A/N: I don´t own Glee. But the mistakes are all mine! Also a big thanks for not-all-naya-fans-like-brittana for correcting the Spanish parts! The translation is on the bottom. Also, my first language isn´t English.
Chapter I
It was around one in the morning when Santana finally arrived home after a stressful day at work. She had just found out one of her assistant was leaking some photos and information about the models she was photographing to paparazzi, making some of her clients refusing to keep working. The only good thing out of it was that finally she was able to throw him out literally. After punching the jerk in the face, she caught him by his glittered vest and threw him on the street, He had the nerve to threaten her, saying he would sue her for using violence against him, but she knew he wouldn´t go with it. Santana was a well-known photograph and right now was doing some shooting for a very famous fashion Spanish magazine, so he knew they would destroy him in a blink of the eyes, suing him for breaking his confidentiality contract. Now the raven haired woman just wanted to get home, take a relaxing bath, kiss her daughter goodnight and sleep. She entered her living room and saw the babysitter sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Hola Carlota, perdóname por llegar a esta hora, pero hoy fue un día muy estresante y no te preocupes que yo te voy a pagar horas extra" Santana sat and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming.
"No hay problema Santana, tu sabes que me encanta quedarme con la niña, ella es muy linda y yo la quiero mucho" said the baby sitter.
The girl was 21 years old and she took care of Santana´s 5-year-old daughter during the afternoon after her classes and the kindergarten. Carlota was an angel in Santana´s life. Moving to Spain had been a hurried decision, but she just couldn´t stay in New York or even in Lima anymore, it hurt too much. So when she was offered a photo shooting there, the Latina didn´t think twice. That was her opportunity for a new beginning. She sold her things, packed her bags and left, never looking back.
Having to work and take care of a six-month-old alone in a different country wasn´t easy. At first, she would take the little girl to the photo sessions, but that became a bit of a problem. One weekend, she was walking through a park thinking she was the worst mother in the world when she met a college student that had bills to pay. It was like love at first time between Carlota and baby Maria. Since then, the young girl has been taking care of the small family. Yes, she took care not only of little Maria, but also her mother. God knows how frustrated that woman could be, usually forgetting about herself when it came to her daughter, so Carlota made sure to always keep both Lopez fed and healthy.
"Santana te deje la comida en el microondas, lo siento pero tengo que irme ya que mañana voy a visitar a mis padres y saldré muy temprano."
"Aprovecha tu fin de semana Carlota y gracias por todo."
Santana got up to take the babysitter to the door and give her money. The college girl thanked the woman, but as she was leaving, she hesitated for a few seconds and then turned back to the employer, biting her lower lips and deciding if she should tell Santana about Maria´s discovery that afternoon.
"¿Hay algún problema?"
"Santana….hoy en la tarde cuando Maria y yo estábamos jugando escondite yo la encontré en tu cuarto mirando unas fotos que ella encontró debajo de tu cama metidas en una caja"
Santana felt like someone was squeezing her heart. She dreaded the day Maria would ask about her. Of course Santana said she wasn´t really her biological mother and talked briefly about her when Maria asked her why she didn´t look like Santana, but she had never told her their story and what had happened. Actually, she had never showed Maria a photo before. Santana knew this was a selfish thing to do, but she just couldn´t bear the sadness and hurt that followed after thinking about her. But she knew that she couldn´t hide it anymore. Maria was very smart, just like her mother, and she would realize who was in the picture.
"Gracias, Carlota. Voy hablar con ella…." Santana sighed and rubbed her temple. Carlota just smiled sadly at the woman in front of her, wished her a good weekend and left.
Santana closed the door and leaned against it. She felt the tears starting to sting her eyes, but she knew she had to be strong, if not for her, but for her little girl. Maria deserved to know, she was part of her, of their story. After what seemed like hours, but it was only a few minutes, Santana started to make her way to her daughter´s room. Quietly she opened her door and couldn´t help but smile when she saw the baby girl sleeping surrounded by her teddy bears. Carefully not to make a sound, Santana went to her daughter´s side and brushed some of her bangs from her face. She kissed gently the girl´s forehead, and when she was ready to leave the room, she heard a small voice calling her name.
"Mamá?" said the sleepy girl, rubbing her beautiful chocolate brown eyes with tiny fist.
"Hey, estrellita. You should be sleeping, princesa" the photographer whispered, laying her head down on the pillow and caressing the girl´s hair.
"I missed you, Mamá. Mucho" the little girl said while putting her small hand on her mother´s cheek.
Santana kissed said hand and then got a glimpse of something on Maria´s other hand. The girl was clutching a photo of a very pregnant Rachel being held by a smiling Santana. Once more she felt the tears in her eyes, and had to swallow before speaking.
"What do you have there, baby girl?"
Maria widened her eyes and tried to hide the photo, fearing her mother would get angry at her.
"Maria…"
"Sorry, Mamá. I found it under your bed…" in tears the little girl showed Santana what she was holding.
"Sshh, estrellita. I´m not mad…. That´s ok, baby girl" Santana took her daughter in her arms and sat on the bed, putting Maria on her lap, rubbing her tiny body and kissing her head till the girl calmed down. Santana then took the picture and showed her daughter "This is your other mami, Rachel…"
"She´s beautiful, Mamá" the little girl looked at the picture with a fascination that only a child could show.
"Yes, she is, baby girl. The most gorgeous girl I´ve ever laid my eyes on, of course, after you" Santana said, tickling her daughter´s belly, making the girl squirm in her arms and giggle softly.
"She has my nose…" Maria whispered amazed and caressed Rachel´s face and nose, a small smile tugging on her lips. The girl then turned to Santana, a serious expression on her face.
"She love me?"
"Oh, baby girl. She loves you so so much" Santana felt her heart break at her daughter innocent question and she tightened her hold on her, bring her to rest her head on her shoulder.
"So, why she left us?" a few tears falling from her eyes, staining her angel face.
"Don´t know, estrellita. I don´t know…" the raven haired woman whispered holding back her tears while rocking their body slowly, trying to calm down their broken heart.
Translation:
Hola Carlota, perdóname por llegar a esta hora, pero hoy fue un día muy estresante y no te preocupes que yo te voy a pagar horas extra (Hi, Carlota, sorry for being late, but it was a very stressfull day, but don´t worry, I´ll pay you extra)
"No hay problema Santana, tu sabes que me encanta quedarme con la niña, ella es muy linda y yo la quiero mucho" said the baby sitter. (No problem, Santana, you know I love taking care of the little girl. She is cute and I love her very much)
"Santana te deje la comida en el microondas, lo siento pero tengo que irme ya que mañana voy a visitar a mis padres y saldré muy temprano." (Santana, I left you some food in the microwave. I´m sorry. But I have to go, I´m going to visit my parentes tomorrow and I´ll leave really early)
"Aprovecha tu fin de semana Carlota y gracias por todo." (Enjoy your weekend, Carlota and thanks for everything)
"¿Hay algún problema?" (Is there a problem?)
"Santana….hoy en la tarde cuando Maria y yo estábamos jugando escondite yo la encontré en tu cuarto mirando unas fotos que ella encontró debajo de tu cama metidas en una caja" (Santana, today while Maria and I was playing hide and seek, I found her in your room looking at some pictures that she found in a box under your bed)
"Gracias, Carlota. Voy hablar con ella…." (Thank you, Carlota. I´ll talk to her...)