Chapter 3
Shelby tightens her hold on her daughter not knowing how to answer the girl's question. She's been here in New York. She's been alone without her daughter. Shelby signed a regretful contract forbidding her from seeing her precious baby until the girl turned eighteen. But, how was she supposed to explain all of that to a four-year-old?
Shelby settles on, "I've been right here, sweetheart. Waiting for you and wanting you." She continues rubbing circles on her daughter's back and loving the feeling of holding her baby girl in her arms.
Rachel hums a low moan into her mother's shoulder listening to her response and not wanting her mom to let her go. It's the first time in a long time that Rachel has felt safe and loved. Fatigue was starting to take over and Rachel's eyes began to flutter and close.
After a few moments of holding the tot, Shelby takes a seat on a nearby sofa and places Rachel saddle back style on her lap. She knew Rachel would fall asleep before she knew it, but before she could allow her to sleep; she wanted to ask her a few questions.
"No. I hold you, Mommy." Rachel whines after being placed on her mother's lap instead of in her arms. Rachel tucks her cold arms and hands between her and her mother's stomach and snuggles closer to her mother wanting desperately to go to sleep.
Shelby chuckles, "You want to hold me?"
Rachel nods her head into her mother's stomach, "and don't let go, Mommy."
Shelby basks in the word mommy. "Oh, baby I will never let you go." Shelby coos at her frightened four-year-old and holds her close. Shelby takes in the smell of her daughter and kisses the top of Rachel's head. "Rachel, mommy will hold you all night, but right now I need to ask you a couple of questions and make sure your knees and hands are ok."
Rachel sits up remembering her hurt knees and hands and pulls her torso upright to face her mother, "I have owies. And my Edward bear broke" Rachel holds up a furry leg with white stuffing sticking out and frowns as she purses out a pout with puppy dog eyes while she examines her wounds. Shelby knows Rachel's pout will be her undoing, but she didn't care.
Turning to the officers and detective in the room Shelby questions, "How did she get here? And why are her knees and hands bloody? Can someone bring me a damp cloth?"
"Ma'am, we need to ask the two of you a few questions." Detective Banks informs Shelby trying his best to remain patient. He knows that mother and daughter needed to have their reunion, but he had a case to solve. He wanted to track down the monstrous people who left Rachel outside in the cold for who knows how long.
"And I need to tend to my daughter." Shelby retorts frustrated that the detective was being pushy. After noticing the displeased look on the detective's face, Shelby takes in a deep, calming breath. She knows he's just trying to do his job. If anything, Shelby wanted answers as well and being cooperative was going to be best for everyone including her daughter. "I'm sorry. I just need to get her cleaned up first and then I'll answer any questions you have."
The detective smiled in response, "well I can explain the scraped knees and hands."
Shelby looks away from her daughter surprised to hear the detective's statement. Karen walks in the room with a first-aid kit and a blanket. Shelby knows she needs to give her assistant an immediate raise.
"Here you go, Shelby. I saw her shivering when she came in and her scrapped knees, so I figured you would need these. I'll stay in the room, so just let me know if you need anything else. She's precious by the way." Karen whispers the last part to her boss radiating a genuine smile in the process.
Shelby nods her head knowingly. "Thank you, Karen." Shelby pulls Rachel up off of her lap, much to Rachel's dismay, and places her on a nearby coffee table to get a better look at the physical state of her daughter. Shelby begins to clean Rachel's knee. Rachel immediately hisses at the pain of her wound being cleaned and attempts to pull her knee away from her mother, but Shelby gently places her hand on top of her daughter's knee and lightly blows to relieve the pain. Shelby remembered her own mother doing the same maternal action when she had injuries to be cleaned.
Rachel smiles at the notion, "thank you, mommy."
"You're welcome." Shelby continues to clean and inspect Rachel's wounds wanting to hear what had happened. "So, detective, how did my daughter get these injuries?"
Detective Banks pulls himself away from his colleagues and phone upon hearing Shelby's question and walks closer to the mother and daughter. "Well, apparently when the security men asked her to come inside she was frightened and turned to run away. She slipped on some ice and slid down the cement a few feet. But, I'm not sure what happened to that bear she was holding."
Rachel pipes up upon hearing about her incident and her ruined Edward bear, "that boy tore him, mommy," she sniffles out.
