Destined Encounters
Part Twelve
Now that Quinn introduced herself to Judy I could also see parts of her life. Well only the parts that involved Quinn.
Judy picked up her phone and dialed a number.
"She called me," Judy said still shocked.
"Who?"
"You know who…she wants to meet so we've set up a place and time for tomorrow."
"Ok, when and where?"
"The Coffee Shop on West 32nd street in the city at one in the afternoon. Now it's your decision, but I'm going. I'm going to tell her everything she wants to know."
"Let me think about it."
"Okay," Judy said and hung up her phone.
The next morning, Quinn was so quiet.
"Sweetheart, are you alright? Are you having second thoughts cuz I can go in your place and tell her that you changed her mind?"
"No, thank you. I've been waiting for this day. I'm definitely going through with it," Quinn said with a smile, "I'm just nervous."
Santana shook her head up and down to silently tell Quinn that she understood.
"I, um, want to back to my room and change if you don't mind."
"Of course not," Santana said as she gathered her stuff to go with her.
"San, I'm going to go by myself, if that's okay?" Quinn asked.
"You sure," Santana asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, I need to clear my head and I also want to do some work to calm me down," Quinn said.
"I totally understand. What time do you want me to meet you at the coffee place?"
"Is twelve alright," Quinn asked shyly.
Santana pulled Quinn into her arms and hugged her tightly. Quinn immediately relaxed in Santana's protective arms.
"Listen to me okay? I will never let anything bad happen to you, if I can help it. I still am so sorry for not being there when you were hit," Santana said and got emotional. She continued through her tears, "You have nothing to fear for the rest of your life. If today becomes overwhelming, you tell me and we leave. It's as simple as that."
"Okay. I love you," Quinn said and hugged her once more before she collected her bags and her proposal gift from Santana. "I'm so bringing this!" Quinn brought it to her chest and hugged it tightly.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Santana said as they walked out of the room. Once they were outside, Santana hailed a cab for Quinn.
"I was going to walk," Quinn said.
"Pacify me please," Santana said as she held the door open, "This way I know you're safe."
Quinn didn't hesitate. She walked up to the opened door of the cab, but before she grabbed the back of Santana's head and brought her in for a hard kiss.
Once the kiss stopped, Santana said, "Wow!"
"C'mon lady," the cab driver said impatiently. Santana crouched down a little to glare at him. Once she was standing tall, Quinn said, "I'll see you at twelve. I love you!" She
gently slapped Santana's face and chuckled.
When Quinn was in her dorm room, she finished an assignment that she had started before Santana had proposed and this next chapter of her life had begun. Once she was satisfied with what she had written she closed her laptop and stretched her arms over her head. This made her engagement ring shimmer in the sunlight.
She pulled her hand down to admire it.
"Holy shit!" she screamed as she gawked at her own ring.
Just by uttering this curse, she felt energized so she hopped into a shower stall in the showers. She let the water splash on her face. She got cleaned up and returned to her room. She locked the door and walked straight to her closet.
"What does a woman wear when she's meeting her mother for the first time?"
She picked out a few outfits, but put them back on the rod in her closet. Finally she decided on a yellow sundress and white shawl and got into it. She pulled her short hair back and pinned it in place. She applied some lip gloss and perfume.
Seeing that she still had plenty of time she took a mirror selfie with her new phone that she got during the stay at the hotel.
She snapped a photo and sent it to Santana with the caption that read, "So what do you think? Should I change?"
She sent it and within a minute, Santana replied with "No…don't change. You look adorable. Love, Your fiancée"
Quinn sat down in her computer chair and tried to calm herself down from nerves.
"You can do this! You've waited your whole life to do this. You have Santana who will not leave your side. She won't let anything bad happen to you. She loves you!" she pep talked.
Looking at her watch, she decided to text Santana again.
She pulled out her phone and texted, "hey, Baby, I know I said twelve, but I'm gettin' antsy and I want to hold your hand. Can I meet you there now?"
In less than a second, Quinn read, "I'm already here. Do you want coffee?"
