A couple months later...
"So, sweetie... have you thought about what you want for your birthday coming up?" My dad asks me as he pushes the cart down the aisle of the grocery store.
I just shrug my shoulders in return. "No, not really..." I nonchalantly reply.
"Ah... c'mon Banana Bear," he responds.
"Ugh... Daaaaaddddddd!" I whine. "We talked about that name."
"I know... and I decided that I'm your father and I reserve the right to embarrass you at any given moment I choose to," he smugly states. I just playfully roll my eyes at him. "C'mon, Santana... there's gotta be something you want. You only turn 17 once."
"Papi... you know what I want," I sigh.
"I know, sweetie..." he responds knowingly. "I wish I could send you to Ohio, but we just don't have the money right now, especially since you're going in the summer."
"I know, Dad... that's why I didn't bring it up," I say dejectedly. "I get that money has been tight since we moved. I may be just a kid, but I understand the dynamics of money management; I am a genius after all," I say with a wink.
"Yes... yes you are," Dad says as he plants a kiss on top of my head. "But, you're not a kid anymore... you're a beautiful young lady and I'm so proud to call you my daughter," he finishes and he brings me into a tight side hug.
"Daaaaddddd! We're in public... stop being so mushy," I state as I scrunch up my face and playfully push him away. He just laughs at me. "Anyways... let's talk about something else."
"Okay... like what?" My dad ponders.
"Like... how about all of these women that keep checking you out," I cheekily reply.
"What women?" My dad snorts out.
"Well... there was that lady at the bank and then that one when we got ice cream..." I begin to list off. "And most recently... the woman we passed in the produce aisle that's currently trying to subtly check you out now."
As I slightly nod my head down the aisle towards the very attractive Asian lady I was just referring to. My dad finally looks up and glances at the woman in question. "Oh wow... she's really pretty," he says as an afterthought.
"Pretty?" I question. "Dad... she's freakin' hot! I mean, look at her... she looks like Lucy Liu!"
"Yes, Santana... she's very attractive," he begins, "but I doubt she was looking at me."
"How can you say that?" I question him. "I saw it with my very own eyes... with the help of my glasses, of course."
"C'mon San... there's no way a woman that attractive is single," he begins. "And even if she was... she wouldn't be interested in me."
"Don't sell yourself short, Pops..." I argue. "You're a good-lookin guy and you've got a lot to offer. Besides, it's been like a year now... maybe it's time for you to get back out there," I carefully add in.
"I don't know..." Dad slowly states. "However, this is definitely not a conversation I'm ready to have right now in the middle of Wal-mart... especially with my almost 17 year old daughter."
"Hey... what's wrong with me?!" I respond, half offended. " I know I don't have much life experience - let alone relationship experience - but I'm a really good listener."
"I know you are, sweetie... this is just a touchy subject for me to get into right now," he explains.
"I understand," I say, although I really don't. "I'm here though, if you do ever want to talk about it."
My dad just smiles at me as we continue to make our way down the aisles. I never really gave it much thought before, but I can only imagine what my dad has been going through since my mother left. I think for my sake, he has held it together pretty well, but I hate thinking that he's all alone. Even though we are miles apart, at least I have Brittany.
My dad is an awesome guy and he deserves to have someone special in his life. Maybe it's just too soon for him to move on and start dating again. I can tell that a piece of him died when my mother left cuz his smile never quite meets his eyes anymore, although he tries his best to hide it from me. I just want him to be happy again. I'm scared that when I move away for college in another year or so, he'll be all alone and feel like I abandoned him.
I've accepted that my mother just up and abandoned me but I think my dad is still sorting through the fact that his wife left him. Sometimes I feel so guilty for being so happy with Brittany because ultimately, it's my fault that my dad is all alone. He didn't deserve the pain my mother put him through.
I wish I knew how to make things better. I wish I knew how to make my dad genuinely smile again.
The following week...
After a very long and mundane week of school, I am so happy that it's finally Friday. Today also happens to be my birthday.
Usually people get all super excited when their birthdays come around. I've always kinda felt that my birthday was just another day, but usually my friends back home always did something to make it special. I'm really missing them today, especially Brittany. It's not like I don't have any friends here... it's just different.
