The One Where Rachel Says Yes

Chapter 2 - Rachel's POV

As Rachel made her way to the back of the museum and approached the entrance to the planetarium she noticed that nobody else around was moving in that same direction. If the show was about to start, wouldn't there be people going inside? As she got closer, she noticed a sign on the door.

"Planetarium shows are cancelled for the day. Sorry for the inconvenience!"

"Well that's weird." Rachel thought to herself. "Ross said he got the tickets for 2:30."

As she turned around to grab her cell phone out of her purse she noticed a large box on the ground. The box had words written in marker on the top.

Rachel Green

Perplexed, she looked around. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. Nor did she see her friends. She knelt down to pick up the box and was instantly surprised by the weight of it. Instead of picking it up, she opened it while it remained in its place on the floor. The contents of the box caught her off guard.

A cartoon image of a muscly man looked back at her. The box read, "Uberweiss. It's new. It's German. It's extra tough".

"What in the hell?" Rachel thought. "Why is there a box of laundry detergent with my name on it? Chandler must have something to do with this." She looked around again but still didn't see anyone she recognized.

"This is really starting to freak me out. I'm calling Ross", she thought with concern. She dialed his number on her cell phone and looked around the museum for a familiar face as she listened to the repeated rings on the other end go unanswered.

"Hey sweetie." Rachel cleared her throat as she conversed with his voicemail. "Please call me. I don't know where you are and I'm kinda freaked out right now. I'm not really sure what's going on. I'm going to..." her voice trailed off. In that moment her eyes met the edge of a card sticking out behind the box of German laundry detergent. She hung up the phone as she reached for the card. She instantly recognized the handwriting.

Rachel,

Remember that night we did laundry together when you first moved to the city? I so wanted to impress you so I bought the most ridiculous laundry detergent to show you that I was a tough guy. But you ended up being the one to impress me that night. You stood up for yourself and gained your independence that night. I'm so proud of everything you have accomplished since then. You're dedicated. You're talented. You're strong. You inspire me. I'm your biggest fan. That night we had our first kiss before I smacked my head against the door of the dryer. I don't know how much that kiss meant to you in that moment but it changed my life. You have changed my life.

Come on inside. I'll see you soon.

Love always,

Ross

Butterflies filled her stomach as she re-read the note. She remembered that night in the laundry mat. But Ross had never mentioned the details of the weird detergent, nor did she remember that part. She hadn't intended to kiss him that night. She remembered being so caught up in the adrenaline of her conquest against that evil woman that just happened. Ross had empowered her to stand up for herself. This was one of the first times in her life she realized that she was strong enough to handle what life threw at her. All because he believed in her.

"What is he doing?" she wondered. Rachel rose and reached for the door handle. Sure enough, it was unlocked. Behind the door was another short corridor with a door at the end leading to the planetarium on the other side. Her eyes instantly spotted another large box with writing on it.

Rachel Green

This time she hurried to the box and tore it open. Her eyes welled with tears as she peered at the object in the box. She pulled out a large red plush lobster with beady eyes. She recognized the sentiment instantly. There was another card attached.

Rachel,

You have seen me at my absolute worst and also my very best. You have been there through it all. You make me the best version of myself. I can't imagine my life without you. Your smile. Your eyes. Your heart. You are the very best part of me. No matter what, it will always be you. You're my lobster. Oh, and keep walking.

Love always,

Ross

Rachel cried as she read those words, but her tears soon blurred into laughter as she noticed the attempted drawing at the bottom of the two lobsters holding claws. He always knew how to make her laugh. "You're my lobster", she thought. That phrase, originating from her quirky friend Phoebe, became a term of endearment between the two of them. As goofy as it was, she believed it wholeheartedly. They had been to hell and back over the years. Throughout it all she could never ignore the magnetic pull she felt towards Ross. He was the love of her life. She nervously approached the door and opened it to only be surprised by darkness on the other side.

"Ross?"

Silence

"Ross, where are you?"

Still no answer. Before she could say anything else, the vision of thousands of stars appeared across the screen over her head. The introduction of "With or Without You" by U2 began to play. It was their song.

"Is this really happening? Is it what I think it is?" she thought to herself. All Rachel wanted was Ross in her arms at that moment. "Where was he?!" The stars provided enough light to now make out the shapes of the objects in the room. She still didn't see Ross. But she did notice a trail of single red rose petals down the aisle towards the stage. She followed them. At the end of the aisle was yet another box. It was a little smaller than the previous two. Once more she noticed the familiar writing on top.

Rachel Green

In the dim-lit glow of the planetarium, she opened the box to find a large glossy brochure-like document, and once more, a note. She didn't have enough light to make out any of the words, so she scooped up the box and made her way back to the hallway. The large paper was a map of Scarsdale.

"What? Are we going to Scarsdale? Did Ross buy a house or something?" Rachel was perplexed. It was something they had discussed from time to time, but it was a decision she assumed they would make together. "Surely this isn't the way he would tell me he bought a house. She convinced herself. "But..this is Ross I'm talking about" she thought. "He has a knack for being extravagant."

Unsure what exactly to make of the large map, she set it down and turned over the note.

Rachel,

Scarsdale. Do you remember? We had just had a ridiculous fight about having kids and moving to Scarsdale. It was the first time we said I love you. I had already begun planning our story back then. Little did I know how many twists and turns it would take.

Rachel paused. "Well that's for sure." Ross had now been apart of her life more than he had been absent from it. She could barely remember her life before him. Her mind drifted back to the moments that foreshadowed what life would be like without him.

The list.

The girl from the copy place.

Emily's demands.

Rachel didn't like to think about those things much anymore. They had grown up, and they had moved on, together. She felt nothing but safety and trust when she thought about Ross now. She continued reading.

I don't want to plan our story anymore. I want us to write the next chapters together. There is still so much left untold. Come back inside.

Love Always,

Ross

Rachel could no longer handle the nerves, excitement, or whatever the hell it was she was feeling. As she heard the faint guitar interlude of the U2 song still looping on the other side of the door, she knew Ross would be in there this time. Rachel knew exactly what was happening now.