If you told her that she would one day marry William McKinley High School's badass she'd think you were insane. There was no way she could see herself married to the same boy who impregnated her soul sister. Even though they dated for a week in high school, they were never into each other that way. They used each other to get what they wanted back then: him to regain his popularity and her just to feel what it was like to actually have someone to do some of the little things even if it was by force. No, if you told her back then that one day she would be his and he hers, she'd think you were bat shit crazy. But here she was seven years after graduating high school, definitely living her dream of being a singer, a family of her own, married to none other than Noah Josiah Puckerman. And she seemed happy.
For a long time before she and Noah got together, happy wouldn't be word she would use to describe how she felt and well after, the word happy couldn't begin to express her feelings. In more ways than one, Puck completed her. He believed in her, in all that she could be when she didn't believe in herself and loved her unconditionally. The love that the two of them share resulted in two beautiful baby girls. 4 year old Melanie and 2 year old Nolani Puckerman were the perfect mix of both Mercedes and Noah. With Puck's oldest daughter, 10 year old Beth, looking almost exactly like her mother Quinn, aside from her totally bad-ass attitude and a few features, he was glad that some of his genes were more prominent in his other children.
Grateful to have both his mother and his Bubbie Ruth around and very much present in his life, Puck was granted full custody of Beth and successfully remained an active father in her life, as well as Lanie's and Nola's, unlike his own father. The transition from being a single dad to a married man with two and then three kids was a tough one. It helped a lot that Beth wasn't exactly a toddler when Mercedes was Melanie was born. It was in some ways less hectic. A lot of Beth's time was consumed with school, but they had felt the toll more so when Nolani was born, not that she was a burden. Just having a kindergartner, a toddler and a baby; and each child being unique took a lot more work than they had expected. Still they worked things out and got through it together.
Unfortunately, nothing prepared them for their upcoming battles. It wasn't written in any of the books Noah read and no one that they could remember dared to warn them about the strain that could be put upon their marriage while raising three kids, building a brand and managing their careers. When it did hit them, it came out of nowhere and it hit them hard.
The day started out as any other day for the Puckerman Pack. The loud sound of children running around, arguing and screaming, and a TV filled her ears as she woke up from her slumber. She reached over to grab a hold of her husband only to be met with cold sheets. Mercedes groaned and looked at the clock. Why must they be awake so early? She groaned noticing it wasn't even 8 am yet. Peeling the cover from her body and setting her feet on the cool wooden floors she felt around for her purple mesh slippers and put them on. One of her husband's jerseys covered her naked body. She shook her head and immediately started picking up numerous dolls, cars, toys, clothes; you name it that had been left around the house.
"It's like I have four children instead of three" she murmured and made her way down stairs as the smell of breakfast filled the air.
On the way to the kitchen she passed by her three girls who were seemingly up to no good. She kissed Beth and Melanie on the top of the head and picked Nolani up who stood on the couch with open arms.
"Did you girls eat yet?" Mercedes asked as she rested upon the back of the couch with Nola's tiny arms linked around her neck.
"No momma." Beth replied brushing her dolls hair while Melanie shook her head.
"Well how about we go see what's taking daddy so long then. Come on." Beth tossed her doll on the couch and the girls followed Mercedes into the kitchen, brushing past her and sitting at the table once they saw their father fixing plates. Mercedes walked over to her husband who dropped a kiss on her lips and then her forehead. She smiled and claimed her seat at one end of the table with Nola in her lap and Puck claimed the other. The five of them sat at the table eating, mostly quiet, and indulging in light conversation.
"Hey Momma, can we all go out get frozen yogurt when I get back from my Mommy's?" Beth asked stuffing her face with pancakes, eggs and bacon.
"Sure sweetie, I don't see why not. That is, unless your father is too busy." She sighed a bit and looked up at him.
Noah shot a glare at his wife across the table and then turned to his daughter. "I don't know baby girl. Daddy has work to do." he pitched in before Beth could fix her lips to ask.
"Oh please daddy, please. It's not like you have to go practice or anything. Football season is over." She pouted, the same pout Quinn would do when she didn't want to be told no.
"I don't know princess." Puck sighed and stabbed his pancake with his fork. "I'll see."
"How about just you and I, Quinn, Lani and Nola go get fro-yo? We can make it a girl's thing since your father won't be able to go." Mercedes suggested, avoiding Puck's glare.
"Okay Momma, I'll go call my mommy right now." She said excitedly as she finished the food on her plate and tossed it in the sink running upstairs.
"No running in the house B!" Mercedes called out as she fed Nola who refused to eat from her own plate most mornings and this morning was no exception.
"Mercy, what was that about?" Puck's voice rang throughout.
"What was what about?" she asked pretending to be clueless and set Nola on her feet. " I have no idea what you're talking about."
"So you're gonna play dumb with?"
"Bee, they're fighting again!" Melanie called out as she climbed down from her chair and ran to find her older sister before anyone could object.
Mercedes placed a strip of turkey bacon in each of Nola's hands before she scampered off to find the others leaving Mercedes to scrape off the remaining plates. "Was she right? Are we fighting again?" Mercedes asked as she washed the dishes in the sink.
