A/N – I have the next chapter for you guys. Thank you all so much for reading and for your reviews and messages and questions. I truly appreciate all of the feedback. I hope this chapter finds you all well and I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks!
Disclaimer – I don't own Glee.
Rachel released the money in her hand and Shelby pulled her away from the purse and towards the center of the room. She looked down at the small girl and saw the worry and tears filling her eyes. Rachel was scared and ashamed, but she couldn't help but notice how soft Shelby's hands were. She wasn't rough and she didn't pull too hard or hold too tight.
"What are you doing?" Shelby asked.
"I'm sorry," Rachel cried. "I didn't mean to."
Shelby scoffed and sat down on the bench at the foot of her bed and made Rachel stand right in front of her.
"Clearly you meant to," Shelby said. "Otherwise you wouldn't have been doing it. Why are you trying to steal?"
"I need it," Rachel said with a sniffle.
"And what did I tell you when I caught you trying to steal from me the first time?" Shelby asked rhetorically. "If you needed something all you had to do was ask. Now I know you're not trying to take this because you're hungry. What do you need it for? Why have you been stealing from people?"
Rachel hung her head and looked away. She'd never told anyone why before even though she'd been asked multiple times. She knew people would laugh at her and call her silly and stupid. But she wasn't silly and stupid! It's not her fault they wouldn't get it.
"Rachel," Shelby prompted.
"I just need it," Rachel said, going back to her tried and true reason.
"No," Shelby said immediately. "I want the truth."
Shelby's voice was stern and her eyes unwavering and, besides for Leroy, Rachel had never met another person she was scared to disappoint. It hurt her enough to have to lie to Leroy every time she got caught.
"You're going to think I'm stupid," Rachel mumbled as she stared towards the floor.
Shelby softened her eyes some and reached her hand out and put it on Rachel's chin to make the girl look at her. The girl's dark eyes were displaying a vulnerability that Shelby had never seen from her. Rachel was trying to hold back tears as hard as she was trying to hold back the truth, but like that secret, they were about to spill over.
"Rachel, I promise that I'm not going to think you're stupid," Shelby said seriously.
Rachel studied Shelby's eyes for a few long moments and took a breath before finally revealing the truth she'd been hiding since her crime spree began a little over two months ago.
"Do you know what Wicked is?" Rachel asked so quietly that Shelby wasn't sure she'd heard her right.
"Wicked?" Shelby asked to verify that's what the girl had said.
"Yeah," Rachel mumbled. "Wicked. It's this musical show on Broadway. Do you know what Broadway is?"
Shelby smiled, but bit down the chuckle that tried to escape since she wanted to remain serious for Rachel.
"Yes, I know what Broadway and Wicked are," Shelby said. "What does Wicked have to do with you stealing money?"
"I saw a commercial for it," Rachel said. "I want to see it, but I don't have any money. I just want to see it once and then I won't steal ever again, I promise." She was hurrying with her explanation. "I've never seen any musical show ever and Wicked looked really magical when I saw the commercial and I have to see it. I've never stolen money before, but I need to see it. I know musical shows are magical. I hide in the library sometimes and the ladies let me listen to some of the CDs they have there."
Shelby certainly understood that need. And she, more than most, knew just how magical musicals are.
"Why didn't you ask your foster parents to take you to see it?" Shelby asked.
"When the commercial came on, they said how stupid it was and how they'd never waste money on something like that, so I couldn't ask," Rachel said.
"What about Leroy? I bet he would take you to see it," Shelby said.
"I didn't want to ask him because he always brings me sandwiches and stuff," Rachel said. "He's really busy and I know he's got more than just me to look after. I didn't think it was fair."
Shelby nodded and smiled sadly when the little girl showed an understanding far beyond her years.
"I snuck off to Times Square one time and found the theater to see how much it costs and it's a lot," Rachel said. "It was going to take me forever to get enough money. But then I saw all the money in your wallet when you paid for the cab and I thought there might be enough there and I could get it all from you and not have to steal from anyone else anymore. I'm sorry," her tears did start to fall now. "Pease don't hate me; I'm sorry."
