Happy couldn’t begin to describe Rachel and how she felt on March 21, 2001. She was in New York, with JC and the other guys of *NSYNC celebrating the release of their second album. And from what she had heard, the sales were going incredibly well. Heck, she’d buy it, even if she wasn’t sleeping with one of the band members.
Looking around from the table she was sitting at with Kali and Monica, she saw her boyfriend talking with the press. Seeing him tonight really drove home what his job was. He was a celebrity, which was ok with her. She knew getting into this that he would be touring and she would have to deal with all of that. And Rachel was determined to pass this test with flying colors, because she wasn’t about to loose JC because she got jealous of the attention his fans got or that he was never home. Rachel knew where his heart was; it was with her.
“Mother…” Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose as she sat on the bed in her and JC’s room, trying hard to keep control. “What do you want?”
“Are you really going to be chasing after your boyfriend all the time while he’s on tour?”
“No! I don’t have to chase after him, because he wants me there! Add he understands that I can’t come out all the time!”
“So how often are you going to see him?”
“A few times a month.”
3…2…1… “You’re flying out every weekend?”
“Not every weekend, but yes…I don’t work on weekends.”
“So you’re going to spend half of your weekend on a plane?”
“Mom, being in a relationship requires sacrifice. And this isn’t really a sacrifice because I get to see JC.” A knock on the interrupted the conversation. “Mother, I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Rachel got up to answer the door. “Joey?”
“Rachel?” Joey stood dumbfounded.
“What?”
Joey blushed, realizing he was staring. How could he not? Rachel, a beautiful girl, was wearing one of JC’s button down shirts and a pair of his boxers. “Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly. “I was coming to see what time your flight was leaving.”
“I have to leave for the airport in an hour or so. I’m just waiting for Jayce to get back.”
“And he is!” JC said, coming up behind Joey. “Joe, what are you doing here?”
“Getting a free peek at your girl!” Joey gave Rachel a hug before saying good bye.
JC stepped into the room and closed the door, wrapping his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her neck. “I like this.”
“Mmm…me too.” Rachel glanced at the clock. “I hate to spoil the mood, but I have to start getting ready.”
“Fine…” JC took her hand and pulled her to the bed. “I’ll help you pack.”
“Pack? That’s what they call it now a days?”
“This is a crappy way to spend our sixth month anniversary. I’m sorry honey.” JC said as he wrapped his arms around Rachel’s waist.
“I can think of worse ways.”
“Like what?”
Rachel smiled and wrapped her arms around JC’s neck. “Like you could be in prison.”
“Well, if I was in prison, they’d give us a special room where we could do some hanky panky in private.”
Rachel laughed and kissed JC. “That depends on what you’re in prison for.”
“I’d be there for killing Justin and Chris.”
“Hey!” Justin complained as he walked by the couple and boarded the bus. “No killing allowed! It’s against the law!”
After their laughter died down, Rachel had to fight back tears. “What’s wrong baby?”
Rachel smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” JC kissed Rachel again, trying to convey how much he felt for her. He let it linger, knowing it would be two weeks before he could kiss her again. “This will only be for a little while. Then I’ll be back before the tour.” He kissed her again, trying to memorize the feel of her lips against his. “I gotta go.”
Watching the bus pull out of the Jive complex was harder than she thought. An arm wrapped around her, and Rachel looked at Kali. “I didn’t think it would be so hard.”
Kali smiled. “It doesn’t get easier. But think about the next time you get to see him!”
Rachel laughed. “True. I just…I wish…”
“You wish what? That you didn’t get involved?”
“Oh no! Jayce is the best thing to ever happen to me. I dunno…I just need to get used to things.”
“What do you say that we go grab some dinner and maybe catch a movie?”
“I’d love to! But I have to run some errands first. Let me get your number, and I’ll give you a call when I’m done?”
“That sounds great.”
