When Shelby relinquished her rights to Rachel, she assumed that her adorable baby girl was being given to a well adjusted and stable family. She wasn't wrong initially, both men thought they wanted a child. But what they didn't understand was a child was more than just the picturesque photo you see in a Sear's catalog. It was beyond the cute bundle of joy you brought home, it was putting someone else's needs before your own. They weren't horrible parents, just unable to put Rachel's need before their own. At first it was small things such as who had to watch the baby when both wanted to attend a function. And they both soon decided after attending stag that it was not fun without their loved ones company. So they began to invest in baby sitters or on the few occasions when they were unable to procure their services they attempted to take the lively infant with them. Needless to say this arrangement did not last long, you can only keep a baby or toddler out for so long before they become disruptive.
Yes, the Berry men found out the hard way that this precious little girl doesn't fit into your life, you most definitely fit into hers. They did love Rachel, but just were unable to give up the life they had become accustomed to before Rachel arrived. But, with this tension of raising a rambunctious little tyke who neither one of them felt the want to devote their time to. Each man began turning away from her, subtlety at first it began with arguing over whose turn it was to take Rachel to dance class or who was supposed to attend the school conference. Rachel was the collateral and was fully aware of it. She feared that with each day her father's were less and less in love with her. The men seemed to become more involved with each other, taking longer trips together attempting to rebuild the relationship that they felt was disrupted by the arrival of their bundle of joy. Leaving her for months at a time with live-in nannies.
It would be a lie to say that the men did not feel a twinge of guilt when little Rachel would look at them with those big brown eyes and say "Can I come? I promise I won't get in the way." But even this guilt, was never enough to make them give their plans a second thought, they just hug her and say "Rachel, we love being with you. But we need some special time alone." The young child would slink back to her room feeling rejected and wanting to know what she did wrong to make her fathers turn away from her. Both men felt like they were doing the best they could Rachel was safe, well taken care and never wanted for anything materially. But what they didn't understand was that even though they put on their show faces and attempted fake their paternal feelings towards Rachel. It never even remotely fooled her, she was a smart child and could tell when adults were placating her.
It wasn't until one night when her father's were away in Jamaica for the month-long trip. That everything would be revealed. Rachel once again had been left home in the care of a live in nanny that they hired three weeks earlier. They were constantly looking for new nannies for Rachel because of the extensive length of time they needed them for. All the extended trips and late nights out demanded that they basically have their care professionals basically live with the young child of ten.
Hiram and Leroy had just gotten in around three from a long night of drinking and dancing. Hiram went into the bathroom to take a shower. Leroy sat down on the bed when their hotel phone began to ring furiously. Leroy being a little shocked that someone would pick this time of night to call picked up the phone. It was Rachel and she was sobbing "Dad—dy…. Daddy?" Leroy responded "Rachel, what is it sweetie? What's wrong? " Rachel sucked in another pitiful breath "Daddy, I had that dream again…the one where…where." Leroy feelings of that all to familiar guilt had come on him, he attempted to communicate with his bereaved daughter" Rach, I need you to calm down. What dream? Where's Katherine?" Leroy couldn't help but feel like the worst dad in the world for not knowing what his daughter was talking about. Rachel took a breath in and sniffled a little "the one-where you aren't home and the monster comes and gets me…me… Katherine told me to go back to sleep. She said I was to old to be scared of nightmares." Leroy hit himself on the head, he remembered now "Oh, Rach sweetie. Calm down… remember what I told you last time? It's just a dream, it can't hurt you right? " Rachel sniffled for a few moments and began again "yeah….but….I just want you here. I miss you."
Leroy was always been blinded by his own selfish needs, but this was a wake up call. He finally realized that this child's feelings and emotional well-being had been put second for too long. She didn't ask to be born to two obviously conceded and self involved parents.
