"Finn, I'm home," Quinn said as she walked into the house with Beth in her arms. She put Beth in her play pen and then headed to the kitchen to begin dinner. She knew when Finn got home he would have to eat dinner right away because he had work. Once she got into the kitchen she noticed the papers on the table with a note attached.
"Mrs. Quinn Hudson, hmm I like the sound of that. What do you think about Ms. Elizabeth Fabray-Hudson? I love you, Finn."
Quinn smiled at seeing the note. She then lifted it off of the paper and saw his signature and initialed mark on the adoption papers.
"Looks like you have a daddy and a new name now," Quinn said to her little girl. Beth smiled and said, "daddy."
"Yeah that's right," Quinn said. "Finn is your daddy. He always has been but now it will be official and legal."
Finn walked in the door about 15 minutes later. He went right over to Beth and kissed her and then saw his wife making dinner in the kitchen.
"Hey Quinn," he said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"What no Mrs. Hudson?" Quinn asked playfully.
"Very funny," Finn said.
"I noticed you signed the papers," Quinn said as she gave Finn a plate of food. "So Puck really okayed it?"
Finn wanted to tell her about his conversation with Puck but he figured it would just make her upset. "Yeah," he said, "Puck said he wanted her to be happy and he was glad she was going to have two loving parents who cared for her."
"He really said that?" Quinn asked.
"Yeah, he still cares about you and her and wants her to have a father; the kind of father he knew he couldn't be," Finn said after taking a mouthful of food. "Dinner's great."
"Thanks," Quinn said. She was still thinking about what Puck told Finn. "So Puck really said he cares about Beth and uh me?"
"I didn't think you cared," Finn smirked.
"I don't it's just I didn't think he did either," Quinn said as she began to get Beth's food ready. Her mind was already off thinking about a thousand different things.
"You still care about him, don't you?" Finn asked.
"No, of course not," Quinn said defensively.
"Quinn, I know you," Finn said. "It's okay if you still care. He does for you and Beth."
"I guess I do a little," Quinn said as she began feeding Beth. "I mean we were together for seven months after Beth was born and I don't know I guess I cared about him more than I thought."
"Do you love him?" Finn asked a little surprised he was saying it but eager to hear the answer.
"I did, at least I think I did," Quinn began. "I mean both of us knew we were only together because of Beth and we only fell for each other because of Beth but I still started to love him when I got to know him better and when I saw how perfect he was with Beth. It just never made sense why he left."
"You miss him don't you?" Finn asked again.
"A little but it's nothing," Quinn added. "I miss that he isn't here for Beth but it doesn't matter anymore because you are the one I want. You are the one I've always wanted and you are the perfect dad to Beth. I wouldn't change it for the world." Quinn lied about that last part. She loved Finn and wanted to be with Finn but she also wanted Puck to come back for Beth, yeah just for Beth.
"I love you Quinn and I know you love me too," Finn told her. "I get that you miss him and it is okay to miss him and to still care about him. I miss him too. He was my best friend for most of my life."
"I guess we both miss him then," Quinn said. "And there's our daughter who doesn't even know he exists."
"I want her to know about him Quinn," Finn said as he finished his dinner and prepared to leave for work. "I told him she would."
"I guess I kind of want that too," Quinn sighed. "It's just going to be hard to explain to her that you aren't her dad."
"Yeah I know baby," Finn said as he wrapped his arms around Quinn. "But we can deal with that when she's older. I've got to go. Bye girls!"
"Bye daddy," Quinn said as he left.
"Bye- bye," Beth chimed in after.
Finn smiled and then closed the door and headed off to work.
As soon as she realized he was gone, her mind wandered to Puck. It had been months since thoughts of him crossed her mind but now they wouldn't leave. All she could think about was Puck. How much she missed him, how much she needed him and how much she still loved him. She imagined what life would be like with him and seeing him every day. She thought about Beth calling him daddy and him seeing all of her firsts. Just when she thought she got over him, here were the thoughts and the feelings, flooding right back.
"Damn" she said to herself. "I was so damn close."