I know I probably sound like a broken record ... I am so sorry for taking this long to update this story. June was a crazy month, since I was out of the country for the whole month, and then I started a new job in July ... I really hope this update is worth the long wait.
Thank you so much for all the reviews and the PMs. Every review means so much to me.
...
Three days later, Rachel and Shelby had watched every movie Barbra Streisand has ever made. Even Beth, who had never been interested in Barbra, had enjoyed watching some scenes from Funny Girl.
Things were calm at the Corcoran household, until Shelby pronounced that dreaded sentence. "It's time for your medication, Rachel"
"Mom, I am no longer sick. My throat is clear and I don't have a cough anymore." Rachel replied, getting up from the couch.
"Rachel, we have the same argument every day and you never win." Shelby said, handing her stubborn daughter a large pill and a glass of water. "You have two pills left."
"But I don't need them." Rachel answered, refusing to take the pill.
"I shouldn't have let you choose. I should've asked Dr. Robbins to give you that shot. It would've saved us a lot of time and energy." Shelby said, growing tired of fighting with her daughter every eight hours. "In fact, I think I can still call her …"
"What? You cannot do that!" Rachel declared, taking the pill from her mother's hand and swallowing it with a big gulp of water. "I only have one pill left!"
"Why didn't I say that from the very beginning?" thought Shelby, as she smiled. She was proud that she had found a way to stop fighting with Rachel, even if she had found the solution too late.
"Now, Rach, was that so hard?" Shelby asked, shaking her head. Her daughter was just as stubborn as she had been when she was a teenager. She was starting to feel really bad for having given her parents so many headaches. "I am glad you are feeling better, sweetie."
"Oh, me too. I need to go back to work tomorrow. I am certain I will lose my job if I miss another day at the diner." Rachel replied.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Shelby started saying, as she led Rachel back to the couch. "You could quit your job and focus on school and rehearsals. You live here now, so you don't need to pay rent."
"But I need money for clothes and other things." Rachel answered.
"I'd like you to focus on your dreams, honey, and I can always buy you some clothes and other things if you really need them."
"I don't know, mom …" Rachel said, as she thought about what her mom was proposing. She hated working at the diner, so in a way, she was thrilled that her mother was giving her a way out, but she didn't want to depend entirely on Shelby. Of course, her fathers still sent her some money every month, so she could use that money in her account to pay for those things she needed, and she knew that once Funny Girl was on stage, she would become so famous that money would be the least of her worries. "Okay, I think I will do that"
"Now you can focus on school. Don't think I don't know you have been skipping classes" Shelby said, with a raised eyebrow.
"How?" Rachel asked, confused.
"Oh, honey, a mother always knows." Shelby replied, winking at Rachel. She could have revealed that she had put two and two together while reading Rachel's Facebook posts on Kurt's wall, but making her daughter think she indeed had those powers as a mother made her feel better.
"My dads never knew anything …" Rachel muttered.
"As I said, a mother always knows." Shelby said, as she put emphasis on the word mother.
…
The following week flew by. Between rehearsals and classes, Rachel hadn't had a lot of time for herself. She had to make an extra effort during rehearsals to show both the director and the producer that she was the right person for the role, even though she had been absent from rehearsal for four days. The director had told her that he knew everyone got sick, but that he hoped it was the last time his lead actress was unwell, because they couldn't afford to miss more rehearsals, as investors were dropping by the theater unannounced and they had to get as much support as they could. In return, Rachel had assured them that while it had been an unfortunate event, she never got sick and that would be the last time she'd ever miss rehearsal.
Today was Friday and Rachel was happy she would have the entire weekend to rest and spend time with her family. Her being sick the week before had showed her how much Shelby truly cared and how ready they all were to be a family.
Rachel was waiting for Kurt outside Cassandra July's class, so they could talk. She missed her best friend. She was used to talking to Kurt every night while they had dinner or chatting with him at the diner while there were no customers. Now that Rachel had moved out and quit her job, she missed Kurt more than ever.