Leroy sighed "Rachel, sweetie. I'm sorry. I can't be there right now. But I will tell you one thing, we are coming home tomorrow." Rachel whimpers and sniffling paused she couldn't believe what she was hearing her father's were cutting their trip short for her? She asked just to make sure she understood what he was saying "Really? Are you sure?" Leroy put his hand to head and began to tear up, racked with guilt from the years of ignorance "I'm sure sweetie. Rachel I'm sorry for all this. I just want to let you know that Dad and I love so much. I'm going to try to make this all up to you." Rachel being flustered and unsure of how to react "Daddy it's O.K. you were only gone for three weeks, I mean you have been away for a lot longer. " Leroy took a deep breath out, he thought to himself this definitely something he would have to tell her in person. Leroy choked back a tear that was threatening to escape "I know Rach. I know, but I think we'll talk about this when we get home. But for now you should really being sleeping. " Rachel's bottom lip began to quiver, she didn't want to go back to sleep in fear that she would have another nightmare "Daddy, what if the nightmare comes back? And you're not here, who's going to protect me?" Leroy's heart melted just like the first time he saw his daughter. It had been a long time since he felt this way but it was the strongest emotion he had felt in years. Leroy decided to do a similar bed time routine that he did for Rachel when she was toddler "I know sweetie. But I think I have an idea. I want you to lay down and grab your blankie. Now pull the covers up to your neck. How you doing babe?" Rachel took a few moments to respond, but came back as soon she finished completing his orders "O.k." Leroy began again "O.k., Rachie now I want you to put the phone near you ear and put your hands under your covers. How you doing sweetie pie?" As was waiting for her response Hiram came strolling out of the bathroom. He began to ask "who are you talking…?"When Leroy quickly turned around and told him to "be quiet". Hiram just took a seat on the other end of the bed, quietly waiting for him to get off the phone. Leroy heard some rustling and finally a response from Rachel "did it." Leroy was smiling, he had not done this in years "Now Rachie are you comfortable? " Rachel dozing a little responded with a quiet "mhmmm". Leroy knew he had to complete one more step before she was fast asleep. Leroy quietly began to hum the tune to "You are my sunshine." Within five minutes he could hear the quite snores of his little girl. Leroy whispered "goodnight sweetheart and sweet dreams" before he hung up the phone.
Leroy then turned to Hiram and began to respond to his question "It was Rachel, she was having trouble sleeping. So I just…." Hiram cut him off "Where was Katherine? She was supposed to handle that kind of stuff that's what we pay her..." Leroy tired of shafting his responsibilities of his daughter's welfare on someone else, snapped back "Well maybe we should be handling that kind of stuff?" Hiram didn't understand, where was this coming from they had just had such a wonderful night"What's wrong? Did I do something. I just don't know what's going…" Hiram attempted to move closer to his partner shifting over to the side of the bed he was on. Leroy inched away and took a deep breath holding his tears back again as he began "You know what's wrong Leroy, our little girl is home alone sobbing from a nightmare and we are here partying. I'm tired of leaving Rachel to fend for herself, just so we can go have some fun. We always put her feelings last and it's not fair. It's never been fair. I realized something as our baby girl was choking back tears and begging me to come home. I don't want it to be this way anymore. " Hiram attempting to sling his arm over his crying partner, not knowing what to do. Hiram after being rejected by Leroy sighed and attempted to take in everything that had just been said "Lee, I just don't understand where this is coming from? I mean Rachel isn't by herself she's with Katherine and we don't go away that…" Leroy becoming infused with anger from Hiram's cavalier attitude about situation cut him off " First of all Rachel is alone and has been for a while. I can't deny that I'm racked with guilt over it and have been for the last few trips. A paid employee and that is what she is our EMPLOYEE will never take the place of a child's parent. Second of all we go away every month sure it's a week here or a night there. But they add up. Our ten-year old child should not be used to us leaving her for months at time. I'm tired of being a detached parent and you should be too. "
Hiram didn't know what to say, his partner the man he loved more than anything in this entire world. Had gave him a lot to think about. He didn't know where to begin, he wanted to refute every statement Leroy had just said but they were all true "Sweetie, I'm sorry. I guess, I just didn't…" Leroy started again, much more calm than before "I know…neither did I. I think we just got so comfortable and self-indulgent that we just couldn't see…" Hiram knew exactly where he was going and finished Leroy's sentence "past ourselves? " Leroy placed his hand on his temples and began to massage them "yes, I just can't explain to you how sad Rachel sounded. It was heart breaking. What have we been doing? Why have we been so blind? I just want to go home and make this all right. I just want to wrap that baby up in my arms and apologize for my stupidity." Leroy looked to Hiram who had his arms open for hug, he didn't understand everything that Leroy was saying but understood enough to know that they were in the wrong and it had to be fixed before it was too late. Leroy now laying in his partners arms as Hiram began to speak "We'll make it right Lee. We'll make it right, right now. Pack our stuff I'm going to see if I can call a buddy who has a private plane. Maybe we can charter it tonight, so we can surprise our little diva in the morning." Leroy was elated, he knew Rachel would be so happy to see both of them back earlier than she expected.
Unfortunately Rachel never got to see her fathers, actually her talk with Leroy was the last time she would ever speak to either of the Berry men. On their way home both men were determined to make it right, to fix the damage they had done to their little family. Leroy more than Hiram because he had fully understood the veracity of the situation, but he knew once they got home Hiram would catch on too. But as their plane headed into a storm it never made it out. There by never letting Rachel know how truly sorry her father's were for the way they had ignored her for all those years.