I want to start by apologizing for taking so long to update my story. December was really busy, since I flew out of the country to celebrate the holidays with my family, and then, in January, I went back to work and then, I started a new job. I'm really sorry!
I hope everyone's year has been good so far. May this year be the best one of your life!
Thank you so much for all the reviews and alerts. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
...
Rachel woke up the following morning with a feeling of uncertainty in her stomach. She had taken the night to think about what had happened the previous afternoon and she was feeling very guilty about the way she had spoken to Shelby. She knew her mother only wanted the best for her, and she was aware that she had been the one who had begged Shelby to be her mother. Rachel never thought her mom would take that role so seriously, though. The young brunette had gone from being able to do whatever she wanted to having rules in a matter of two months. She had to admit she had always wondered what it would be like to grow up with a parent who wasn't afraid to tell her off when she was wrong, but she never thought she'd get to experience that at the age of eighteen.
Rachel groaned when she realized it was already 7am. She had to be at the theater at 8 and she wanted to see her mom before leaving. She had to make sure Shelby was not angry at her. She hadn't been very polite or respectful the night before, and now, after having gotten a good night sleep, she thought she should apologize. She needed to show her mother that she was a grownup, and she could make things right.
"Good morning, mom." Rachel said, walking into the kitchen. "Do you need any help with breakfast?"
Shelby smiled and instantly recognized what her daughter was doing. She had tried it with her own mother several times when she was a teen. Every time her mom and she argued at night and she went to bed with the promise of a spanking if her attitude hadn't changed in the morning, she would get up and be specially sweet and helpful around her mom so that threat was forgotten and they could move on with their day.
"Thank you, sweetie. You can help Beth set the table." Shelby said, pointing at her youngest daughter with her head.
"Wachel, which one do you want?" Beth asked Rachel, showing her five kids placemats. "I like Ariel. This is mine. Do you want Aurora?"
Rachel shrugged. "I have never cared for any of these characters, to be honest."
"What's your favorite movie?" Beth asked. She was only allowed to watch Disney movies, so she assumed her sister was too.
"I suppose Funny Girl is. I do have to admit, though, that ever since I started playing Fanny, I have seen that movie with different eyes and I am not quite sure it is my favorite movie now." Rachel told her little sister.
Beth tilted her head and sighed. By now, she was used to her sister's long and confusing answers, but she still wished she could understand what Rachel had just said.
In an attempt to get the answer she wanted, the little blonde girl reformulated her question, showing Rachel the placemats she had. "Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, or Aurora?"
"I will have to say Belle. She was always an outcast and yet, she remained true to herself. I like that." Rachel said.
Beth nodded and smiled, as she set that placemat on the table. "Mommy likes Snow White."
"I do. When I was little, I always dressed up as Snow White." Shelby said, walking into the living rooms with a dish of scrambled eggs and a dish with bacon.
"Bacon and eggs! Yay!" Beth said, clapping her hands.
"I'll just have some eggs." Rachel said, serving them on her plate.
"What time will you be home tonight, Rach?" Shelby asked.
"I should be home around seven." Rachel replied.
"Okay. Don't think I have forgotten about our pending conversation." Shelby added, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry about that, mom." Rachel said. She was feeling really bad about her behavior the previous night. Now that she'd had a whole night to think about it, she couldn't erase from her mind her mom's look of disappointment after finding out she wouldn't be able to see Rachel perform at the showcase.
Shelby nodded, acknowledging her daughter's apology and continued eating her breakfast. She didn't want to comment on the previous night around her youngest daughter, who usually appeared to be clueless but knew more than they could imagine.
"Okay, girls, finish up and get ready." Shelby said, clearing some dishes from the table. "Beth, we have to leave in twenty minutes."
…
Rachel couldn't concentrate during rehearsal. She kept replaying Shelby's words in her mind. "I have been looking forward to that showcase for a couple of days now." She wished she had asked Carmen Tibideaux for another chance and maybe her mother wouldn't be so disappointed. As she was rehearsing a scene, it hit her. She could still go to NYADA and ask Carmen to let her participate in the showcase. She could swallow her pride and beg her for that chance. She could just imagine Shelby's face when she heard she'd be able to go the showcase after all. Yes, it was a very good idea. Rachel smiled and nodded, as she continued singing one of the signature songs from the musical.