"Miss David Schwimmer, to what do I owe this honor?" Cassandra asked, approaching Rachel. "Have they finally realized over at Funny Girl what an annoying person you are and now you are here to beg me to let you come back into my class?"
"Everything is going wonderful in rehearsals. They all see me as the star I am and they treat me as such. So, no, I am not here to ask you for anything, Ms. July. I am here to see Kurt"
"Kurt Hummel? Oh, of course you are friends. I don't know who is more uncoordinated, him or you. You are both bound for the zoo as dancing hippos, not Broadway" Cassie said, laughing.
"You may laugh now, Ms. July, but I am the one who is about to become a Broadway star while you are here teaching because nobody will hire you again." Rachel said, smirking.
Kurt placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder and shook his head, "Please, I still need to see Ms. July every week …"
"Be careful, Miss Schwimmer, you and I are not that different." Cassandra said before walking away.
Rachel rolled her eyes. Cassandra July and she had nothing in common.
"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked, smiling.
"I've missed you!" Rachel replied, hugging her best friend. "I feel like we haven't talked in ages!"
"And whose fault is that?" Kurt replied, winking at Rachel.
"Do you have any plans for tonight? I am babysitting Beth, but you can come over. I'll order some pizza and it'll be just like the old times." Rachel proposed.
"Are you sure Ms. Corcoran won't mind?" Kurt asked. He had always been a little intimidated by Shelby and he didn't want to be the cause of her anger.
"Of course not." Rachel said, dismissing Kurt's concern. "She is leaving at 6, so how about if you come over at 7? I'll have Beth ready for bed and then we can have the apartment to ourselves."
"I'll be there at 7, then." Kurt said. "You get the pizza and I'll get the drinks. The usual is okay?"
Rachel nodded. "Perfect. See you at 7. Don't be late." She kissed her friend goodbye and headed home.
…
"Are you sure you'll be fine, Rachel?" Shelby asked for the tenth time.
It was the first time Shelby left Beth with Rachel and she couldn't help feeling a bit apprehensive. She knew that the incident at the mall had been a one-time event and that Rachel would take good care of her little sister. They had gotten along very well the whole week and Rachel had done her best to bond with the little blonde girl. And Beth would be asleep most of the time, so she knew she wouldn't have to worry about her apartment turning into a disaster area. Even so, she was a bit nervous, but Rachel yearned to be treated as an adult and this was her way of letting her know that she trusted her.
"We'll be okay, mom. Beth and I will watch some TV …" Rachel said, smiling at Beth.
"Sofia the first!" Beth said, interrupting her big sister.
"We'll watch Sofia the first and then we might sing for a little while. If she wants to be as talented as you and I are, she needs to start early. She doesn't have the same genes we do." Rachel added, looking at Shelby.
"But I have jeans!" Beth said, running to her bedroom to get a pair of jeans from her drawer to show them to her mom and sister.
Shelby was going to comment on what Rachel had said, but her youngest daughter interrupted her thoughts with her remark.
"See, Wachel? I have jeans. Not like you and mommy, because you are big and I am small" Beth added, proudly showing Rachel her jeans.
Shelby and Rachel looked at each other and stifled a laugh. "I see, Beth, those are great jeans!"
Beth nodded eagerly and smiled.
"You are adorable, did you know that?" Shelby asked, lifting Beth off the ground and giving her a warm hug. "I wish I didn't have to go out tonight."
"We'll have fun, mom. Right, Beth?" Rachel asked the little girl still in her mother's arms.
Beth nodded again as she struggled to get down. "I was a girl in the village doing alwight, then I became a princess overnight" Beth started singing the theme song from Sofia the first at the top of her lungs.
"Alright. You have my number. If you need anything, call me." Shelby said, looking straight into Rachel's eyes. This was serious and she wanted her eldest to listen to her. "I've left the number of her pediatrician on the notepad by the phone, as well as the doorman's extension number and a couple of numbers from people I am going to be with."