Quinn laughed and gave Santana her order.
She then gathered up her stuff and her engagement present and headed outside. She hailed a cab again and was in front of the coffee shop within ten minutes.
Eighteenth Encounter:
Quinn pulled the door open and looked around for Santana. It wasn't until Santana yelled, "Over here!' that Quinn saw her.
She walked over and put her stuff down. Santana leaned up and Quinn leaned down and their lips connected. They stayed like this for some time. Afterwards Quinn draped her purse over the back of the chair and sat down. She quickly took a big chug of coffee.
"Quinn…." Santana yelled to try and stop her, but it was too late.
"Oh my God," Quinn said after the scolding liquid of the coffee burned her throat. She gasped for air.
"Quinn, Quinn…you alright?"
"Jesus, that's hot," Quinn said as she panted for air.
"Next time, don't down it like that!" Santana giggled a little which made Quinn giggle too.
"Nervous much," Santana asked.
"Just a tad…meeting my mother for the first time and all," Quinn said.
Just then a tall man walked into the shop and Santana noticed him right away. His back was facing her but she thought that he reminded her of someone she knew. She couldn't place him. When he turned around, the lightbulb went off in her head. She didn't say anything. She did smile when she saw the large bouquet of roses he was carrying.
Santana watched as he took a seat behind Quinn. His eyesight went back and forth between the door and the table he sat at.
"I gotta go to the bathroom," Quinn said and got up from the table.
Once she had walked away, Santana said loudly, "Excuse sir, are you waiting for someone?"
This got his attention and he answered, "Yes, actually, I'm waiting for two people. I'm really nervous!"
Santana smiled and said, "Would one of those people be Quinn?"
His head shot up from looking down at the flowers. "Yes, do you know her?"
"I know her really well," Santana said as she got up from her seat. She boldly walked over to him and extended her hand. "Hello, I'm Santana Lopez, Quinn's fiancée…"
The man rose from his seat and grasped Santana's hand and said, "Very nice to meet you, Santana. I'm Russell, Quinn's father." They shook hands.
Out of the corner of her eye, Santana saw Quinn approaching their table so she said, "I'll be right back!"
Russell sat down again nervously.
Santana walked over to Quinn and said, "Sweetheart, you're in for a surprise!"
Santana pointed in the general direction of Russell.
"Oh fuck, is my mother a man," Quinn said dumbly.
Santana smiled brightly. "No, um, Sweetheart…just follow me."
As Santana and Quinn approach Russell he got up and extended his hand to Quinn. "This must be Quinn…"
Quinn got a strange feeling so she had to ask, "Santana, I'm not into…"
Santana quickly put her finger on Quinn's lips. "Don't finish that statement…trust me!"
Quinn shrugged her shoulders and faced Russell and said, "Hi!"
"Quinn, this is Russell," Santana introduced him.
Quinn suddenly remembered that her father's name is Russell. Santana knew that she was putting the pieces together slowly so she continued, "Your father!"
Russell put his hand out for a handshake. Quinn catapulted into her father's arms. All three people were completely shocked.
"I'm sorry," Quinn said as she released her hold on him.
"Please don't apologize…here…these are for you!" Russell handed Quinn the bouquet.
"Thank you," Quinn said and sniffed the bouquet "They're lovely!"
Just then a shorter woman walked behind them. "Hello, Quinn?"
Quinn spun around.
"Judy," she said nervously.
"Yes, I'm your mother," Judy said and extended her hand. Quinn pulled her into a hug. Both women wrapped their arms tightly around each other.
Once the hug was exchanged, Santana walked up and extended her hand. "Hello, I'm Santana Lopez, Quinn's fiancée."
"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry, Santana," Quinn apologized.
"Sweetheart, don't worry about it," Santana said as she shook Judy's hand.
"Please sit…" Quinn said to her parents.
They all sat except for Santana who asked excitedly, "Who wants coffee?"
"I'll take an espresso, just two sugar packets," Judy said happily.
"I'll have one black," Russell said.
