"Do you have the note still?" Quinn asks when Rachel is worshipping her shoulders with delicate kisses.
It immediately stills Rachel that Quinn would ask about the note right now. They're both unclothed, laying in bed, still catching breaths. "Oh," she says. "Yeah! Of course." She reassures Quinn and gets up, leaving one last longing kiss on her right shoulder, to pick up her discarded sweats. With hesitation she turns, hand in pocket and feeling the heavy paper, "are you sure, babe?"
"Not sure, but too curious not to," she shrugs, looking smaller by the second on the bed.
Rachel smiles sweetly at her and walks back, clutching the note in her right hand. "You don't have to be sure. I'm right here."
Quinn smiles back and kisses Rachel. She licks her lips with closed eyes and when they open - hazel and bright,- Rachel literally loses her breath. "I know. Okay, hand it over."
She does as told and leans back on the pillows propped up behind her. Quinn stares at the folded note and Rachel stares at Quinn stare. "You need to open that to read what it says," Rachel jokes.
"I know," Quinn tells her, "but what if she says she doesn't want to try understanding anymore? What if she's so repulsed by me that she doesn't ever want to see me again?"
"Babe," Rachel says in a soothing voice, lifting Quinn's chin to meet her eyes, "don't go there, okay? Judy cares about you; she loves you. Just read the note."
Under Rachel's scrutiny, Quinn takes a deep breath in. "Okay," she exhales, "here goes nothing."
"Read it out loud," Rachel suggests.
"Quinnie," Quinn grimaces at her own nickname, one which her mother won't stop using. "Happy Thanksgiving!" She continues reading, hoping that this isn't just another disappointment. "I apologize for how I behaved last night, and I am so sorry I embarrassed you in front of your girlfriend and friend." Her mouth drops open at her mother's apology and at... she gulps, not believing that her mother addressed Rachel as 'her girlfriend.' "I am making sure you all have an amazing holiday by taking myself out of the picture. Don't be upset at me, please; this isn't me being a coward. This is me realizing I shouldn't have pushed to come in the first place. I hope you can still enjoy your vacation. I'm going to spend mine with a close friend who lives in Boston. Please, tell Rachel and Blaine thanks so much and that I wish them well. Give Beth a kiss from me. I love you, (and I'm working hard to love you better), Mom."
There is silence once Quinn is done reading the note. She doesn't know how to organize her thoughts about what Judy is saying and she absolutely has no idea how to feel about her mother leaving like this. She could've talked to her about it, or something. The note is very nice, but why couldn't she have said this all in person? She mutters a, "damn it," when she feels the tears have begun to swim down her cheeks.
A thumb dries each cheek and Rachel presses her forehead to Quinn's, "that was very nice of her." When their eyes connect, Quinn can see that Rachel's been crying, too. "And as small as this seems, Quinn, she addressed me as your girlfriend. Not as a 'special friend,' and that's a big deal, honey."
Quinn sniffles, tries to gain some composure, and folds the note. "You're right. You're always right."
"I know," Rachel is quick to agree. "It's almost time for dinner, do you want to take a shower to release some of this tension?"
Rachel takes up to massaging Quinn's shoulders and continues to drop kisses as she does so. Quinn shuts her eyes, letting herself enjoy the moment and nods, "mmhm. You'll shower with?"
"You think I'm stupid? Of course."
They giggle the entire way to the bathroom. Quinn runs back when she realizes she's still clutching the note and she reads it one more time before settling it on the night stand.