“Rabbi?” Rachel asked as she knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Rabbi Cohen answered. He looked up from his papers. “Rachel Levine! How are you doing dear?”
“I’m good, and yourself?”
“I’m great, thanks for asking. Have a seat!” He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “What can I do for you today Rachel?”
She sat down and glanced at her hands. “I have a question.”
“About what?” Rabbi Cohen asked when she didn’t continue.
“About intermarriage.”
“What about it?” Rabbi Cohen was intrigued. He had heard several things going around the community, most of them positive, but some things had bothered him.
Rachel stopped to think about what she was going to say. “I’m in love with someone who isn’t Jewish, and I think we’re heading towards that direction.”
“Ok…tell me about this boy.”
How much did she want to tell him? “I didn’t realize I wasn’t whole until I met him. He’s the piece of me I didn’t know I was missing. I love him.” Rachel stopped. She hadn’t even told some of these things to JC yet, and here she was pouring her heart out to her Rabbi. She would have to have a talk with JC the next time she saw him. Well, that, and another thing or two.
“He sounds special.”
“He is.”
“So what do you want to know?”
“What do I have to do? What does he have to do? What’s different about the ceremony?”
“Ok, let’s start from the beginning. Are you ok with marrying someone who isn’t Jewish?”
Rachel nodded. “I am.”
“What about your family?”
Rachel laughed. “I’m sure that you’ve heard about my mother.”
“Yes.”
“I know it bothers her, but I can’t help who I fall in love with, or who I want to marry.”
“That’s true. But if things do move to that stage, you know your mother is going to have some issues.”
“I know! Rabbi, I know! She’s already made her view incredibly clear. But what am I supposed to do?”
The Rabbi smiled. “I don’t know. But right now, we’re here to talk about you and your very bright future.”
Rachel breathed in relief. She was worried the Rabbi would make her talk about things she really didn’t want to think about: her mother.
“Ok, so I think the ceremony would be the easiest part. We could have it outside, in a neutral place, or here. There’d be minimal Hebrew, and all of that. As far as other things…I’m assuming you want to raise the kids Jewish?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Does this boy know that?”
“Yes, he does.”
“Ok, does he know what that would mean for him? Going to Temple with you guys, being an active member of the community, raising the kids Jewish at home.”
Rachel sighed. “I think he has some idea. We haven’t exactly talked about it yet. Next time I see him, or it comes up, I’ll talk to him.”
“How long have you guys been dating?”
“Six months.”
Rabbi Cohen smiled. “Intermarriage isn’t easy, but if anyone can make it work, I think you can.”
“Thanks Rabbi.” Rachel left the office with a smile on her face.
The Rabbi waited until he was sure Rachel had left until he picked up his phone. He really did like Rachel, and did believe she could make this work, but he had promised her mother.
“Evelyn? I had a visitor today.”
Kali laughed as the waiter was not subtle in how he checked Rachel out. “I don’t get it!” Rachel declared. “I don’t think I’m that hot or anything.”
“I think JC would beg to differ.”
“Maybe.”
“Here’s your meals ladies.” The waiter flashed a smile. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“No thanks.” Rachel smiled politely.
“Are you sure?”
Kali nodded. “We’re positive.” After a few moment, “How’s your chicken?”
“Good, and yours?”
“Very good.”
Rachel’s cell phone rang. After checking the Caller ID, she answered. “Hey Michelle, can I call you back later? Ok, bye!”
“Is Michelle the one Joey’s been talking about?”
Rachel laughed. “Probably.” Her cell phone rang again, and she answered without checking the ID, assuming it was Michelle again. “Michelle!”
“It’s not Michelle, it’s your mother!”
Rachel’s smile fell. “Oh, hi! Can I call you back? I’m out dinner.”
“No. I heard that you went to see Rabbi Cohen about a certain boy today.”
“Mom, I can’t talk about this right now.”
“Well that’s too damn bad.” Evelyn never sad damn”she was mad.