As I make my way into the apartment, I smell something amazing flow through my nostrils.
"Hey Dad, what's up?" I say as I enter the kitchen.
"Hey birthday girl!" My dad exclaims. "How was your day, sweetie?"
"It was fine," I reply as I give him a kiss on the cheek. "Whatcha makin'?"
"Only your most favorite dishes in the whole wide world," he says in a super-excited tone. "Filet mignon, a baked potato with all the fixins, and lobster mac-n-cheese."
"Wow... that sounds like a lot for just the two of us."
"I know, but it's your special day," he explains. "Plus... it means that I don't have to cook for the next few days," he finishes with a wink.
"I won't argue with that," I say with a smile. "I'm just gonna go relax for a few and call Brittany. Let me know when dinner is ready."
"Sure thing, sweetie!"
As I study my dad's overall giddy expression and childlike behavior, something seems a little off. "You're weird today," I state as I grab a bottle of water from the fridge.
"How am I being weird?" He questions as he tries the growing smirk on his face.
"I don't know... but you're acting very odd."
"Can't a guy just be happy to celebrate his only child's day of birth?"
"Mmhmm..." I hum out as I look over my father once more before retreating to my room. He just continues to smile at me.
My dad is definitely up to something cuz he's never been good at hiding things from me. I'm telling ya... the man can't hold water.
Once I enter my room, I place my backpack down by the door, take off my hoodie, and then begin removing my t-shirt.
"I hope this comes out," I say aloud as I look down at the paint stain covering a good portion of my t-shirt.
"Whoa..."
I jump upon hearing another voice in my room. As I look over to where the sound came from, there perched upon my bed is my beautiful girlfriend.
"Britt-Britt!" I scream out in excitement as I leap over towards my bed and wrap her up in my arms. Before she has a chance to say anything, I crash my lips into hers.
I close my eyes tightly as my body naturally reacts to the feeling of having Brittany in my arms again and feeling her soft lips pressed against mine. Before things get too carried away though, I suddenly remember that I'm not wearing a shirt, my door is still partially open, and my dad is only a few feet away.
"I probably should..." I say a little breathlessly as I detach our lips.
"... put on a shirt," Brittany completes my sentence.
"Yeah, before..."
"... your dad walks in?"
I lightly shake my head at her while she giggles. It's weird knowing someone so well that you can finish each other's sentences; but... it's also kinda cool. Thankfully, we're not like one of those annoying couples that do it all the time. Brittany only does it to bust my chops.
As I reluctantly step away from my amazing girlfriend, I make my way over to my dresser and fish out a clean t-shirt. I'm so nervous and excited that I keep trying to stick my head through the sleeve of my shirt.
"Just hold still for a minute, goofball," Brittany says as she stills my failing arms. With her help, I finally manage to put my shirt on correctly.
"Hi..." she whispers out as she readjusts my glasses.
"Hi..." I say back as I place a gentle kiss to her lips. "I can't believe you're here right now."
"Well... you didn't really think I could miss my girl's birthday, did you?" Brittany says as she wraps her arms around my waist. "Happy birthday, by the way."
"Thanks babe," I reply as I just stare at her and feel a sense of warmth flood through my body. "I missed you so much."
"Me too," she instantly replies. "I miss looking into these eyes."
"Hey... that's my line," I whine. She laughs at me again before bringing our lips back together. I savor every moment until our lips depart again. "So tell me, how did you manage to pull this off?"
"Well, let's just say that our parents played a very large role," my blonde beauty vaguely replies. "And… my constant nagging may have helped as well."
"I knew my dad was up to something," I say, finally piecing everything together. "I really wanted to come down and see you, but my dad said money was kinda tight."
"Yeah... that's what I hear," Brittany says. "I think our parents just split the cost of the ticket."
"Well... whatever they did, I'm just glad that it got you here," I sincerely say. "Just you being here has made this the best birthday ever."
"Really... cause whatever your dad's making in there smells really, really good," she cheekily replies.
"Nope... not even having the best food in the world compares to having you right here in my arms," I honestly state.
"Gosh... what did I do to deserve someone as sweet and awesome as you," Brittany coos.
