Chapter 26 – The Call

Rachel set her phone on the coffee table and stared at it for several minutes. She had completely forgotten about Shelby's will, but Mr. Wyatt had just called to tell her everything was finally being released to her since the estate was finally settled. She didn't know what all it entailed, but she did know Shelby owned a house. She had no idea how much Shelby had in savings, but Rachel already planned on putting it back for Beth's education.

As she continued to stare at her phone, she realized she would need to make plans to go to Lima in the next few weeks. She would obviously need a few days; she was going to have to go through all of Shelby's possessions and figure out what to do with them, which would probably take a while. Thankfully, she knew her fathers would help her with it because the thought seemed a little daunting. She had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy; even just thinking about it was making her stomach clench unpleasantly.

"Can I paint?" Beth asked in a quiet voice.

Rachel nodded and asked, "Do you want me to bring your paints in?"

"I can," Beth said as she turned around.

Rachel watched Beth go into her room and sighed to herself. She wondered how much of the conversation the little girl had heard. Shelby's name was something that didn't come up a lot. Sometimes Rachel wondered if she should talk about it with Beth or if that would only make things harder. She didn't want Beth to think she couldn't bring her mother up, but she didn't know how to go about starting the conversation. She certainly didn't want the little girl to forget her, and Rachel felt like it would eventually begin to happen, especially if they didn't talk about her.

When Beth came back into the room, her arms were full of paint, which she dropped every few steps. Rachel couldn't help but laugh at the sight, and walked over, picking up her trail of fallen objects. Once she had them all, she took them over to the easel, where Beth took them from her and set them with her other paints. Instead of going back to the couch, Rachel sat down next to her and grabbed one of the paintbrushes from its holder.

"Mind if I join you?" Rachel asked.

"You can help," Beth said.

"What are you going to paint?" Rachel asked.

Beth shrugged and then opened her yellow paint, dipping the tip of the brush in it. Rachel sat back and watched as the little girl began to paint a sun in the right-hand corner of the paper. When she was done with that, she washed off the yellow paint in her cup of water and began using the black paint. At first, Rachel didn't know what she was painting, but she eventually realized she was painting a dress when she added the arms and legs.

"Is that you?" Rachel asked.

"No," Beth answered.

"Who is it?" Rachel asked.

"You," Beth replied.

Rachel looked over her shoulder when her phone vibrated on the table. She stood and walked over to grab it, and then sat back down next to the easel. She smiled slightly when she saw that it was a text from Quinn asking about her plans for the weekend. She sent off a quick message back to tell her that her schedule was open, and when she looked back up, Beth was drawing a second person. Rachel sat and watched as several other people appeared on the paper along with what she assumed was a park since there were several trees and even a lake and bridge.

"Is that you?" Rachel tried again.

"And Kurt and Quinn," Beth said with a nod.

"Quinn?" Rachel asked in surprise.

She really didn't know what to say; it wasn't the first time Beth had drawn them together, but it was the first time she had included the blonde. When her phone buzzed again, she glanced down to see Quinn's name again, but she set it aside.

"Do you like Quinn?" Rachel wondered, but Beth just shrugged. "I know she's been coming here a lot more lately; are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," Beth answered.

"I'm happy to hear that," Rachel replied before taking a deep breath. "Because Quinn and I—we've gone on a few dates." She glanced at the little girl to see if she reacted, but she continued painting. "So, she'll probably continue to be around a lot."

She had no idea if Beth really knew what she was saying, but she was a smart girl, so she figured she knew exactly what she was trying to tell her. Considering Beth's non-reaction, though, Rachel guess she didn't really care. She also didn't seem all that shocked, which was a little surprising to Rachel.

"I know," Beth eventually said.

"You know?" Rachel asked.

"You kissed her by the door," Beth stated.

Rachel frowned slightly, wondering when Beth saw that. "I did?"

"Yeah. I'm done," Beth announced as she put her brush down.

