CH1.
Santiago groaned when he heard his alarm and reached over to hit it. He smiled when he noticed his daughters grin. "Monning daddy.." She whispered, her blue eyes sparkling. Santiago laughed and closed his eyes when he felt her little arms around his neck. "Can we go to the pahk today?" Santiago hugged his little girl close to him and got up, carrying his daughter to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry, Billy, daddy have to go to work. But guess what! Mommy is going to pick you up this afternoon!"
Santiago sat his daughter down on the counter and looked at her, trying to smile as genuinely as he could. Isabell looked at him, as if she was trying to read his face. Santiago winked at his daughter and turned to the fridge. "What do you like to eat this morning, baby? Do you want Daddy to make you some chocolate pancakes?"
Isabell shrugged. "What is it, Billy?" The little girl smiled a little, hearing her father's nickname for her. "Is it just mommy and me in the aftanoon?" Santiago swallowed, "Yes, honey, daddy has to work and mommy is only here for a few hours. She has to be on the plain tonight, remember?" He smiled and pressed a gentle kiss on his daughter's head.
"But we need to be togetha, like a family.. We ahe a family, wight, daddy? Like Auntie Heatha says!"
Santiago squeezed his eyes shut and tried to keep his breathing even.
"Yes, sweetheart, we're a family! You know that.." Santiago took a step back and pointed to the silver medallion Isabell was wearing. "Remember, we're all in there, we're a family!" He pecked her forehead and turned back to the fridge, getting the ingredients for the pancakes, he knew Isabell loved.
Isabell still didn't looked convinced as she picked the locket open. In there was a tiny picture of the young family. It was taken at the hospital, when Isabell was just a couple of hours old. She smiled sadly, too young to know what was going on, but too sensitive to feel things weren't like they're supposed to be.
Santiago started his pancakes, looking at his daughter's sad face. He hated the frown she wore too often. He knew, that she knew, things weren't all right, but he had no idea how to fix things…
"San, my life is ruined! How can you ask me to stay calm and how can you be so goddamn happy!"
"Britt, your life is not ruined, stop exaggerating.."
Santiago swallowed when Brittany looked at him with a furious look on her face. The two were sitting on the couch, trying to discuss the pregnancy. Brittany was already nine weeks along and she wasn't happy with it. Santiago on the other hand, was over the moon, although he realized, things were going to be difficult.
"Exaggerating?! Are you kidding me with this? Santiago, NO. I'm telling you, we can't do this, I can't do this! I've.. I've made up my mind."
Santiago's eyes widened. After he found his girlfriend crying in the bathroom, he tried to console her, but Brittany pushed him away and told him she needed space. After that, she spend the night over at Quinn and Rachel, before returning home to talk to her Santiago.
"What.. What do you mean..?" Santiago asked in a small voice.
Brittany sighed, "San, we can't raise a child. We just can't.."
Santiago gasped, "Yes, yes we can, Britt! Come on.." He pleaded. "We'll just tell our parents.. They'll help us out! I've got that money my father left me.. We can use it for daycare! We can make it, Britt.."
"I've made up my mind, Santiago."
He swallowed heavily. "You're going to get an abortion."
Brittany avoided looking at his eyes, but slowly nodded.
"I don't have a choice, San.. If I'm kee.."
"If we're keeping this baby." Santiago interrupted, getting mad.
Brittany sighed, "No, I'm keeping it and I'm ruining my career with it, San, don't you see?! I've worked too hard to get where I am today, I can't just throw that all away! I need to dance, with his pregnancy, I can kiss my dancingcareeer goodbye.."
"So now you want me to kiss my chance for a child goodbye?"
Brittany finally looked up and her heart broke a little bit more, seeing Santiago's cold face. His jaw was clenched and he had tears in his eyes. Brittany's lip quivered and she felt tears fall down her cheeks. Slowly she nodded and reached for Santiago's hand.
"I need you to understand this, honey, please.. I'm begging you. I need you to understand.. I can't take care of this baby, it would mean I have to give up everything I've worked so hard for! It would mean I have to give up Juilliard.."
Santiago pulled his hand back, looking disgusted. "I .. I can't even look at you. How can you ask this from me?!" He raised his voice, making Brittany flinch. "You want to abort my child, Brittany." She started to sob at this point, not used to Santiago yelling at her.
"I know you're upset, but we can.. We can try later, right? We're young.. Santiago, please.." She begged him. Santiago simply shook his head, "I need to go. I need space."
"No! San, please, I need you for this, I need you to understand me, I need you to support this.."
Santiago kept shaking his head. "No, Brittany, please, I gave you space when you needed it, now please.. Please, let me have time and space.." He mumbled. His cheeks were wet with tears and he kept shaking his head as he left their loft.
"Daddyyy.." Isabell whined. "I wan my pancakies.." Santiago snapped back from his thoughts. "I'm sorry, sweetheart!" He lifted her from the counter and told her to go use the restroom and wash her hands. The little blue eyed Latina nodded happily and skipped off. Santiago watched her with a loving smile and turned back to the stove, finishing the pancakes for his angel.
"Okay, so I'll see you tonight, you have fun with your mommy this afternoon, okay?" Santiago was nervous as he kept stroking her dark curls. Isabell nodded and kept pulling her head back, annoyed with her father. "Yes, daddy, I knoooow. I see Jody, I go now?" Santiago sighed and nodded, he pressed a last kiss on her cheek, before letting her run inside. He slowly followed and greeted her kindergarten teacher.