"I could ask you the same thing," I coyly reply. "Wait... are we becoming one of those mushy couples that just talks about how great their significant other is until their friends look at them disgustedly."
"I think so... eww," Brittany says playfully. "Maybe you should just kiss me instead."
"That I can do," I instantly reply as I remove the space between our lips.
Brittany slowly walks us forward so that she can push my bedroom door close. I then walk her backwards until the back of her legs hit my bed. Gently, I lower her onto my bed, never breaking our kiss. I revel in the feeling of her hands roaming my body as I cup her face to deepen each kiss.
"God... I forgot how soft your lips are," Brittany moans into my mouth as she slips her tongue passed my teeth.
"Oh, Britt... you're making me really hot right now," I get out in between breaths.
"Oh, yeah... maybe you should do something about that," my best friend says as she hungrily looks into my eyes. I gulp deeply as my throat feels very dry.
"Uh..."
"San, I'm just messin' with you," Brittany giggles out. "Like you pointed out before... your dad is right down the hall and I definitely wouldn't want him to catch me feeling up his daughter."
"You're such a tease, Miss Pierce," I playfully respond back.
"I'm really not... I just love seeing how flush your cheeks get when you're embarrassed," she replies back. "Seriously... it's like the cutest thing."
"You're diabolical," I say as I attach my lips to hers again. As we begin exchanging light kisses, there's a knock at my door.
"Girls?" I hear my dad say on the other side of the door.
I give Brittany once last peck on the lips before I roll off her and we both sit up towards the edge of the bed. "We'll finish this later..." I whisper into her ear before yelling out a 'come in' towards the door.
"Ladies... hope I wasn't interrupting anything," my dad says as he enters my room.
"Of course not, Mr. L," Brittany cutely replies as she grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. Even after being girlfriends for 7 months, I still get an adrenaline rush from the simple act of holding her hand. "Thanks again for arranging of all this."
"No problem, kiddo..." he says as he places a kiss on the top of both of our heads. "Dinner is ready."
"Thanks Dad... for everything," I sincerely state, hoping he understands the double meaning.
"Anything for you, sweetie," he replies with a big smile before exiting my room.
"I have the best Dad in the whole world," I say to no one in particular.
"Yeah... he is pretty awesome."
After a delicious meal with two of my favorite people in the world, I open up my presents, which included some gifts from my friends back home that Britt brought with her. After that, we both showered - separately, of course - and got ready for bed. We then pick up where we left off earlier.
"Oh, San..." Brittany moans out as I attach my lips to her neck.
"You got to keep it down, babe… or else you'll wake my dad up," I reply between labored breathing as I move my lips upwards and begin nibbling on her earlobe.
"Ugh..."
"Britt, seriously..." I state more sternly as I halt my movements and look into her eyes. "I would certainly hate for you to have to sleep on the couch if my dad catches us."
"Wait... you would make me sleep on the couch?"
"Well... it is my birthday," I deadpan until I see the look of shock on my girlfriend's face. "I'm just kidding."
"Now you're gonna get it," the blonde says, her eyes turning a darker shade of blue. Unexpectantly, Brittany flips us over so that I'm on my back and she's straddling my hips.
I then begin raking my fingers up and down her thighs. I notice that Brittany's eyes have fluttered closed. "Does that feel good?"
"Mmhmm..." she moans out as she reaches her hand underneath my shirt and starts to draw random patterns on my stomach. I may or may not have let out a tiny whimper as the muscles in my stomach tightened. "Touch me..."
My brain might be a little bit foggy because of this beautiful woman sitting on top of me, but I'm pretty sure that I was already touching her. "I am touching you."
"No..." Brittany says as she grabs my hand and places it on her breast. "Touch me..."
As I manipulate the softness of her boob in my hand, I realize something. "Y-you're not wearing a b-b-bra."
As Brittany shakes her head 'no', I start feeling a little more bold and daring. I gently squeeze her breast in my hand as I study Britt's eyes. The darker they become, the braver I feel. As I continue staring in her dark blue eyes, I lower my hand until I reach the hem of her tank top. With no signs of stopping from the girl above me, I raise my hand until I make contact with her bare breast.