"That was brilliant, Miss Berry!" Sydney said. "Paolo won't be here until tomorrow. You can take the rest of the afternoon off."
"Thank you so much Mr. Greene." Rachel replied, boasting with pride.
As Rachel made her way to NYADA, she kept rehearsing everything she would tell Madame Tibideaux. She knew she had to go into her office with a different attitude than the previous day. She just needed to charm the dean as she had charmed the producers in the last few weeks. She kept wondering if she would have to turn on the waterworks. Her fake tears never failed, so she knew she'd have to resort to it if everything else failed.
"Good afternoon, I am here to see Madame Tibideaux." Rachel said politely as she reached the dean's office.
"I am sorry, Miss Berry, but Ms. Tibideaux is busy at the moment." the secretary explained.
"Can you please tell her this is urgent? I need to talk to her about the spring showcase." Rachel added.
The secretary picked up the phone to relay the message and after a few seconds, she looked at the young brunette with the big showbiz smile in front of her. "She'll see you in a minute."
"Thank you." Rachel said.
"Miss Berry, come into my office." Carmen ordered, with a commanding tone of voice. "You have five minutes."
"Madame Tibideaux, yesterday we got off on the wrong foot and I wanted to apologize." Rachel said. She had planned to start with an apology to smooth things out.
"Thank you for apologizing, Rachel. I hope you have reconsidered your position and you will be registering to my class next year." Carmen replied.
Rachel ignored what she had been told and went straight to her request. "Madame Tibideaux, as you know, I had been rehearsing for the spring showcase for several weeks now and I think it is only fair that I am allowed to participate."
The dean stared at Rachel for a few seconds before shaking her head. She couldn't believe that student in front of her had the nerve to ask for a chance to participate in such a distinguished event after everything that had happened.
"I know you cannot be serious, Miss Berry." Carmen said. "That event is designed to showcase my students' talent and I thought I was clear when I said you are no longer my student."
"But I had a spot in that showcase and I am not asking for a grade or for a second chance. I simply want to participate. I am sure there will be many people who'll be disappointed when they realize I won't be singing." Rachel added, going back to her usual diva ways.
"Who would those people be? Your fan club?" Carmen asked, sarcastically.
"Yes. There are many students here who look up to me. I am a star and I am an example that you can make it on Broadway." Rachel said in a condescending tone.
"No, Miss Berry, you are an example of what happens in this school when you don't take your studies seriously." Carmen said. "Your five minutes are up. The answer is no. You can participate next year. Good bye, Rachel."
Rachel shook her head and looked down. She knew it was time for those tears. "Please, Madame Tibideaux, I just …"
"Miss Berry, I can recognize fake tears from a mile away. Please save them for another time." Carmen said, as she stepped out of her office.
Rachel was speechless. She couldn't believe her plan hadn't worked. She stomped her foot as soon as Carmen left and then held her head up as she made her way out of the office.
…
Rachel opened the door to the apartment, hoping it would be empty and she could have a few hours to herself to put her thoughts in order, but as soon as she walked inside, she was greeted by her mother.
"Rach, what are you doing here so early? I thought you had rehearsal this afternoon." Shelby asked from the couch, where she was reading a book.
"Paolo didn't make it to rehearsal, so it was cut short." Rachel replied, sitting next to her mom.
"I'm glad you're home." Shelby said smiling. "How was your day?"
"The short rehearsal was alright. Sydney didn't seem too upset about Paolo missing a whole day, which was a little confusing, to be honest, since he always gives me a hard time when I have to cut it short." Rachel replied. "I liked being the only one there, though. And Mr. Greene actually told me I had been wonderful, which comes as no surprise."
Shelby tried to suppress a chuckle as she listened to her daughter. She loved how a simple question always required a long answer, and even though she knew she had to teach Rachel not to blow her own horn all the time, she had to admit she couldn't be prouder of her daughter and her accomplishments.
"Of course you're wonderful, sweetie. I cannot wait to see you up on that stage." Shelby said, beaming with pride. "Do you already have a date for opening night?"
"No, not yet." Rachel replied. "You'll be the first to know when we do, mom."
