."
"I love you too," LeRoy said. "Come on, let's go and be with your mom and dad."
LeRoy and Rachel entered the living room and saw Hiram standing over the couch holding a glass of wine and staring down at Shelby. The woman had stretched herself out and was now fast asleep.
"What did you do to her?" Hiram whispered as he looked over at Rachel.
"Nothing," Rachel said. "I'm not tired."
LeRoy and Hiram exchanged a look and smiled. Rachel may not be tired, but the girl had no idea how exhausting she could be.
Rachel opened the small chest in the corner and pulled out a folded blanket and then draped it over her sleeping mother. Shelby didn't stir at all when Rachel leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Mom," she whispered.
"I guess she doesn't want this," Hiram said indicating the wine in his hand.
"I'll take it to the kitchen," Rachel said. "I'm going to go back up to my room."
Rachel took the glass from Hiram and started to walk away. The sip she was trying to take was cut off when LeRoy reached around her and removed the glass from her hands and gave her warning look. She took a moment to look sheepish at being caught before going back up to her room.
LeRoy took a long sip and then handed the glass to Hiram who finished it off. Here's to their not-so-sneaky daughter.
Rachel was up in her room when LeRoy's parents, Linda and Frank, arrived. They were earlier than anyone expected. Hiram's parents, Mary and Ephraim, were right behind them. Rachel didn't hear anything because of the ear buds in her ears. They had an hour before they were supposed to be there.
"Mom, Dad, this is Shelby," LeRoy introduced for everyone.
Shelby felt the four sets of eyes giving her a once over and she stood uncomfortably after giving them a short greeting. Mary and Ephraim were definitely more laid back and eventually smiled warmly at her. Linda wanted to glare and Frank crossed his arms and Shelby felt like a teenager all over again. Hiram placed a gentle hand on her back and whispered in her ear.
"Their bark is worse than their bite," Hiram said softly. "They eventually stop looking at you like that. It almost looks like they like you. Almost. They're just protective of Rachel."
Shelby smiled faintly and nodded her head. She'd dealt with tough critics before and she could do it again. She just hoped that everything went perfectly today and she didn't give them cause to hate her.
Rachel poked her head out of her room and saw that her fathers' bedroom door was shut. The last she had heard from them that morning was that they were going to get ready for the impending arrival of the grandparents. So she assumed she had time right now and she really wanted to show her mom how this whole ensemble looked with the shoes they'd found the day before.
"Hey, Mom," Rachel called out as she made her way down the stairs. "How do I look?"
She turned the corner into the room and froze when she saw her dads and grandparents there with Shelby. All of the adults turned to look at Rachel and saw she was wearing her newly purchased little black dress. Her short, tight dress with a plunging neckline and the high heel shoes to match.
Linda and Mary gasped and Hiram and LeRoy's eyes almost fell out of their heads and everyone stared in shock. Oh god, Shelby groaned.
"Poppy… Grammy… Savta… Saba… I didn't know you guys were here yet," Rachel mumbled as she self-consciously started to pull on her dress to try and reign in some of the cleavage that was revealed. "Mom," Rachel said. She needed help to get out of this one.
Rachel stayed by the stairs and six adults turned to look at Shelby who gave them a nervous smile. This was probably not the perfect start she was looking for.
A/N – That's it for this chapter. Again, I'm sorry about the delay. I hope you liked it. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think. Thanks!