"Shhh," Shelby soothed as she picked Rachel up and sat her on her lap. She hugged the girl and Rachel cried into her shoulder while Shelby rubbed her back. "I don't hate you."
"Really?" Rachel asked.
"Really," Shelby confirmed. "But stealing is wrong and I better not hear about you doing it anymore. I've a good mind to stick you in the corner right now," Shelby heard her mother's voice come out of her mouth.
"I'm sorry," Rachel said with another cry. "It was the only way I knew the get the money."
"How much do you have so far?" Shelby asked.
"Thirty-seven dollars," Rachel said sadly. "And that's including the money you gave me when we first met. Every time I get caught, I have to give back what I stole."
"Listen to me, young lady," Shelby said, "you are not to steal anymore."
"But I don't know how else to get the money'" Rachel said sadly.
"If you promise not to steal anymore, I promise that I will take you to see Wicked," Shelby said.
"But how?" Rachel asked. "As soon as Leroy gets here, I'm never going to see you again. I just know I'm going to have to go back to the group home."
Shelby was just as worried about this as Rachel was. What if she never saw her again? From everything Rachel and Leroy were saying, this group home sounded like the last place Rachel needed to be. How was she supposed to let Leroy just take her away?
"I promise that I'll take you to see it," Shelby said. "I will come to wherever you are and get you and take you to see Wicked. I swear. If you keep stealing you are going to end up in a lot of trouble and I don't want to see you get into a lot of trouble. Rachel, you are too good for that."
"I'm not good enough for anything," Rachel said as the tears glistened in her eyes and lined her cheeks.
"Yes you are, sweetheart," Shelby said and she hugged Rachel to her once more. "You are good enough."
Rachel held on to Shelby's neck in the hopes that if she was strong enough and held on tight enough, she'd never have to leave. Shelby rubbed Rachel's back and they sat together in silence for a few minutes so Rachel could calm down. Shelby was doing everything she could not to cry right along with the girl.
When Rachel's tears subsided, Shelby got up with the girl still in her arms and walked to the living room and set her down on the couch. Toby the monkey had been left there earlier while they were eating breakfast and Shelby handed him to Rachel and she pulled him close. Shelby went to the kitchen and got a damp wash cloth and a glass of juice and brought them back to Rachel. She washed the girl's face without any resistance and Rachel sipped on her juice before it was set on the coffee table. Shelby sat down next to her on the couch and Rachel instinctively curled into her side. The TV was turned on and Rachel picked a cartoon to watch, but Shelby didn't think either of them were paying any attention to it. They were both acutely aware of the fact that Leroy would be there soon. The anxiousness they both felt hung heavily in the air and that only served to heighten the guilt Rachel felt about trying to steal. She felt terrible about it and kept glancing up at Shelby out of the corner of her eye. She was looking for any signs of disappointment or anger on the woman's face. Shelby had said it was ok, but Rachel knew better.
Shelby knew she was being watched and she was doing her best to keep her features calm and appear strong and sure. Leroy would be there soon and she was getting more and more upset. She didn't want to let Rachel go; she wasn't sure if she could let her go. She had never felt so sure about anything in her life. It wasn't just that Rachel was a kid that Shelby felt sympathetic towards; it was so much deeper than that. She was drawn to Rachel in a way she didn't understand. She felt like if she let Rachel go, a part of her would be missing. Shelby already knew that she was going to do whatever was needed to become a foster parent. She was going to find a way to get her back.
The chiming of the doorbell broke both of them from their thoughts. Rachel's distressed eyes watched as Shelby got up to answer the door. She stayed back on the couch and hugged Toby and knew that she should stay out of the way. She knew Shelby was going to tell him about the stealing.
"Come in, please," Shelby greeted Leroy and led him into the apartment.