"We won't need them." Rachel replied, growing frustrated. Her mother was supposed to leave at 6 and it was already 6:10.
"She's already had dinner, but if she gets hungry, you can give her some milk and some toast. No sweets, please. And remember her bedtime is at 7. You can extend it a little if you are both having fun, but no later than 8." Shelby continued giving Rachel instructions.
"Mom, you're going to be late!" Rachel said, trying her best not to roll her eyes.
"Wait, you haven't had any dinner. What are you going to have?" Shelby asked, concerned, suddenly realizing she had given Beth an early dinner, but not Rachel.
"I'll order some pizza. Don't worry about me." Rachel replied, looking at the little girl who was still belting out the song from Sofia the first and was dancing in the living room. "Look at Beth, she is already having fun."
Shelby sighed and took a last glance at her two daughters. "Alright. I'd better go. Beth, come give mommy a hug."
"I love you, mommy" Beth said, crashing into Shelby and wrapping her little arms around her mom's waist.
"Don't give Rachel any trouble, okay?" Shelby said, kissing her youngest daughter's head of curls and then turned to Rachel. "Have fun. Call me if you need anything"
"I will" Rachel said, for the hundredth time. "Have fun, mom, don't worry about us"
Shelby gave Rachel a kiss on the head just like the one she had given Beth and left the apartment.
"Finally! Let the fun begin!" Rachel said, taking Beth's hands and dancing with her. "Why don't we get you into your pj's so you can be more comfortable while watching Sofia the first?"
"You too, Wachel?"
"No, I'll stay awake longer than you." Rachel declared.
"I wanna stay awake with you." Beth said, giving Rachel a pout.
"No, you need to be in bed by 7." Rachel was an expert at pouting to get her way, so she was immune to it.
"No!" Beth said, stomping her foot. "I stay with you!"
"We'll see" Rachel said, not wanting to argue with a three year old. Kurt was going to arrive in less than an hour, and she wanted Beth to be in bed or ready to go to bed by the time he got there.
"Yay!" Beth said, letting Rachel change her into her pajama's. "Sofia the first now?"
"Yes, come on. Let's get comfortable in the couch." Rachel smiled at her little sister and pressed play on the DVR. She wasn't ready to admit it because she was already an adult, but she really enjoyed the cartoon. She sang along with Beth and laughed at the same things her little sister laughed at.
By the time the second episode was over, Beth was already fighting to stay awake. She was just drifting off when the doorbell rang and it startled her.
"Is mommy back?" Beth asked in a sleepy voice.
"Mom wouldn't ring the bell. Not unless she forgot her keys, but I am sure she didn't. It must be my friend Kurt" Rachel said, opening the door.
"Am I early?" Kurt asked, noticing Beth was still awake.
"No, you are just in time. Come in." Rachel said, smiling. "Beth was about to go to bed."
Beth shook her head and yawned as she stared at Kurt. "Why you here?"
"He's my friend, Beth. I invited him over." Rachel answered.
"Uh, Rach, that look is making me nervous. It reminds of a certain look another certain blonde girl used to give us." Kurt confessed as he tried to ignore Beth.
"She's harmless" Rachel said.
Beth tilted her head as she continued staring at Kurt. "Can we sing now?"
"It's time to go to bed." Rachel replied, taking Beth's hand.
"No!" Beth shouted.
"I have an idea. Let Rachel tuck you in and we both can sing you a song before you go to sleep." Kurt said in a sweet tone of voice. "How does that sound?"
Beth considered Kurt's suggestion for a moment and as she rubbed her eyes, she nodded. "What song?"
Kurt and Rachel looked at each other and then said at the same time, "Pure Imagination"
Beth shrugged as she had no idea what song that was, but she was tired and she was finding it hard to keep her eyes open. "Okay"
Kurt and Rachel sang softly until Beth fell asleep and then tiptoed out of the toddler's room.
