A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favorites.

A big thank you to DieZeitVergeht for reading over.

This chapter is dedicated to my dear friend musicjunkiefromdodgertown, who lost someone very special to her a couple of weeks ago. That is all.

Enjoy...

Chapter 36: Pink Carnations

"What's taking her so long?" Santana slightly rolled her eyes and mindlessly flipped through a bridal catalogue. "She should be a pro at this by now. She's already tried on six dresses."

"Maybe I should try to go back in there!" Kurt tried to sit up.

"Nu-uh! Sit!" Mercedes snapped, stopping him dead in his tracks. "She kicked you out for a reason, Kurt!"

"Yes, which I'm still unclear about. I deserve an explanation." He grumbled and plopped back into his seat.

"Kurt, you kept trying to get her to buy that random Vera Wang dress. And we all thought it was ugly." Brittany fed dried cheerios to Gabriel, who was standing with the support of her thigh.

She helped a wobbling Gabriel make it the three steps across to his Auntie Cedes. It was the end of April, and he had only been walking for a full a week. It was a slow process in which Gabriel still did more crawling than walking, but he was a determined little boy already. Santana and Brittany were rather proud of the fact that they could say their son was a walker at under twelve months old.

The gang of friends had been at the most important part of planning Quinn's wedding since early that Wednesday morning. It was spring break for the two teachers; Santana, Brittany, Mercedes, and Kurt found themselves being dragged around Brooklyn while Quinn shopped for her perfect dress.

"I just don't see why she brought me along if she didn't want my fashion expertise," Kurt crossed his legs and sulked. "I'm the professional stylist here. My opinion matters, especially when it comes to a wedding dress!"

"Oh please!" Santana laughed out. "Kurt, that dress was uggo! Plus, Quinn and Nick are on teacher salaries. She can't really afford a freaking vintage Vera Wang. You need to stop being bitter and get over it."

"Oh yes," Kurt mimicked. "Just like you need to stop being bitter about the bridesmaid dresses Quinn picked out for you guys?"

"Hey!" she pointed. "I have never thought yellow was my color. Those dresses are disgusting!"

"I like the dresses!" Brittany and Mercedes said at the same time.

"Canary," Kurt corrected. "The color is canary, Santana. And it goes with Quinn's late spring wedding theme! Daisy bouquets and wildflowers covering the altar. White Christmas track lighting as the evening sets on the deck overlooking a Coney Island beach. Just the perfect Quinn-esque bohemian wedding..."

Kurt's voice cracked as he looked off in a daze. He was glassy eyed, already imagining what was assumed by all of the friends to be the perfect wedding in a couple of months.

"It's gonna be beautiful, huh?" Brittany smiled, trapped in her own daydream.

Santana studied her for a moment. Since they had been married, a part of her always regretted not giving her wife a perfect and proper wedding ceremony. At the time, they were in a crazy beautiful rush to finally get hitched after undergrad. Santana made a mental note to put it on her bucket list to somehow fit in a real ceremony for the two of them. Maybe they could re-do their vows with a fancy formal event one day, she daydreamed herself.

"Oh, it so is..." Mercedes smiled into the top of Gabriel's head as he slobbered and hummed into his hand. He looked about ready for a nap as it had been quite an early wake-up call for him as well.

"So, have you two figured what you're going to do for little man's birthday and Mother's Day?" Kurt casually brought up, flipping through his phone. "I know you guys always have a big barbeque and your parents come into town every year."

"Yeah," Brittany instinctively reached over to play with Santana's fingers. "Since our parents are coming in for a few days only, we decided to celebrate his birthday on that Mother's Day Sunday; even though his real birthday will be that following Tuesday."

"You hear that Gaby? You get two birthdays!" Mercedes baby-talked down to Gabriel and bounced him on her knee.

"Mhm, he gets to smash his face into two cakes! And we get double the cute pictures to email people!" Santana gave her son a playful surprised face.

"Oh wow," Kurt laughed. "You guys have officially become those parents."

"What parents?" The couple recoiled, giving Kurt the same stank-eye glare.

"I'm just saying when I wake up to twenty new pictures of Gabriel every morning in my Gmail; that's not mail. That's spam!"

"My son is not spam! Cómo te atreves!"

