A/N – Hey, guys. I'm really sorry. I know it's been forever since I updated, but life has been getting in the way. Plus, a bad case of writer's block. Hopefully I'm over the writer's block now. But life is really busy and there's nothing I can do about that. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Thanks for all of the updates and messages and for reading. It means so much to me.
I saw Idina Menzel in her new show on Broadway. She's incredible.
Disclaimer – I don't own Glee.
Shelby quickly moved to Rachel's side and sat down in the chair next to her. The scared look and the tears that pooled in Rachel's eyes made Shelby's heart ache for the girl. No kid should be that scared about inviting a friend from school over for the afternoon. Shelby and her brother had friends at their house all the time and Shelby wanted Rachel to be able to have the same thing.
"Hey, it's okay," Shelby said as she took Rachel's hand to try and reassure her. "I'm not mad. You can invite friends over to play."
Rachel took a deep, shuddering breath and wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for," Shelby told her. "I promise it's okay."
"But what if you wanted to do something else this afternoon?" Rachel asked. "Or didn't want to deal with some damn annoying kids?"
Shelby leveled Rachel with a reproachful look and said, "I don't want to hear you talk that way." Shelby knew that Rachel was just repeating things she'd heard from adults over the years, but she wanted her to know that she found it unacceptable.
"I'm sorry," Rachel said again as tears started to well in her eyes once more. She looked away from Shelby and hung her head.
"It's okay, but you don't need to be saying that," Shelby said. "Not about yourself or anyone else."
Rachel just nodded slightly and wouldn't look up.
"Hey, come here," Shelby said as she scooted her chair closer to Rachel's. She got the girl up and sat her on her lap and hugged her tightly. "I know you're confused and scared a lot and I know you've heard lots of things said to you and about you over the years, but I want you to understand that I love you. Those bad things that were said aren't true."
Rachel shifted so that she could get her arms around Shelby's neck and rested her head on her shoulder. Shelby rubbed Rachel's back and kissed her head.
After a few moments of silence Rachel spoke up softly, "Can my friend still come over?"
"Of course," Shelby answered. "And I'll tell you what; we will talk about all of this later after your friend leaves. You can ask all of your questions and we can work out when there is a time that you can't invite friends over. And that way you will know and not have to be worried."
"Okay," Rachel agreed.
"Good," Shelby said and she smiled at Rachel as the girl released her hug and sat back against her.
The ringing of the buzzer caught their attention and they both looked over towards the door.
"Go on and answer it," Shelby said and then nodded to confirm her words when Rachel gave her a questioning look. "Go on."
Shelby stood Rachel on her feet and sent her towards the door with a couple of soft pats to her bottom. Rachel reached a tentative hand towards the knob and turned it, but not before looking over her shoulder at Shelby once more and receiving an affirmative nod. She opened the door and saw Jesse and his mother standing there waiting while the elevator doors closed behind them.
"Hi," Rachel said softly.
"Hi," Jesse said with a lopsided smile. "I'm here."
Shelby got to her feet and made her way towards the door to stand behind Rachel just as Jesse's mother was making her introduction to the girl.
"Rachel, I'm Mrs. St. James," Martha, a pretty blonde woman in a business suit said. Neither of the kids really knew the art of introductions yet.
"Hi," Rachel said. Martha had bent down to eye level and reached out her hand to shake with Rachel.
"Hello," Shelby said brightly. "I'm-"
"Shelby Corcoran," Martha said with an astonished look on her face. She was still leaning over and shaking hands with Rachel, but her eyes were now focused on Shelby.
"Yes," Shelby said with an embarrassed smile.
"I'm sorry," Martha said. "I just didn't expect- I didn't know- Jesse didn't say- You have a kid? Oh god, I'm sorry." Martha finally decided the best course of action was to close her mouth and she met Shelby's eyes and gave her a sheepish look.
"It's okay," Shelby said.
Rachel and Jesse stared back and forth between the two women while they talked. Jesse was surprised to see his usually put-together mother so flustered.
"I'm Rachel's guardian," Shelby offered a bit of an explanation. "And you must be Jesse," she added, looking over at the boy."
"I am," Jesse said confidently.
"It's lovely to meet you. Please come in, both of you," Shelby said.
Martha St. James couldn't believe this was really happening as she stepped into Shelby Corcoran's lavish apartment. Leave it to Jesse to find a kid at school that would lead him right to a Tony winner. Not that Jesse even knew who she was yet, but his parents sure did and at this moment his mother was just about speechless.