“What am I supposed to do? Leave in the middle of dinner?”
“Yes. I need to talk to you.”
“No. I’ll come over once I’m done. Bye.” Rachel hung up and looked at a concerned Kali.
“Problems at home?”
Rachel laughed curtly. “I’m so dead after this. Tonight is my final meal.”
“Well, let’s make it a final meal to remember. Waiter!”
Rachel was nowhere near ready to face her mother when she stepped out of her car later that evening. She knew she was in for it, but her mother really had no right to go poking through her personal life. Maybe Rachel would finally stand up to her mother, and tell her that she was happy and in love, which should be enough. As she walked up the pathway and saw her fuming mother in the doorway, she knew she never would.
“It’s about time you got here.”
“I told you I was at dinner.”
“Never mind. Come in, I don’t want the neighbors to hear us.” Rachel rolled her eyes when her back was to her mother. “Now what on earth did you talk to the rabbi about?”
Rachel sat down in a huff on the couch. “That’s personal.”
“I’m your mother! You can tell the Rabbi, but not me?”
“Yes!” Rachel stood up. “You make me feel like crap for being in love, while Rabbi Cohen said he was happy for me, and that if anyone could make interfaith marriage work”“ Rachel slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing that she had revealed the subject of her discussion.
“Don’t be so naïve Rachel, I know what you two talked about.”
Rachel sighed and sat back down. “What do you want then?”
“I want you to dump that boy.”
“I can’t mom! I love him!”
“So you plan on marrying a non-Jewish boy?”
She took a calming breath, trying to collect her thoughts. “He hasn’t proposed yet, but we’ve talked, and we both feel we’re heading in that direction.”
“He’s a celebrity! He’s never home! How can you marry someone like that?”
“My god mom! We’re not talking about the immediate future! We both have a lot of growing up to do. And yes, it sucks that he travels a lot, but I knew that going in to this. I had a fair warning about everything, but decided to date JC anyways.”
“I thought you were smart.”
“I am! I’m following my heart!”
“No, you’re following your hormones!”
Rachel laughed. “You think I’m with JC because he’s good in bed?” She laughed again. “I’m not gonna lie, JC is definitely handsome, but if I wanted a bed-buddy, I’d choose someone who was home!”
“So he took your virtue!”
Rachel, again, laughed. “First, call it by its real name. Yes, I’m no longer a virgin, and no, JC wasn’t my first.”
Evelyn was turning an ugly shade of red. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were a whore!”
Rachel’s eyes widened. “In no case, mother, do I sleep around. I value my body too much for that.”
Evelyn took a deep breath. “If you marry that boy, I will disown you from this family.” She continued. “And do not make the mistake thinking that I’m joking, because I’m not. If you marry JC, you will not be my daughter.”
Rachel’s face fell. She thought her mother was being horrible, but to be totally disconnected? She glanced down to her hands. “Is dad home?”
Evelyn sighed. “Yes, he’s in his office.”
Rachel got up and left the living room without another word. How could her mother be so horrible and cold-hearted? Knocking on her dad’s office door, she said, “Daddy?”
“C’m here baby.” George held his arms open as Rachel settled into his lap. He ran a hand down her hair and rubbed her back. “I heard everything; you don’t have to say anything.”
After 10 minutes of soaking her father’s neck with her tears, Rachel asked, “Why must she do that Daddy? Why?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to have a talk with her. I think you and JC will be incredibly happy if you two got married. Even with mom going haywire, you still have me and Mike and Michelle. Remember that.”
Rachel nodded. “I’ll try, but I don’t know how much more I can take of this. She’s getting to me.”
George nodded, wishing there was something else he could do for his daughter; chase the monsters out from under her bed. But what did he do when he was married to the monster? The monster was Rachel’s mother, and it became painfully obvious to George that afternoon that Evelyn wouldn’t stop until Rachel was done with JC. He didn’t want that to happen, and neither did JC.
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