"Thank you. I'll be on the front row every night, giving you a standing ovation after every song." Shelby teased.
"Maybe after every song is too much, mom." Rachel said. "I'm not saying I won't deserve one. After all, I will be the best Fanny after Barbra."
"You will, honey." Shelby assured Rachel. "And aside from being supportive, I will also make sure those feet of yours stay on the ground."
Rachel noticed the knowing look her mom was giving her and shrugged, not giving that comment much importance. She was a star and stars belonged in the sky, so there was nothing wrong with floating a little.
"Where did you have lunch?" Shelby asked, breaking the sudden silence.
"Uh, I didn't." Rachel confessed. "I didn't have time."
"What time did rehearsal finish? I thought you said it had only been you today." Shelby said.
"It finished at 1, but I went somewhere else afterwards and I lost track of time." Rachel replied, avoiding further questions.
"Where did you go?" Shelby asked.
"What's with the third degree, mom?" Rachel asked rudely, but her attitude changed as soon as she saw her mother's raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry."
Rachel's plan had failed, so she couldn't tell her mother she had gone to NYADA to talk to the dean … Unless, she used the whole conversation in her favor. Her mom hadn't mentioned anything about the previous night, so bringing it up might not be a good idea, but she knew how to steer things to her favor and it could actually be good.
"I went to talk to Madame Tibideaux." Rachel explained. "I wanted to apologize for the way I reacted last week."
Shelby smiled at her daughter's confession. "I am glad you apologized, Rach. Is there a way you can go back to her class this semester?"
Rachel shook her head. "She refused to hear me out. I wanted to explain why I had reacted that way and I wanted to ask for a second chance, but she immediately dismissed my apology."
"That sounds very rude from her. I am surprised." Shelby said. She didn't want to admit it, but she was a bit wary of that apology. She hadn't been around Rachel long, but she knew her daughter, and she was aware an apology didn't come too easily unless there was something in for her. Rachel was very much like Shelby herself, and the older brunette had once been exactly like her daughter.
"Oh, you should've seen her, mom. She gave me five minutes to explain myself and as soon as those five minutes were up, she kicked me out of her office!" Rachel said, indignantly. "That is no way to treat a future Broadway star!"
"Did you go into her office with that attitude?" Shelby inquired.
"I apologized, but when she refused to acknowledge my apology, I had to remind her who she was dealing with." Rachel retorted.
Shelby sighed loudly. "Rachel, honey, I know you are a star, but people might not like it when you remind them how wonderful you are all the time. Let them see that for themselves. Allow your talent to speak for itself, and let them see what a sweet girl you are. Maybe if you had let that kind girl do the talking, Carmen would've reacted differently."
"Why do you always take her side?" Rachel asked, accusingly. "She is the one who was rude to me, not the other way around!"
"I'm not taking her side, Rach. You are my world and I will always support you and I will always take your side, but as your mom, it is also my job to steer you in the right direction and that means helping you see you might be wrong sometimes."
"You know why I went to see Madame Tibideaux today? Because you looked so sad and disappointed last night over not being able to go to the showcase, so I was ready to beg her to let me participate, just so you'd be proud of me." Rachel confessed, feeling her eyes burning with tears.
"I am proud of you, honey." Shelby said, getting closer to Rachel. "I will always be proud of you. You don't need to do anything big and special to make me proud, you just need to be yourself. I love you, and nothing is ever going to make me stop loving you."
Rachel smiled as she let her tears flow. "But you looked so disappointed. And then, you got angry at me, mom. You even threatened to … well … you know what."
Shelby chuckled at Rachel's inability to say the word, but she knew that feeling very well. It was not something you wanted to utter, especially during your late teen years.
"I did. I threatened to spank you, Rach." Shelby said, noticing her daughter blushing at the mere mention of the word. "But it wasn't because I was disappointed about the showcase. I was upset, because you lied when I asked about your schedule and then you talked back and you were disrespectful. That was the real reason. If you had explained what happened that day, I would've understood. Granted, I would've been a bit disconcerted about it, but I would've tried to look at things from your point of view."
Rachel nodded, not knowing what else to say. Even though she had been living with her mother for a couple of months now, she still hadn't gotten used to having a full time parent.