"So," Shelby broke the ice once they were inside, "Rachel tells me she has something she wanted to show you, Jesse."
Rachel shut her eyes in frustration because she hadn't been able to talk to Shelby about that part yet. What was she thinking telling Jesse he could come over today?
"She said that she knew someone who could sing better than I can and that she could prove it," Jesse answered. "I told her that she was probably wrong because I'm the best singer in the class at school. I don't know anyone who can sing better than I can."
"Oh no," Martha muttered under her breath. She and her husband certainly encouraged Jesse's talent, but sometimes it was hard to keep his ego in check.
Shelby did her best to hide her amusement as she looked down at the two children in front of her. Jesse's glance was expectant while Rachel's was worried. She then looked over at Martha who was looking at her apologetically.
"Jesse," Martha intervened, "there are plenty of great singers in this world and it's not unlikely that Rachel knows one, especially in this city."
"But I'm the best at school," Jesse insisted.
Martha was about to remind him that he was only eight, but Rachel spoke up first.
"He was very good. The whole music class sang a song for me, but Jesse had a solo," Rachel explained.
"I told her I was the best in the class," Jesse boasted. "But she said she knew someone who could sing better than I could and I told her that I didn't believe her and she said that if I came to her house she could prove it."
"Jesse," Shelby began, "I think that Rachel was talking about me when she told you that."
"You?" Jesse looked at her dubiously.
"Yes," Shelby said. "I'm not too bad. And I'd be willing to sing for you if you'll agree to sing a song for me in return."
"Ms. Corcoran, you really don't have to do that," Martha said. To be honest, she was torn. The idea of getting to hear Shelby Corcoran sing was so enticing, but Martha's manners told her to intervene.
"Oh, please call me Shelby. And don't worry about it; it would be my pleasure," Shelby said.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely," Shelby nodded. "All of you sit down. Jesse, do you have a song you'd like to hear?"
All eyes were on Jesse as he thought for a moment. It was clearly an important decision and he took a few moments to mull it over.
"Do you know 'As Long As He Needs Me' from Oliver?" Jesse asked. He loved that musical and his main goal in his young life was to play the title role on Broadway.
"Yes, I do," Shelby said. She shook her head slightly at him, but kept herself from laughing. This kid wasn't playing around.
"Okay," Jesse said. "Let's hear it."
"Jesse!" Martha scolded.
"It's alright," Shelby said and this time she did laugh.
Shelby moved over by her piano and took a few moments to get the words right in her head and started the song. Her voice was strong and clear and Jesse's mouth fell open only three lines into the song. Rachel beamed with pride while Shelby was singing and she smugly looked over at Jesse's shocked face. For her part, Martha ignored the kids and sat and watched and listened in her own bubble.
All three spectators started clapping when Shelby was finished and the woman took a small bow. Rachel clapped the hardest and wore a proud smile as she stared up at Shelby.
"That was amazing!" Jesse said as he got to his feet. He didn't even care that Rachel had indeed found someone who sang better than he did. "Where did you learn to sing like that?"
"Lots of lessons and practice," Shelby said.
"You could play Nancy when I play Oliver!" Jesse said enthusiastically. "We'd be incredible."
"Are you going to be playing Oliver soon?" Shelby asked.
"As soon as it comes to Broadway I am," Jesse declared.
"Oh, I see," Shelby said. "Well we'll both have to keep an eye out for auditions, won't we?"
"I hope it happens soon because I've been waiting for so long," Jesse said. Martha rolled her eyes. He'd only first seen Oliver four months ago. There was no telling how many times he'd seen it since then though because he watched it all the time.
"What's Oliver?" Rachel asked.
"It's a musical," Jesse answered in a du h tone.
"Like Wicked?" Rachel asked, excitedly.
"Yep," Shelby said with a smile at her.
"Can we watch it?" Rachel asked.
"We'll have to get a copy," Shelby said. "It's a movie."
"I have it!" Jesse said. "I can bring it over tomorrow after school and we can watch it."
"Jesse," Martha said. "You can't just decide you're coming over here."
"Can he come over tomorrow, Shelby?" Rachel asked, her eyes pleading with her foster mother.
"You call your mom by her name?" Jesse asked. He was staring at Rachel with a confused expression. "That's weird."
Rachel's expression immediately changed to one of defeat and she cast her eyes towards the ground. She'd been so worried the other kids would find out she didn't have real parents like everyone else and now she'd ruined it and she hadn't even had a friend for a day yet.
"Jesse!" Martha scolded again and popped him lightly on his bottom.
