Roots Before Branches

Chapter 24: Family

Two Weeks Later

Well, me and Rachel have been pretty good since we got back together but she's leaving at the end of the week back to Los Angeles and I will go in the next week cause I have to pack all my stuff and resign from my job at McKinley.

But, now I'm doing something that I really hope that Rachel won't hate me in the future. I knock on the door and minutes later the door was opened.

"Finn?" Shelby Berry said surprised.

"Hi Mrs.Berry, I was wondering if we could talk, I'll be quick." I said.

"Sure, come in." She said still shocked. "It's been a long time, what are you doing here?"

"Is Mr.Berry home? If both of you are here it's easier." I said and she sighed.

"He is upstairs, I'll ask him to come downstairs." She said and went upstairs. A few minutes later both come downstairs, Rachel's father seems really surprised to see me.

"Finn? What are you doing here?" Matthew Berry said and we shake hands.

"Do you accept water or something?" Shelby asked but I just shook my head as a no.

"No thanks, I wanna be really quick. Look, I came to talk about Rachel." I said and both looked surprised by how direct I was.

"What about Rachel? Is she okay?" Mr.Berry asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, well, kind of." I said. "She has been through some bad stuff in the past years and I think she is finally starting to get better but I also know that probably one of the things that still upsets her is the feeling that her own parents aren't proud of her. Look, I don't know what you guys did in the past years and I don't know you guys handled the entire fight and all, but Rachel is the most talented person I've ever met. Not just because she is my girlfriend but because she really is, she shows how much she loves singing and I love that about her and you guys should be more than proud of the daughter you have because she is amazing. It is not any person that can spend almost a decade on the top, filling up stadiums, going on tours and helping people. She has a gift. I know that you all have too much pride to apologize and that you all said things that you regret but is it really worth it? Losing your daughter worths your intact pride? She is leaving at the end of the week, don't let the opportunity of being a family leave with her again." I said and they seemed surprised and shocked. "That's it, I gotta go but here is the address." I give them a piece of paper that I brought with the address written. "It was nice to see you two again."

"Nice seeing you too, Finn." They said and I went back to Rachel's house to help her to pack a few stuff.

"Hey Finn! You're back!" She said and I laughed.

"I am." I said chuckling and walked to the couch cause she was there.

"Where were you?" She asked.

"Just solving some stuff, nothing you should worry about." I lied and she gave me a look.

"Okay..." She said a little awkward and I kissed her cheek and I feel her body relaxing. I know she has some trouble trusting on people and makes me feel awful lie to her but it's for a good reason, right? "So is everything alright?"

"Everything is great." I said with a smile and she smiled back. Gosh, now when I think of my catastrophic ending with Quinn, I can't help but be happy. I mean, sure, I don't like the idea of being cheated on and my ex-fiancée getting pregnant with my best friend's baby but I'm glad it's not mines, I'm glad that I won't marry her. Because no one in this world would ever make me as happy as Rachel does. "You know that I love you, right?" She looked at me with an amused expression and chuckled.

"What's that all about?" She asked chuckling.

"Just making sure you know how much I love you." I said and she kissed me.

"I know that, I love you too." She said and I smiled.

"So, what are we watching?" I asked grabbing the popcorn from her and she laughed.

....

We spent the entire afternoon cuddling under the blanket and eating popcorn. Then the bell ring and I went the door and opened, Shelby and Matthew Berry. What a surprise.

"Hey, you came." I said surprised but with a small smile.

"Is she here?" Shelby asked and I nodded.

"Babe, who is it at the d—" Rachel said coming closer but before she could finish the sentence, her jaw dropped. "What?" She said confused.

"I really think you guys should talk and try to figure things out. You guys fought 8 years ago and at the time everyone did and said things that you regret." I said. "I'll be upstairs if someone need me." Then I went upstairs to the bedroom and take a shower and lay on the bed.

Rachel

"Come in." I said after Finn went upstairs. "W-what you guys are doing here?"

"Finn came to put senses in our mind earlier." Dad said. Of course he did. He wasn't fooling me with that solving stuff excuse. I'm not mad at him thi, just scared of what he might have said to them.

"What?" I asked confused.

"We love you, Rachel. You are the best thing that ever happened to us." My dad said.

"I know we said bad stuff, but we were scared. It wasn't real that our baby was becoming a grown up woman. And we never meant that Rachel, we never did." My mom said.

"Just because we weren't there, it never meant that we didn't cared. We still do." My dad said. "And we need your forgiveness." I think I should forgive them, maybe it won't be the same relationship but I need to. I need to let go, I need to be free.

"Okay, I forgive you. Maybe not a 100% now but maybe an 85%." I said and they smiled. "And I'm sorry too. I said things that I shouldn't have and it was just awful." Then they hugged me tightly and we spent hours just catching up about everything. Then they left and I went upstairs just to find that Finn had fallen asleep while using his phone and I chuckled. Have been talking for that much time? I'm grateful that he went talk to them, I feel finally in peace now. I approached and put the phone on the table and take a shower and lay on the bed next to him and he wake up a little confused.

"Go back sleep, we'll talk tomorrow." I said and he just noddsd amd put his arm around me and we fell asleep.