A Coffee Date
Rachel wasn’t sure why Finn’s question came as a painful blow, causing her knees to almost buckle beneath her. The truth was she and Sam didn’t share a room, not anymore anyway. They had tried being a couple, but no matter how much effort the two of them put into the relationship, something was always missing. A spark. A fire. Eventually they realized the they were just trying to fill the void of loneliness, seeking solace in one another and that they were simply better off as friends. Needing a moment to collect herself, Rachel looked up at the ceiling as she took a few deep yet shaky breaths. However, before she could reply, her daughter beat her to the punch.
"No, Daddy," Katie responded with a slow shake of her head and wide eyes,as if she were getting used to the foreign word on her tongue, "Mommy said that you have to be married to sleep in the same room," she added while looking between the two adults. Rachel smiled softly at her innocent daughter, who was just as much of a victim as Finn. She had robbed her own child of daily interactions with her father and no matter how much or different ways Rachel tried to rationalize her choice, she simply couldn’t. She had made the wrong decision; one that she hoped Finn and their daughter could eventually forgive her for.
Kneeling besides Katie, Rachel pressed her lips to the side of her daughter’s temple and smiled. She hoped Katie wouldn’t notice the way her breathing was erratic and her heart was pounding wildly against her rib cage. "Did I say something wrong, Momma?" The three year old asked as she nearly scrambled into Rachel’s lap. The very feel of her daughter in her arms, calmed Rachel immensely. “No baby. You didn’t say anything wrong,” she crooned as she lifted her head to meet Finn’s intense gaze. “You told the truth.” With that, Rachel swallowed the knot in her throat and blew out a whoosh of air. She might not have been able to fix the past, but she could certainly make a move in the right direction.
She carefully shifted Katie, so they both could stand and held out her hand to Finn. ”I’m not sure if,” she paused and inhaled sharply,”your Daddy already made living arrangements, but I’m sure Sam would’t mind if he stayed with us. It would give you two a chance to get to know one another,” she said in more of a whisper than anything else as the words, and we could be a family, dying on her lips, hoping the look in her eyes said enough.
He felt a little better knowing they shared a room, it didn't stop him from wondering if they'd ever shared a bed before on some lonely night, but as long as they had different rooms he didn't feel completely betrayed. He and Sam had shared a home, he couldn't believe he'd have kept him in the dark, the only thing that could have possibly made things worse was if she'd called him daddy instead of uncle. That he was thankful for.
He took her hand. He would always take her hand, but he didn't understand what she was saying. He knew things wouldn't go back to the way they were four years ago. He wasn't going to get home, scoop Rachel up and take her to the courthouse like they intended to four years ago. As much as he wanted to be near her he'd expected to stay with his parents.
Sure, hearing that she had her own place gave him a little hope, but things were so complicated. He didn't know Katie or this new Rachel, and then there was Sam. Having him there would make things even more chaotic, but when he'd first learned about their daughter he had wished Rachel would let him stay with her. The idea seemed incredibly far fetched, to keep so much from him and then let him enter her life so easily, but he wasn't about to lose out on his chance to get to know his daughter. He took her outstretched hand, "I think I could stay a while.