"Wow, this is a beautiful place," Leroy said as he looked around in awe.
"Thank you," Shelby said kindly.
Leroy nodded and then waved when he saw Rachel. "Hey, Rach."
"Hi," Rachel mumbled.
The girl reluctantly got up from the couch and made her way over to them. She wanted to cry or she wanted to hide; anything that would make it so she didn't have to leave and go to a group home. She settled for standing next to Shelby.
Leroy watched as Rachel stood as close to Shelby as possible. Shelby put a hand on her back and tried to offer as much comfort as possible. Whether Shelby realized it or not, Rachel did not display this demeanor with everyone. As sad as it was, Rachel had learned to keep her distance from most adults because she'd been hurt too many times in the past.
"How was your night?" Leroy asked. He leaned down to get at Rachel's eye level and waited for her answer. It was a trick he always used so the adult would know he wasn't asking them.
"It was fine," Rachel told him. "She made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She's got grape jelly just like you do. And then she made me take a bath," Rachel said with a labored sigh.
"She did?" Leroy chuckled and glanced up at Shelby.
Shelby smiled and rubbed Rachel's back lightly without thinking. It was as if the thought of breaking the contact was too much for her.
"Yeah. I kind of made a mess," Rachel confessed, "but she said it was ok and then helped me."
"You made a mess in the bath?" Leroy asked.
"Not while I was in the bathtub," Rachel said. "Before."
"She took a few minutes to explore the bathroom before her bath," Shelby explained. "But we got it and her cleaned up."
Leroy cleared his throat in a light reproach and Rachel gave him a sheepish smile.
"Then she made me go to bed 'cause she said it was so late, but I wasn't very tired," Rachel said. "And she gave me this monkey to sleep with since I didn't have any of my friends with me. I even got to name him and she said I could keep him."
"That's very nice of her," Leroy said.
"Are my other friends ok?" Rachel asked. "Have you been over there? She didn't throw my blanket or friends away, did she?"
"No, she didn't," Leroy answered. "I've already been there this morning. Rachel, we need to talk about what happened yesterday."
"Is Brandon ok?" Rachel asked sadly.
"He'll be fine," Leroy assured her. "Honey-"
"I have to leave, don't I?" Rachel asked knowingly.
"Yes, sweetheart, you do," Leroy told her gently.
"I didn't mean to hurt him," Rachel said as her eyes filled with tears.
"I know you didn't," Leroy said. "But they've decided that it's not a good fit for you to stay there any longer.
"I don't like the group home," Rachel said as her tears spilled over.
"I know you don't," Leroy said. "I'm going to do my best to get you into a home with a nice family as soon as possible."
Rachel hugged Toby close to her and leaned into Shelby's side. Leroy stood up to his full height and watched sadly as Shelby leaned down to coo that it would be alright. He hated the feeling that he could tell just by watching them that he'd found a parent for Rachel but that it would probably never happen. He'd never seen Rachel click with anyone like this and he'd known her since he was assigned to her the day she'd been abandoned as newborn.
"Rachel, why don't you go and play in the room you stayed in last night," Shelby encouraged.
Rachel nodded, but she continued to cry as she walked towards the hallway. She knew what the adults wanting to talk alone meant; Shelby was going to tell him about the attempted stealing and she'd never see her again. Leroy was going to be disappointed and mad at her. Despite all of her promises, she was certain Shelby wouldn't want to be around her again. This was turning out to be one of the worst days Rachel had had in a long time. Rachel got up on the bed and hugged her knees to her chest and clutched Toby tightly as her tears continued to fall.
Shelby waited until Rachel was all the way in the room and then motioned for Leroy to follow her into the kitchen.
"She's very taken with you," Leroy commented as Shelby handed him a cup of coffee.
"She's wonderful," Shelby said. "I – what's going to happen to her? I don't want to lose her. How can I foster her? What do I have to do to become her foster mother? What do I have to do to adopt her?"
"Are you serious?" Leroy asked.