"What?" Jesse asked, still confused. He didn't pay any attention to the light reprimand except to reach back and rub his backside a couple times while looking between his mom and Shelby.
"It's your turn to sing now," Shelby said as if she hadn't seen the last exchange. Hopefully this would take Jesse's mind off his questions and onto his performance.
Rachel was not so well-mannered as to ignore the light discipline and she stared at Jesse and Martha. She'd never been spanked or even swatted before, but she knew it happened to other kids. She'd lived with some families who had their own real kids and they'd gotten it. But she was just a foster kid. The discipline she was used to was being yelled at and ignored.
Shelby's changing of the subject did the trick and Jesse nodded excitedly and went and stood by the piano as Shelby had done. Shelby moved to the couch and sat down, taking Rachel's hand as she did so and bringing the girl to sit on her lap. She wrapped her arms around Rachel's tiny frame and kissed her head as if to reassure her. Martha looked over at her apologetically and Shelby waved it off and turned her attention to Jesse.
"What should I sing?" Jesse asked.
"Something from Oliver, of course," Shelby said.
"Okay," Jesse nodded confidently.
Jesse started to sing and his young voice filled the room and Martha couldn't help but smile despite his complete lack of tact. He was very talented and she loved to hear him sing. Shelby had to admit to herself that she didn't expect to hear anything close to how Jesse sounded. She just assumed he'd have a pleasant little kid voice and that he and Rachel were exaggerating. But no, he really was fantastic and he sang with a charisma and charm that was beyond his years. He was definitely a showman in the making and with the right guidance he could probably go very far.
Rachel smiled at her new friend as he sang a beautiful ballad. She couldn't wait to see the movie so she could hear all of these songs again. She wondered if Shelby would buy her a copy of her own so she could watch it without Jesse too. She wanted to learn all of the songs.
Jesse looked into his tiny audience expectantly as he held the last note a little bit longer than need be. He knew he had them in the palm of his hand. And they didn't disappoint and all three clapped as Jesse expected they would.
"Jesse, that was really incredible," Shelby said when he was finished. "You have a truly wonderful voice."
"I know," Jesse said though he was smiling wide at her praise. And he would take it because even though he didn't know who she was, he knew she had the best voice he'd ever heard live.
"Jesse," Martha groaned and shot her son a withering look.
"That's okay," Shelby laughed. "Confidence is good. You keep it up, young man, and you're going to end up on Broadway one day."
"That's the plan," Jesse said.
"Rachel has that same pla-"
"Can we go play?" Rachel interrupted Shelby before she could finish telling Jesse and his mom that she too wanted to be on Broadway.
"Um, sure," Shelby said. She released the girl and Rachel got up from her lap and went to stand by Jesse.
"My room is this way," Rachel said. "I've got my own room."
"So do I," Jesse said in a duh tone like he didn't realize there were kids that actually shared a bedroom.
"Come on," Rachel told him and the two parents watched as they disappeared from the room.
"I'm not sure what that was about," Shelby said as her eyes followed Rachel down the hall.
Martha was suddenly very unsure of herself when she found herself alone sitting with a superstar in the woman's own living room.
"Uhh, I can pick him-"
"Would you like some coffee?" Shelby asked, cutting her off. "Or tea? I've got tea too."
"Coffee would be great," Martha said with a smile. If she didn't know better she'd say that Shelby Corcoran was nervous too.
"Come on," Shelby said.
Martha eyed Shelby's kitchen enviously when they went in and Shelby offered her a seat at the table. It was huge and filled with high-end everything. Martha and her husband were certainly well off themselves, but nothing compared to this. But Martha loved to cook and what she wouldn't give for some of this stuff. Her attention finally returned to Shelby when the coffee pot started brewing and the woman sat opposite her.
"I'm sorry," Shelby started, "but I didn't hear your name earlier."
"Oh," Martha flushed. Had she been that rude? "I'm Martha St. James."
"Shelby Corcoran." Shelby smiled and held her hand out for Martha to shake, which the woman did with a warm smile. "What do you do?"
"I'm a judge," Martha answered.
"Oh really?" Shelby asked. "That's really cool."
"I really love it," Martha said. "Never a dull moment."
"I bet not," Shelby said.
"The same could be said for your job," Martha told her. "Playing new characters must be fun. Getting to be so creative."
"It is," Shelby confirmed. "I can't really remember a time where I wanted to do anything else. Jesse seems to have that same goal. And I wasn't kidding. He's very good. Does he take any formal lessons?"