"Uhh..." Brittany groans as she throws her head back and covers her mouth with her free hand.
Seeing her reaction only spurs me on further. I've never done anything like this before, but I really want to make Britt feel good. I think I'm doing okay so far, so I continue kneading her breast while bringing up my other hand to give her other breast the same treatment. I then take my thumbs and begin rubbing delicate circles across her nipples until I feel them become hard. I feel myself becoming more aroused by the second, but right now, all of my focus is on Brittany.
As I lift myself up so that I'm in a sitting position, I gently flip us over so that I'm on top of Brittany again. Seeing her exposed torso, I quickly attach my lips to her abdomen and begin kissing my way up towards the crevice between her breasts. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm going too far, but Brittany doesn't seem to mind.
I take a few deep breaths before I make my next move. As I look back at Brittany, she eagerly nods her head for me to continue. I tentatively flick my tongue against her hardened nub.
"Oh, God..." Brittany exclaims. "Do that again."
I oblige my girlfriend's request and repeat the action, eliciting another moan from her mouth. I then drag my tongue towards her forgotten boob and repeat the same action before wrapping my lips around her nipple and lightly sucking it.
"Son of a mother... that feels so good," Brittany exclaims as she buries her fingers into my hair and presses my head closer to her chest. "I really should be doing this to you... seeing that it's your birthday," she says in between jagged breaths.
"Well..." I start off as I switch over to her other boob, "consider this as my gift to you for being so damn amazing."
"I g-guess I can't argue w-with that," Brittany says as her arousal increases. "You are a g-genius after all."
As I continue to explore this uncharted territory, I try to reposition myself to get a better angle. However, I miscalculated and my knee ends up hitting Brittany's nether regions.
"Ugh..." the blonde whimpers out as she sucks her lips into her mouth. At this point, Britt looks more flushed than I've ever seen her before, and that's including after a dance meet.
"Oh, God... I'm so so sorry, Britt..." I state in a panic as I retract my hands and mouth from Brittany's body. "I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay, San..." Brittany coos out as she sits up and wipes my hair out of my face. "It felt really good, actually."
"Yeah?" I ask cautiously.
"Yeah..." she breathes out as she places a delicate kiss on my lips. "You make me feel so good, Santana."
I feel the sincerity in Brittany's voice as the intensity from her eyes stare back into mine. Instead of replying with words, I connect my mouth with hers again and slowly resume my position on top of her. I use my hands to spread her legs apart, just enough so that I can slide my thigh in between them and brush up against her clothed center again.
"Oh..." she hums into my mouth as our tongues battle for dominance.
I then apply more pressure against her core, causing her back to arch up slightly. In return, Brittany takes her thigh that's situated between my legs and lifts it up until she makes contact with my center. My eyes just about roll into the back of my head.
"This is okay, right..." I question, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.
"More than okay," she replies as hits my core again. We then begin a slow and steady rhythm, savoring the pleasure that we're giving each other.
"Good... cuz I love making you feel good," I respond as I grind my hips down a little harder.
Brittany and I continue at this pace, basically dry humping each other and exchanging passionate kisses until I start feeling a moist sensation against my thigh. I can only imagine that Britt is feeling the same thing too because I can feel my underwear getting more damp as we continue to rock back and forth.
"Santana..." I hear my girlfriend whisper out. I can only grunt in response. "I think I'm gonna, ugh..."
"Um, okay..." I say through heavy breathing, "... do you w-want me to stop?"
"No!" Brittany yells out, accidentally biting my tongue in the process. Needless to say, this effectively breaks our kiss. "Shit! I'm so sorry baby."
"It's okay..." I respond while trying to rid my mouth of the taste of copper. As I shake off that unpleasant moment, I get back to the task at hand. "Now... where were we?"
Before the blonde has a chance to respond, I slam my thigh back into Britt's center and capture her delicious moan that follows with my mouth.
"Uhh, San... you're driving me crazy."
Hearing Brittany praise me like that only encourages me further.