"Yes of course," Shelby answered.
"It's not like taking care of a stray cat," Leroy began, but Shelby cut him off.
"I know that," she said. "I'm not stupid. I know how difficult it can be to care for a child and how much it changes everything to have a kid in your house. But I have thought about this; I've been thinking about this all night. This isn't some casual thing to me. I went out there and picked her up in the middle of the night from Central Park. Don't tell me I don't know how serious this is. That little girl is so special and I don't want to lose her. She doesn't deserve to be shoved off onto people who don't care about her or to some group home where she'll shut down."
"Whoa, I'm sorry," Leroy said and held his hands up to show he meant no harm. "We just get a lot of people who say they want to foster kids and then they give it up when they realize what it's actually like."
"I'll admit that I don't want to be a foster parent for all kids," Shelby said, "but I do for Rachel. There's something about her. She is so special and I love her. Already. I can't lose her. I can't explain it, but I know she is supposed to be in my life. I want her here with me."
"Well from everything I've seen, she likes it here as well," Leroy said. "And in my professional opinion, you are a wonderful match for her. But it takes more than deciding you want her. There's paperwork to be filled out and-"
"I understand all of that," Shelby said. "What do I need to fill out? Who do I need to talk to? What's the process for adoption?"
"Ok, you've got to slow down," Leroy said lightly. He was elated internally because he did not expect this, but he knew he had to stay level headed and do everything by the book. "It shouldn't be a problem to get you named as a temporary foster parent. The state would rather a child be placed in a home whenever possible. The group homes can become crowded and so the more placements the better. You'll have to fill out paperwork and they'll do a bit of a background check. They have to make sure you don't have a criminal record and stuff like that. And they'll look at your finances to make sure you can afford caring for a child. And of course the state would give you a monthly stipend."
"I wouldn't need that," Shelby said.
"Doesn't matter, you would get it," Leroy said.
Shelby nodded. Whatever, she'd just start a fund for Rachel.
"When can she be back here?" Shelby asked.
"Tonight, if all goes well," Leroy told her. "I can push it through. I would then be by in the next few days to conduct an official visit."
"That's fine," Shelby said. "Whatever we need to do."
Leroy nodded and then took a breath and knew he needed to say this even if it caused the woman to change her mind.
"Don't do this if you're not serious," Leroy said. "Don't get her hopes up because she's going to be crushed later if it doesn't work out. It would be better for her in the long run to go to a group home now then get even more attached to you than she already is, only to lose you later. And I know she is so special, but Rachel is not an easy child. But she is taken with you and it's not about celebrity or anything else because she doesn't know about any of that. But with your job and everything else you have going on, this can't be something that gets hard and that you give up on later."
"I would never do that," Shelby said. She felt as if she should be offended, but she wasn't. Leroy had been Rachel's protector for so long that she couldn't fault him for looking out for her now. "I can't explain it, but I know she is supposed to be in my life. I am supposed to take care of her. And yeah, there may be some things we have to deal with because of my job, but that's true of a lot of parents who adopt. Everyone has to deal with their parents' jobs. I would keep her out of the spotlight as much as I could, beyond the natural curiosity that would arise. But that shouldn't preclude me from being able to be a foster parent and to adopt."
"You're right," Leroy said. "And it wouldn't. But please, for the sake of us all, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves."
"Ok," Shelby agreed.
"Ok," Leroy nodded. "I'm going to have to take Rachel with me so she can help pack her stuff. I could do it for her, but she likes to check and make sure she hasn't forgotten anything. She gets attached to things and keeps a little collection. She'd be really upset if she realized something was missing."
"Alright," Shelby nodded. "When will she be back?"
"While we're gone, you can go to my office and fill out all of the paperwork," Leroy said. "I'll call down there so that they have everything ready for you when you arrive. There's a whole system in place for quick placements if it'll keep a child out of a group home and with foster parents."
"Sounds good," Shelby said. "You'll call me later?"