In an instant it was a banter and snark fest as the friends talked over each other. Brittany and Santana defending themselves over Kurt's perceived 'attack'. Mercedes tried to play neutral until she finally picked the couple's side and her place in verbally admonishing Kurt. Kurt proclaiming he was going to set up a separate email just for the couple's chronic baby picture spamming problem. And finally, Gabriel managing to slip into a nap among the bickering.

"Ladies... and sir!" The boutique worker clapped her hands, breaking up the friends playful argument.

"No, just ladies is right! You got it right the first time, ma'am!" Santana flashed her Cheerios smirk and Kurt teasingly threw a catalogue at her.

"Well, um... I think we found the dress!" The heavy-set woman rubbed her hands together in achievement.

"That's what she said six dresses ago..." Santana whispered under her breath and Brittany squeezed her hand in warning.

"May I present to you, your bride..." The woman waved Quinn in.

Quinn stepped gingerly out from the behind the dressing room door and walked in front of the viewing mirror; like she had done six times before that very day. But this time it was different. This was a different reaction than she had gotten from her four best friends. There was no snarky comment from Santana about the dress making her look fat. There was no backhanded fashion-elitist remark from Kurt about the dress being a smidge out of season. There was only silence as she stood in the strapless, white corseted princess dress. Quinn was taken aback and nervously fidgeted with the material at her hips.

"Well...?" Her eyes scanned the room in confusion. "I mean, this is lucky number seven. This has to be it!"

"It's..." Kurt started, but couldn't finish his statement as he brought his hands up to tent his nose and mouth.

"... soooo beautiful!" The three women cooed together and then over each other.

Brittany squeezed Santana's hand as the two choked back tears together. Mercedes did the same. And Kurt wasn't even attempting to hold back the waterworks.

"Yeah...?" Quinn grinned and blushed at the same time. "It doesn't make me look fat? And it's not out of season?"

"No!" They all yelled at her, causing Gabriel to flinch in his sleep against Mercedes' shoulder.

"Well... it looks like this is the one then," Quinn swallowed a lump. "Quick! Someone take a picture so I can send it to my mom." She wiped and fanned her eyes.

And as quick as Quinn asked; Santana, Brittany, and Kurt fumbled with their phones for the future bride. They all got up and stepped towards her. But before Santana could beat the other two to getting a shot off, her phone screen lit up with a call from her mother. She had been in almost daily contact with her parents since Christmas, but she dreaded these phone calls more and more as her father's condition got worse and worse. She gave Brittany a strange look and moved to take the call out of the vicinity of the gushing bride to be.

Brittany watched with curiosity as Santana paced a corner of the boutique, talking low and only in Spanish. She tried to keep herself occupied by taking Gabriel from Mercedes and placing him in his stroller. She tried to engage in a conversation with the others, but couldn't keep her attention on them for more than fifteen seconds before looking back towards her wife.

"Is it her mom?" Quinn finally asked. Her voice was soft and caring.

"Mhm..." Brittany nodded just as Santana hung up. She took a moment to gather herself before turning and walking back. Her wife and three friends were silent as they searched her body language for any clue.

Santana sucked in a prolonged breath before speaking. "My parents can't make it to Gabriel's birthday..." she swallowed.

"Oh no, baby. I'm so sorry," Brittany pouted and rubbed Santana's arm.

"Um... my dad has been having trouble breathing lately and the doctors don't want him to travel..."

You could hear a pin drop as the four of them stared back at her. They couldn't find the words. Mainly, because there was nothing that could be said.

"Honey, we'll just go to Lima, okay? We'll pack all the supplies, I'll call my parents and tell them plans have changed." Brittany quickly suggested.

"I already suggested that, Britt." Santana pursed her lips. "My mom said no. She said my dad didn't want to throw a wrench in any plans."

"It wouldn't be a wrench though! It's two weeks away..."

"I don't know, baby..." Santana looked dejected. Brittany hated that look. It was the look she had seen a lot of over the last few weeks; every time Santana would get off the phone with her mother in the evenings.

"Okay!" Quinn finally spoke, breaking the uncanny awkward silence in the room. "What do you all say I treat you to a late lunch? It's the least I can do for dragging you around all morning."

"That sounds great, Q." Santana softly smiled. She knew what her best friend was trying to do, and she appreciated the sentiment.

