Thank you all for reading, for the alerts and subscriptions, and for the review.
This chapter is shorter than the first but I hope you enjoy.
I do not own Glee (but like many of you I really wish I did!)
When she was born, she came into the world with a thick head of jet-black hair and a healthy set of lungs. Her dads were tearful as they both grasped the tiny scissors that would cut the umbilical chord and with it any remnants of a physical, bodily connection with her birth mother.
The nurse had placed their bundled daughter in Leroy's arms. They spent a moment examining their daughter, simultaneously crying and laughing at the tiny little human screaming in her daddy's arms and who was, as unbelievable as they were still finding it, really, truly, honestly all theirs.
Though her face was swollen and wrinkled and bright red from the crying, there was no ignoring the resemblance their daughter held with her birth mother. And while all newborn babies are quite similar in appearance, traces of the woman who had given birth to her ghosted over her perfect features.
With or without Shelby in her life, there was no denying that Rachel Berry was her mother's daughter. And indeed when her fathers' would witness such likenesses in the years to come, a sad smile would cross one or both their features; a furtive glance and curt nod would pass silently between them.
And sometimes, when the young girl would sit happily between her fathers' watching Funny Girl or The Sound of Music or another musical that she so adored, and when she would sing to every song and dance to every number, her actions so uncannily resembling her mother's, an overwhelming sense of déjà vu would hit them. This was a moment experienced with their daughter's mother more times than they could recall.
She would be the unnecessary reminder of the woman who had given them everything; who had made their dreams an all too real (and all too perfect) reality. There was no denying that Shelby had left a perpetual mark on her unknowing daughter.
'We need to examine her and then we'll be taking her to the nursery,' they didn't take their eyes of the baby as the woman lifted her from Leroy's arms, gently coaxed the bottle of expressed milk into her waiting lips, and placed her in the bassinet.
'We can't thank you enough,' Hiram turned towards the hospital bed, tears lining his cheeks as he made no move to clear them as he quickly hugged her and promised her they would make good on their end of the deal.
'Thank you,' Leroy said, embracing the woman. 'Just…thank you.' He felt her nod against his shoulder and smiled a final good bye before he and his partner quickly followed the nurses out of the room, their hands clasped tightly together.
They were lead to a room and told to take a seat and wait while they did the necessary tests and examinations. It was already difficult to have the infant out of their sights and their thoughts flashed to the woman in they had just left alone a few moments ago. Neither brought that up, they turned instead to a topic that had given them much difficulty over the last nine months.
'I don't think she's a Sara,' Leroy said, taking a hold of Hiram's hand.
'She is definitely not an Abigail, and I don't really think Jessica is fitting,' Hiram replied.
'It's down to Jennifer or Rachel,' Leroy said. They had added those two names on the list only two months ago after watching and quickly becoming addicted to Friends.
Their conversation was cut short when the nurse returned and told them that their daughter was perfectly healthy and she was now peacefully slumbering in the nursery. They followed her down the hall, their daughter the only occupant of the large, colourful room. She left the overjoyed parents alone with their daughter and did not tell them she would be going to visit the mother to get more milk.
'Rachel,' Hiram said softly, caressing the name as the child slept. 'She looks like a Rachel.'
'I think you're right,' Leroy agreed, wrapping his arms around Hiram's middle from behind and resting his chin in the crook of his shoulder. 'Rachel Barbra Berry.'
'Shelby?' Hiram placed his own hands resting on top of Leroy's as he felt the nod against his shoulder. They had quickly learned of Shelby's obsession with Barbra Streisand and had many times heard her softly (and many times not so softly) singing to her songs. She had never suggested a name (because she had decided that it would be too hard to name the child and further complicate the situation).
They didn't discuss middle name options and neither of them had thrown any into the mix. But hearing the name spoken out loud…they knew it was perfect.
'Rachel Barbra Berry,' Hiram agreed and languid grins spread across their faces while they watched the child in peaceful slumber.
Beneath the giddy excitement and pure joy, they knew they were in for some difficult times. But for now they chose to ignore them; for just that one night, they would ignore the worry that had been building in their chests since they found out they would become parents. For just this moment, they wouldn't think about the questions they knew their daughter would one day have about her mother.
For just this one night, they would revel in the fact that they had a daughter, and come what may, she would know they loved her and that they had loved her from long before she was even conceived. They would never stop hoping that this would be enough and, although they were aware of the incredible naiveté of this, they hoped that she would never feel the pain of the absence of a mother in her life.
For this one night, their family was perfect. Because when she was finally born to them, they knew she had been the one thing missing from their lives.
Thanks again for reading. I do enjoy hearing people's opinions and constructive criticism is always helpful.
Just a note, I have no idea what Rachel's fathers' names are but have seen these used in a few stories around here so thought I would, too.
I am hoping to update this about once a week.
Happy weekend :)