"He does singing lessons once a week and dance twice a week," Martha said. "He would like to do them more often, but his dad and I don't want him getting overwhelmed or burnt out. But trust me, he practices often enough to make it seem like he goes to lessons far more often than he does."
"That makes sense," Shelby said. "I didn't start with singing lessons until I was older than he was and my parents had the same argument. But he is extremely talented. I'm sure I'll see his name in lights one day."
"If he has anything to do with it, you will," Martha said. "He's a big Broadway fan. I'm sorry he doesn't know you. My husband and I have seen your shows several times, but he's always been too young for them."
Shelby laughed, "Don't worry about it. Does he watch the Tony Awards? That's where I got my first taste of Broadway."
"He loves them," Martha said. "We always have to record them so he can go back and watch the performances over and over again. He can't wait until it's him up there one day."
"Rachel told me she has the same Broadway goal," Shelby said as she got up to pour the coffee now that it was ready. "I wonder if I should find her some lessons to take."
"How serious is she?" Martha asked.
"I don't know," Shelby said. "I, um, I haven't even had her a week, but I worry all the time that I'm going to do something wrong or not help her in the right way."
"A week?" Martha asked.
"I'm her foster mother," Shelby answered.
"Oh. I thought you two were related somehow because of how much you look alike," Martha said. "I'm sorry."
"We do kind of look alike, don't we?" Shelby asked with a smile. "And I wish it were as easy as me being related to her. Then it would be easier to make everything permanent."
"You're going to adopt her? That's wonderful!"
"I want to adopt her," Shelby said. "I'd have done it the day I brought her home if they would have let me. Here," she handed Martha her mug. "I'll tell you how we met."
Martha listened intently as Shelby began the story of how she came to know Miss Rachel Berry.
Down the hall, Jesse and Rachel were getting settled in her room.
"You don't really have all the much stuff," Jesse said. It wasn't unkind, but rather curious. His room was full of toys and clothes and he had stuff on the walls and even a desk.
"I never have that much stuff," Rachel said with a shrug. "But Shelby took me shopping and got me new clothes."
"Why do you call your mom by her name?" Jesse asked. "I'd never be allowed to do that."
Rachel sat on her bed and looked down at her hands and then over at Jesse who was watching her intently.
"Can you keep a secret?" Rachel asked.
"Of course," Jesse said. And he meant it.
"Shelby isn't my real mom," Rachel said and then took a moment before she looked up at her new friend. Or at least she hoped he would still be her friend.
"Oh. Is she your aunt?" the boy asked.
"No. I don't have a real family," Rachel told him. "She's my foster mom. I probably won't even be here that long."
"Why not?"
"I never stay anywhere very long," Rachel confided. "And Shelby said she wants me to stay for a long time, but I bet she gets tired of me before the summer even gets here."
Jesse wasn't sure at all what to say, but he didn't like that his friend was so sad. Jesse liked to consider himself very popular, but the truth was he didn't have that many good friends. The other kids often grew tired of him, but Rachel didn't seem like she would be that way. He'd only known her a day, but being friends with her felt differently. He didn't feel like he had to show off, though of course he didn't mind doing that too. But it felt easier with her.
Jesse went and sat down on the bed next to Rachel and said, "Well, after you're done living here maybe you can come and live with me and my parents. We've got plenty of room and then we wouldn't have to stop being friends."
Rachel looked up at him and wide smile formed on her lips. "You still want to be my friend?"
"Of course," Jesse returned her smile. Jesse picked up his school bag and ripped a piece of paper from a notebook. He wrote down his address and phone number and handed it to Rachel. "That's where I live in case you ever need a place to stay."
"Thanks," Rachel replied in awe. She folded the paper and hid it under her socks in her dresser drawer.
There was an unspoken commitment that hung in the air the way it always did when best friends found each other for the first time.
Back in the kitchen Martha took another sip of her coffee and looked up at Shelby. "It doesn't seem like the adoption process should be that hard considering they've never found a permanent place for her and you're obviously more than willing. But don't quote me on it; I'm not a family court judge so I'm not an expert."
"I'm hoping it will be a simple process, but I'm worried that it will take a long time," Shelby said. "I don't want Rachel to worry more than she already does."
"That poor kid," Martha said. "She's very lucky to have found you."
"I'm lucky to have found her," Shelby said.
A peal of high pitched laughter caught their attention and both women turned their heads in the direction it came from.
"It sounds like they're having a good time," Shelby said. "Rachel was so worried she'd never find a friend at school."
"Jesse seems to really like her," Martha said. "He told me all about the new girl in school when I picked him up today."