"You can talk to me, sweetie." Shelby said, wiping some tears from her daughter's face with her thumb. "I'm always here to listen to whatever you have to say. I promised I'd be here for good this time, and I intend to keep my promise."
"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't want to lie to you, but you'd given me a whole speech about how important school is and I didn't want you to be angry. But the show is important to me. Playing Fanny Brice was always a dream of mine, and I can't let go of that dream. I can't give up that dream, not for school. NYADA will always be there, mom, but Funny Girl won't." Rachel explained.
"I understand, Rach, and I am not asking you to give up that dream." Shelby said, smiling. "You see? When you talk calmly and rationally, I can put myself in your shoes and I can see everything from your perspective."
Rachel smiled back at her mother. "Thank you, mom."
"I just have one favor to ask you. Well, two favors, actually." Shelby said. "The first one is, don't drop out of school. It is okay if it takes you longer to get your degree, but please, promise you will continue going to classes."
Rachel nodded. "I promise, mom."
"Good." Shelby replied. "The second favor is, I would love to listen to that song you were going to perform on that showcase, so I was wondering if you …"
Shelby wasn't allowed to finish her request, because as soon as she started speaking, her daughter began wiping all the tears off her face and clearing her throat. Before she knew it, Rachel was getting her Ipod ready and was standing in front of her, ready to sing.
…
The following week flew by and before they knew it, it was Friday again. It was the day Shelby's mother, Constance, would be arriving in the city. Shelby was aware that her mother paying them a visit shouldn't make her nervous, especially at her age, but she was still a little jittery. Her mom was very compassionate and kind, but she was also someone who demanded respect and obedience, and as much as Shelby hated to admit it, thinking about her mother's demeanor when the oldest Corcoran was disappointed or upset still sent shivers down her back.
When Shelby was a child, people were often surprised to find out a kid lived in that house, since her mother kept the house spotless. There was never a toy or a piece of clothing in the living room. From a very early age, Shelby learned that everything that was found out of its place would be donated to charity and she had to say goodbye to some of her toys before she realized her mother was serious. That's right, there was something Constance did not know the meaning of, and that was an empty threat.
Shelby adored her mother and even though they both hit a rough patch when Shelby was a teenager, she knew there was no one in the world who loved her as much as her mother did. She was thankful to have been raised in such a strict household, since it gave her all the right tools to make it as an adult. She did sometimes wish her mother would relax a little bit, but she knew everything her mom did was because she loved her and wanted her to succeed. Once Shelby herself became a mother, she fully understood the meaning of that word, and she went back to her own upbringing every time she did not know what to do as a mother. And despite her mother's incorruptible appearance, Constance had shown her soft side when she became a grandmother. Shelby loved seeing her mom with Beth, since the little girl was constantly spoiled by the older Corcoran, and Shelby couldn't wait for her mom to meet her other granddaughter.
"Beth, do you want to play a game?" Shelby asked, holding a rag.
"I love games!" Beth replied, excitedly.
"This game is called 'who is the best cleaner?'" Shelby explained. "So, we are all going to clean different parts of the apartment and the one who finishes cleaning first will get a prize!"
Beth tilted her head and frowned, not really convinced that she'd have fun playing that game. "A cleaning game, mommy?"
"Yes! It's really fun!" Shelby said, exaggerating her enthusiasm. "Look, this rag's for you. You'll be in charge of the living room. I am sure you're going to beat me!"
"Is Wachel going to play too?" Beth asked, taking the rag and glancing at the living room.
"Of course! Why don't you tell Rachel to come and play with us?" Shelby replied, hoping she could get her oldest daughter to 'play'.
"Okay, mommy!" Beth said, running into Rachel's bedroom. "Wachel, Wachel!"
Rachel was standing in front of the mirror, going over a script and doing her best to look like Barbra when she said those lines. "I'm a bagel on a plate full of onion rolls!"
"A bagel?" Beth asked. Her sister often uttered weird sentences, but that last one had been very odd, even for Rachel.
"Beth, what are you doing here? I'm busy." Rachel said, finally noticing her little sister had walked into her room.
"Mommy and I are going to play a game! Wanna play too?" Beth asked, bouncing.
"I don't have time to play games, Beth." Rachel replied, rolling her eyes.
"But mommy says it's super fun!" Beth insisted. "It's a cleaning game!"
