"I'm home!" Dave announced once he got into the house and took his jacket off.
He immediately heard light footsteps getting closer to him. The little girl jumped into his arms without even thinking about it.
Dave walked to the living room with the girl in his arms and a huge smile on his face.
"I missed you, daddy." Her angelic voice was music to his ears. He sat down on the couch and placed her on his lap. He laughed.
"I missed you too, baby." The girl hugged him tightly and he kissed her forehead.
"Where's your mom?" He asked her. She turned around and pointed to the kitchen.
"She's making dinner." Dave was glad to hear that since he was starving. Suddenly, she turned back around and gasped.
"Oh, do you like what mom did to my hair?" She asked. Her dark hair was long as usual but now it was curly.
"I love it, you look beautiful." They both smiled and Dave sat her to his side. He grabbed the remote and changed it to Nickelodeon because he knew SpongeBob SquarePants was on and it was her favourite show.
"I'm gonna go say hi to mom, okay?" He informed as he got up and the girl nodded as she watched the TV, not really paying attention to him anymore.
"What are you making?" Santana turned around to look at him and gave him a glass of Coke.
"Lasagna." She answered as she changed the oven temperature.
He kissed her cheek and she smiled at him.
"How was work? Was it a mess without my dad around?" She took her red apron off and started setting the table.
"Nah, it was fine. He called me twice though." She rolled her eyes and he laughed a little.
"Ay, ay, ay. You'd think a heart attack would help the man realise he should take things lightly but no. He's so stubborn!" She complained and Dave chuckled.
"Look who's talking!" She glared at him and he stuck her tongue at her.
" Come on, you know I'm kidding!" He told her as they both sat down on the table.
"Yeah..." She sighed.
"Where's Ana?" She asked him.
"Watching TV." He replied and she got up from her chair and walked slowly to the living room.
"Analía, look at me. What did I tell you?" She put her hands on her hips.
The girl turned the TV off and walked towards her room with an angry look on her face.
"She played with her watercolors for about an hour and then she just left them there when I clearly told her she needed to clean that mess up once she was done." She said that last part a little louder for Ana to hear it.
The kitchen timer started ringing and she flew back to check the food.
"Make sure she's doing what I told her, Dave." Santana yelled from the kitchen and Dave did as he was told.
It always hurt his eyes a little whenever he walked into that room because of all the colors in it.
Ana loved painting and drawing ( like almost every other five year old) so obviously, her room was insanely colorful.
Her bed was yellow, her closet was green, the carpet red and the walls looked exactly like a Twister board.
She was cleaning her brushes and putting them away with the rest of her things.
"I'm almost done!" She said without looking at him.
"Okay, remember to wash your hands before dinner." He answered and went back to the kitchen.
"She said she's almost done which means she still has a lot to do." He informed her as he walked towards her.
She turned around to face him but her face was different. She looked sad for some reason.
"Hey... Is everything okay? Is it the lasagna? You know I don't care about that." He said softly as he put an arm around her shoulder.
"I just got a text from Tina." She gave him her phone so he could read it.
Hey San, are you going to the 10th year Reunion next Friday? Mike and I haven't made up our minds yet but we'll go if you guys do! Let me know! xo
"Next Friday? Wait... Did we even get an invitation?" he asked.
"I'm sure it was part of the bunch of letters the neighbor's dog destroyed a couple of weeks ago. " she replied.
She was sitting on the counter, her feet barely touching the floor.
He left the phone next to her and stood in front of her.
"San..." she was staring at the floor.
He lifted her chin to meet her eyes.
"They'll be there..." she said almost in a whisper.
"Yeah, probably." he sighed.
"I can't go, Dave. I just... I can't." she was fighting back tears.
"I know... We won't." he announced firmly.
He took her in his arms hugging her as tight as he possibly could. She got off the counter and stayed in his arms.
That embrace held so many emotions, promises, talks, fights and decisions they'd taken together over the years.
They weren't the same kids that once walked those school halls and they promised they never would be again.
_
"It's so depressing... to think we're going to end up all gray and wrinkly and alone." Santana said finishing her slushie.
"Why do you say that?" Dave asked.
"I don't know, maybe it's because Britt's with Foureyes Noleggos and Kurt's smooching the gay version of Link Larkin?" she frowned at him.
"You're right. Except you're not alone..." She looked at him confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I'll always be around if you need me." He said quietly.
"That's gay." She scoffed.
"So are we." They both laughed.
"Thanks, Karofsky."
"For being your beard?" He asked.
"No. For being my friend." She smiled at him.
"I'm done, let's eat!" Ana yelled as she ran into the room.
They broke the hug and looked at each other.
In that moment Dave knew they were both thinking the same.
They weren't those kids anymore.
They had each other and they were happy, in their own gay.
Way, in their own way.