"Of course," Leroy answered. "As for now, let's not tell Rachel. I don't want to get her hopes until things are more solid."
"Ok," Shelby said. She was going to suggest the same thing.
The adults finished their coffee and then Leroy said that it was time to go. Shelby pointed him in the direction of the bedroom so he could get Rachel. He opened the door and stepped in the room and saw the girl sitting on the floor with Toby in her lap. Her eyes were hopeful when she looked up, but they changed when she saw that it was Leroy, and not Shelby, at the door.
"Come on, Rachel, it's time to go," Leroy said. He held his hand out for her to take and she held onto it sadly.
Shelby was waiting by the front door and Rachel kept her head bowed so she didn't have to look at her.
"Rachel, thank you for staying here with me last night," Shelby said when they reached her. "I'm so glad you called me."
"Thank you for picking me up and letting me stay," Rachel said dutifully.
Leroy dropped Rachel's hand and stepped away so they could have a little bit of privacy to say goodbye. Even though Shelby was going to do everything she could to get her, Leroy knew Rachel needed this right now. Shelby pulled out a chair from the table and sat down in front of Rachel so she would be at her height.
"It was my pleasure," Shelby told her. "I want you to be a good girl. Don't forget my promise."
"Do you still promise?" Rachel asked. She finally lifted her eyes and looked at Shelby's face.
"Of course I do," Shelby said. "Don't worry, ok? It's all going to work out."
Rachel didn't say anything to that and just shrugged like she knew it wasn't true. She wanted to still believe, but it was hard because she'd been told that so many times before.
"Here," Rachel said. She held up Toby for Shelby to take.
"No. He's yours, remember? I need you to take care of him for me. I know he'll be excited to meet your other friends."
"Thanks," Rachel said.
"Can I have a hug?" Shelby asked.
Rachel threw her arms around Shelby's neck and the woman hugged her tightly in return. Neither of them wanted to let go, but did so at Leroy's gentle insistence that it was time to go. Rachel started to cry as they were leaving and Shelby had to hold her own tears at bay. She waited only a few minutes before she went back to her bedroom to get ready to go out. She didn't want to waste any time getting down to Leroy's office.
Shelby had to spend a few hours in Leroy's office and she was assured that everything was in order before she left. She also spent time taking pictures and signing autographs for anyone who wanted them. Leroy had called to tell them she was coming, but they were all still a little shocked and star struck when she actually walked through the door.
Now Shelby was in her car driving to her parents' house a couple hours north and outside the city. She didn't drive at all in the city, but she loved getting out of there with her car. Her parents had a big country house and ten acres of land. They raised and boarded horses and Shelby and her brother had practically grown up on the animals.
She knew she had to tell her parents what was going on. She could have called, but this was a good way to pass the time because she was going to go crazy sitting around her house waiting for Leroy to call. Besides, it was a pretty drive because of the light blanket of snow still covering the ground. There was no sign of the dirty slush that littered the streets in Manhattan.
"Shelby," Eugene Corcoran greeted as he walked towards her car. He had been heading towards the barn when he saw her pull up and turned and headed back to the house to meet her. "I didn't think you were coming until Sunday." She tried to come up every weekend and see them, but it wasn't always possible. Even so, she did her best to get up here at least once every couple of weeks.
"I hadn't planned to come today," Shelby said, "but I need to talk to you and Mom about something."
"Oh," Eugene said, a bit taken aback. "This sounds important."
"It is," Shelby confirmed.
"Well come on in," Eugene said. "We just had lunch, but I know there are leftovers."
"Thanks, Dad." Shelby smiled when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and walked with her towards the house.
"Sally," Eugene called out when they got inside. "We've got a visitor."
"I'll be right there," Sally Corcoran said. She was upstairs.
"We'll be in the kitchen," Eugene told her.
Eugene directed Shelby to sit down and then went to the refrigerator and started to pull out containers of food.