"I still cannot believe you are calling Quinn's baby your sister" Kurt said.
"I know. It was not easy, but Beth is adorable most of the time and I have to confess that I have grown quite attached to her. I don't even see her as Quinn's anymore." Rachel confessed.
"Who would've thought you'd end up living with Ms. Corcoran and calling her mom after everything that happened?"
"She has apologized and she has changed." Rachel said, as she ordered the pizza online.
"What did your dads say when you told them you were now living with her?" Kurt inquired, as he got out one of the bottles of red wine from a bag.
"Nothing …" Rachel said, avoiding looking at Kurt.
"Rachel! You haven't told them, have you?"
Rachel shook her head and sighed. "It hasn't come up."
"Oh right. I understand. They haven't asked you if you are living with her, I get it" Kurt said, sarcastically.
"I will tell them. I haven't found the right time to do so. Dad has been very busy with work and I haven't spoken to daddy this week. He is in a business trip." Rachel replied, noticing Kurt was opening and closing every drawer in the kitchen. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for a corkscrew" Kurt answered, as he opened another drawer. "Found it!"
"Two-Buck Chuck, fancy!" Rachel said, getting two glasses from the cupboard.
"You can't buy wine at grocery stores here, so I had to go to Beacon Wines and it was all they had. And you should be thankful I was able to get it. The manager kept staring at my ID" Kurt said, as he poured two glasses of wine.
"He didn't believe you were 23?" Rachel asked, referring to the fake ID Kurt had gotten. She had also gotten a fake ID when she first arrived in New York and wanted to be able to get into clubs and be served alcohol.
"No. I was very scared" Kurt took a sip of his wine and nodded "This is not bad."
"This is actually pretty good" Rachel said, taking a sip herself. She was about to take another sip when the doorbell rang. "That must be the pizza."
"Madame Tibideaux has asked me to tell you that you need to go to class on Monday or you are out of her class." Kurt said, as he poured himself another glass.
"Really? It's not like I am skipping classes because I want to. Every time I miss a class is because I am rehearsing for the musical." Rachel replied, getting annoyed.
"I know, but you know how serious she takes education."
"I don't have rehearsal scheduled for Monday morning, so I'll be there" Rachel said, handing her glass to Kurt. "NYADA should be honored to have a student like me who is already making it big on Broadway."
Kurt wanted to tell Rachel that she still wasn't famous and that her diva attitude might cost her the part, but he didn't want to fight with his friend, so instead he just nodded as Rachel continued talking nonstop about how unfair everyone was at NYADA for not supporting her career.
"Don't you think that's unfair, Kurt?" Rachel said, as she took the bottle of wine and poured the last drops. She was shocked to realize they had already gone through an entire bottle. "Oh, we're out of wine!"
"No, we're not. The advantage of buying a two dollar wine is that I could get three bottles" Kurt replied, smiling and getting another bottle from the bag.
Kurt and Rachel spent the rest of the night chatting. They were having such a good time, that they didn't even feel the effects of the alcohol.
On the other side of town, Shelby was taking a cab, ready to head home. She had had a good time, but ever since she had adopted Beth, she didn't like spending too much time apart from her, especially at night. And now that she had reconnected with Rachel, she wanted to spend as much time with her daughter and show her that this time she was there for her.
Shelby paid the driver and was greeted by the doorman, as she made her way up to her apartment. She got her keys ready and took off her high heels, so she wouldn't make too much noise getting inside. She knew Beth was already sleeping and she wasn't sure if Rachel was too, so she didn't want to startle her eldest daughter. Quietly, she got the key in the lock and turned it. As she stepped inside, she heard two voices and saw her daughter walking to the living room with a bottle of wine.
"Here it is" Rachel told Kurt, showing him the third bottle, but she was shocked when she felt a hand grabbing the bottle of wine she was holding.