"What boy, sweetheart?" Shelby questions giving her daughter a sympathetic look seeing the sad expressions her daughter was giving her.
Rachel shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know, but he-he pull at him and torn him off with owies. He got lost mommy."
"I'm sorry, Rachel."
The female officer chimes in, "A boy saw her fall and tried to help her up. In the process, he pulled on the bear instead of Rachel and it tore. I believe in all the chaos of getting her inside to not make a bigger spectacle, the remains of the bear is lost." Shelby smiles at the officer's official police language.
"Will you find him? Please, mommy?"
"I will try, honey." Shelby promises and takes the limb of the bear to place it in her sweater pocket. She finished cleaning up Rachel's wounds and notices her daughter's ruined flats and soaked knee-high socks and sucks in a breath at the sight. No wonder her daughter was freezing. "Karen, could you grab a pair of my socks from my dressing room? Rachel's are soaked and I don't want her getting sick."
"Of course," Karen responds and speedily exits the room.
Shelby notices the flats Rachel had on were at least a size too small and shakes her head in disbelief. Shelby wanted to know what had become of the Berry men and why her daughter had been left to strangers, and why she had been clearly neglected. Shelby removes both of Rachel's socks and begins to rub her icicle feet at an attempt to warm up her baby's feet.
Rachel began to reach for Shelby feeling her eyes begin to close at the motion of her mother's massage. "I sleepy," she yawns out grabbing for her mother to hold her.
"I know, baby." Shelby grabs the comforter that Karen had brought in and swaddled Rachel's tiny frame. Shelby picks Rachel up in her arms and sits atop the coffee table to face the detective knowing mother and daughter needed to answer some questions. Shelby wanted Rachel to tell what she needed to, so she could get some much needed rest. "Detective Banks, I suggest you begin your questions for us before we lose this one to sleep."
Detective Banks smiles down at mother and daughter knowing first hand as a father that once a child's eyes were shut closed, they wouldn't be coherent until morning. "Sounds good, it's getting late for everyone. Let me begin with asking Rachel a few questions and any questions you have Ms. Corcoran I encourage you to ask her as well. She seems very comfortable with you, which is surprising since she's just met you."
Shelby nods her head in agreement. She is grateful her daughter has easily put her trust in her. She had thought when the two would meet one day that Rachel would be angry and hurt at her mother's distance, but that was a daydream about an eighteen-year-old, not a frightened four-year-old.
Detective Banks leans down close to Rachel's face, which was partially peeking out from her mother's arm. "Rachel, how did you get here today?"
Rachel sighs knowing she's told this to other people a few times, "The Man and Lady."
Shelby chimes in, "Do you know the Man and Lady?" She questions and holds her daughter away from her but keeps an arm tightly supporting Rachel.
"No, mommy. Daddy told me go with them."
The two adults look surprised at one another. Detective Banks continues, "When was the last time you saw your daddy? Was it today?"
Rachel sighs tired of questions and just wants to go to sleep. She whines out a "no," and hides her head into her mother.
Detective Banks looks to Shelby for assistance, "Rachel, look at me please." Shelby looks down at Rachel to get her daughter's attention and the tot complies, "Was this both of your daddies?"
Rachel shakes her head, "Just daddy Leroy."
Detective Banks writes down this information and turns to Shelby, "She told my colleague before I arrived that she has two fathers." He waits to see Shelby nod her head, "What is the name of her other father. She wouldn't talk to us much."
"Hiram Berry is her other father's name."
"Daddy said he dead. And I can't see him for a long time." Rachel speaks out nonchalantly, clearly not realizing what death means.
Shelby looks sadly upon her daughter beginning to take in all of what her daughter must have been going through before they reached each other.
"I will have my team research this information. But, more information about that man and woman will be useful." He explains to Shelby realizing that Rachel is much more responsive to her mother.
Shelby understands the detective and questions Rachel further, "when did your Daddy make you go with those people?"
"A long time."
"Well, what's a long time?" The Detective asks more to Shelby than to Rachel. "How does a four-year-old understand a time frame? Hold on a minute." He walks away from the duo towards the other officers.
Shelby rolls her eyes at the detective knowing a small child's concept of time would be undefinable. She surprises herself at this thought, wondering how all of her maternal nature was so easily spilling from her. Shelby looks over at the Detective who is looking through Rachel's backpack. He pulls out a manila envelope and calls to the female detective over to him.