Rachel chuckled, "A cleaning game?"
Beth nodded and took Rachel's hand. "Come on! There's a prize for the best cleaner!"
"I'm busy, Beth, please leave my room." Rachel answered, freeing her hand from her sister's grasp.
"Moooom!" Beth yelled from the room. "Wachel doesn't wanna play!"
Shelby walked into her daughter's room and noticed all the sheets of paper on the bed and the floor. "What are you up to, Rach? I need you to help us clean."
"It's a game, right, mommy?" Beth asked.
"Yes, we're going to have a lot of fun, and you cannot miss it, Rach!" Shelby said. She knew she sounded ridiculous, but she knew a game was the only way she could get her three year old to help.
"I'm busy, mom. As fun as that cleaning game sounds, I have more important things to do." Rachel replied, going back to her script.
"I'll need you to clean your room, Rach. Your grandmother is coming this evening and she'll be staying with us for a week, so this room needs to be suitable for her." Shelby explained.
"What? She's staying in my room?" Rachel asked, forgetting about the lines she was running. "This is my room!"
"Beth, why don't you go to the living room and start playing?" Shelby said, with a smile. "I am sure you'll be winning that prize!"
As soon as the little blond girl left, Shelby continued talking. "We talked about this over dinner the other day, Rach. I asked you if you'd be okay with my mother staying here and you nodded. I assumed that meant you were. Of course, you were texting on your phone, so you might not have been listening."
Rachel looked at her mother as if she was speaking another language and let out a loud sigh. "I just nodded and you assumed I was okay with being homeless for a week?"
"You won't be homeless, Rachel." Shelby said, shaking her head at her daughter's dramatics. "You can sleep in my room. I have a king size bed, so it's big enough for the two of us."
"Why can't your mother sleep in your room with you?" Rachel asked, getting more and more annoyed each passing minute.
"It will only be one week, Rachel." Shelby said, ignoring her daughter's last question.
Rachel rolled her eyes and went back to practicing some lines in front of the mirror.
"Rachel, I need you to clean this room." Shelby insisted, crossing her arms and making sure her daughter could see her reflection on the mirror.
"Have Beth clean her room! Your mother can stay there!" Rachel replied, without turning.
"Rachel …" Shelby said in a threatening tone.
"Why does it have to be my room?" Rachel asked, raising her voice.
"She is our guest, and she needs her own bed." Shelby answered, doing her best not to lose her temper.
"Whatever!" Rachel replied, rolling her eyes once again.
"Rachel, this is your last warning!" Shelby said, walking closer to her daughter. "Lose the attitude and start tidying up this room."
"It's your mother. You clean it!" Rachel yelled, turning around and walking around Shelby, ready to walk out of her room.
"Hey!" Shelby yelled, grabbing Rachel's upper arm. "Don't walk away in the middle of a conversation. Why are you so reluctant to let her sleep in your room for a week?"
"This is my room, but that clearly doesn't matter to you, so stop pretending it does and get out!" Rachel spewed.
"Excuse me?" Shelby asked, in a warning tone.
"You heard me! Get out!" Rachel said, not being affected by her mom's tone.
"Rachel, that's enough!" Shelby yelled, swatting her daughter's bottom with her free hand. "I won't ask you again. I'm going to continue tidying up and I want to see a clean room and a whole new attitude when I come back, got it?"
Rachel clenched her fists as she did her best to control her frustration. She couldn't tell her mom the real reason why she was acting that way. She was scared and nervous about her grandmother's arrival. It had taken her over a month to forgive Shelby and start seeing her as her mother and now, the person who raised her was visiting and was expecting to meet that prodigal daughter of Shelby's. Rachel was terrified that her grandmother wouldn't like her and Shelby would change her mind about being her mom. She was already being kicked out of her room, so nothing could assure her that the next step wasn't getting kicked out of the apartment.
"Rachel, do you understand?" Shelby asked again.
Rachel nodded as she glared at her mother. "Yes, mother."
…
Things between Rachel and Shelby continued being tense throughout the afternoon. Every time Shelby asked Rachel to help her, she was ignored. She was at her wit's end. She couldn't understand what was going on and why her daughter was being so disrespectful. She was about to reprimand her again when the doorbell rang.