Rachel smiled. "It's beautiful."

Beth ripped the page off the easel and handed it to her. Rachel looked down at the picture and couldn't help but to smile wider. It was a picture of her little family, and she knew exactly where she was going to hang it.

"Hi, Daddy," Rachel greeted.

"Honey, it's Rachel," Leroy called out.

"Don't talk without me!" Hiram called in the background.

Rachel laughed lightly as she waited for her other father to get to the phone. It was nice to have someone that was always excited to talk to her, even if she'd talked to them only a few days before. She could hear something moving and knew her father must have put her on speakerphone.

"Hi, sweetie," Hiram said.

"Hi, Dad," Rachel replied.

"What's going on, baby girl?" Leroy asked.

"I was just calling to let you know I'll be in town next weekend," Rachel said.

"Not that I'm not happy to have you here, but why the sudden visit?" Leroy asked.

"I received a call from Shelby's lawyer and everything has been finalized," Rachel replied. "So, everything is finally being released to me, which means I have to go through all of her things."

"Are you sure you want to do it right now?" Hiram asked.

"I'll have to do it sooner or later," Rachel said with a slight shrug. "I figure the sooner I get it over with, the better."

"Well, we will be thrilled to see you and Beth," Leroy replied. "Is Kurt going to join you?"

"I haven't talked to him about it yet," Rachel answered. "I imagine he will probably come with me, though."

"How do you feel?" Leroy asked.

"I'm fine," Rachel automatically replied.

"How are you really?" Hiram asked.

"I'm—I don't know," Rachel admitted. "I wasn't really expecting that kind of call today. Truthfully, I had forgotten about the will and that this day would eventually come. I know it isn't going to be easy being in Shelby's house, going through all of her possessions. I know she's gone, but it doesn't really feel right."

"You know we'll be there with you, right?" Leroy asked.

"I had a feeling you would go with me," Rachel replied.

"If you want, we could do it all for you," Leroy added. "Just say the word."

"No," Rachel said with a shake of her head. "It's going to be hard, but it feels like something I should do. I'm not opposed to help, but I should be there."

"If you change your mind, just let us know," Hiram replied.

"I will," Rachel said.

"Other than that, how was your day, sweetie?" Leroy asked.

"It was fine," Rachel answered. "Beth got an award at school for being the best speller in her class."

"That's wonderful!" Hiram said.

"Yes, I was quite proud," Rachel replied. "I told Kurt and he's going to bring home a surprise, but he wouldn't tell me what kind of surprise. I just hope he doesn't go overboard."

Leroy laughed. "There's nothing wrong with spoiling a child. You turned out just fine, after all."

"That may be true, but I would rather we keep the spoiling to a minimum," Rachel replied.

"Well, we can't make any promises," Hiram said. "We only get to see Beth every few months, if that, and as her only grandparent figures, it's our job to spoil the child."

Rachel shook her head but was smiling nevertheless. "How did I know you would say something like that."

"Because you know us too well," Leroy said with a hearty laugh.

"I should go," Rachel stated. "Kurt should be home any moment and I feel like I need to prepare myself for whatever surprise he has planned."

"Okay, but make sure you call us if you change your mind about things," Leroy replied.

"I will," Rachel agreed. "I love you."

"We love you, too," Hiram said.

"Bye, sweetie," Leroy added.

When Rachel ended the call, she saw that she had another text from Quinn. When she opened the message, she smiled softly; the blonde was checking again to make sure she was okay. Rachel had told her earlier about the call from Mr. Wyatt and it was the second time Quinn had checked on her since then. Even though she was okay, it was nice to know that someone was concerned about her well-being.

"When do you plan on going to Lima?" Kurt asked.

"Next Friday," Rachel replied. "I hope one weekend is enough time, but if not, I suppose I could always have my fathers finish up."

"I'll talk to them when I go to work and see if I can get that weekend off," Kurt remarked.

