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A Matter Of Time
Chapter 12
Santana was laying on her bed reading a copy of "'Teen Magazine". If she thought teen magazines in the twenty first century were trash then they were nothing compared to this.
"Santana, can I speak to you please?" Rose asks as she enters Santana's bedroom.
"Sure. Is everything okay?"
"I've been thinking about something for a while now and I've finally come to a decision. The outcome of that decision however is going to affect you."
"Okay" Santana replies rather unsurely.
"I'm selling the house."
"So you need me to find somewhere else to live?"
"Yes."
Santana couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. She loved living with Rose and Artie, over the past few months they really had become her family.
"I was thinking you could look for somewhere in New York" Rose says.
"What?"
"Artie told me about you and Rachel. Don't be angry at him, he just wanted to help."
"You're okay with that? with us I mean."
"Santana who you love doesn't change who you are. That's why I want to give you and Rachel the opportunity to live your dreams in New York. If I sell the house I can afford two apartments; one for me here in Lima and one for you and Rachel in New York" Rose explains.
"You can't do that for me. It's too much."
"Nothing is too much for family."
"Rose."
"It's not up for discussion Santana. I've been thinking about this for the past year. When Artie goes to college he will be living on campus and this house is too big just for me. I can't spend the money when I'm dead Santana and I might as well give it to you rather than have it sit in a bank."
"When my grandmother found out that was gay, she told me she never wanted to see me again. Even when my parents died she wanted nothing to do with me. I was starting to forget what it was like to even have a grandmother, until now. I might not have my own Abuela, but you're a pretty good substitute."
Rose wraps her arms around Santana and pulls her into a hug.
"I meant what I said Santana, you are family to me and to Artie."
"Thanks Rose. It's been a long time since I felt I belonged somewhere and now I know that this is where I truly belong."
"Correction; you belong with Rachel in New York" Rose smiles.
Their special moment is interrupted by the doorbell ringing.
"I'll get it" Rose says.
She pats Santana on the shoulder before getting off the bed and heading to the door. Santana picks up her magazine once again and carries on reading. She starts to read an article about Elvis when she hears a quick knock on the door before it swiftly opens and Rachel walks in the room.
"Hey" Rachel greets.
"I hope you don't mind, Rose said I could come up."
"Of course I don't mind. Are you okay?" Santana asks.
"I'm fine thank you. What are you doing?"
"Just reading." Santana replies holding up the magazine to emphasize her point.
"What are you reading?"
"'Teen magazine. Come here."
Rachel walks over to the bed and lies next to Santana.
"What?" Rachel asks when she notices her girlfriend looking at her.
"Nothing, you're just so beautiful."
Santana leans down and brushes her lips against Rachel.
"Sorry to interrupt girls. I just wanted to know if you were staying for dinner Rachel." Rose asks from the doorway.
"Yeah she will. Thanks Rose" Santana answers on Rachel's behalf.
Rose sends the couple a smile before retreating out of the room and closing the door behind her. Santana bends down to kiss Rachel again, but Rachel pushes her shoulders back.
"What's up?"
"She just saw us San, she saw us kissing."
"Rose doesn't care. Artie told her about us and she's fine with it. We can be ourselves around them, they're my family" Santana says rubbing her thumb over Rachel's cheek.
"Are you sure they're okay with us?" Rachel asks still unconvinced.
"I'm positive. We talked about it earlier. I actually have something to tell you. Rose is selling the house, so I'm moving away from Lima."
"You're moving?"
"Yeah, I'm moving to New York and I want you to come with me."
"What?"
"Rose is going to buy us an apartment in New York. I refused the idea at first, but we talked about it and I think it's a good idea. We can be away from here, away from this town and the people in it. This is an opportunity for both of us to live our dreams" Santana explains.
"I'm not so sure."
"It's the perfect solution. You applied for a college in New York right? You promised me you would."
"Yes I did but I only applied to one. I was scared that my parents or Finn would find out" Rachel says.
"You'll get in, I'm sure of it and if not we'll find a solution. There'll be other colleges."
"It's a big decision Santana."
"I know and I'm sorry that I haven't given you a lot of time since your graduation is just a few weeks away, but we can make this work. If you're worried about us living together in New York we can work that out too. You can take the apartment in New York and I can stay in Lima for a while."
"You'd do that for me?"
