"Rugrats! It's bath time!" Santana called out. Her daughters, seven year old Alejandra and five year old Maria, ran into the room. "Ready mijas?" she asked, standing up from the couch.
"Mommy? Can we do it?" Alex asked carefully. Santana opened her mouth to protest when her wife walked into the room.
"What's going on?" Rachel asked.
"The girls want to bathe by themselves." Santana explained. Rachel smiled.
"Let me get the water running." she said. Santana was out of her seat and following her wife in the bathroom in no time.
"What are you doing?" she hissed.
"They have to do this at some point, Santana." Rachel said, kissing her wife before starting the water.
Santana checked her watch for what seemed like the thousandth time and sighed deeply. Looking over at her wife, she glared. "San, how long are you going to glare at me? It's a damn bath for God's sake."
"Rachel, do you know how long those two have been in there?" Santana asked. Rachel rolled her eyes as Santana stood up and made her way over to the bathroom that their daughters shared and tried to open it. "Unbelievable." she said.
"What?" Rachel asked.
"They locked the door." Santana said. Rachel raised an eyebrow. Their daughters knew how they felt about them locking the bathroom door. Rachel and Santana wanted to be able to get into the bathroom immediately if there happened to be an emergency."What did we say about locking the door?" Santana called out.
"You have to knock!" Santana sighed and knocked on the door.
"Alex! Maria! Hurry up. This is the last time I'm letting you two bathe by yourselves."
"You didn't let us!" Alex giggled. Santana growled at her oldest daughter.
"Alejandra..." Rachel gently placed their youngest child, eighteen month old Tia, in her arms before walking over.
"Alejandra, Maria, please hurry up with your bath. Mommy and I allowed you to do this by yourselves because we trust you and we trust that you'll be able to do this. Please don't let us down." the former diva said quietly as Santana gently took Tia out of Rachel's arms.
"You and Mama take a long time when you take a bath together!" Maria said. Santana looked mortified and Rachel chuckled.
"I told you you were loud." Santana said, turning her attention to her daughter. "Hey baby girl." she whispered, walking back to the couch. "You still need me, huh?" Rachel turned around at that.
"Is that what this is about?" she asked softly as she walked over to sit by her wife. "The girls growing up?" Santana shrugged.
"It's kinda nice knowing that they need me to tuck them in, to cut up their food, to tie their shoes, to give them baths, and to make them feel better when they're hurt or sick." she said, kissing her daughter's forehead. Rachel smiled and rubbed her wife's back.
"Baby they will always need you." she said, resting her head on the shoulder of the woman she loved.
"Not always. My babies are growing up. Soon this little one will be too. It's how it works."
"You're their mom. We're their parents. They will always need us in some way." Rachel whispered. Santana smiled. "I'll always need you too. You know I need you to tuck me in at night." Santana laughed. "You can cut up my food or tie my shoes if you really want to." Rachel said, causing Santana to roll her eyes as Rachel lifted her head to whisper in her ear. "And I will always, without a doubt, let you take a bath with me." she whispered, causing Santana to grin wickedly.
"Always, huh?" Rachel nodded. "Sounds good mi amor." she said, kissing her wife softly. Suddenly they heard a crash.
"Mommy!" Rachel took Tia from he wife's arms.
"Duty calls Mommy." she said. Santana jumped up and sprinted to the door.
"Girls? What happened?" she asked.
"Maria slipped and cut her leg." Alex said, opening the door. Rachel stood up to help her oldest daughter get dressed for bed while Santana helped their middle child.
Santana stood in the doorway of Alex and Maria's bedroom and watched the girls sleep peacefully. She felt a familiar pair of arms go around her waist. "Hola." she whispered, leaning back into her wife.
"Hi." Rachel said. Santana smiled as Rachel rested her chin on the skin left open by the tank top she wore to bed. "What was that about them not needing you anymore?" Rachel asked. Santana rolled her eyes.
"Yea, whatever." she said, kissing her wife. "For the record, I need you too." she whispered, smiling.
"I love you." Rachel said.
"I love you too." Santana replied. Rachel grinned.
"Will you come tuck me in?" she asked. Santana grinned.
"Absolutely."