Shelby smiled and said, "I'm glad. I'm so worried I'm going to say the wrong thing or mess up so when I told her she'd surely find a friend, I desperately hoped it would be so. I'll be honest with you; she scares me to death."
"Spoken like a true new parent," Martha said. She felt really at ease with Shelby even though an hour ago she never would have believed that would be the case. "Just remember to trust yourself. You're going to make mistakes, but as long as you love her and are always doing what's best for her, everything will be fine."
"Thank you," Shelby said. "And thank you for talking to me about all of this. The only people that really know are my parents and the social workers. I haven't wanted to bring in any of my colleagues or management team yet because I'm not ready for it to be public yet. It's nice to have a friend who understands."
Martha smiled and nodded at the friend part. She found that for as big a fan as she was, it was much different than she ever assumed it would be to meet a celebrity. She was talking with Shelby like any of the other moms at Jesse's school and she decided she liked this better than anything she could imagine.
"Let me give you my number," Martha said. "I like be available to all of Jesse's friends parents."
"Can I give you mine as well?" Shelby asked seriously. "From the sounds of them playing together, we may be seeing a lot more of each other."
The mother's exchanged phone numbers while the laughter continued to drift from down the hall and into the kitchen.
A couple hours later, Rachel and Jesse were told it was time for him to go home and both pouted. Shelby promised that he could spend the afternoon with them the next day so the kids could watch Oliver. Martha and Jesse were almost to the front door when the boy saw something that caught his eye.
"Hey," he said, pointing over to a shelf across the room.
"What?" Martha asked as she opened the door.
"Is that… Is that a Tony?!" Jesse asked excitedly.
Jesse tried to stop, but Martha held his hand firmly and kept him moving before he could ask any more questions.
"Let's go," Martha said as she had to practically drag her son out the door.
"But-" Jesse looked at Shelby in astonishment and confusion as he was removed from the house.
Shelby just laughed and looked down at Rachel who was just as confused as Jesse.
"What's a tony?" Rachel asked.
"I'll explain it to you later," Shelby said.
"Oh," Rachel replied with a shrug. "Okay."
The little girl turned and started to go back to her room, but she didn't get very far.
"Rachel, stop right there," Shelby instructed. "You've got homework to do."
"But Shelby!" Rachel whined.
Down on the street, Martha and Jesse walked hand-in-hand towards home. She had explained about who Shelby was and Jesse was in awe. But for as fascinated as he was because she was a Broadway star, he couldn't understand why she'd be so mean to Rachel if she was really that cool.
"I wish Rachel were going to be living with her longer," Jesse said.
"What do you mean?" Martha asked.
"Rachel said that Ms. Corcoran will probably get rid of her before summer even gets here," Jesse explained. He left out the part about offering up their house as a place for Rachel to live should that ever happen.
"I don't think that's going to happen," Martha told him. She didn't go into any details about what Shelby told her because it wasn't any of her son's business. Shelby had mentioned Rachel's worries, but all she could do was try to reassure her son. "Everything is going to be fine, you'll see."
The rest of the week went by smoothly and Jesse visited twice more with Oliver and other musicals for Rachel to watch. Shelby had done some shopping of her own and provided Rachel with many DVDs of musicals for the girl to watch at her leisure. Which, if Rachel had her way, would be all the time. By Thursday afternoon Rachel had been restricted from watching anymore more movies until Sunday because of the fuss she made at bath time every night when she was told she'd have to turn the TV off. Shelby's heart had ached when Rachel started to cry and stomp off towards her room. She wavered between feeling sorry for the girl and wanting to smile because it was so cute. She knew she had to put her foot down and lay down that punishment, but she didn't like being the one to make Rachel so upset.
Friday evening after dinner, Shelby sat with Rachel on couch after the girl pouted about not being able to watch Annie.
"Rachel, you heard what I said yesterday," Shelby said as she sat down next to her. "You can watch something on Sunday. But if you keep throwing a fit every night at bath time I will continue to restrict you from things you like."
"That's not fair," Rachel complained.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, but the choice is yours," Shelby said. "Baths are easy and we can get it out of the way quickly if only you didn't fight it."
"Ugh!" Rachel let out a frustrated sigh and looked up at Shelby.
"Why don't you like taking a bath, sweetheart?" Shelby asked.
"It's just easier being dirty," Rachel admitted finally. "No one likes me anyway and if I'm all stinky no one messes with me."