I'll admit... when Britt and I first got together, I was fairly hesitant to initiate anything physical with her. For one, I didn't know what I was doing; honestly... I still don't. Secondly, there's always this voice in the back of my head wondering if I'll be able to make Brittany feel as good - or hopefully better - than her previous girlfriend (who shall remain nameless).
By taking this huge step with Brittany, I hope it conveys how much I love her and how much progress I'm making, despite being scared to death. I just want to be able to prove to Brittany that I'm worthy of her and that I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy.
I then kiss Brittany deeper as she finally climaxes. I soon follow right behind her, experiencing something that I've never felt before. Although I've never had an orgasm before, I read a lot so I had an idea of what was going to happen if we kept grinding against each other. As soon as my body stops spasming, I roll off of Brittany and try to regulate my breathing.
Brittany then rolls on her side and places her head on my chest. "Are you okay? Your heart is beating so fast..."
"Yeah... it tends to do that when I'm with you," I genuinely state. "Plus... that was kinda my first... ya know..."
Brittany raises her head up slightly so that she can look into my eyes. "Are you saying that was your first orgasm... ever?" The blonde questions. I nod my head in response. "How is that even possible?"
"Why is that so hard to believe?" I retort. "You know that you're the only person I've ever dated."
"Yeah, I know that but... you've never done stuff to yourself?" Brittany cautiously asks.
"No," I simply state.
"Why not?" Brittany curiously inquires. "I mean... it's a great way to learn about yourself and the things you like. It also helps prepare you for when you are dating someone."
"No, I understand all of that; I just..." I briefly pause, feeling somewhat embarrassed to continue.
"You just... what?" Brittany ponders. "You know you can tell me anything."
"I guess I just always imagine sharing that feeling with my partner as we learn about each other together as opposed to doing a solo act and giving them the cliff notes at a later date," I say in response. I then hear a chuckle coming from my girlfriend's mouth. "Don't laugh at me," I say as I sit up. Brittany follows suit.
I start feeling a little embarrassed and upset because I just shared something really personal with my girlfriend/best friend and she has the audacity to laugh at me. I already feel vulnerable enough when it comes to the physical aspects of our relationship. You can only imagine why hearing Britt seemingly making fun of me while trying to open up to her doesn't feel so great.
"Aww, babe... I'm not laughing at you," Brittany says as she wraps her arms around me. "Actually... I think it's very sweet and romantic."
"You do?" I say, feeling extremely better about the situation.
"Yes, I do... and I'm glad I could be your first," she simply replies. "And when we finally do consummate our relationship, like for real... it's gonna feel like 100 times better."
"Well then... I very much look forward to that day," I smugly reply. "Let's go to sleep... you wore me out."
"Me?" Brittany says incredulously. "I believe you're mistaking me for someone else... you."
All I can do is smile at her as we both lie down and pull the comforter over us. Brittany then turns her back to me as wrap my arms around her waist. "I love you, Britt-Britt."
"I love you more, Santana... Happy birthday baby!"
"Hey... are you okay?" I ask Brittany as she drums her fingers across the table.
"Yeah, I'm fine... just a little nervous I guess," she replies.
"Why are you so nervous?" I say as I softly stroke my thumb across her hand, effectively stopping her twiddling fingers.
"I don't know... I guess the idea of meeting your friends makes me a little anxious," Brittany admits. "What if they don't like me?"
"You are too cute right now?" I coo into her ear. "They would have to be blind and stupid not to instantly fall in love with you."
"You're so cheesy," the blonde says, finally breaking into a smile.
"Eh... I try," I say as I shrug my shoulders. "Hey, look... there they are."
Brittany and I then rise from the table as I go to greet my friends.
"Oh my God... she is too freaking adorable!" Kurt squeals as he lightly pushes me out of the way to hug Brittany - who is a complete stranger to him, fyi.
"Kurt... let the girl breathe," his boyfriend Blaine orders.
"I'm sorry... I'm just so excited to meet the girl that Santana talks non-stop about," the porcelain-skinned boy apologizes as he releases his hold on my girlfriend. My cheeks immediately turn a deeper shade of red due to my embarrassment.
"So... I take it you're Blaine?" Brittany playfully says to Kurt.
"I like her already," Blaine happily states.