"It's grandma, it's grandma!" Beth said, running to open the door.
"Make sure it's grandma, Beth. Ask who it is." Shelby instructed.
"Grandma, is that you?" Beth asked from behind the door.
When the little girl heard her grandmother's voice, she turned to look at her mom and smiled. "Mommy, open the door!"
Shelby smiled back and went to unlock the door. "Mom, I'm so glad you're here!"
Constance hugged her daughter and then looked down to look at the little blond girl who was pulling on her sweater. "You cannot be Beth! Beth is a baby and you are a big girl."
"It's me, grandma!" Beth said, nodding.
"I can't believe it, you are even prettier than the last time I saw you!" Constance said.
"Where's my gift?" Beth asked excitedly.
"Hey!" Shelby said, interrupting the moment. "That's not very polite, Beth. Grandma doesn't have to bring a gift every time she comes."
"No gift?" Beth pouted.
"I might have something." Constance replied, winking at Beth.
"Yay!" the little girl said, clapping.
"Where's my other granddaughter?" Constance asked Shelby as she glanced at the living room. She had been looking forward to meeting Rachel since Shelby told her about her.
Beth frowned when she heard her grandmother's question. What did she mean? Beth was her only granddaughter. That's what she had always been told. Her grandma couldn't have another one. It was bad enough that she had to share her mother with Rachel, but she refused to share the one person who spoiled her and gave her everything she wanted.
"I'm afraid she's not in a very good mood, mom." Shelby spoke. "Rachel, can you come and meet your grandmother, please?"
Beth was surprised to hear that Rachel was the person who was going to steal her grandma's attention. It hadn't occurred to the young girl that the fact that Rachel was her sister and her mother's daughter also meant that they had the same grandmother.
"Grandma, my gift!" Beth demanded, stomping her foot.
"Beth …" Shelby said in a warning tone.
Constance was too busy awaiting Rachel's acknowledgement to pay attention to the scene before her. She couldn't believe she was finally meeting Shelby's baby.
Rachel was debating between ignoring Shelby's request or actually getting up from the couch and meeting her grandmother. She chose the latter. She needed to make a good impression if she wanted her mother not to regret her decision.
"Hello. It is very nice to meet you, Mrs. Corcoran." Rachel said, extending her hand.
"Oh Rachel, you cannot imagine how long I have waited for this moment." Constance said with tears in her eyes. She was known for rarely crying, but she couldn't hold back those tears. She had cried the day Shelby was born, and just like that time, she was overwhelmed with emotions as she saw her granddaughter for the first time. "You look just like your mother."
Rachel nodded and smiled. "I have heard wonderful things about you."
"Can you give your grandmother a hug?" Constance asked.
"No!" Beth yelled, getting between Rachel and her grandmother.
"Beth, come here!" Shelby demanded.
"No!" Beth said, glaring at her mom.
"Excuse us, mom." Shelby said, lifting Beth in her arms and walking into her bedroom.
"And I'm the one who's in a bad mood?" Rachel muttered, before glancing back at her grandmother.
Constance's demeanor changed after witnessing her youngest granddaughter's outburst. She was shocked. She had never seen Beth behave that way. But her features softened when she took another look at Rachel.
"Where were we?" Constance asked. "Can I have that hug now?"
Rachel nodded shyly as she walked towards her grandmother's open arms and melted into the hug.
"Do you think you're ready to call me grandma?" Constance asked, afraid of what Rachel's answer would be. She knew how long it had taken her granddaughter to call Shelby mom, so she didn't want to pressure her.
"I think I am ..." Rachel replied, still in her grandmother's arms. "Grandma."
One of the reasons why Rachel refused to see Shelby as her mother was because she thought that title had to be earned, and she was still having some trouble coming to terms with everything that happened in High School. She thought Shelby needed to prove she was ready to be her mother, and she had already proven that, so Rachel had no reason to make her grandmother jump through hoops. Besides, she still wasn't sure how much influence the old Corcoran had on her mother and she didn't want to risk a bad review.
"I love you, Rachel. I've loved you since your mother called me crying, because she had to hand you over to your fathers." Constance said, smiling. "Have your fathers been good to you?"
