This is not the dream I dreamed - Rachel faces up to the fact that her Broadway career could be over before it had chance to begin.
Rating - T
Character - Rachel
A/N - Reviews/concrit are loved, and if there's anything you'd like to see happen the let me know and I'll try my best to work it in somehow.I'm from the UK, so if anything American is not quite right, please let me know and I'll fix it.
"Shelby Corcoran"
"It's, erm, it's Rachel." Rachel had never sounded so nervous in her life.
"Rachel, are you. . .is everything okay?" Shelby panicked, there must be something seriously wrong for Rachel to be ringing her.
Rachel nodded, clearing her throat before speaking again, "Everything's fine, I, I just wondered if you were busy this weekend" Rachel mumbled in one long breath.
Shelby frowned slightly, "Beth has a dance class at 12 on Saturday, we're usually back by 1.30. Why?"
"I, I've been invited to go out on Saturday night, I won't be late, but my fathers are out of town, and I wondered if you would like to have Lyla for the evening, I mean if you don't want to then that's completely fine, but I just thought. . ." Rachel trailed off and hoped Shelby would see that Rachel was trying to begin building some sort of relationship.
"I, that, I. . ." Shelby was speechless, she took a deep breath to compose herself before trying to form a coherent sentence "I'd love to watch her for her, if you're sure?"
"I'm sure. Could I drop her off around 6.30? I'll pick her up before 10."
"That sounds fine." Shelby paused for a moment, hoping her next suggestion wouldn't overstep the line, "you could always stay here, I mean there's plenty of room, and it would save you from having to disturb Lyla once she's settled, and I'm sure Beth would love to see you."
"Okay." Rachel agreed slowly, "that would be . . .good, that would be good."
Shelby couldn't help but smile, "so I'll see you Saturday?"
"Yeah" Rachel grinned, "We'll see you on Saturday"
"Rachel"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you" Shelby whispered, ending the call before Rachel had a chance to reply. Rachel stood staring at the phone for a moment, unable to believe how willing Shelby had been to watch Lyla. She finally came to her senses, still smiling happily she dialled Finn's number.
"Hello" He mumbled sleepily.
"Oh, did I wake you Finn, I didn't notice the time, Lyla's been up since 6"
"No, no it's fine I probably should get up anyway" Finn yawned and glanced at the clock, it was almost lunch time, "so what's up?"
"I just thought I'd let you know I've found someone to watch Lyla on Saturday"
"Awesome" Finn suddenly felt wide awake, "you know my mom would have had her?"
"I know, but I already had someone in mind."
"Okay, so, I'll pick you up at 7 then."
"Yeah, no, wait, could you pick me up from Sh. . .somewhere else?"
Finn frowned, "sure, where."
Rachel rattled off an address, "it's where Lyla will be spending the night."
"Okay. Finn scrambled from the bed, grabbing a pen and scribbling down the address, "I could drive you both over there if you want?"
"No, it's okay, I'll drive there myself, I want to make sure Lyla's settled before I leave her," Rachel spoke to Finn for almost half an hour before Lyla got tired of her play mat and began to wail for her mother's attention, and Rachel had to say goodbye.
The week passed quickly, and before she knew it Rachl was stood on Shelby's door step, Lyla in her car seat by her feet, her hand shaking as she reached for the bell. "Rachel, come in, do you need a hand?" Shelby greeted her daughter just seconds after she'd rung the bell.
"Do you want to take these?" Rachel held out the car seat Lyla was sat in and the changing bag, "I'll just get the rest of our things."Shelby nodded, taking the items from Rachel and placing them by the coffee table. "Where do you want me to put this?" Rachel asked gesturing to the buggy, "She can sleep in it."
"Oh, I hope you don't mind, but I got Will to bring Beth's Moses basket from the attic, I didn't know where you wanted her though, I don't mind having her in with me, if you wanted a night off?"
Rachel shook her head, "I'd rather have her in with me if you don't mind, I've only bought two bottles, I usually. . ." Rachel gestured to her chest.
Shelby smiled, "That's fine, I put it in the spare room anyway, would you like to put your things up there? It's the second door on the left, next door to the room that has 'Beth' on the door, you can hang you things in the wardrobe if you like, and the bathroom is opposite your room"
"Thank you" Rachel nodded, picking up her bag, "are you okay with her?"
Shelby nodded and tickled Lyla's stomach, "I think we'll be just fine."
Rachel had almost finished unpacking her small overnight bag, when she heard Lyla begin to whimper and moan downstairs. By the time Rachel got to the living room, Shelby was already sat on the floor, Lyla between her legs as she changed the young girls diaper. "I can't believe how small these are" Shelby gestured to the preemie sized diapers Lyla was still wearing, "how much does she weigh?"
"Six pounds and three ounces. Those diapers are meant to be suitable for babies up to six pounds, but the newborn ones still seem huge on her."
Shelby nodded, "she's a tiny little thing." The elder of the two women bit her lip for a moment as she lifted a clean and content Lyla into her arms, realising how little she knew about her 'family'. "How old is she?" she asked slowly.
"15 weeks and 4 days."
Shelby was shocked that Lyla weighed less at almost 4 months than Beth was when she was born, "you said she was premature. . ."
Rachel nodded, "Almost nine weeks early, she was three pounds two ounces, and fifteen and a half inches long. Her paediatrician says she's still on the small side, even when you take into account that she was born two months early, but she feeds well and she's putting on weight, even though it's only going on slowly, so they're not too concerned at the moment, the paediatrician thinks that she might have a huge growth spurt soon and shoot up the chart." Shelby nodded, happy that Rachel wasn't shutting her out.
Rachel spent the next fifteen minutes running through Lyla's routine, she put the bottles in the fridge and fitted the car seat into Shelby's car, 'just in case'. She showed Shelby how to open and fold the buggy, before leaving it open in the corner of the room for if Shelby wanted Beth to sleep downstairs. Shelby nodded in all the right places and allowed Rachel to explain how to wind the child without reminding Rachel that she'd done it all before.
"Where's Beth?" Rachel asked, once she'd finally finished explaining a list of emergency contacts.
"With Will, it's his dad's birthday, he drove down to his parents' last night and Beth insisted on going with him, they'll be back around lunchtime tomorrow. That'll be your date" Shelby smiled as there was a knock at the door. She reached over to the small table, passing Rachel a key before she had chance to open the door. "I usually head to bed around 11" Shelby explained, "don't feel like you need to rush back, me and this little lady will be just fine"
"Hey Rach" Finn held out a bunch of flowers as she opened the door, "you look awesome."
"Thanks" Rachel smiled shyly, taking the flowers from Finn and placing them on the side. "You be good for. . .you be a good girl" Rachel still wasn't quite sure how to refer to Shelby, "I'll see you later" she placed a kiss on her daughter's head before turning her attention to Shelby, "are you sure you'll be okay with her, I mean I've only ever left her with my fathers before, and even then I only went to the store, what if she won't settle or. . ."
"Rachel." Shelby interrupted, "we'll be fine, I have your number, and you gave me Finn's number, and Lyla's doctor's, and in a worst case scenario I can always ring Beth's doctor, but that won't happen, so you go out and have a great time, and if you get really worried then call me." Rachel nodded, surprised to feel tears filling her eyes as Shelby laid a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder. "No tears" Shelby said sternly, "you'll ruin your make up" Rachel smiled, and thanked Shelby again before she was finally pushed out of the door, Shelby trying to ignore the shocked expression on Finn's face.