"Well, then... just in case there was any confusion; Brittany... these are my friends Blaine and Kurt; guys... this is my girlfriend, Brittany."
Girlfriend...
Saying that word and knowing that it's associated with Brittany still makes my heart flutter. In fact, I think that's the first time I've gotten to introduce her to anyone that didn't already know her or that we were together. I can't help the grin that becomes plastered onto my face.
"Babe... we're sitting down," Brittany says, breaking me away from my trance.
"Oh, right..." I say as she sits down and I push in her chair. Britt throws me a 'thanks' as she lightly pecks my cheek.
"You two are too adorable!" Kurt exclaims. "And Brittany... can I just say that your pictures do not do you justice, girlfriend."
"Ah, thanks Kurt... I love you already!" Brittany replies.
"Hey!" I say slightly offended, but not really.
"Don't worry, San... you know I love you the most," Brittany replies as she places a delicate kiss to my lips. I can't help but swoon.
"You're right Kurt... they are too freakin' cute," Blaine obliges.
"Alright you two... break it up," Kurt demands. "Now, Brittany... we wanna hear your most embarrassing stories about this one here."
"Oh God..."
After our epic double date with Blaine and Kurt, Britt and I watched a classic movie, Mrs. Doubtfire, before retiring for the evening. As we lie in my bed with our arms wrapped around each other, a million thoughts are running through my head.
"What are you thinkin' about babe?" Brittany inquires as she softly strokes my cheek.
"Just how this has been the best birthday ever," I earnestly state, "… all because of you."
"Aww, San..." she says as she leans in and gently captures my lips. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Earlier when you were introducing me to the guys, you kinda looked like you were in a daze or something," Brittany begins. "Where did you go?"
I instantly feel my cheeks heat up. Luckily for me though, it's dark in my room so she can't see my face that well.
"Oh, that..." I hesitantly say. "I was just thinking that that was the first time I got to introduce you as my girlfriend; I really liked it..."
A giant smile appears on her face. "I love hearing you say it."
Brittany and I then begin exchanging innocent kisses as time just seems to stand still. I wish we could stay like this forever.
"I wish you could stay longer..." I whisper out as we break apart.
"Me too, babe... me too."
There's a comfortable silence that passes between us as we just lie there and stare into each other's eyes.
"This time, this place... misused, mistakes. Too long, too late... who was I to make you wait?" Brittany softly sings.
I'm immediately taken aback by hearing her angelic voice because I've never heard it before... at least while not being surrounded by the other amazing voices of our genius group.
"Just one chance, just one breath... just in case there's just one left. Cause you know, you know, you know..."
Brittany has always been more of a background player when our little group breaks into an impromptu performance. Occasionally she'll provide supporting vocals, but mostly she just gets lost in the music as she's dancing like there's no tomorrow.
"I love you, I've loved you all along. And I miss you, been far away for far too long," she continues as she links her fingers with mine. "I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go; stop breathing if I don't see you anymore."
I feel completely breathless in this moment. The only thing I can do is lean forward until the space between us is removed. I kiss Brittany with every fiber of my being. I'm so overwhelmed with emotion that I don't notice the tears coming from my eyes.
"San... why are you crying?" Brittany asks with a concerned expression.
"Sorry... that was just so beautiful; you're beautiful," I genuinely respond as I kiss her once more. "You've never sang to me before... or at all, really."
"Yeah, well... my voice isn't that great, compared to yours or Mercedes' or Rachel's," she explains. "I just wanted to do something special for you cuz you make me feel brave."
"It was beautiful and perfect... just like you," I honestly reply. "Thank you, Britt-Britt."
She smiles at me before leaning in to softly kiss me again.
It has most definitely been the best birthday ever.
After I dropped Brittany off at the airport, I returned home to find my father sitting on the couch.
"Hey sweetie, how are you doing?" My dad asks in a comforting manner.
"As good as I can be, I guess," I reply. "I just hate saying goodbye to her."
"I know you do..." he sympathizes.
"By the way... I never did get to thank you for bringing her here for my birthday."
"No need to thank me sweetheart," he replies with a small smile.
"What's wrong Dad?" I ask, noticing his somber demeanor.