"Yes, they are wonderful. They have always given me everything I wanted. I am pretty sure that if I had asked for a pony, they would have had a stable built in the garden." Rachel said.
Constance had heard all about the way the Berrys showed their love, and even though she didn't quite agree, she was glad that her granddaughter had had a happy childhood. She was about to comment on Rachel's latest statement when Beth and Shelby walked back into the living room.
"I'm sowwy, grandma." Beth said, sniffing.
"I forgive you, Beth." Constance replied. "How about if we open those gifts I brought?"
"Yay!" Beth exclaimed, forgetting all about what had happened.
"Mom, you didn't have to bring any gifts." Shelby said.
"If you don't want your gift, I can take it back to Ohio with me, but my granddaughters are getting theirs." Constance replied, raising an eyebrow and looking at her daughter.
"I get a gift as well?" Shelby asked, almost as excitedly as Beth.
"Mhm," Constance uttered, "unless you don't deserve one."
"I do, mom." Shelby said, giving her mom her best angelic smile.
"Let's see. This is for Beth." Constance handed the little blond girl a big box.
"Yay!" Beth said again.
Shelby cleared her throat and looked at Beth. "What do we tell grandma?"
"Thank you!" Beth added.
"You're welcome, sweetie. This one is for Rachel." Constance said, handing Rachel a medium sized box.
"Thank you, grandma." Rachel said, loving the way that title rolled down her tongue.
"And this last one is for you, Shelby." Constance stated.
"Wow, thank you, mom." Shelby said, surprised she was also receiving a present.
Beth opened her gift, ripping the wrapping paper in a very enthusiastic way. She couldn't wait to see what was inside that big box. When she was finally able to open it, she squealed when she saw a brand new doll.
Rachel, unlike her little sister, opened her gift carefully, making sure she didn't rip the wrapping paper. She smiled as she looked at the music box inside. It was a beautiful wooden box with her name on the top. And when you opened it, it played 'Defying Gravity'.
"Wow, thank you so much. I love it. I have always loved this kind of boxes, but I had never had one with my name. And it plays one of my favorite songs." Rachel said.
"I am glad you like it, Rachel." Constance said. "I had it engraved two days after you were born and I had always planned to give it to you when you were eighteen. Of course, the music was recent. I had it customized two weeks ago."
Rachel frowned and asked, "You have had it for eighteen years?"
"Yes, dear. Your mother told me about that contract and I knew I would meet you eventually." Constance explained. "I've loved you since the day you were born."
Rachel looked at her mother, who nodded in agreement, and then back at her grandmother. "I don't know what to say."
"Well, that's a first." Shelby said, joking.
While Rachel continued admiring her gift, Shelby opened hers.
"What is this?" Shelby asked, as she stared at a frame that contained pictures of Rachel at various ages. "How did you …?
"Your father always kept an eye on your little girl." Constance said. Her husband was a police officer when he was younger, and when he heard Shelby had given away her daughter, he had to make sure his granddaughter was being treated right.
"So he took pictures of Rachel?" Shelby asked, surprised. "He could've been arrested for that, mom."
"Oh no, Shelby, he spoke to Rachel's fathers. They had an agreement. Your father could go to Rachel's events, such as her kindergarten graduation or her ballet recital, but he could not approach her." Constance explained. "Your father never told me he had taken all these pictures, because he didn't want our pain to be deeper, but last year, before his passing, he revealed his secret, and he asked me to give you this when your little girl turned eighteen and you were back in her life."
Shelby was shaking by the time her mother finished talking. She couldn't believe her father had done that. "Thank you."
"Why did he do that?" Rachel asked.
"My dear Rachel, you have always been part of this family." Constance said, smiling at her daughter and at her granddaughter.
Rachel was overwhelmed with emotions. She had thought her mother didn't love her and that is why she had never fought for her. And now, after eighteen years, she couldn't believe she had been wrong all her life. Not only had her mom loved her but also her grandparents. She had never felt neglected or unloved, since her fathers had been wonderful, but there had always been a piece missing and now, she was complete. She tried to speak, but no words came out. She looked at her mother and her grandmother and gave them a teary smile.
"Now our family is complete." Shelby said, hugging Rachel with one arm and Beth with the other one, as she smiled at her mother who was nodding and looking at her three girls adoringly.