Being in love is the best and worst feeling; you have everything, but you have everything to lose. Being in love means you put one person before everyone and everything else. Love filled your whole being, but could empty it too. The love Rachel felt for JC was unlike anything she had ever felt before, and she didn’t want to loose it any time soon. Loosing it, thinking she may not have that in her life one day scared her. Why was Rachel so scared? JC was just meeting her parents, and Mike and his new girlfriend would be there. But Rachel knew all of the attention would be on her and JC. She wasn’t worried that her parents would ruin what she and JC had, but they wouldn’t make life easier.
Her parents kept dropping hints about JC’s religion, and it frustrated Rachel. Why couldn’t they be happy for her? She had finally found someone to love. She had a void in her that nothing”friends, family, her job”nothing but love from that one person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with could fill. Rachel wasn’t 100% sure that JC was that person, but as each day went on, she was becoming more definite.
It was the little things he did: going to Syracuse with her, saying the sweetest things, making her smile. With JC in her life, Rachel looked forward to coming home. She wondered what it would be like to do that every day for the rest of her life. To come home, and know that the love of your life was there, waiting for you. Rachel was sure it would be an incredible feeling, knowing there was one person who wanted to spend their life loving you.
Rachel sighed; she really couldn’t come up with a concrete answer to explain to JC why she was so nervous, because she knew he would pick up on it as soon as he saw her face. Rachel smiled; he was always good at knowing what she was thinking. How did she explain to him that he needed to be prepared incase her parents decided to act like vultures, and that it wasn’t anything personal? You can’t explain something like that.
JC took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Checking his appearance in the mirror, he sighed. He wanted to make a good impression on Rachel’s parents. He knew her, and knew that although she didn’t fully acknowledge the extent of influence they had on her life, they were very important to her. And the last thing JC wanted was for them to tell Rachel she was better off without him. That was the one thing he couldn’t live with: Rachel. If she were to tell him things weren’t going to work out, his world as he knew it would end. Love was an amazing, crazy, and scary thing. He had lived without Rachel, for 24 years. But after having her in his life for two months, he didn’t want to live without her.
She had brought so much to his life. JC used to go out all the time. He was famous, a millionaire, and seemed to have everything others would spend their life trying to get. Except he didn’t have the one thing he had longed for the most: love. His friends and family loved him, and so did his fans, but that wasn’t the love he was looking for. Rachel provided the love he had been looking for. Shaking his head, JC admitted to himself that he hadn’t known he was looking for that type of love if you had asked him, even a month ago. He was just beginning to realize all that he had been missing out on while he had been enjoying his celebrity status.
Warmth enveloped his whole body when he thought about Rachel. JC knew that she was something special”had known that from the beginning. And he was hell bent on proving to her parents that he was deserving of her. But how did he do that when he knew it was his religion, not him, they had a problem with?
JC had arrived at Rachel’s house, and didn’t even notice it. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he assumed would be a challenging night. “Hey baby.” He greeted her with a kiss at the door.
“Hey you!” Rachel tried to smile; she needed to be strong for JC. If she was nervous, having known her parents for 23 years, how would he feel not knowing them at all?
“Are you ready?”
Rachel nodded and locked her door. “Let’s go!”
The car ride was spent listening to the radio, and JC singing quietly along with the radio. When they reached the Levine house, JC looked quickly at Rachel. She smiled and got out of the car. JC took her hand as they walked up the walkway, linking his fingers with hers. Before they had made it halfway to the house, the front door opened, and Evelyn walked out.
“Rachel, honey!” She hurried down the walkway and enveloped Rachel in a hug. She turned towards JC. “And you must be JC.” She held out her hand. “I’m Evelyn, Rachel’s mom.”
“It’s nice to meet you Evelyn.” JC said.
“Come on in! The others are waiting to meet you!”
Rachel smiled apologetically at JC as they followed Evelyn inside.
“Rach!” George gave his only daughter a bear hug and then shook JC’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” JC then shook Mike’s hand. “Good to see you again, Mike. Where’s your date?”
Mike smiled sheepishly. “Things didn’t work out.”
Rachel laughed. “That’s not anything new.”
“Hey!” Mike wrapped his arm around Rachel and steered her towards the dinning room. JC followed the two.
“It’s not easy to find a nice Jewish girl.” George defended his son.
“JC did.” Mike pointed out.
An awkward silence ascended the group. George coughed, and then brought up the first subject he could think of. Unfortunately, it was also awkward. “JC, how’s that lawsuit looking?”