"Why do you make it sound like that's all we do?" he rolled his eyes and tossed his plate in the sink.
"Because that's all we do lately."
"Well it's your fault!"
"My fault?"
"Yeah!" he stated matter of factly.
"And how is it my fault?"
"Because you always make me seem like I'm the bad guy; like I never spend time with my kids."
"Noah, you're never around anymore. I get it, I know you say you're working and trying to do a lot, build this empire, for us and stuff. But it isn't for us. At least that's not what it feels like. It feels like you're doing it for yourself. You're always busy, too busy to spend time with us. You can't go to the movies with us cause you're busy cleaning out the garage. Or you can't go to the park because you're too busy remodeling the rooms. You can't do anything or go anywhere with us because you're always too busy doing something else."
"That's not true. I can't believe you're saying that Mercy." He huffed becoming agitated.
"Can't believe I'm saying this? It's not like I'm lying. You want to be doing all this extra stuff but none of it matters. I couldn't care less if we didn't have any of it."
"And that's your problem right there." He screamed pointing his finger at her. "You don't care. You grew up with both your parents and you lived a great life. I didn't. Nic and I didn't get that luxury. And I don't want my kids to ever go through what I went through, ever!" he slammed his hand down on the table and walked out of the kitchen.
"They would never have to experience that. You know why, because I'm right here okay. Your children are here, your wife is here. Your family is right here, but you would rather be all every fucking where other than where we are. And when you are here physically, your mind is somewhere else."
I'm looking right at you, but you're not there
I'm seeing right pass you, but you seem well aware
You body is here but your mind is somewhere else
So far gone and you think I can't tell
Can't tell that you are disconnected
You pulled away and I miss your presence
I always said to you
Baby you should be here, right here
Baby you should be here, right here
Don't know where you went but you're lost now
Don't know where you went but you're gone now
Don't know where you went but you're lost now
Don't know where you went but you're gone now
"That's nonsense Mercedes. I haven't checked out on my family."
"Noah yes you have and I can't do this by myself okay. I can't feel like I'm in this marriage by myself. We have three beautiful girls together, not me, we. I can't play mommy and daddy, not when there are things that they don't want to talk to me about or things that they only want daddy to help them with. It's not fair to me or them."
"First of all, we don't have three kids together okay, Beth isn't your daughter. You and I," he pointed back and forth between the two of them, "we only have two kids together. Secondly, I'm not asking you to do anything okay. I'm not asking you to play my role or do my part."
"I can't believe you just said what you said, to me of all people." She took a deep breath and stepped away from him tears welling in her eyes. "Yeah, I may not have carried her for 9 months or been in labor for 13 hours but from the second Quinn asked me to come in the delivery room with you and to be her godmother she was mine. I love her like I carried her myself, so don't you dare say or act like she isn't my daughter."
"Well, don't try to discredit me and say that I don't work hard or provide for my family." He was angry, but more than anything he was hurt and he wanted to make sure she felt the same way too.
"What the hell are you talking about? I never said you don't provide for us. When it comes to taking care of the girls financially you are wonderful. But you aren't my business partner and I don't need your money. You're my damn husband and I need your heart and your time, not what's in your fucking wallet. Or did you forget, I make my own money."
"How could I ever forget? You make it clear each and everyday?" he threw his hands in the air and stormed away.
"You act like I'm asking so much of you. All I'm asking you to do is spend a little more time with me and the girls. Just a little bit. But it's obvious that it's something you can't do. So don't worry about it." She blinked away her tears and stormed past him up the stairs where the girls sat at the top eavesdropping. "Come on Bee, get dressed. I'll drop you off at your mother's."
Grabbing Nola's hand she led the girls into their room and after giving Lani & Nola a quick bath, allowing Beth to shower herself, she got the younger girls dressed and helped Beth pick out a pretty outfit to wear. She almost didn't bother getting in the shower but was unsure of when and more scarily, if she would return home so she took one too. With everyone dressed she headed downstairs with the girls right behind her. They all picked up their favorite toy and carried it out to the car but not before saying goodbye to their father.
Puck followed them out to the car and watched as Mercedes strapped Nolani in who sat between her older sisters and doubled checked Melanie's seat belt.
"Where are y'all going?" he asked leaning on the car door, prohibiting Mercedes from getting in.
"I'm taking your daughter to her mother and then I'm going somewhere and taking the girls with me." She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest.
"Okay and where are you and my other daughters going?" he looked at her and opened her car door, but didn't allow her to close it.
"Out okay, I can't do this with you, not right now. So can we go? Beth is gonna be late."
"No you can't. Beth can be late. Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"Away! I'm going away from you for a while. Maybe a couple of hours, maybe a couple of days, I don't know yet. What I do know is that this," she pointed up and down at him "this isn't the man I married. This isn't the man that I vowed to spend my life with so I'm leaving. If you happen to find him tell him to give me a call." She pushed his foot out of the way and slammed the car door shut, locking it. "I'll see you later I guess." She sighed and pulled off as a tear fell from her eye.
SONG: KEHLANI – YOU SHOULD BE HERE