"Are you hungry?" Eugene asked. "We had last night's leftovers for lunch. But there's plenty more."
"That sounds great," Shelby said. "I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast."
"Shelby!" Sally scolded as she walked into the kitchen.
Shelby turned in her chair and flashed her mother a smile; the same smile that had gotten her out of trouble countless times when she was a kid.
"Hi, Mom."
"Hi," Sally said as she leaned down to give Shelby a hug and a kiss on her head. She sat down next to her daughter and said, "This is a surprise."
"Yeah. I need to talk to you and Dad about something," Shelby said.
"Oh?" Sally's tone was light, but Sally looked over at her husband and exchanged a brief, meaningful glance.
Shelby waited until Eugene had put a plate of amazing looking food in front of her and sat down opposite his wife. She took a few bites of the heavenly food and then started to explain.
"A couple of weeks ago, I met someone," Shelby began.
"Oh!" Sally said brightly.
Shelby rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It's not like that, Mom."
"Oh," Sally said, clearly disappointed. Her desire for grandchildren was no secret.
Shelby took a sip of her water and then launched into her story. She told them about the little scamp of a girl trying to steal her purse all the way up to how she had stayed the night and been picked up that morning.
"Poor thing," Sally said. "I hope they're able to find a good home for her soon."
"Well, they have. I hope," Shelby said.
Her parents knew right away. She could tell by the looks on their faces.
"Shelby," Eugene started.
"I've already filled out all of the paperwork," Shelby said. "I did that just after Leroy left with her."
"Shelby, this isn't like picking out a kitten to bring home," Sally said.
"I know that, Mom," Shelby said. "I'm a grown woman. I understand what a huge responsibility a child will, especially one that's been in and out of foster homes her whole life. But I can't… There's something about her. I can't lose her."
"Shelby, what if she has behavioral or psychological problems?" Eugene asked.
"Then I will deal with them and get her all the help she needs," Shelby said. "I can't explain it. She reminds me of…" she trailed off and looked down. "I can't lose her. I have the money so it's not like I can't afford a kid. I've got the room and I can afford anything she may ever need. I-"
"Alright, sweetheart," Eugene said. "We get it."
Sally nodded and took Shelby's hand and said, "Your dad's right. And we'll be right here for anything you need. I can't wait to meet her."
"You guys are going to love her," Shelby said. "She has these really deep, dark eyes and a hard exterior, but she just wants to be cuddled and held. She hates taking a bath and her hair is all over the place."
"That sounds familiar," Eugene cracked with a pointed look at his daughter.
Shelby blushed and shook her head. There had been a time in her childhood when every bath was a battle. And forget brushing her hair.
"I'm going to have to buy bigger jars of peanut butter," Shelby laughed. "Remember how Tommy used to eat peanut butter all the time? I get the feeling that Rachel would have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for every meal if you let her."
Sally nodded and smiled, but her eyes showed a hurt that was always present whenever Shelby's older brother was mentioned. He had died years ago in a car accident on an icy road.
"Yes, and I remember you crying when he would finish off a jar and you didn't get any," Eugene said.
"You were always the dramatic one," Sally said as she willed her mind to focus on the happier memories.
"Well you can't say I haven't used that trait to my advantage," Shelby said.
"You certainly have," Eugene nodded.
"So tell us about this Rachel," Sally said. Now that she shock had worn off, she found that she was excited.
"She just turned eight, but you'd never know it to look at her," Shelby said. "She's tiny and could easily pass for six. She wants so badly to be loved."
"She'll get plenty of that," Sally said. "When do we get to meet her?"
"In a few days," Shelby said. "If I actually get her tonight. I want her to get settled. And I know she's going to need new clothes and I've got to get all of the information about her school and doctors and all of that."
Sally and Eugene just smiled. Shelby would be fine. Eugene got up and scooped more food onto her plate and Shelby ate happily. She had known her parents were going to be shocked, but that they would get it. They were going to love Rachel and Shelby was excited for them to meet.
