Glee Postsecret Challenge: Part 8
Unrequited Birthday Wishes
Quinn sat down on her couch with her legs crossed underneath her. A steaming cup of hot chocolate was warming the palms of her hands. She blew on the surface a couple of times before reaching for the remote control.
It was one week until Christmas.
Flipping through the channels, Quinn finally found the station she was looking for. This channel always had a Christmas Special around this time. She had learned about a week prior that this year’s charity for the special was one that Rachel Berry eagerly supported. In fact, Rachel would be a special guest for the event. So Quinn had set it to record.
But of course, she would watch it live anyway.
The program was starting just as Quinn lowered the remote to the cushion next to her. She took a sip of her hot chocolate as Rachel began to sing a stunning rendition of a Christmas favorite. Quinn’s breath caught in her throat and she marveled at the woman’s grace and poise and beauty on the stage, backed by a full orchestra and dressed in a dazzling midnight blue gown.
She was magnificent.
The program continued, and Rachel spoke vociferously about her charity, urging people to donate and surprising even the host by promising to match every single penny donated by the public.
Not once did Rachel mention that today was her birthday.
When the two-hour special finished, Quinn paused the image on the screen. Rachel Berry, smiling beautifully into the camera. Rachel Berry, chocolate eyes shining magically through the airwaves. Rachel Berry, in Quinn’s living room.
This was probably the closest Quinn would ever be to Rachel again in her life.
Saving the show, Quinn turned off her television and headed into her bedroom. She curled up under her covers and hugged a pillow tightly to her chest as she tried not to imagine the extravagant celebration Rachel would most assuredly be having after leaving the studio.
“Happy birthday, Rachel,” Quinn muttered just before she fell asleep with a sad smile on her face at the thought of her first and last unrequited love affair.
__________
Halfway across the country in a lovely New York City loft, Rachel Berry opened her apartment door and dropped her heels next to the kitchen counter. She changed into comfortable, worn sweats and curled up on her couch with Ben and Jerry and her copy of Funny Lady in the DVD player - because she watched Funny Girl at least once a month and its sequel deserved a special moment at least once a year as well.
Rachel thought, ‘Happy birthday to me’, as the opening credits began to roll and she ate her first bite of ice cream. She had turned down invitations for birthday celebrations, opting instead to spend her birthday alone - as she always did.
And there was a part of Rachel - despite her years of success and her fame and her general sense of happiness - that chose this day each year to just be. To be alone. To think about her past. To contemplate her future. It was a day where Rachel could cry if she wanted to because it was her birthday, dammit. She could be sad if she wanted. And she normally cried, because she did allow herself to be sad on this day.
She was sad because she was still mourning the loss of a friendship that, Rachel felt, could have been epic.
But she and Quinn had never really been able to cross that line that separated acquaintances from friends, and whatever could’ve or would’ve or should’ve been between the two girls simply never came to fruition.
Maybe, somewhere - wherever it was that Quinn found herself - she knew that Rachel was thinking of her. And maybe - just maybe - Quinn was thinking of Rachel, too.
__________
__________