Carter Brothers: One Shots

Zach & Rachel: Humble beginnings

Zach & Rachel: Humble beginnings

Rachel wears her best blouse and skirt. Her hair is feathered out but not in the wild, messy way she'd usually wear it as is popular these days. Somehow she's sure Zach's parents are going to be the type to turn their nose up at the glitzy outfits and teased hair.

"It'll be okay," he reassures her with a squeeze of her hand.
It's a good thing he thinks that because from what he's tentatively told her of his parents, she's not convinced.


The woman who opens the door is clearly a maid. It's a good thing she wears a uniform or Rachel would have accidentally started her introductions.

"Zachary!" greets the woman, her severe face softens as Zach grins at her.
"You're back! For good this time I hope."
"Me too. Good to see you again, Maria."

Maria steps back inside to allow them to enter, taking Zach's then her jackets.
"And you have a friend with you."
"Wife actually," corrects Zach with a beam towards Rachel.

She can't help but mirror it as he says that. She'll never get used to him saying that or hearing herself be called a wife. It's the 80s. Of course women can be ambitious and have amazing careers but for Rachel, she keeps getting drawn to the idea of being a homemaker. It's always been something that's appealed to her and although Zach and her have never really talked about it, she's sure he has some sort of inclination.



"Wife? Ay, dios mio," mutters Maria, "your mother is not going to be happy."
She's not? Rachel glances to Zach with concern but he simply shrugs at the judgment.
"She'll get over it."
"It's nothing personal honey," says Maria addressing Rachel now, "you seem very lovely but...Mr and Mrs Carter can be...particular."
"Oh," exhales Rachel unsure what else to say.
"Well you better go see them. They're in the family living room."



With thanks to Maria, Zach takes her hand and leads her through some long hallways to the 'family living room'. Not even bothering to knock he drags them both inside to greet his parents.


Rachel enters with wide eyes, unsure what to expect. She should have prepared herself better. They are both exactly as she pictured they would be. His father sits on one side of the couch, newspaper in hand while his mother is on the opposite site with some sort of magazine in her hand. Both are dressed formally with his father wearing slacks and a button down shirt, complete with a tie and his mother in some sort of tweed skirt-suit. Rachel's pretty sure it's designer. In fact the whole room is decorated like it's out of some interior magazine with the things used as decorations probably costing more than her entire wardrobe. Both don't bother to lower their reading material until her and Zach are standing directly in front of them.


They peek from over the brim and seeing her beside Zach they place their objects down, giving them both their full attention.

 

"Zachary. You're back," states his father.
"And who is this?" asks his mother.

"Mom. Dad. This is my mate. Rachel," he introduces and before she can say hi, he raises their joined hands and turns it so her ring is presented, "we're also married."

His father's bushy eyebrows rise in surprise while his mother looks visibly distraught.
"What?" she squawks.

"Sorry we didn't tell you but it was just us and really a spur of the moment thing."

"'Spur of the moment'?" splutters his poor mother.

Although she appears very harsh in demeanor, Rachel recognises this isn't exactly an easy thing to be sprung on a mother. Zach's also her eldest child, she probably had other expectations and hopes for him. At very least she probably wanted to actually be at their wedding.


Rachel sympathetically tries to salvage the situation by saying, "we got married in Vegas. But we can have another ceremony if that's important for you."


Rather than satisfying the other woman, it appears to make the situation worse as she frowns further.
"It does not matter what is important to me," stresses the other Mrs. Carter, "what matters is how this is going to be perceived. Zachary, how could you be so careless?"
"Mom, this isn't being careless. We're soul-mates, we're in love and we married. What's so bad about that?"

"Darling," sharply spits his mother towards his father, "have you nothing to say about this?"


His father scans Rachel head to toe making her shuffle slightly closer to Zach. The man appears to deem her insignificant as he then averts his gaze to his son.