"Mommy, I sleeeeep now?" Rachel accentuates the question with a whine and grabbing Shelby's attention.
Shelby rubs Rachel's back, "In a minute, baby. But, Rachel, how long were you waiting outside?"
"A long time."
"Hmm, as long as you've been with that Man and the Lady?"
Rachel upholds herself and looks upon her mother, "No that was long, longer time."
Shelby chuckles, "Okay, baby. Thank you." She begins to hum a lullaby to her daughter but thoughts of how long those people had her baby made her panic and image worst case scenarios, "Rachel, did that Man and Lady ever hurt you?"
Rachel, sleepy-eyed, looks up at her mother confused. Shelby notices and continues, "Did they hit you?"
Rachel shakes her head.
"Did they yell at you?"
Rachel nods her head to which Shelby lets out an angry sigh looking away from her daughter to try and hide her anger. Before she can ask another question, Rachel yawns out, "I was hungry and cold."
"They didn't feed you?"
Rachel shook her head. "not lots but I did today and we lay outside."
"You slept outside?" Shelby shouts appalled and Rachel jumps back at her mother's tone and trembles. Rachel begins to softly cry and Shelby quickly holds Rachel out to face her dead on, "Baby, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Please don't cry." Shelby rubs her daughter's back hoping Rachel will calm down. Shelby could kick herself for raising her voice and scaring her daughter. Rachel has been so trusting with Shelby and she doesn't want this one moment to break her emotionally fragile daughter from trusting in her further.
"You yell too." Rachel sobs out.
"Sometimes adults yell. We shouldn't but we do. I wasn't yelling at you. I'm sorry I scared you."
"Why did you?"
"I yelled because Mommy is angry at those people."
"You mad?" Rachel shakily questions.
"Not at you, sweetheart. I'm mad at the Man and the Lady who had you." Rachel nods her head as if she understands and slows down her tears. "Please don't be afraid of me, baby."
"I not, Mommy." Rachel declares and leans back into her mother.
Detective Banks heads back over to Shelby as she begins to rock and hum to her daughter wanting to let her fall asleep. "She told me a few things you should know, Detective."
"Please, call me Brian. And I found some valuable evidence in Rachel's backpack. Also, you should know that CPS has arrived and the protocol is that they take Rachel for the night so the courts can figure out her appropriate placement tomorrow."
Shelby instinctively tightens her hold on her baby. There was no way anyone was going to take Rachel from Shelby after all the child had been through and after Shelby had finally been reunited with her daughter. Shelby's heart rate increases preparing for a verbal battle.
As if Brian could see through Shelby, he holds up his hands to slow her down, "Don't worry, Ms. Corcoran. I'm stalling the lady until your Lawyer gets here. If anything, after watching the two of you together, I'm fighting for you to take her home tonight. She needs you and you clearly love your daughter."
Shelby smiles down at her now sleeping four-year-old. She didn't think it was possible, but Rachel was even more adorable asleep in her arms and it made her heart swell looking at the girl.
Karen walks back into the room straightaway towards Shelby and hands her a pair of women's along with Shelby's coat and purse. Shelby unwrapped the sleeping Rachel to expose her bare feet and slides on the overly large white pair onto the tot's feet and quickly wraps her back up in the blanket. Shelby whispers out a "thank you" to Karen, who decides to take a seat close by in case she's needed again.
"So, what did you find out? Rachel informed me that this man and woman didn't feed her much and they slept outside." Shelby exasperates but tries to even out her anger.
"That's interesting. Did she give you a time frame?"
"No."
He nods at Shelby, "Well, I think I've figured out how long she was with those people."
Surprised, Shelby questions Brian, "How?"
"Well, inside of Rachel's backpack was an envelope with custody papers signed and dated about two weeks ago, by a Leroy Berry, releasing all parental rights and giving over full custody to you. His lawyer left a number and the only signature needed is yours. The document looks legitimate. Obviously, your lawyer should look at it. But, I think this document will help you bring this little girl home with you tonight."
Shelby sighs relieved and holds her daughter close. She is stunned by all of the information she's received this night; Hiram is dead, Leroy doesn't want Rachel, and her daughter has been staying with idiotic, incompetent strangers. She needed some sleep. She needed to get her daughter home and safely in bed. She needed her lawyer.