"Oh, it's nothing..." he replies before sighing deeply. "Just seeing you and Brittany together reminded me of how me and your mom used to be."
"Oh... I'm sorry Dad," I apologize.
"Don't be silly," he states as he brings me into his side. "I'm glad you've found somebody that makes you truly happy. Brittany's a wonderful girl."
"Well... I think so," I playfully retort.
"I admire you guys for all of the hard work and effort you've put into making this long-distance thing work... especially at this age," Dad sincerely states.
"Thanks Dad... that really means a lot."
He places a kiss to the top of my head and smiles. "You really love her, don't ya?"
"With all my heart," I simply reply. As happy as I am with Brittany, I still can't help but feel guilty about my father's situation.
"Hey... what just happened here?" My dad questions. "You were just all smiles a second ago; now you're wearing a frowny face."
"I just... I feel guilty that I'm so incredibly happy with Britt, yet you're all alone... and it's all my fault," I sob out as I bury my face into his chest.
"Shh... sweetie, you can't think like that," Dad softly says as he pats my shoulder. "Your mom left because she had issues that she couldn't deal with it, regardless of the circumstances that led up to her absence. This is not your fault Santana."
"It still doesn't change the fact that your wife is gone," I retort.
"Yeah, that's true... and it sucks, but you know what?" My dad questions. I just shake my head. "I got the best part of the deal; I got you."
Hearing my dad's words makes my eyes water. He's such a sap.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, hija."
After a few moments of silence, he speaks again.
"Me and your mom were only 18 the first time we met," he begins. "It was first day of freshman year in college and we just so happen to have the same Intro to Psychology class."
I think my dad is trying to open up to me, which is so cool. I never knew the story behind how my parents met and fell in love. I was gonna ask them someday, but everything with Brittany happened so unexpectantly that I never got the proper chance to ask.
"She was the most beautiful woman that I had ever seen. All the boys around campus chased after her, but for some reason… she chose me," Dad says with a faint smile as if he's reminiscing about that time in his life. "She was always very strong-willed and never let anyone see her vulnerable side. Slowly, but surely... she let me tear down the walls that she had worked so hard to build up."
My dad then goes on to tell me about their first date and how he eventually built up enough courage to ask my mom to be his girlfriend. As soon as they both received their bachelor's degree, my dad popped the question.
"Y'know... back then, I was sort a nerd and I didn't have many friends. I mostly kept to myself," he continues. "I knew that I was somewhat attractive based on the good genes I got from my parents, but before your mom... I had literally no experience when it came to dating."
"Seriously?" I ask incredulously.
I really can't believe what I'm hearing. I've always thought that my dad was a player back then based on his good looks, charm, and from the amount of women that always swoon over him. To be honest... I thought it was my mom that finally made him realize what he had been missing from his life and eventually got him to settle down.
"Geez... you don't have to sound so surprised," Dad playfully responds. "Just because people find you attractive doesn't mean that you have to be a whore."
"You're right..." I oblige. "So... Mom was your first... in everything?"
"Almost..." he replies back. "I had already experienced my first kiss at some party in high school, although the girl was kinda drunk and very grateful that I gave her a ride home."
"I always knew you had a way with the ladies," I chuckle out. "Not that I'm not enjoying hearing stories from your youth, but why exactly are you telling me all of this?"
"You remember when we were at the grocery store last week and you told me that lady was checking me out?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well... I guess I have noticed other women looking at me like that more recently since you pointed that out," Dad begins to explain. "But the thing is... I didn't think I was ready for that?"
"I'm not sure I'm following."
"I know it's been a year since your mother left us, but it still feels so fresh in my mind," he continues. "It's just hard to even think about moving on with someone else after I've spent the last 23 years with the same woman every single day," he clarifies. "I never experienced dating or just going out with some friends to 'pick up girls'. Pretty much any and all experience I have with the opposite sex was with your mother. So, this whole 'being single' aspect of my life is uncharted territory… and it's kind of terrifying."
"Wow... I guess I never really thought about it like that," I say.
"For the past year, I've been trying so hard to make sure that I was the best father to you that I kind of stopped living my life."
