We were 16 the first time you told me you loved me. We were on vacation with your parents in Florida and we decided to walk on the beach that night. July 24th 2006, the happiest day of my life. We'd been laying out in the sun all day and i can't even count how many times i had to drag you out of the ocean to lay with me. I swear Britt, you were a fish in another life.
Your parents decided to go out for dinner and we stayed behind to order pizza and just spend some time together, we always preferred to be alone than being with other people. When you asked me to go walk on the beach with you, my heart swelled. It's such a simple thing but it's so romantic. No one thought i cared about that stuff, but i did. I always have and i always will, especially with you.
We walked from the condo all the way down to the lighthouse and then you stopped me and asked if we could sit down. The next thing that happened sent my mind into overdrive and i thought my heart was trying to escape through my throat. I sat down in the sand and you sat behind me wrapping your entire body around me and putting your chin on my shoulders. Being close was something that was normal for us, we would hold pinkies at school and cuddle together when we sleep or watch movies but this felt different. It felt more intimate.
I almost asked what you were doing, but before i could get the words out, you dragged your fingernails down my arms and held both of my hands, lacing our fingers together. "Puzzle pieces" you said. That's when i knew, that's the exact moment i knew why you brought me out here.
We sat there together for what felt like an eternity, i leaned my entire body into you and just enjoyed the crashing of the waves and the sweet scent of your perfume. I'll never forget what you smell like Brittany. You let your hands roam over me and then placed them around my waist, holding me tightly. As you placed a light kiss on my shoulder you whispered something to me, the most beautiful phrase to ever part from your lips. "If I could measure my love for you in grains of sand, the entire world still wouldn't have enough to compare it to." I'll never forget this, i can't forget this, it's in our kitchen, engraved on the wall. Only you could come up with something so complex, yet so romantic. In that moment, i'd never loved you more.
That's when i turned around and saw you had tears in your eyes, i'd been in love with you ever since i could remember and in that moment all of my dreams came looked so unsure of yourself, like you knew everything was about to change but scared that perhaps i didn't feel the same as you. I needed to erase those thoughts from your mind, so i did what i'd been craving for a lifetime, I kissed my soul mate for the very first time in my life and after that day, i never kissed anyone else.
We sat out by that lighthouse until the sun came up, talking about much lost time we needed to make up for, we promised each other that no one could ever tear us apart and said we'd never stop loving each other. We were only sixteen but we knew that a love like ours was different than anything the world had ever seen. We sat on the sand, facing each other, i couldn't stop staring at you. You we're the most beautiful person i had ever seen and i couldn't believe you were finally mine. The sun was rising over the water and you tried to turn me around so i could watch but i resisted.
"Santana, i've known you since we were 5, sunrises are your favorite thing in the world. Your exact words were 'there's nothing more beautiful or more pure than a sunrise' that's what you always told me" I laughed at the fact that you remembered and your attempt to impersonate me was even more hilarious. A simple shrug was all i could muster up in return, i reached for your face and stroked your cheek with my thumb. "I guess i have a new favorite thing and she definitely outshines the sun" i said. The funny thing is that i didn't even think about that before saying it. It was just me being honest. That's when you told me you loved me for a second time.
We spent the rest of our vacation making love to one another and just enjoying being in young love, we were both scared that going back to Lima would change things and it did, but not in a bad way. We both came out together and were free to be in love. Those last 2 years of high school were my favorite. We were cheerios, we were in glee club and we were together. Those were the glory days baby.
When we graduated high school together i was so proud of you. We studied for weeks to make sure you passed all your classes, there was no way i wasn't graduating without you. I promised i'd never leave you Britt. We searched for one another in a sea of red graduation caps and when you walked across that stage you pointed to your heart and then to me. Grains of sand, Brittany, grains of sand.
You walked off the stage and instead of sitting in your correct seat you sat on my lap and kissed me, i definitely wasn't complaining. When it was time to throw our caps you grabbed my hand and pulled me away from everyone else. You led me outside to the football field and said you wanted to share this moment alone with me. We threw our caps up and held each other close. This was the beginning of new chapter, little did i know it was also the beginning of something else.
You pulled out a bottle of sand and handed it to me. At first i was confused, but then you told me you kept it from when we were at the beach together, so you could have something to remember the night by. I thanked you and tried to put it in my pocket but you wouldn't let me. "Pour it into your hands" you said. "But Brittany, i can't hold it all, you'll lose the sand" i protested. "Just try" you said again and with that i started pouring the sand into my hand. The grains ran through my fingers and poured onto the ground and as the bottle was almost empty something other than sand fell into my palm.
I looked at you and you were down on one knee. "Sand is our thing Santana, it always will be but i can't show the world or you, how in love i am by using sand so instead i'll do it with a ring. Marry me, marry your best friend?"
I was in tears at this point. The ring was so beautiful and the diamond a lot bigger than i had ever hoped. I pulled you off of your knees and held onto you tighter than i ever had before. "Never let me go, i'll marry you, just never let me go" i said.
We were engaged for a year before we had the ceremony, having all of our friends come out to California for the wedding was perfect, everything about it was perfect. You looked so beautiful Brittany, you in that dress is an image i will never be able to forget, nor do i want to.
At 23 we both graduated from College, we'd been married for 3 years and still it was like nothing had changed. In the 7 years that we had been officially together, nothing had managed to come between us and still to this day nothing will. I couldn't believe it when you came home one day and told me someone offered you your own dance studio. It was your dream, just another wonderful thing to add to our list of accomplishments. It was everything you had ever wanted but you turned it down.
We fought that night, screaming at each other and i left you. I got down the stairs and one block down the street before i realized who i was leaving. What the hell was i thinking, my entire life, my heart was back in that apartment. I sprinted back home and crashed through the door to find you sobbing on the couch. You welcomed me with open arms and i apologized for 3 hours. We made love that night and you told me why you didn't want you own dance studio. You wanted to have a family with me. We made love all night and stayed in bed all day the next day. I wanted to stay tangled up in you forever, but being a lawyer was demanding and the pay was good. If we were going to raise a family we needed steady income.
A year later we moved into our first house, it wasn't huge by any means but it was nice and it was near the beach. We adopted Brittana from the shelter, that little mut is still the sneakiest little shit in our family, but we love her. In July we decided to try for a baby and in November you got pregnant. Almost a year went by and you continued to work even though you didn't need to. Counseling high school kids was something you loved, though to this day i still can't believe you chose it over dance but i don't for one second regret you doing so.
Brielle was born on September 27th 2015 and next to you, she is the still the most beautiful girl in the world. Piercing blue eyes like you but with my skin tone, her hair looks nothing like either of ours but you can still tell she's part of us. That girl will be the death of me one day. What are we going to do when she starts dating?
It's been 5 years now since Brielle was born, 10 years since we got married and 24 years since you told me you loved me and today is our anniversary and i wanted to write out this letter to you. The past 24 years have been the best years of my life and I can't believe i got so lucky. Brittany you are my entire world baby, there is nothing that can tear us apart. I look forward to spending the next 70 years with you. I look forward to raising our daughter, seeing her graduate and get married but most of all i look forward to spending each and everyday by your side. I love you Brittany Lopez-Pierce. Grains of sand couldn't measure how much.
Happy Anniversary.
Love,
Santana.