"And you Sweetheart," Santana said and looked at Quinn lovingly.
"I'll take another one," Quinn said, "Thank you Baby!"
While Santana was getting the drinks, the three of them made small talk. Quinn needed Santana by her side when she started asking the more personal questions.
"So you're in law school?" Judy asked.
"Well, pre-law right now, but I'll be staying at New York Law School while I complete everything," Quinn said politely.
"That's great, Quinn…do you know what kind of law you want to practice?" Russell asked intrigued.
"Um, something to do with adoption or foster care laws," Quinn said blasé about it.
Her parents shared a look, but didn't say anything.
Santana came back to the round table they were sharing with all of the drinks.
"Here," Russell said as he got up to help Santana.
"Thank you, sir," Santana said as she placed hers and Quinn's on the table.
"Thank you, San," Quinn said with a small smile.
"Santana, it's Russell," he said as he handed Judy hers.
Santana nodded her head at him.
"So what do you do?" Quinn asked.
"I'm a broker," Russell said.
"I'm a financial assistant," Judy said.
This was followed by some silence.
"So Santana you're in college as well," Russell asked to break the ice further.
"Yes, I attend NYADA for singing and acting," Santana said proudly.
"How did the two of you meet since you're in different schools," Judy asked.
"Well, one day we were walking around and we, literally, bumped into each other," Santana said and smiled at Quinn.
"Then we met again right here actually," Quinn said and grabbed Santana's hand.
"Yup!"
"Wow…it's almost like it was destiny. Like you two were destined to meet and fall in love," Judy said with a smile.
"Yay!" I yelled from above as I watched.
"So, if I may, I'd like to thank you both for creating this beautiful creature here. I don't know what my life would be like without her in it. I would be hell…" Santana said humbly.
Judy looked at Russell and said, "That was a fun night!"
Quinn's mouth hung open from the shock and horror of Judy's statement. Santana laughed out loud.
Russell blushed, but said, "Yes, my dear, it was!"
Then Quinn began to laugh hysterically at the obscurity of the whole conversation.
"Yeah, well, now I don't condone premarital sex, but no one cares to listen. So go on with your story, Quinn!" Judy said.
"Um, yeah, well Santana knows this first hand of what it would be like to lose me…"
"How?" Russell asked.
"A few months ago, I was hit by a speeding car and was in a coma for a little over a month…and I broke my left leg," Quinn said honestly as she pointed to the scar that still rested on her left leg. Judy and Russell looked at Quinn.
"Oh my," Judy said and became emotional.
"Yeah, my family and best friend came from Ohio to be with us while I waited every day for Quinn to wake up. It was the happiest moment of my life to hear her say 'I love you' when she first woke up!" Santana said and sighed.
"The whole experience taught me to never take anything for granted. So I need to ask you some questions…" Quinn said as she visibly shook a little.
"It's okay, Quinn," Judy said as she placed her hand on top of Quinn's.
"I agree," Russell said, "Ask us anything."
"Wow…okay…first I need to know why you chose to give me away?"
Judy and Russell sat there and exchanged a quick glance between them.
"I gave you up because I were just too young to raise you properly. The nurse tried to place you in my arms, but I pushed you away because I knew that if I held you just one time, I'd regret having to give you up. I kept telling myself that I made the best decision I could in light of my circumstances at the time. When my family found out, I had to have you. Honestly the other option wasn't even in my head," Judy said sadly.
"Listening to what you're saying now it seemed so rational for you do that. When I was five years I waited for new foster parents to come to pick me up and they never come, it made me wonder why wasn't I good enough," Quinn said as she wiped away a falling tear. Judy massaged her hand with her own.
Quinn took a deep breath. "You weren't in the picture, Russell," Quinn asked and looked at him.
"No, I wasn't. Looking back I should have been, but I wasn't. I was a silly, sex crazed teenaged boy…"
Quinn smirked a little. "Did you ever regret giving me up?"
"Every day of my life," Judy said as she looked intensely into Quinn's hazel eyes. "There wasn't a day that I didn't think of you, Quinn. How could I not…you were, are, my daughter."