"Thank you for the warm welcome. I love red wine. That is very sweet of you" Shelby said, taking the bottle away from Rachel's hands and trying to figure out if that was the first bottle they'd opened or if they had had more to drink. That is when she saw both glasses on the table that still had some wine in them, and she walked to the kitchen. She didn't say a word, but she was making Rachel and Kurt very nervous.
Shelby could feel the anger running through her veins as she discovered two empty bottles on the kitchen counter. She couldn't believe her daughter had been drinking when she was supposed to be taking care of her little sister. Instead of calming down, the mere thought of what could have happened made her even angrier. She took the two bottles and walked back to the living room.
She stood in front of Rachel and Kurt and gave her daughter a stern look. "Care to explain what is going on, Rachel Barbra?"
"I invited Kurt over." Rachel replied. She noticed Kurt had flinched the moment Shelby had spoken to her, but she was having a good time, and there was nothing wrong with that, so she wasn't as scared as her friend looked.
"I can see that." Shelby said, glancing at Kurt and relaxing her posture a little, since she noticed he looked terrified. "Nice to see you, Kurt, I wish it was under different circumstances."
Kurt nodded, but he didn't say anything.
Shelby turned to look at her daughter and noticed she didn't look terrified as her friend did; in fact, she was giving her a defiant look, so she went back to her stern posture. She placed the empty bottles on the coffee table and put her hands on her hips.
"I didn't know you had invited Kurt over and while I'd appreciate being informed of what happens in my house while you are babysitting your sister …"
"Yeah, your precious baby." Rachel muttered, as her mother was speaking.
Shelby heard what her daughter had said, but chose to ignore it in that moment. She had more important issues to deal with. "While I'd appreciate being informed of what happens in my house while you are babysitting your sister, I am not upset that you invited Kurt over. I am very angry because I got home and I found both of you drinking wine."
"Why? We do it all the time." Rachel said, getting defensive.
"How old are you?" Shelby asked. Her eyes were piercing through Rachel's, but the young brunette seemed to be paying no attention to the looks she was getting from her mother.
"What? You know how old I am." Rachel replied, rolling her eyes.
"Rachel, how old are you?" Shelby asked again.
Rachel let out a loud sigh and said, "Eighteen."
"And what is the legal age to drink in this country?" Shelby asked, raising her eyebrow.
"We didn't go out and got drunk in some club. We had a quiet dinner at home and had some wine. I don't understand what the big deal is." Rachel said, ignoring her mother's question. She felt it was a dumb question, anyway.
"The big deal, Rachel, is that you are underage. The big deal is that you were in charge of a three year old. What would you have done if Beth had woken up and had come here while you were drinking?"
"I would've offered her a glass." Rachel replied in a sassy tone.
Shelby took a step towards Rachel, and pointed at her daughter with her index finger. "This is not a joke, Rachel. This is very serious."
"You are embarrassing me in front of my friend" Rachel said, glancing at Kurt.
Shelby felt the anger boiling in her veins, but she had to admit that Rachel had a point. She hated her when her own mother scolded her in front of her friends, and as much as she wanted to talk to Rachel in that moment, she knew she couldn't embarrass her that way.
"You are right." Shelby said, taking two steps back. "Do not think this discussion is over, Rachel Barbra."
"Uh, Ms. Corcoran, I should go." Kurt said, finding his voice. He knew he should have said that earlier, but he was so intimidated, he couldn't utter a single word.
"Let me call a cab for you." Shelby said, going to the phone.
Rachel and Kurt looked at Shelby as she made the call. They were both lost in their own thoughts.
"It will be here in five minutes. Before you go, I want to know. How did you get wine?" Shelby asked, eyeing both of them.
"I-I-I got it … uh … ma'am" Kurt stuttered, his nervousness showing.
"Did you ask someone to buy it for you?"
Kurt shook his head, "I bought it in a wine store."