"Ah, I see," Shelby said as she finally realized that it was Rachel's defense mechanism that her young mind used to explain other people's lack of affection for her. "Well, young lady, I love you and like being around you. And Jesse likes being around you and so does your teacher and Mrs. St. James. There's no reason to be stinky anymore."
"I do like when the water is really warm," Rachel said softly.
"I know you do, honey," Shelby told her. "There's no reason you shouldn't enjoy the baths you're going to take every night because you have me and you have friends now that don't want you to be dirty. Do you understand?"
"Yeah," Rachel said and slumped back against the couch.
"Good girl," Shelby said. "So no more fights or tantrums, right?"
"Okay," Rachel said in a defeated tone as if she had just lost the war.
"Okay," Shelby said much more brightly. "Then let's put that to the test right now. It is bath time."
Rachel got up without a word and headed down the hallway towards her bathroom. Shelby leaned back on the couch and said, "Thank goodness that's over with" before getting up and following after the girl.
Rachel took her time that night and let herself really enjoy it. Shelby left her to play for a while instead of washing her up right away like she did when Rachel was throwing a fit about it. Rachel was getting wrinkly by the time Shelby came in to help her wash and she was in a better mood later when she was in her pajamas and having a snack in kitchen.
Rachel was sitting on the counter and swinging her feet back and forth into the cupboard below. Shelby handed her a peanut butter cookie and a cup of milk and then gently put her hand against Rachel's knee so the girl would stop kicking.
"Rachel, what would you like to do this summer?" Shelby asked. "I've been thinking about it and I want to know if there's something you've always wanted to do or try."
"This summer?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, after school gets out," Shelby said.
"I don't know what I'll be doing," Rachel answered with a shrug. "I don't know where I'll be by then."
"Where you'll be? What do you mean?" Shelby asked.
"The summer is a long time away," Rachel answered. "I never stay at any home for very long so I can't tell you what I'm going to be doing this summer."
"Rachel, you'll be with me this summer," Shelby said. "You're not going anywhere."
"Everyone says that," Rachel said as she slid down from the counter. "Can I play for a while before I go to bed?"
"Sure," Shelby answered because she didn't know what else to say.
Shelby wished she knew what to say to help Rachel understand that she wasn't going anywhere. One thing she did know for sure though was that Leroy was going to be there the next morning and Shelby was going to do everything she could to make the process move faster so that Rachel could feel secure.
Shelby hadn't expected to be nervous for Leroy's first official home visit, but she couldn't help the knot she felt in her stomach. She wanted everything to be perfect and she was wiping down the kitchen once more after lunch so it would be spotless. Even though she had a cleaning service that was at her house twice a week, Shelby had spent the entire morning sweeping and straightening and now wiping down. She'd vacuumed the living room twice now. She wanted him to let her adopt Rachel right away and she didn't want anything to be standing in the way of that. She didn't know what Leroy would be expecting when he arrived and so she was making sure that everything was in perfect order.
Rachel was lying on her stomach on the living room sofa and reading a book. She was propped up on her elbows and a cup of milk sat nearby on the coffee table. She picked it up and took a sip and held it in her hand for a while as she read. She never took her eyes off the book when she reached over and tried to put it back on the coffee table. She felt it under the cup, but it was on the edge and when she let it go, the cup fell to the floor and milk immediately started to soak into the rug. Rachel gasped looked down at the mess she'd made.
"Rachel, damn it!" Shelby yelled from behind her and Rachel quickly sat up and looked at her angry foster mother. "You need to be more careful. I have been cleaning all day," Shelby scolded.
"I'm sorry," Rachel whimpered out.
As soon as Shelby stepped back into the kitchen to get paper towels Rachel got up and ran to her bedroom. She sat on the floor and leaned against the bed and chastised herself for being so stupid.
Shelby stepped back into the living and sighed when she saw that Rachel was gone. She hadn't really meant to yell and had just reacted. But she could deal with that later; right now she needed to get the milk up before it set in.
Leroy buzzed the door not long after the living room had been cleaned but before Shelby had a chance to talk to Rachel. Shelby took a moment to try and appear calm and relaxed before she opened the door.
"Hello," Shelby said with a smile. "Please come in."
"Hi," Leroy said as he entered. "How has your week been?"
"Really great," Shelby said. She took his coat and offered him some coffee which he declined. "Rachel's playing in her room right now."
"I see," Leroy said.
"Would you like the grand tour?" Shelby said.
"That'd be really nice," Leroy said. He had a vested interest in seeing the home Rachel was living in, plus he really wanted to get to see the rest of the expansive apartment.
Shelby happily showed him around and ended the tour near Rachel's room.