Quinn began to cry and Santana wrapped her arms around her and squeezed as tightly as she could.
"I love you," she whispered as she kissed Quinn's head.
"I love you, too," was the muffled response from Quinn.
"Can I ask a question," Santana asked. Quinn nodded her head while she stayed in Santana's arms.
"Did you ever think of finding and contacting her?"
"I did," Russell said, "I didn't know where to start. Now I know that sounds like an excuse, but I just…I just didn't know if you wanted to be found."
"Every day," Quinn muttered.
"Every day, what?"
"I wanted to be found and taken out of the system for most of my time in it, which is basically every day," Quinn said honestly. "I was messed up in high school. I went through different rebellious periods. Looking back at it, I don't know who I was 'rebelling' against though. No one stuck around long enough to notice. I smoked…I drank…I dyed my hair pink…I even considered getting a tattoo."
"Of who or what?" Santana asked shocked.
"Ryan Seacrest!"
Santana burst out in laughter. I guess she was picturing Seacrest on Quinn's lower back.
"Did you get it?" Judy asked as she cringed a little.
"Nope," Quinn said and smiled.
"Oh, thank God," Judy said and breathed a sigh of relief.
Santana calmed herself down a little and grabbed Quinn's hand.
"I guess I rebelled because I wanted to feel special and loved. I just didn't at that time," Quinn said.
"Well, you are now, Sweetheart," Santana said and sloppily kissed Quinn's cheek.
Quinn's parents looked at the couple sitting across from them. Suddenly, Judy felt Russell's hand on hers. They entwined their fingers together. Quinn quickly noticed their interaction and asked, "So what's your story?"
"Our what," Russell said as his attention went back to his daughter.
"Your story. Are you married? Do I have any siblings?"
"Well, we're not married…we dated for a while but nothing came from it. It, I don't know, felt incomplete for me," Russell said honestly.
"Me too," Judy revealed.
"I'm sorry," Quinn said and hung her head.
"Why are you sorry?" Russell asked kind of shocked.
"If you didn't have me you'd probably be married with kids by now," Quinn said.
"Listen to me, it was because of you that we tried to date. Those were the happiest years of my life," Judy said and smiled.
"Me also," Russell said.
"What about now?" Santana asked.
"What, Santana," Russell asked.
"What about now," Santana repeated.
"Yeah, I 'see' something," Quinn said happily.
"Well," Judy said and made Russell's head whip in her direction.
"Well, what? Do you want to give us another shot," Russell said nervously.
"Are either of you seeing anyone else," Quinn asked.
"No," Judy said.
"Nope…I just broke up something that was really nothing," Russell said with a smile.
"You should go out," Santana said.
"And this time, I want my Mom and Dad to try harder cuz they now have me…"
Both Judy and Russell's heads snapped up to look at Quinn. She smiled brightly and then raised Santana's hand and kissed it sweetly.
"Do you hear that, Judy," Russell began, "Our daughter wants us to date again. We have to do it right?"
"Well, if we must…I'm free tonight," Judy said and patted Russell's back.
"Geez!" Russell said flabbergasted.
Santana suddenly realized something. "I should probably give this back…" She began to un-clasped the heart necklace she got from Quinn.
"I knew that looked familiar," Judy said and smiled, "I'm glad they gave you that, Quinn!"
"Santana, you said it'd never leave your neck," Quinn said and sounded hurt.
"Sweetheart, I just thought that since you reunited with your parents you'd might want it back," Santana said and caressed Quinn's cheek with her free hand.
"No, I want you to have it because me and you…" Quinn said and pointed at each of them, "Are the best kind of family. I want our life to be based on that necklace. Please put it back on?"
"Yes, Santana, put it back on," Judy encouraged her.
"You're sure, everyone," Santana asked to make sure.
They all nodded their heads so Santana clasped the necklace back around her neck. She held it in her hand and kissed it.
Afterward, they had great conversation.
"That's an amazing engagement ring, Santana," Judy said as she admired it on Quinn's finger.