Shelby learned what she wanted to know and just nodded. She would have to ask her daughter how Kurt was able to buy wine without getting carded. She had a very good idea how, though. She had been eighteen once and she knew what you needed to buy alcohol and get into clubs. Now that she was a mother, she finally understood why her own mother had been so angry when she had found that fake I.D. in Shelby's wallet.
"The cab must already be here. I'll walk you downstairs." Shelby said.
Rachel glared at her mother and then said to Kurt, "I'm sorry she ruined the evening, Kurt. I'll call you tomorrow"
"Rachel will call you on Monday. She will be very busy this weekend." Shelby added, looking sternly at her daughter, before leaving the apartment with Kurt.
"Ms. Corcoran, I apologize for what happened tonight." Kurt said, just before getting in the cab.
"Thank you, Kurt. I do not want you drinking until you turn 21, okay?" Shelby said forcefully, but not too sternly. She could see that unlike her daughter, Kurt did feel bad about the events that evening.
"I won't." Kurt replied.
"Text Rachel as soon as you get home, please, so we know you got there safely. Good night, Kurt" Shelby said, closing the door.
Shelby watched the taxi driving away as she went back into the apartment building.
"Are you alright, Ms. Corcoran?" the doorman asked, opening the door for Shelby.
"Do you have children, John?" Shelby asked, looking for some sympathy.
"I have a fourteen year old daughter, ma'am." John replied, realizing what the problem was.
"You have my deepest sympathy." Shelby said, giving him a half smile, and getting into the elevator.
As she was making her way back upstairs, she leaned on the wall and closed her eyes, breathing in and out as she tried to calm herself. She tried to think of her mother's reaction had she been in the same situation she was in, but she quickly brushed those thoughts away, since she knew she couldn't handle it the way her mother would have. Still, she had to make sure her daughter understood why she was so angry. When the bell chimed, announcing she was home, she took another deep breath and walked out.
"I cannot believe you did that in front of Kurt! I am not a child. You cannot tell me what to do!" Rachel yelled as soon as Shelby opened the door.
"You are living under my roof, Rachel, and you have to abide to my rules." Shelby said, doing her best not to raise her voice. She was aware her three year old daughter was sleeping and she didn't want to wake her up, no matter how much she wanted to yell at her eldest daughter.
"But you shouldn't have scolded me in front of Kurt as if I were a child!" Rachel added, still yelling.
"Rachel Barbra, stop yelling right now!" Shelby ordered in a threatening tone. "I realize you are not a child, but as I have told you before, you are not an adult either."
"I am eighteen years old!" Rachel said, not lowering the volume of her voice.
"How does that word end, Rachel?" Shelby asked.
"What?" Rachel said, annoyed because she didn't see the point of that question.
"Eighteen. What comes after eight?" Shelby asked again.
"Teen." Rachel replied, dawning on her the reason why her mother was asking that question.
"Exactly. Teen. You are not a child, I know, but Rachel, you are still a teen." Shelby explained, "And I am your mother, so you will listen to what I have to say."
Rachel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, refusing to look at her mother. She was finally feeling the effects of the alcohol and she wasn't feeling very well. However, she had to admit she loved the courage alcohol gave her. It was as if the wine had removed the filter in her mouth, not that she ever had a very big filter.
"I don't have to listen to you. You might have given birth to me, but I am an adult and I can do whatever I want!" Rachel replied, ready to storm out. "Good night, Shelby"
Rachel glanced at Shelby waiting to see her reaction to being called by her first name instead of mom. She wanted to show her mother that she had no authority over her and calling her mom gave her some power, so Rachel was convinced that calling her Shelby removed that power.
Shelby was getting a headache, and every time Rachel's voice rose, she was afraid Beth would wake up, so she decided to call it a night. She knew that she wasn't going to get anywhere that night, and Rachel was drunk, so she was afraid the lecture she was prepared to give would be forgotten in the morning. Besides, she knew what Rachel was doing when she called her by her first name. She had tried that once when she was fifteen and after her mother's reaction, she never dared to try it again.