"Hello Mr. Lopez, is Miss Pierce still picking Isabell up this afternoon?"
Santiago nodded, "Yes, I've already told Isabell about it." He handed the lady Isabell's backpack with her things and juicebox. "But I'll be bringing her in tomorrow morning. "
The teacher smiled sadly, "She's just in town for one night?"
Santiago gave her a short nod, hating how everybody knew Brittany's life. "Yeah, but I'm glad she's spending it with Isabell." He smiled and looked over at his daughter, who was already happily playing with her little friends.
"She would like it if she could spend it with the both of you. Does she ever talk about that?"
Santiago looked at the elderly lady and frowned. "She mentioned something like that, yes. Did she.. Did she say something here?"
The kindergarten teacher greeted some other kids, before turning back to Santiago. "Yes, quite frequently actually. She's missing her mother, but I'm afraid she's missing stability even more. She talks about her family all the time, but we all know her mother isn't that much around…"
Santiago clenched his jaw, "She's just busy, it isn't like she's neglecting her daughter." He answered in a clipped voice. "Things will be better." He gave the lady one last nod, before calling Isabell for a last goodbye. He laughed when Isabell actually rolled her eyes and gave him a quick wave, obviously irritated by him interrupting her from her interaction with her friends. Santiago shook his head and turned around, to make his way to his job.
"Daddy! Look what mommy got me!"
Santiago smiled nervously when he heard Isabell enter his apartment, her high pitched voice full of excitement. He quickly turned the television off and stood up, nervous to see Brittany again, for the first time in four months. Sure, they talked on the phone, but they kept talking about Isabell and small talk, both fearing the talk about them as a couple.
"Baby, don't run, I don't want you to hurt yourself.." Santiago's breathing picked up at the sound of her voice. Santiago crouched as Isabell fell in his arms, pushing her hand against his face. Santiago laughed and pulled his head back, to see what she what she got. Isabell's proud smile widened as she showed him a small ring on her finger and he swallowed heavily when he recognized the jewelry.
"It's.. It's beautiful, Billy. Just like you." He pecked her nose and hugged her.
"Now kiss mommy, daddy!" Isabell whispered out loud as she hid her head in his neck. Santiago swallowed and looked over her full head of curls, staring at the blonde dancer in front of him. "Hi.." He mouthed. Brittany smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Hey.." She mumbled and looked around.
Isabell looked over her shoulder at her mother. "Come on, mommy, you said you liked daddy's kissies!"
Brittany blushed, while Santiago couldn't control the grin forming on his face. He took a bashful step forward, still holding on to his daughter and smiled. Brittany smiled back, looking nervous.
"Hey San.." She whispered and closed the distance between them.
"Hey Britt.." Santiago replied and smiled his crooked smile. He held his daughter on his hip with one arm as he draped the other around Brittany's waist. Brittany couldn't help but lean into his embrace as she kissed his cheek. Isabell giggled and held her hands in front of her mouth.
Santiago chuckled and turned his face, pressing his lips on Brittany's. She let out a tiny gasp, but kissed him back and wrapped her arms around Santiago and their daughter. Isabell's giggle became louder and she erupted in cheers. "Yay, we a family!" She wrapped her tiny arms around her parents and held them as close as she could. Brittany's eyes filled with tears and she hid her face in the crook of Santiago's neck. "Welcome home.." Santiago whispered, hating the fact these moments never lasted very long.
"And then, and then, and then mommy took me to the pahk and we saw the duckies and then we gave them all bread and then we walked again and then.."
"Slow down, honey, you need to breath!" Santiago laughed. Isabell was sitting on his lap, grinning. "And then she gave me thiiiis." She held her little hand up and stared dreamingly at the ring. "It's like her daddywing, look daddy!" Isabell reached for her mother and Brittany moved closer on the couch, holding her hand up. Santiago swallowed heavily, seeing their hands together, both wearing a matching rings.
"I got it designed for her.." Brittany mumbled. "I used my ring as model."
Santiago smiled and tried to swallow the lump in his throat away. "It's amazing.."
Isabell looked between her parents, watching their faces. She felt giddy, seeing their parents smile at each other and she clutched her mother's hand to her chest, loving her ring even more. She snuggled against her father's chest but kept a hold of her mother's hand.
"Are you okay?" Santiago whispered, when he noticed a tear rolling down Brittany's cheek. She quickly nodded and used her free hand to wipe it away. Santiago dropped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer. "I wish you didn't have to leave tonight.." He mumbled and pressed a kiss on her head.
It felt so natural to have her this close, to be together like a real family. Santiago wanted to stay like that forever, forgetting their mistakes..
"What if I didn't have to leave.." Brittany whispered.
Santiago looked up, surprised. He stroked his daughter's dark curls and noticed she was asleep.
"What are you talking about?"
Brittany smiled and felt more tears roll down her cheeks. "I don't want to this anymore, San.. I'm sorry for realizing it this late, I'm so sorry for leaving.. But I can't do it anymore, I can't be away from you anymore, I need to be with our daughter.."
Santiago's jaw dropped and he looked at Brittany, needing her to explain herself.
"I want to come home, for good.."
AN: A real first chapter! Again, a bit short, but chapters will be longer. As you can see, a HEA. 'Cause I don't like them apart, but a few years have passed and I promise you, those years hold enough drama… What do you guys think of Isabell? Let me know! Reviews make me happy and although I will update no matter what, reviews make me write faster ;-)