"You don't have to do that," Rachel said.

"I know," Kurt replied with a shrug. "But do you think I'm really going to let you do it yourself? What kind of best friend would I be if I did that?"

"You would still be the best friend a girl could ask for," Rachel answered with a smile.

"I'm sure I can get someone to cover for me," Kurt stated.

"Well, I would appreciate you being there," Rachel said. "I really don't want to have to do this alone. I know my fathers will be there, but sometimes you just need a friend. Especially one who understands."

"Have you talked to Beth about it?" Kurt wondered.

"Not yet," Rachel replied. "Although, I did talk to her a little bit about something else."

"I'm assuming you're not talking about who her birth mother is," Kurt said after checking around to make sure Beth was still in her room.

"No, but I did tell her that Quinn and I have gone on a few dates," Rachel replied.

"Was she okay with it?" Kurt asked.

"She wasn't surprised," Rachel said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Evidently she saw Quinn and I kiss sometime."

Kurt laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"She does always seem to know more than we think she does," Rachel said, shaking her head.

She was still surprised that Beth had no reaction; she didn't know if the little girl had an opinion on the matter and just wasn't saying or if she really didn't care. Rachel hoped it was the latter, but she was certainly going to talk with her about it again later to find out. She didn't want Beth to be upset by it or anything. And she wasn't just concerned because it was Quinn that she was dating; no matter who she was involved with, she wanted Beth to be okay with it because that person was going to be a part of her life, too.

"Have you told Quinn about Shelby's will?" Kurt inquired.

"I called her not long after I found out," Rachel replied before smiling. "She keeps checking on me."

"Sometimes I miss the old Quinn," Kurt said, giving her a slight smirk.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "And why do you say that?"

"Because I don't know what to think about this whipped Quinn," Kurt stated.

"Quinn is not whipped," Rachel argued. "She's simply being thoughtful, which I think is very sweet."

"You haven't even declared yourselves a couple yet and you're already acting as if you're an old, married couple," Kurt said.

"We do not!" Rachel said, putting her hands on her hips, and glaring at her friend.

Kurt shrugged. "Fine, but you two are very boring."

Rachel huffed. "I resent that. Quinn and I are just taking things slow, and given our past, can you blame me? And it's not just my past with Quinn; I haven't exactly had the best track record when it comes to relationships, either. I tend to lose myself in the relationship or get hurt. Or both."

"And you think Quinn's going to hurt you?" Kurt asked.

"Not exactly," Rachel replied. "I don't know. It's always a possibility in any relationship, and it's hard not to think about the times she has hurt me." Rachel sighed. "And my heart wasn't so involved then."

"Are you in love with Quinn Fabray?!" Kurt whispered, his eyes wide.

"I—don't know," Rachel said, dropping her arms to her sides, and looking away.

"Oh my god!" Kurt gasped. "You are!"

"I did not say that," Rachel said with a frown.

"You don't have to," Kurt replied.

"I don't understand how you can be so sure about my feelings when I'm not," Rachel said, crossing her arms again. "I'll admit that I like Quinn a lot and that's all I will say."

"Like I said, you don't have to say anything else," Kurt said, shrugging slightly. "I can see it perfectly."

"Can I have another piece?" Beth asked, and both grownups turned to find the little girl in the living room.

"One more, but that's your last piece for the night, okay?" Rachel said.

Kurt's surprise for Beth had thankfully turned out to just be a cake. Of course, now they had a rather large cake and only two of them could eat it because it wasn't vegan friendly. Beth had already had one piece, but Rachel didn't think a second would hurt too much. Plus, it would be hard to say no when Kurt had already gotten himself a second piece.

As Rachel rinsed off her and Beth's plates, she heard a knock at the door. She turned the water off and grabbed a towel, drying her hands as she walked to the door. She wasn't expecting anyone, so she had no idea who was there. When she slid the door open, though, she was pleasantly surprised to find Quinn standing on the other side.