"Well, if it's any consolation… you've been doing a mighty fine job," I happily state. "You've been so supportive and caring; honestly... I don't think I would've been able to survive losing mom and moving away from home if it wasn't for you."
"I feel the same way sweetie," he says as he places another kiss on the top of my head. "I said all of that to say this… I think I'm ready to try."
"Really Dad?! That's great!" I exclaim as I give him a giant hug. "Any lady would be lucky to have you."
"Well... we'll see about that," he casually replies. "Now, enough of all this mushy stuff... let's watch some movies!"
"I like the way you think, Pops."
2 weeks later...
As Mr. Lopez finds himself in the produce aisle of the grocery store again, he accidentally bumps into another shopper.
"Oh crap, I'm so sorry," he says as he bends down to pick up the potatoes that the other person dropped in result of their collision.
"It's okay... it was an accident," a gentle voice says from up above him.
As Mr. Lopez stands up and comes face-to-face with the owner of said potatoes, he's pleasantly surprised to see a small smile gracing the face of the Lucy Liu look-a-like he had noticed the last time he went grocery shopping.
"H-hi..." he stutters out as he hands over the bag of potatoes to the beautiful woman. "Sorry again... I wasn't looking where I was going."
"It's fine... no one got injured," she happily replies as she looks around. "Flying solo today?"
"Hmm?" Mr. Lopez questions until he processes her question. "Oh, you mean my daughter..." Once he receives a slight head nod from the woman, he continues. "No, she's around here somewhere; probably in the junk food aisle."
As the two of them share a light laugh together, Mr. Lopez looks at his watch and notices the time.
"I guess I should probably go find her before she eats me out of a house and home," he chuckles out.
"Okay, then..." the woman sadly replies. "I guess I'll see ya in a couple of weeks."
"Yeah... I hope so," Ben replies as he waves at the mysterious lady before making his way towards the junk food aisle.
Suddenly, Mr. Lopez feels a sense of courage shoot through his body. As he takes a deep breath, he turns around - abandoning his cart - and travels the few steps back to the woman he was just talking to.
"Okay, so... I don't do this a lot," he begins, but then pauses. "Actually... I don't do this at all, but my daughter has inspired me to take more risks."
As the mysterious lady just offers a smile to the blubbering man, he continues.
"Um... I was wondering if maybe, sometime... you might want to grab a coffee... sometime?"
"You said 'sometime' twice," the woman causally states.
"Did I mention that I don't do this often," Mr. Lopez nervously states.
"It may have come up," she playfully replies.
"Did I mention that the coffee would be with me?" The Latino questions.
"You did not," the Asian lady responds.
"Hmm... I knew I'd mess this up," Mr. Lopez states as he scratches his chin as the woman tries her best to suppress her laughter.
"I'd love to," the lady eventually says, breaking the man from his thoughts.
"Seriously?" Ben says in disbelief.
"Yeah... seriously," she genuinely states.
As Mr. Lopez feels a smile take over his face, he and the lady exchange phone numbers.
"I'm Ben, by the way..." Mr. Lopez says, finally introducing himself. As he takes the woman's hand in his own, he feels a sense of relief flood through his body.
"I'm Jamie," she replies.
"Jamie... I like it," Ben responds as he releases her hand. "I'll definitely call you."
"I'll answer…" she shyly replies.
Mr. Lopez then waves another goodbye to his future date as he turns around in search of his daughter.
"Oh, and Ben..." he hears and simultaneously turns around. "It was nice to finally meet you."
Ben can't stop the big smile forming on his face. "Santana will be so proud..." he thinks to himself as he travels further away from the produce aisle.
Author's Note:
Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. I wanted to not only delve deeper in Santana and Brittany's relationship, but I also wanted to show the strong bond between Santana and her father. In my head, I picture her dad as Vince Vaughn, although he looks nothing like her. If anything, Mr. Lopez's sense of humor and childlike behavior is what I'm mostly comparing it too. And for the sake of argument… let's just say that Jamie is Lucy Liu's doppleganger. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the continued love and support and to all of you that have really taken a liking to my new story Quantico. I'm working on an update for that right now.
- Kris
Songs Used:
Far Away by Nickelback