"You know what, Rachel, you are right." Shelby said, no longer having the energy to fight. "Good night. There is some aspirin in the bathroom cabinet in case you get a headache."
Shelby shook her head and walked towards Beth's room. "That girl is lucky I am not doing what my mother would have done in that situation" The mere thought sent shivers down her spine.
…
The following morning, Rachel was awakened by the bright light coming from her bedroom window. She covered her head with the blanket, but she could still see that ray of light that was making her head throb, so she just groaned and got up. She walked to the bathroom to get some aspirin and then, walked back to the bedroom, hoping she wouldn't have to face her mother that early in the morning. However, she wasn't that lucky. As soon as she closed the door, she heard a knock and then her mother's voice.
"Breakfast is ready" Shelby said through the closed door.
Rachel sighed and prepared herself for the long lecture she knew was coming. She had a headache and her stomach felt funny, so she wasn't really in a mood to listen to her mother, but she knew she couldn't hide from her forever. Reluctantly, she got up and walked to the dining room.
"Wachel, you're awake! Mommy made waffles!" Beth said in an excited tone.
"Beth, that was too loud." Rachel complained, as she sat down.
Shelby glanced at her eldest daughter and smirked. She knew that Rachel was feeling the effects of the alcohol. She wanted to talk to her about what had happened the night before and make her understand why it was wrong, but she knew she couldn't do it while Beth was around. That was a conversation that had to be held in private, not with a toddler around asking questions or eavesdropping. For now, Shelby knew mentioning the incident was not a good idea, so she decided to postpone the conversation until Beth was at the sitter's house.
"Would you like strawberries on top of your waffles, Rachel?" Shelby asked, showing Rachel the strawberry compote she had made.
Rachel was surprised at her mother's question, since she was sure the first thing she was going to hear was a comment about the previous night, but her mother looked just like she looked every morning and her behavior was not different either. That got her thinking that maybe her mom had finally realized she was indeed an adult, and that short conversation the night before had helped. She smiled as she realized what she had accomplished.
"Rachel? Strawberries?" Shelby said, noticing her daughter was lost in her thoughts. She didn't understand what she was smiling about.
"Oh, yes, please." Rachel replied.
Shelby sat down to eat her breakfast once she finished serving Beth and Rachel theirs. She noticed that even though it was clear Rachel was a bit hung over, she looked more relaxed that the previous night. She was hoping that by the time they had that talk, her daughter wouldn't be as defiant and as defensive as she had been.
"Mommy, what we doing today?" Beth asked with a mouth full of waffle.
Shelby gave her a warning look and Beth immediately knew what it meant. "Oopsie, mommy. No food now. See?" Beth said, showing Shelby she had swallowed everything.
"Very good." Shelby said smiling at her youngest daughter. "You are going to the park with Megan."
"Why?" Beth asked, wanting to spend time with her mom and sister, not with her babysitter.
"Megan's nephew is in town. Do you remember how much fun you had with Liam?" Shelby said.
Beth nodded and clapped her hands. "He is a prince and I am a princess!"
Rachel looked at Beth and Shelby interact and smiled sadly. She wished she was still a little girl so her mother would talk to her like that. Her dads had always given her anything she wanted, but they had never taken the time to talk to her. She was sure they loved her, but she knew they could never love her as much as a mother would have. As she kept thinking about what her childhood would have been like had Shelby been in her life, she realized she was betraying everything she had told her mother the night before. She couldn't wish she was a child, since the last thing she wanted was to be treated like one, and she was happy she was being treated like an adult.
After breakfast, Shelby helped Beth get dressed and was about to leave when she noticed Rachel talking on her phone. She heard something about rehearsal, and she was hoping the call was to remind her of Monday's rehearsal, since she really wanted to be able to talk to Rachel that day.
"We are behind, so Rupert is requesting an impromptu rehearsal this morning" Rachel explained. "I need to take a quick shower and head to the theater."
Shelby was not able to say anything, because as soon as Rachel stopped speaking, she ran into the bathroom to start getting ready.