JC’s eyes widened as he sat down next to Rachel. “It’s uh…it’s going. We should hopefully know soon.”
George nodded. “If you have any questions your lawyer can’t answer, you can give me a call.”
JC smiled. “Thanks.” Rachel smiled too. It looked like her dad was warming up.
“Rach, how did that collection go…with, who was it?”
Rachel smiled. “Exxon…they decided not to give anything.”
“Oh, that’s not good.” Evelyn frowned.
“Duh!” Mike added.
Dinner was pleasant enough, with polite conversation. But that would all end once desert was brought out.
“So, JC, what do you plan on doing when you grow up?” Evelyn asked casually.
Rachel nearly choked on her spoon, and JC’s face turned bright red. George gave Evelyn a stern look. JC rubbed Rachel’s back until she had stopped coughing.
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t mean grow up…just, when you get a real job…what do you want to do?”
“Mom,” Rachel’s voice carried a warning. “JC is a musician. That is a real job.”
Evelyn sighed. “He can’t do that forever.”
JC held Rachel’s hand under the table and took a deep breath, hoping for patience. “You’re right, Evelyn. I can’t perform forever, but I would love to continue producing and writing music.”
“Would that be enough to provide for our daughter and your kids?”
“Mom! That was uncalled for!” Mike was getting angry now too. He liked JC, and saw how happy he made Rachel. Their mother was not making that easy.
“What? I want to make sure Rachel will be provided for.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, mother, I have a job. A good job.”
“And what happens when you’re on pregnancy leave?”
“That’s pretty far in the future.”
“It can’t hurt to plan.”
JC squeezed Rachel’s hand. “Well, I don’t think you have to worry about that.”
“Why not?” Evelyn was not going to let this go.
“Evelyn,” George growled. “Leave the kids alone.”
“Are you going to raise the kids Jewish?”
Rachel had had it. She had hoped she was overreacting when she had referred to her parents as vultures, but she knew now that she wasn’t when it came to her mother. “That, mother, is between JC and I. And, right now, we’re not worried about it! God, why can’t you just be happy that we’re in love and happy?”
“Because I don’t want to see you hurt!”
“The only person who’s hurting me right now is you!” Rachel stood up. “Why can’t you just stop? Why do you have to be overbearing and rude? Mom, I love JC! As much as that may hurt you, I do! And I couldn’t stop, even if I tried! I won’t stop…loving JC makes me happy. Why can’t you be happy for me, mom?” Tears fell onto Rachel’s cheeks. “You have no right to treat JC that way, and you know it. You need to stop.” Rachel turned to JC. “I think it’s time to go.”
JC stood up and took Rachel’s hand as they grabbed their coats and left the house. “Hey, stop.” JC’s arm reached out to stop Rachel when they reached his car. He pulled her into his arms and smiled as she snuggled into his chest. “Are you ok?”
Rachel laughed. “No…I’m so sorry, Josh…I can’t believe she said those things.”
“Well, I am a celebrity and not Jewish.”
“Don’t even start thinking that…I love you and you make me happy…that’s all that should matter.”
“It is. But try and think of it from her point of view.”
Rachel paused for a minute. “You deserve better than that.”
“I do.” JC pulled away so he could tenderly wipe the tears off of Rachel’s cheeks. He kissed her softly. “Thank you for sticking up for me. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Rachel stood on her tip toes to kiss JC again. “Can we go home?”
JC nodded and opened Rachel’s door for her.
Evelyn watched from the living room window the exchange between her daughter and JC. “You were very out of line.” Mike said.
Evelyn didn’t turn around. “I’m looking out for Rach, something none of you are bothering to do.”
“That’s crap, mom. I met JC, and you know what? He loves Rachel, and makes her happy. And she loves him. He treats her right. So what if he’s not Jewish? Get over it! Rachel is happy, and you need to learn to accept JC, because I have news for you mom; JC isn’t going anywhere.” Mike slammed the door on his way out. And his mom wondered why her kids never brought home people they were seeing.
“Evelyn…”
“What George?” Fiery eyes meet serious ones.
“I can’t believe you acted like that. JC is a nice boy, and Rachel is lucky to have found him.” He rested his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “You’re better than that.”
“He’s not Jewish.”
“So that means he’s not right for Rach?”
“Yes…”
George sighed. “Do us all a favor, and change you attitude.”
Evelyn watched her husband leave the room. Honestly, she didn’t know if she would be able to change her attitude; her mother had been the same way. She hated it, but this is what she knew.
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