"This is her bathroom," Shelby explained. "And this, as you know, is her room."
Leroy knocked a couple of times and then opened the door and stepped in. "Hi, Rach."
Rachel had pulled a few of her friends out and was indeed playing with them when the adults entered. "Hi!" Rachel got up from the floor and ran to Leroy who swooped her up and gave her a big hug. She avoided looking at Shelby.
"Can I sit and talk with you for a while?" Leroy asked.
"Yeah," Rachel said.
Shelby took that as her cue to leave and made her way back to the living room.
"How was your week?" Leroy asked.
"Fine," Rachel answered. "I started a new school. I even made a friend."
"That's great!" Leroy said. "How are you liking it here?"
"I like it," Rachel answered. "Shelby's really nice. She took me to see Wicked and I met her parents and they have horses on their farm."
"Oh, that sounds awesome," Leroy said. He wasn't kidding. Rachel was a lucky kid and she didn't even seem to realize it yet. "Have you had any trouble?"
Rachel looked away then and climbed up on her bed to sit down.
"Rachel," Leroy coaxed.
"She put me in time out and she said I'm restricted from watching any more movies all because I didn't want to have to take a bath all the time," Rachel said in a tone that let Leroy know she felt both punishments were extremely unfair.
Leroy hid a chuckle and nodded solemnly. "I hope you are starting to listen better."
"I am," Rachel whined and flopped back on the bed.
Leroy shook his head at her dramatics, but he was beyond pleased. Rachel normally found herself in a lot more trouble than one time out and no movies, even within the first week. He went and sat on the bed next to her and patted her leg.
"Shelby is only looking out for what's best for you," Leroy reminded her.
"Leroy?" Rachel asked as she sat up and leveled a serious look at the man.
"Yes?"
"Do you think I'll be here over the summer?" Rachel questioned. "Shelby asked me what I wanted to do this summer, but I told her that it was silly to ask that because I probably won't even be here."
"Why do you think you won't here over the summer?" Leroy asked.
"Because it's a long way away and I'll probably be living with someone else by then," Rachel answered matter-of-factly.
"Has Shelby said something like that to you?" Leroy asked.
"No," Rachel told him. "She thinks I'll be here this summer. But it never works out like that."
"How about I talk to her and see what she thinks?" Leroy offered.
"Okay," Rachel said with a shrug. "If you want."
Their conversation soon strayed to talk of school and Leroy listened intently as Rachel told him about Jesse and Wicked and Oliver. Getting to listen to the kids, especially the well placed ones, was his favorite part of any home visit.
After a while Rachel was asked to stay in her room so Leroy could go and talk to Shelby. Once he was gone, Rachel opened her door slightly so she could listen, just like she did at all the other homes she'd been in. She wondered if Shelby would tell him about the milk.
Leroy joined Shelby in the living room and sat down opposite her.
"Leroy, listen, how long do you think this whole process should take?" Shelby asked, deciding just to dive right in. "How long until I can adopt her?"
"It can take months or even over a year," Leroy answered honestly.
"A year?!" Shelby exclaimed, raising her voice.
Rachel shrank back a bit when she heard Shelby start to yell. That didn't take long at all. She wished her room wasn't so far away though because she was having trouble understanding what they were saying.
"Shelby, I told you that the process takes time when this whole thing started," Leroy reminded her calmly.
Rachel slipped out of her room and edged her way down the hallway in hopes of being able to hear more clearly.
Shelby prided herself on not letting her celebrity status go to her head, but she wasn't used to many delays when she declared she wanted something. It was an almost foreign concept to her that she would have to wait that long for something so important. She could, after all, having almost anything in the world delivered to her doorstep by the end of the weekend, but she couldn't have Rachel. Why should the system fight so hard to keep this child that was simply lost in it?
"That is an unacceptable answer," Shelby said. "I don't understand why we can't pull some strings to make this happen as soon as possible."
"You're going to just have to bide your time with Rachel," Leroy said. "I told you not to take her unless you could handle this. It takes time to get things through the system."
Rachel stopped in her tracks and a sinking feeling washed over her. She hadn't meant to make Shelby so angry and now it seemed she'd be leaving a lot sooner than even she could have anticipated.
"I don't want to have to wait," Shelby insisted. "I just want her out of there. Today if possible."
Rachel had heard all she wanted to and hurried back to her room. Tears made their way down her cheeks as she flopped on the bed and reached for her blanket to hold and keep her safe.
"I want her out of the system," Shelby continued.
"I do too," Leroy said. "I do too."