And as if her lawyer had read her thoughts, Henry Carter walked into the room with Tom escorting him. "Shelby, I know you have so much on your plate right now, but I've asked Eden to take over through the weekend. Her parents are in town, so it's perfect anyway. Please, let me know if you need anything and if you need more time." Tom informs Shelby who is relieved her excellent understudy will carry on with the show while she's gone.
"Thank you, Tom. I will let you know." Shelby responds and turns her attention to her lawyer. "Henry. Thank you for coming. I know it's late."
He holds up his hand to stop Shelby, "Please. It's fine. This is important. I'm happy I can help you. Karen and Tom both filled me in with what they knew, but I'm sure there are several more things I need to be informed about."
"Yes, actually I was just told that Leroy Berry, one of Rachel's fathers, has left custody papers giving me full custody of my daughter." Shelby chokes out the last part in disbelief at the thought of being able to raise her baby.
Brian hands Henry the documents and he begins to examine them. Rachel begins moaning and grabbing at her ear. Shelby looks upon her daughter to see her moving in her sleep. She decides to stand and rock her daughter, hoping all of the noises in the room won't wake the exhausted child. Shelby looks near the doorway and sees a tall, friendly looking woman talking with an officer. She knows this is the social worker from Child Protective Services and Shelby smiles in her direction when the woman looks over at the mother.
Henry finishes looking over the document and addresses Shelby, "I'm going to talk with the social worker. I don't think there will be any problems with taking Rachel home with you, but hold on for a moment longer. I know you're ready to leave, Shelby."
Shelby nods and thanks Henry. She looks over towards Karen, "you can go home, Karen. You don't have to wait with me anymore. I'm sure it's late."
Karen smiles, "It's past midnight and I'm going to make sure you and Rachel get on your way before I head home."
Shelby smiles at her assistant, "You're wonderful."
Karen laughs, "Well you pay me well." Shelby laughs in response. "Actually, Shelby, does Rachel have anything to wear?"
Shelby stops rocking Rachel and squints her eyes shut realizing she hadn't even thought about all of the things she'll need to get her daughter. She had spring-like clothing on, so she's assuming she had no other items with her. "I didn't even think about it. What kind of a mother am I?" She asks more to herself than to Karen.
"Shelby, you've just had the shock of your life. I'd say you're handling all of this really well. And it's my job to think of everything you don't. I ask because I was thinking I would go grab a few items for Rachel and bring them over to your house first thing in the morning, so she'll have something to wear. She clearly doesn't have a coat." Karen looks over the four-year-old being held in a blanket.
Shelby shakes her head agreeing with everything Karen was listing off, she really needed to pay her more. "That would be wonderful, Karen. Thank you. I also want to make her a doctor's appointment. I'm assuming they will want me to do that anyway. I'm surprised they didn't take her directly to the hospital." Shelby notions with her head to the group of policemen.
"I'll call your doctor's office in the morning and see when we can get her in." Karen informs her boss.
"Can I just say, Thank you for the thousandth time today." The two women lightly chuckle and Henry walks back over to Shelby with Detective Banks by his side.
"It's all settled for you to take her home tonight. I will address the court regarding your custody first thing in the morning and get this manner settled."
"Thank you, Henry."
"And you will have to take Rachel to the doctors tomorrow. We have forms that the doctor must fill out. It's protocol to be put on file." Detective Banks informs the new mom.
"Okay, will do." Shelby retorts getting anxious knowing she's close to being able to leave with her daughter in tow.
"Also, I will be keeping you posted on this case and any findings discovered. I might need to ask you more questions, but Henry did inform me of the contract from your surrogacy, which was helpful."
"Right, I will also call you if Rachel tells me anything else."
"That would be great. Okay, I think we've covered everything. Our department has a car outside to drive the two of you home."
Shelby looks over at Karen realizing if she's seen leaving the theater in a police vehicle with her child, any of her fans present might photograph the incident and create a media storm to deal with the next day. "Is there anyone outside?"
"No, the crowd has been cleared for over an hour and the vehicle is a black SUV, so it's not like you'll be in a police car." Brian tries to sooth Shelby's worry.
"Okay, great. Thank you so much Brian." He smiles and nods in response.
