06-06-2025, 11:35 AM
The question hit Rachel hard. Everything was blurred. She had trouble remembering things. Her time with Lucio was fairly clear, but it all ran together. Everything before that was a blur of uncertainty. She could feel something in her rise, even so, she felt the natural instinct to hold the baby closer - not hard, but safe and secure.
"I don't remember... Rachel didn't cry, but she was clearly upset - not at Liam. He was trying to help. She was upset that she couldn't remember.
Then Elyse was there. Elyse raised a hand to Liam - a gesture that said "I got this." She knelt by Rachel's side. "What's wrong, honey?"
Rachel looked around trying to find the words to say then Elyse's hand, firm but gentle, pulled her head to face her. Rachel stared into her pretty eyes. "It's going to be okay. I promise." she said.
Rachel couldn't turn away, but it wasn't because of Elyse's hand. "Okay," Rachel smiled then.
It was then she knew that how she felt about Elyse was real. It wasn't something from Lucio's machinations. She liked Elyse and wanted to be with her, but she couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. "You can go have fun...I'll be okay... she didn't know if she would be, but she felt better than before.
"You sure?"
"Yeah...we can talk after,"
Elyse smiled. "Of course. If you need me - I'll be right over there," Elyse lingered a bit, her hand still gently touching Rachel's face before Elyse stood and headed back to the mat.
Rachel didn't look away, her eyes following Elyse back to the mat. She bit her bottom lip as she noticed the way her hips moved as she walked. Rachel felt color come to her face, but she remembered something. She had remembered the last time she had felt happy, even if it was tainted with Lucio's fear. The last time she had felt happy had been when she had danced with Elyse. There were memories there - times with Emily and Mara. Dancing with Jared at Emily's wedding. And dancing with Elyse.
Rachel turned back to Liam. "What made me happy....Emily, Mara, and Jared...dancing with Elyse..." she looked down at Lily, comfortable in her arms. "That's all I can remember."
"I don't remember... Rachel didn't cry, but she was clearly upset - not at Liam. He was trying to help. She was upset that she couldn't remember.
Then Elyse was there. Elyse raised a hand to Liam - a gesture that said "I got this." She knelt by Rachel's side. "What's wrong, honey?"
Rachel looked around trying to find the words to say then Elyse's hand, firm but gentle, pulled her head to face her. Rachel stared into her pretty eyes. "It's going to be okay. I promise." she said.
Rachel couldn't turn away, but it wasn't because of Elyse's hand. "Okay," Rachel smiled then.
It was then she knew that how she felt about Elyse was real. It wasn't something from Lucio's machinations. She liked Elyse and wanted to be with her, but she couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. "You can go have fun...I'll be okay... she didn't know if she would be, but she felt better than before.
"You sure?"
"Yeah...we can talk after,"
Elyse smiled. "Of course. If you need me - I'll be right over there," Elyse lingered a bit, her hand still gently touching Rachel's face before Elyse stood and headed back to the mat.
Rachel didn't look away, her eyes following Elyse back to the mat. She bit her bottom lip as she noticed the way her hips moved as she walked. Rachel felt color come to her face, but she remembered something. She had remembered the last time she had felt happy, even if it was tainted with Lucio's fear. The last time she had felt happy had been when she had danced with Elyse. There were memories there - times with Emily and Mara. Dancing with Jared at Emily's wedding. And dancing with Elyse.
Rachel turned back to Liam. "What made me happy....Emily, Mara, and Jared...dancing with Elyse..." she looked down at Lily, comfortable in her arms. "That's all I can remember."