"Hello," Rachel greeted.

"Hey," Quinn said, smiling at her. "I hope you don't mind that I just dropped by."

"No, of course not," Rachel replied as she stepped to the side. "Please, come in. Would you like something to eat? We just had dinner, but there's some left."

"No, thanks," Quinn said. "I grabbed something just before I left my apartment."

Rachel nodded and then leaned up, giving Quinn a quick kiss. The blonde looked a little surprised for a moment, but then she smiled. Rachel had always been so careful about displays of affection—or so she had thought—but now that Beth knew, there was no reason not to act like any other couple.

"I told Beth about us," Rachel said simply in explanation.

"She's okay with it?" Quinn asked.

"I assume so," Rachel replied. "She didn't say anything to the contrary, at least. Anyway, I'm happy you're here."

"I thought I would stop by and make sure you're really okay," Quinn said.

"That's sweet, but it's not necessary," Rachel replied. "I'm fine." Rachel sighed when Quinn's eyebrow rose. "Alright, I'm mostly okay."

"Would you tell me if you weren't?" Quinn asked.

"Probably not," Rachel admitted. "I wouldn't want you to worry about me."

"We're in a relationship," Quinn stated. "That means I get to worry about you."

"Well, I appreciate the concern, but you really don't need to worry," Rachel replied. "I was a little thrown by the call and I guess I'm dreading what's to come, but I'll be okay. I've dealt with worse this year."

"When are you going to Ohio?" Quinn asked.

"I plan to go next weekend," Rachel answered. "Kurt's going to see about taking off work; I already called April about covering my shift Saturday morning and she's being relatively cooperative. I'll talk to my boss in the morning, but I don't think it should be a problem. He knows my situation and that there would be times I would need to take off, possibly without much notice."

Quinn nodded. "Hopefully I don't have any projects that weekend or exams that Monday."

Rachel frowned. "What?"

"I thought I would go with you," Quinn replied.

Rachel shook her head and said, "You really don't have to do—"

"I know I don't have to," Quinn interrupted. "And if you don't want me to go, I won't, but I don't want you to tell me I don't have to go just because you think it might be inconvenient."

Rachel had to admit that it would be nice to have Quinn there, but that was a long way to go, and she knew the blonde probably had more important things to do that weekend. She knew how swamped the other woman already was even though it was still early in the semester. But she wasn't going to lie to her and say she didn't want her there because she did. Rachel knew this was going to be hard for her and having the people she cared about around was how she was going to get through it.

"I'll take your silence to mean I can go," Quinn said when Rachel didn't say anything else.

"I just don't want you to think you have to go or that I expect you to," Rachel replied. "I know you're busy and I wouldn't want to be the reason you get behind in school, so if you have something you need to do that weekend, I would completely understand."

"I want to be there," Quinn quietly said.

"I'll admit that it would be nice to have you there," Rachel replied.

"Then I'll be there," Quinn said.

Rachel nodded and gave Quinn a warm smile. "Thank you." Rachel glanced over her shoulder, wondering if Beth was still in her room, and then looked back to Quinn. "Would you like to stay for a while? We have cake."

Quinn laughed. "Why do you have cake?"

"Kurt bought it as a congratulations for Beth," Rachel replied.

Quinn nodded and shrugged, saying, "I could have a piece."

"Would you like to watch a movie with us?" Rachel asked over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen. "I promised Beth we could watch one of her choosing tonight."

"Sure," Quinn answered.

"Would you ask Beth to pick one out?" Rachel asked as she pulled a plate out of the cabinet. "She's in her room right now."

As Rachel walked by the refrigerator, she glanced at Beth's painting and smiled to herself, thinking how she was going to have to remember to show it to Quinn before she left.

"Okay, that was a lot better than I thought it would be," Quinn said as she stood and stretched.

"I told you," Rachel said with a smile. "And the music is amazing, isn't it."