Shelby bends down and grabs her coat to place around her sleeping daughter and throws her purse over her shoulder. So far, Shelby felt like she getting this whole mother multi-tasking thing down. The mother and daughter duo climb into the SUV and driver heads towards Shelby's penthouse.
Once they arrive, the officer driving the vehicle jumps out of the driver's seat in front of Shelby's building. He opens the back door and guides Shelby, still holding Rachel, to the curb. "I'll walk you in."
"No, that's alright. You all have done enough tonight. Thank you." The officer smiles and bids Shelby a goodnight as she opens her door into her building.
The doorman, Charlie, immediately jumps up from behind the front desk surprised to see Shelby holding a small child. "Ms. Corcoran, I'm sorry. I thought everyone was in for the night." Charlie's shift begins at midnight, so he usually doesn't see Shelby unless she's out for an evening.
"It's fine, Charlie. I would have been home already, but life got a little crazy tonight."
"I see that." He says eyeing Rachel.
Shelby smiles, "Charlie, this is my daughter. Her name is Rachel."
"Wow. I mean, congratulations."
Shelby quietly laughs, "Thank you. Goodnight, Charlie." She lowly shouts behind her as she steps into the elevator. Only twenty floors more and she and Rachel will be home. Shelby smiles at the thought of being home, with Rachel. She holds her daughter even closer and kisses the girl's forehead.
The doors to the elevator open and Shelby removes her keys from her purse with one hand and opens the front door to her dark apartment. Shelby drops her purse and removes the coat and blanket covering Rachel. Deciding not turning any lights on, Shelby heads straight for her bedroom wondering what clothing she'll put on Rachel for the night. She needs to get Rachel out of the dirty clothes she has on.
Shelby finds her bedroom and moves to lay Rachel on her bed after she pulls down the covers. Shelby massages her arms feeling the sore pain her muscles are experiencing from not being used to holding thirty pounds for a few straight hours. She smiles at the thought and knows her muscles will have to quickly get used to the task.
Shelby heads to her bathroom and turns on a light, which gives her bedroom enough glow for her to maneuver in but not enough to wake Rachel. Shelby is quick to grab a shirt from her dresser for Rachel to change into, and flannel PJ bottoms and a tank top for her to change into. A quick change into her own PJs, Shelby moves over to Rachel lying on her bed. Shelby pulls down the girl's skirt and shakes her head annoyed at the state the dirty, skirt was in. She moves to lift Rachel into a sitting position to remove her sweater and shirt from the girl.
Rachel stirs a bit at her mother's movement and Shelby slows down hoping her daughter won't wake up.
"Mommy?" Rachel mumbles out not opening her eyes and letting her body still be limp in her mother's arms.
"Shh, Rachel. Go to sleep."
"I sleep wich you?"
"Yes, honey. You're sleeping with mommy." Shelby answers and continues to remove her clothing and quickly places her over-sized shirt over Rachel's head wanting to tuck her in quickly.
"In your bed, mommy?" Rachel questions with her eyes still closed.
Shelby pulls the shirt down and lifts Rachel so her head will be laid on a pillow and pulls the covers over her daughter, "Yes, baby. You're in mommy's bed, with me." Shelby kisses Rachel's head as the toddler nods her head with her eyes closed. Shelby thankfully knows she's falling back into a deep sleep.
Shelby feels her own exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks and she quickly gets up to wash her face and brush her teeth. Once she's finished, Shelby heads down the hallway to double check that she locked her front door. Satisfied that everything is locked, Shelby heads back into her bedroom and climbs into her bed.
Shelby looks over at her precious, sleeping baby and tears prick her eyes. She rolls closer to her daughter and carefully moves her daughter close enough to hold her baby. Shelby kisses Rachel's head and chokes out a whispered, "Welcome home, baby. I love you."
Thank you again to all those who are following this story or set it as a favorite. I also thank you for the kind reviews; they are encouraging and I appreciate every one of them. I hope you enjoyed chapter 3. This one is, clearly, much longer because it needed to be. I know some were asking for the chapters to be longer, but I base my chapters on what needs to be fulfilled for that part of the story. So, some chapters will be long and some will be shorter. J Anyway- I won't be able to update until the New Year because I am leaving out of town/country for the holidays in a few days. I promise I will update upon my return. Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate and Happy New Year! Thanks for reading! -T