"Have a good day!" Shelby said in a loud voice so Rachel heard her.
"I guess that talk will have to wait until she gets back." Shelby thought as she exited the apartment with Beth.
…
Rachel arrived at the theater fifteen minutes early, and seeing as nobody was there yet, she grabbed her phone and texted Kurt. She still couldn't believe her mother had been that embarrassing the night before.
Hey, Kurt. I just wanted to apologize for Shelby's behavior last night. - R -
I was so scared! How come you are allowed to use your phone? – K. –
I'm at the theater. Rehearsal. Why wouldn't I be allowed? – R. –
On my way to the theater. See you in 5. – K. –
Kurt was on his way to Sardi's when he got the first text message from Rachel, so he just continued walking until he got to the theater.
"Rachel, I am so happy you are alive!" Kurt said from the top of the stairs.
Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Of course I am. What did you think she had done to me? She isn't that scary, you know?"
"Oh come on, after the way she was looking at you last night, I was sure you'd be dead or at least, unable to sit down comfortably." Kurt said, and noticed Rachel was standing. "Wait, can you sit down?"
"You are ridiculous! Of course I can sit down!" Rachel said, taking a seat on a chair on the stage. "We talked and she understood that I am an adult and she cannot tell me what to do."
Kurt was surprised at that statement. The scene he had witnessed the night before told a very different story. "But I don't understand. She looked furious."
"I told her I am eighteen years old …" Rachel said.
"That wouldn't have stopped my dad from lecturing me all night long and probably from …" Kurt explained, blushing at what he was about to say. He took a deep breath and said, "from making sure I still felt the lesson the following day, if you know what I mean."
Rachel furrowed her brows. She was very confused. She knew what Kurt was saying, but she found it absolutely absurd. She was an adult. Kurt could not be implying what she thought he was implying.
"That is ludicrous. I would never allow Shelby to do that!" Rachel said in an outraged tone.
"You know my dad, he is a very calm man. But as he says, sometimes as a parent, you have to do things you don't want to do to make a lesson stick. I don't think Ms. Corcoran would ever ask for your permission." Kurt reasoned.
"But …" Rachel was about to continue arguing when a thought hit her. She replayed in her head what Kurt had just said and it made her feel a bit nervous. Shelby hadn't said anything that morning, she hadn't acted as a parent. Did that mean she was starting to regret her decision and didn't want to be her mother anymore? Could Rachel have pushed her away the previous night when she insisted she was an adult?
"Oh no!" Rachel said, biting her lower lip.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked, with a concerned tone.
"I have to go! Can you tell Rupert I had a family emergency, please? Thank you!" Rachel asked Kurt, as she rushed out of the theater.
"Rachel, wait!" Kurt called out, but by the time he said that, his friend was already gone.
Rachel hailed a cab and asked the driver to take her to the apartment building she lived in. While she was on her way there, she couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened ever since she had moved in with Shelby. She was the one who had insisted that she needed her mother and she was thrilled when Shelby decided to take a more active role in her life. She was the one who was always daydreaming about what having a mother was like and now that she had one, she couldn't help thinking she was about to lose her and it was all her fault.
Every time she looked at Beth, she wished she had what the little blonde girl had. How could she have been such a fool not to realize that Shelby was in fact offering her exactly what Beth had? Yes, she was an adult, but she had to admit that most of the time, she had no idea what she was doing. She wanted to have a mother, she'd always had.
When she was a child, she sometimes did something naughty on purpose just to see what her fathers would do. But they would just shake their head, give her a sweet reprimand and send her away with a kiss. She knew that wasn't what most parents did and as a child, she used to brag about never getting in trouble, because her fathers adored her. But after what Kurt had told her, she wasn't so sure her fathers knew what they were doing.
As the taxi made a right turn, she saw the building and sighed. She had to find out if Shelby was really serious when she said she was ready to be her mother. She was hoping it wasn't too late.