"I'd do anything for you. If staying in Lima is the only way I can get you to go to New York and follow your dreams then that's what I'll do."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Santana leans down to capture Rachel's lips once again and is relieved when her girlfriend accepts the kiss. They stay lost in each other for a few minutes before Rachel pulls away and looks deep into Santana's eyes.
"I don't want to go to New York if you're not there with me" she says.
"So is that a yes? Are we moving to New York?" Santana asks.
"Yes."
February 17th 2013
Rachel slowly turns over the faded page of the scrap book. The black and white photo on the page causes a huge smile to grace her face. It was taken on their first day as official New York residents.
She had met Santana in her senior year of high school. She had shown up from out of nowhere and walked right into Rachel's life.
She wasn't sure about Santana at first and although she had an inkling that she was attracted to women she would never have acted on it. However Santana changed that, she forced her way into Rachel's heart giving her no option but to give in.
It took all of Rachel's strength to leave her high school boyfriend and start a hidden relationship with Santana. She had spent the past few years believing she was going to marry Finn and that her life would follow a certain path that was planned out by other people.
Santana changed that. She had convinced her to apply to a performing arts school in New York. It had always been her dream to perform on Broadway, a dream she never thought possible when she first started dating Finn.
A few weeks before the end of summer Rachel received her acceptance letter so she and Santana started to make plans to move to New York together. They found a perfect one bedroom apartment to live in and Rose found herself a small apartment perfect for her in Columbus. It was close to Ohio State where Artie had received a scholarship too.
While Artie and Rachel had their academic paths planned out Santana looked for a job and decided to complete a GED. She had no records of her old life so this seemed like the perfect solution to get some credentials that would hopefully put her on her own career path.
After a year of hard work she also received an acceptance letter to study law and eventually became a lawyer. Rachel's won her first role on Broadway when she was twenty four. She played the role of Nancy in a new musical called Oliver!
After a successful spell, two years later she auditioned for the role of Fanny Brice in another new musical called Funny Girl but ultimately lost out to a lesser known actress called, Barbra Streisand.
It was in 1965 when they gained another addition to their family. Luke was three years old and was the son of her high school boyfriend Finn and his wife, Anne. Anne had become a single mother when Finn was killed in the Vietnam War whilst she was pregnant. Unfortunately she also passed away three years later from cancer.
Rachel flicks the scrapbook back a few pages to find the photograph of her and Finn before their senior prom. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo and even though that night ended with Rachel and Santana proclaiming their love for each other, Finn still had a place in her heart.
To Rachel's surprise she and Finn had remained friends after high school. She also had a good relationship with his wife, but she was surprised to find out that she was named as Luke guardian in Anne's will. Rachel assumed that Anne must have known her time was coming to an end and wanted to make plans for after her death.
Turning the pages of the scrapbook again she finds the photographs of a younger Luke. It took a while for him to settle in, but soon enough he adjusted to being a part of their family.
A year later Santana had returned home one day and told Rachel about a case she was working on. She told her about a six year old girl that Santana felt she a connection to and that needed a home. It took months and a lot of sheer determination on Santana's part but eventually Mia became a part of their family too.
Rachel had to adopt Mia in a single parent adoption. It was the only way they could do it back then and even then it had to be under special circumstances. Santana couldn't be the one to adopt her since she had been involved in the case, but it helped that she was a lawyer who could deal with the legal side of the adoption.
Rachel looks towards the photograph that hangs on the wall. It was of her and Santana with Luke and Mia. It was from the earlier years where they had to live a lie.
If you looked at them from the outside they looked unconventional, a single mother living with her friend and her two children but on the inside they were the perfect family. Rachel had often been questioned by the media as to why she was single and she always gave the answer that she wanted to focus on her career.
Luke and Mia have their own children now, making Santana and Rachel grandmothers to five beautiful children. Luke had two boys and a girl whilst Mia had two daughters.
Two photographs hang next to the photo of the Berry-Lopez family. The first was of Luke's children Thomas, Annie and Finn who were named after their grandmother and grandfather. Rachel and Santana felt that it was important for Luke to know who his parents were, especially Finn after he had lost his life fighting for their country.
The second photo was of Mia's two daughters; Jessica and Elizabeth. They had explained the circumstances behind Mia's adoption to their daughter and gave her the opportunity to find her birth parents but Mia wasn't interested. Santana and Rachel had brought her up and as far as she was concerned they were her parents.