Shelby left her parents' about an hour later and was just walking into her apartment when her phone rang. She almost dropped everything in her hands when she saw that it was Leroy. Luckily she held onto the grocery bags long enough to put them down on the kitchen counter before answering.
"Hello," Shelby said hurriedly.
"Shelby, hello," Leroy greeted. "I have some news for you."
"Yes?"
"Everything has been approved and you've been named as Rachel's foster mother," Leroy said.
"Yes, thank you!" Shelby said.
"Like I said before, there will be home visits and we will get full updates every month," Leroy said. "And the state reserves the right to remove her at any time if there is cause."
"I understand," Shelby said. This had all been explained to her when she was in the office earlier that day to start the paperwork. "When will she be here?"
"I can drop her off, but it won't be until later," Leroy answered. "Or you can come by and pick her up any time."
"I'll be there soon," Shelby said. "Does she know?"
"Not yet," Leroy told her. "I will let you tell her when you get here."
"Ok," Shelby said. "I'll be right down."
Rachel sat by herself in the small playroom in Leroy's office building. She'd been in this room more times than she could count. She held Toby in her arms and the rest of her stuff was waiting in Leroy's office. He said he wouldn't be able to take her until later. That was fine with Rachel because the less time she had to spend at that stupid group home, the better.
It had been awkward when she'd gone to the O'Connor's to pack up her stuff. It had all still been there, thankfully, but Mrs. O'Connor had been mean. The only time she spoke to Rachel was to yell at her, but Leroy had told her to stop. Leroy stayed with her while she packed and waited patiently while she checked three times to make sure she hadn't left anything. When all was said and done, she only had two small gym bags, and that included all of her clothes, her blanket and stuffed animals. She also had a few books and small knickknacks that most people would probably consider junk. The only shoes she had were the worn sneakers on her feet and her only jacket was the light windbreaker she was wearing.
Shelby found Leroy's office easily enough and thanked him again. He gave her a copy of Rachel's file for her to look at and also filled her in on enrolling her in the school in Shelby's district. Rachel's school and medical records were also included. Shelby carried the bags down to the playroom and waited, at Leroy's request, while he went in to talk to Rachel.
"Rach," Leroy said. "It's time to go."
Rachel wearily got to her feet and started to walk towards him.
"But I can't take you, so you're going to go with someone else," Leroy told her.
"Who?" Rachel asked.
Leroy squatted down so he could be closer to her height. "Rachel, we found a place for you to stay and you're not going to the group home."
"Really?" Rachel's spirits lifted momentarily. Her smiled faltered though and she worriedly picked at Toby. "It won't be like last time, will it? Do you think these people will like me?"
"It's a little different this time," Leroy began to explain, "because it's not two parents this time, it's just one. A woman. And there won't be any other kids there."
"Really?" Rachel asked. She'd never lived in a foster home where there weren't any other kids. She didn't even know such foster homes existed.
"Yep," Leroy confirmed. "I think you're going to like it there."
"Will the woman like me?" Rachel asked.
"Yes she will," Leroy said with a smile. He looked over his shoulder towards the door and said, "Come on in."
Rachel gasped when Shelby stepped into the room. She moved around Leroy and hurried towards Shelby who didn't hesitate in picking her up and giving her a big hug.
"Am I really going to stay at your house?" Rachel asked.
"Yes you are," Shelby told her.
"Rachel, Shelby is your new foster mom and I want you to listen to her and be a good girl," Leroy said. He gave her a variation of this speech every time she was placed in a new home.
"I will," Rachel promised like she always did. She really meant it this time though.
Shelby set Rachel down and the girl gave Leroy a quick hug before going back over to Shelby's side like the woman would disappear if she took too long. Rachel happily took Shelby's extended hand and smiled brightly.
"Ok kid," Shelby said as she led her out of the room and picked up her bags. "Let's go home."
A/N – Ok, that's all for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought. I love hearing from you guys. There's more to come soon.