"I know you do," Shelby sighed. "I'm sorry. I just want her to feel safe and know that she isn't going to be taken anyway at a moment's notice." Shelby got quieter and looked down at her hands. "She's convinced that I won't keep her more than a few months."
"I know, she told me about you asking her about the summer," Leroy said.
"That's not fair to her," Shelby told him. "I don't want her to be afraid anymore."
"I will do everything I can, Shelby, I promise I will. But we both are going to have to learn to be patient," Leroy said.
"I know. I'm sorry," Shelby said.
"It's okay," Leroy reached over and patted her hand. "I completely understand."
Rachel had dried the tears from her face by the time Leroy came in to say goodbye and she only half listened when Shelby talked to her about the milk. She stayed distant throughout the rest of the afternoon. Shelby couldn't figure it out, but she let Rachel have her space. She assumed that the girl was probably sad to see Leroy go after their visit.
The stress of the day had gotten to Shelby and by the early evening and she needed to relax a bit.
"Rach," Shelby said as she opened the girl's bedroom door and stepped in. "I'm going to take a bath and I'll be back out after a little while. You just play in here for a while."
"Okay," Rachel said without looking up at her.
"Good girl," Shelby said and she leaned down and kissed Rachel's head.
As soon as Shelby was out of the room, Rachel put her plan into action. She'd thought about waiting until Monday, but she was worried she'd have to leave before that. Leroy could come back at any moment and get her. Normally Rachel would just resign herself to that fate, but this time she had a friend that she didn't want to leave behind.
Rachel pulled out her school back pack and dumped all over her books and papers on the bed. She then packed up all of her stuffed animals, knick knacks, and blanket. She did a quick double check to make sure she wasn't leaving any of her friends behind and then reached in her sock drawer and pulled out the piece of paper Jesse had written his address on.
Rachel opened her bedroom door and crept over to Shelby's door and listened for a moment. She could hear music playing and Rachel hoped the woman was still in the bath. The only other stop Rachel made was to grab her coat and hat and then she hurried from the apartment.
Rachel hadn't exactly thought her plan through when she stepped off the elevator and saw other people in the lobby of the expensive building. She tried to casually make her way towards the door, but was stopped by Kevin, one of the doormen.
"Hey, where are you headed tonight?" Kevin asked kindly. He had gotten used to seeing Shelby with the young girl and he realized this was the first time he was seeing her without the woman. "It's pretty dark out."
"We're going to see a movie," Rachel blurted out the first lie that came to mind. "Um, Shelby said I could come down and get the cab by myself. She'll be down in a few minutes."
"That sounds like fun," Kevin said with a smile. "I'll get a cab here for you."
"Thanks," Rachel smiled at him.
Kevin went back to his desk and picked up the phone. Rachel only had to wait a few moments for him to hang up and say, "One will be here in less than a minute."
"I'm going to wait outside," Rachel said. "So I can see the snow."
"Okay," Kevin replied. "I'll see you later."
Rachel hurried from the building and made it to the curb just as a taxi was pulling up. She took a quick glance over her shoulder and saw that Kevin was busy talking with someone else and then got into the car.
"Go here, please," Rachel said as she handed the driver Jesse's address.
"Where's your mom, kid?" the driver asked.
"She's there waiting for me," Rachel told him. "I was here visiting my dad."
The driver eyed her suspiciously for a second and then shrugged it off. These rich kids were in his car all the time.
Rachel let out a long breath when they finally pulled away from the building.
The ride only took ten minutes and soon the cab was pulling up in front of another upscale apartment building.
"Thanks," Rachel said as she opened the door.
"Wait, you owe me $13.68," the driver said.
"I've got to get my mom," Rachel said. "She's inside."
"Damn kids," the driver said as he put his car in park and waited. He wasn't going anywhere without getting paid. In fact, he was going to leave the meter running.
Rachel slipped inside and headed straight for the elevators. She realized she'd left the address with the driver, but it didn't matter; she'd memorized the apartment number. Rachel got off on the eleventh floor and made her way to the front door.
Martha and her husband Desmond looked at each other and then the door when the bell chimed. "We expecting anyone?"
"Not that I know of," Martha answered. "I'll get it."
Jesse was sitting on the couch in his pajamas watching a movie, but he looked over to see who it was.
"Hi," Rachel said when Martha answered the door. "Jesse said I could live here if I ever needed a new home."
A/N – That's it for this chapter. Again, I'm really sorry about the delay. I hope the next chapter will be up a lot faster than this one was. Please leave a review if you can and let me know what you think. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, guys!