Rachel and Santana's relationship had changed with the times. After years of keeping their relationship as secret they finally came out as a couple when it was more acceptable. They got married in the summer of two thousand and three in Ontario, Canada and they are renewing their vows on their ten year anniversary this summer. Rachel had always wanted to be married in New York but the state hadn't legalized gay marriage at the time. They had to settle for being married in Canada, but now Rachel could finally have her dream of being married in New York .
Their first wedding was a quiet affair with just their family and friends. Rachel easily finds the photographs of their wedding in the scrapbook. She knows the exact page her favorite photo occupies, it's of her and Santana in their wedding dresses. Luke was stood next to Santana on the left and Mia was stood next to Rachel on the right.
They had to sit through both of their children getting married before they were finally able to get married themselves. It was such a special day and the photograph captured such a special moment that it always warmed Rachel's heart every time she looked at it.
The next photograph was another favorite of Rachel's. It was a photo of her with Santana, Artie and Emily. Artie had been given the honor being their best man, to both Santana and Rachel there was no other choice than Santana's brother.
Artie and Emily had gotten married after they had graduated from Ohio State. Artie was so excited when he came home to tell his family that Emily had got into Ohio State and that she would be moving down to Columbus too. He was worried that their relationship was going to end so the news of Emily's acceptance lifted a great weight off his shoulders.
They married, moved in together and two years later Emily was pregnant with their first child. Santana cried the first time little Abbey Rose Abrams called her Aunt Santana.
Rachel and Santana were glad that all of their makeshift family were able to make it to their wedding. There was only one person missing from their celebration; Rose.
It was a sad day when they learnt of Rose's death. Even though Rose was elderly, her death was quite a shock to everyone. She hadn't been ill when she died, so to get that phone call was just unexpected. Santana was told that she had died in her sleep and Santana took comfort in the fact that Rose hadn't suffered.
Although Rose was no longer with them physically, Santana knew she was at the wedding in spirit. Without Rose, Santana wouldn't be where she is today and for that Santana would be forever grateful to the woman who became a grandmother to her.
The next photograph on the page also held another special place in her heart. It was a photo of Rachel with her best friends; Brittany and Quinn.
It had taken years and a failed marriage before Rachel, Brittany and Quinn made it back to each other again. Quinn had followed Brian to Virginia and got married two years later. Quinn tried to play the perfect wife and had two children, a boy and a girl. They were the reason that Quinn stayed with Brian for so long but once they were older, she decided to stop living a lie and asked Brain for a divorce.
Brittany had met her husband when she was twenty three and married a year after. They had three children together and had stayed married until Michael passed away from cancer at the age of sixty seven. She had reconnected with Quinn a few years before Rachel and Santana's wedding.
Quinn had been visiting Lima and no matter how many years had passed she could recognize Brittany anywhere. Even though so many years had passed, the moment they saw each other, it was like they were in high school again.
There were no longer romantic feelings between them; too many years had passed for those type of feelings to remain. Each girl was just happy to have their best friend back. It got them wondering about Rachel, they had tried to keep in contact with her but both had failed.
They had heard about her fame on Broadway and had decided to take a trip to New York together to reconnect with their other best friend.
A noise outside takes Rachel's attention away from the scrap book. She gets out of the chair with a bit of a struggle and makes her way over to the window.
She watches out of the window as a van parks across the street. A young girl gets out and opens the side door and brings out a large bouquet of flowers. She closes the van door and makes her way up to Rachel's neighbors house.
Rachel smiles at the thought of Mrs. Ewan being surprised by the bouquet of flowers. She slowly makes her way back over to her chair and reaches for the scrapbook once more. She wonders for a moment where her wife has got too, she had left twenty minutes ago to get Rachel a newspaper from the corner store.
As if on cue, Rachel hears the front door open and a few minutes later Santana enters the room holding a large bouquet of flowers.
"The delivery girl took them to the wrong house, what's wrong with the youth of today that they can't even figure out something as simple as an address?" Santana asks.
"These are for you by the way" she adds walking over to her wife and giving her a quick kiss.
"What are these for? It isn't our anniversary for another few months."
"Do I need a reason to show you how much I love you?" Santana questions.
When Rachel thinks back to the time she met Santana, she wonders why she resisted for so long. She knew she would fall for Santana; it was only a matter of time.
A/N. A Matter Of Time has finally come to an end. I want to thank you all for reading and for taking time to review, I appreciate every single one. Also a big thank you needs to go to Beebeeborez who came up with the plot for this story and has given me her time to edit my work.
Hopefully there will be another story soon.
Live_Young.