"It was my Abuelita's?"
"Who?"
"Her grandmother's…" Quinn translated.
"Oh, did she pass?"
"Nope she's still alive and kicking. When Quinn and I went home to Ohio for the Holidays, my mother made me visit her…"
"Made you?"
"Yes, you see my grandmother disowned me when I came out to her. I hadn't seen her in a few years because of it," Santana explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Russell said emphatically.
"It's all good. Now…she apologized and was a big support when I needed her. They left the day after Quinn woke up. As the elevator doors were closing, she threw this ring and the box at me. I nearly missed catching it," Santana said and smiled at the memory.
A little while later, Judy looked at her watch and said, "It's four, thirty!"
"Wow, look at that," Quinn said and smiled brightly. "I just want to say thank you for coming here to meet me. It truly means a lot. Will I see you again?"
Quinn had a strange tone of voice when she said that. It made Judy embrace her daughter tightly and kiss her cheek.
"Yes, I, for one, don't want to let another wasted minute go by. I want to be included in all of the things you want me to be included in. Okay, honey?"
Quinn nodded her head. "I think that's okay, but can I call you 'Mom'?"
"Yes!"
"I want to be involved too…I don't know, maybe walk you down the aisle to Santana when the time comes," Russell said as he got choked up.
"I'd love that," Santana spoke up. Quinn was paralyzed from what Russell had just said.
"You want to walk me down…the aisle to the love of my entire life?"
"With absolute pleasure!"
"Um, ok," Quinn said and pulled her father into a hug.
"Oh, Quinn, call me Dad!"
"Ok, Dad, thank you," Quinn said and made Russell's grip around his daughter tighten.
"Santana, it was very nice to meet you," Judy said.
She extended her hand, but Santana pulled her into a warm hug.
While in the hug, Santana said, "Thank you for all of this. I know this meant the world to her. I want you to know that I'd never do anything to hurt her in any way. She's my world and I think I'm hers. She has my heart until the day I die and then eons and eons after that."
Judy didn't know what to say to that.
She said, "Thank you, Santana, for being there for her when we weren't. She has a protector in you so I can take immense comfort in knowing that you got her back. I know that I haven't been the mother she has needed, but I hope to start right now. I love her."
"Well, we'll get along great cuz we have one thing in common…our love for that beautiful creature over there," Santana said and turned her head in Quinn's direction. So did Judy. They spent those few minutes still in each other's embrace, staring at Quinn lovingly.
A few seconds later, Quinn turned her head and noticed them staring.
"What? Do I have a boogie?" Quinn immediately went to pick her nose.
"No, Sweetheart, you don't," Santana said and chuckled.
Quinn shrugged and smiled brightly.
"Well, I have to go," Russell said, "I need to make a stop and then I'll pick you up around seven?"
Judy nodded her head and smiled.
"Santana," Russell said and shook her hand.
"Bye, Princess," he said and kissed Quinn's head.
We watched Russell walk out of the coffee shop.
"Well, I must get going too. Gotta make the train. You should come out to Jersey some time soon," Judy said and smiled.
"We will," Santana promised.
"Bye, Mom," Quinn said as she hugged her mother. When the hug ended, Judy picked up her bag, waved, and walked out of the shop.
Quinn plopped down into the seat.
"Sweetheart, are you alright?"
"I'm better. I'm complete," Quinn said and looked up at Santana. She found her seat and pulled it closer to Quinn as she sat down. "You were always complete to me, Quinn. Now you know your parents and will start to build something with them."
"And it's all cuz of you…"
"No, no, I merely gave you the information. You were the one to make the call and put yourself out there," Santana said and kissed her cheek.
"I love you so much and so hard it's unbelievable," Quinn said with a glint in her eyes.
"I am spectacular," Santana said jokingly.
"No, San, I truly mean it. I love you and can't wait to be your wife…Mrs. Quinn Lopez," Quinn said and smiled.
"You're taking my last name?"
"For the rest of my life," Quinn said and kissed Santana.