"It was good," Quinn agreed. "I think someone stayed up a bit too late, though."

Rachel looked down and smiled at Beth, who was fast asleep against the arm of the couch. She had fallen asleep toward the end of the movie, which was to be expected since it was past her bedtime. Rachel didn't usually let her stay up quite that late, especially not on a school night, but she'd allowed it that once. She knew Beth would get sleepy during the movie and fall asleep anyway, so she hadn't worried too much about it.

"I'll get her to bed," Rachel said, bending down to pick Beth up.

"Do you want me to go?" Quinn asked.

"No, stay," Rachel answered. "I'll be back in a minute or two."

She groaned slightly when she picked Beth up; the little girl wasn't that heavy, but considering Rachel was tiny, it was a lot for her to carry. Beth stirred a bit, but didn't wake up fully as she took her to her bedroom. When Rachel put her in her bed, Beth opened her eyes and mumbled something, but her eyes quickly shut again and she began breathing deeply. Rachel pulled the covers around her, tucking her in, and then placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered.

Beth turned on her side, sprawling out a bit, and Rachel smiled down at her. She turned off the bedside lamp before heading toward the living room. She stopped just outside the curtains and looked back at Beth; as tragic as everything was, she couldn't be happier to have the little girl in her life. It wasn't easier and it probably never would be, but the things that were most worth it didn't tend to be easy.

"Are you okay?" Quinn whispered.

"Yes, I was just thinking," Rachel whispered back as she pulled the curtains shut and turned around to face Quinn.

Quinn nodded and turned on her heel, walking back to the couch. Rachel followed her, watching the blonde closely; she could tell something was on Quinn's mind. When Quinn finally sat down, Rachel followed suit, smoothing her skirt down, and taking a seat next to the blonde.

"Is something wrong?" Rachel asked.

"What makes you think that?" Quinn asked back.

Rachel shrugged as she said, "I just have that feeling."

"I talked to my mother before I came over," Quinn said, glancing at her. "I told her about you."

"Oh?" Rachel replied, furrowing her brows in concern. "How did it go?"

"How do you think it went?" Quinn asked.

"I'm going to assume not well," Rachel answered.

"She still thinks I haven't found the right man and that all of this will go away someday," Quinn said, and Rachel could see her jaw visibly clench. "Every time I bring it up, she tries to change the subject, so she can pretend none of this is happening. That her daughter isn't a lesbian and that one day I'm going to come to my senses."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Rachel asked.

"I didn't want to ruin your night," Quinn replied.

"You wouldn't have ruined anything," Rachel said softly, reaching over for Quinn's hand. "What made you tell her tonight?"

"I'm tired of her asking about the boys at NYU," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "She's so good at ignoring everything that sometimes it feels like I never came out to her."

"Maybe if you just give her some more time," Rachel suggested.

Quinn shook her head. "I was actually hoping she would be happy for me for once. Instead, she told me I shouldn't be talking about that sort of thing and I would realize soon that all of this is a mistake."

"I'm really sorry, Quinn," Rachel said, squeezing her hand.

"I should go," Quinn said softly.

"Are you sure you have to?" Rachel asked.

Quinn nodded and said, "I have a meeting early in the morning."

"Oh, okay," Rachel said.

She was disappointed that Quinn was leaving, but she could understand. It was just nice that Quinn was actually opening up and talking about her life since it didn't happen a lot.

"I'll call you tomorrow," Quinn said as she stood. "Maybe I can stop by your work."

"That would be nice," Rachel replied, giving Quinn a soft smile.

Rachel continued to hold Quinn's hand as the blonde led them to the door. Once there, Quinn stopped and turned to Rachel, leaning down, and bringing their lips together. Rachel finally dropped Quinn's hand to wrap her arms around the other woman's neck as she returned the kiss. When Quinn pulled away, she rested their foreheads together, giving Rachel a smile.

"Night," Quinn said.

"Goodnight," Rachel whispered back.