It seemed like all the air had been sucked out of the room as everyone began to pack up and leave for lunch. Again, nothing much was said beyond casual and concise conversations.

Again... because nothing could be said.

"Okay, that has to be deep enough, Brittany!" Santana wiped the sweat off her brow, removing the shovel out of the hole.

"Umm... a little more," Brittany squinted. "The little tag here says the Meyer lemon tree has to be planted in hole that's twice the size of its root bowl, babe."

"This is a giant ass hole, Britt!" Santana stuck the shovel back in and laughed. "I'm starting to suspect you just wanna watch me sweat," she flickered her brow.

"Maybe," Brittany grinned. "You are looking rather sexy in those jean shorts and tank top..."

Brittany looked her wife up and down like she was prey. They had been working on the backyard since Brittany's spring break, and were making a lot of progress. It was a great family bonding experience, even if it was like pulling teeth with their daughter to get anything done. Even though Roxie seemed to still be in a bad mood since her fight with Cassie, they suspected she was enjoying the experience as well.

"I know that look. Stop!" Santana chuckled and readjusted her sun glasses. "You know afternoon delights have effectively been wiped out of our lives since Gabe was born."

"Doesn't mean I can't daydream," Brittany ogled her some more.

"You're so bad..." Santana leaned into a lingering peck.

"Now dig!" Brittany playfully ordered and leaned down to get the soil ready. "After you're done with that one, the Mexican lime tree is going over there," she pointed.

"Where's Roxie to do this?" Santana grumbled. "Isn't she still grounded?"

Santana looked over her shoulder to see her daughter playing with Gabriel in the newly sown grass. She couldn't help but smile while watching Roxie being a doting big sister. The teenager held onto his little hand with her thumb and index finger as the newly mobile Gabriel went exploring the vast new territory of the backyard. He teetered and led his sister around, attempting to chase after a spring dragonfly that caught his eye. Santana had an overwhelming warm sensation from head to toe while watching the two.

"She's been off of probation for a few days, San." Brittany was on her knees, mixing the soil. "Besides, she's doing some babysitting while we try to get this backyard together. I want to have it at least halfway decent by Gabriel's birthday and Mother's Day on Sunday. I wanna show off our hard work to people."

Brittany didn't look up as she mixed, but knew by the dead silence coming from her wife she had struck a chord, and not a good one. It had been almost two weeks since getting the news that Santana's parents wouldn't be able to make the special occasion. She would often go silent for minutes at a time whenever the realization of her father's terminal illness sank in. Brittany finally looked up to find a stone-faced Santana shoveling into the ground with more resolution. She couldn't quite read her behind the sunglasses, but could all but see the sad eyes. She moved her mouth to speak, but was interrupted before getting a sound out.

"Oh god!" Roxie came leading towards the couple with Gabriel held out. "We got a stinker here! Take him!"

"Nu-uh," Brittany laughed. "You know the rules, Rox. Whoever smelt it... changes the poopy diaper."

"No way, Auntie B! He has like man-sized craps now! You know how horrible my gag reflex is!"

"Nice try, kid!" Brittany laughed some more. She finally stood up, brushing off some soil from her hands and knees.

"I got him." Without warning, an emotionless Santana laid down the shovel and took her son. And in a second she was quietly baby-talking to him, making her way up the stairs to the deck and into the house.

"Wha-what's wrong with Tía?" Roxie looked just as perplexed. "I-is it about her dad and them not being able to make it?"

"Yeah, sweetie..." Brittany picked up the shovel. "He's really sick." Brittany tried her best to be stoic as she dug into the ground.

"I got it, Auntie." Roxie took over the shoveling for her mother and Brittany went back to mixing the soil.

"How sick...?" Roxie swallowed.

"I'm not sure, honey. But we're planning a trip out to Lima sometime after Gabe's birthday..."

"Okay."

"The next few months are gonna be tough, Rox. I'm gonna need you to go with the flow for awhile, okay?" Brittany looked up. "Don't pull any teenager freak-outs if the scheduling and trips to Lima take away from your Zoe time. We need to be here for each other."

"Oh... don't worry about that..." Roxie sarcastically scoffed under her breath and angrily shoveled.

"You and Zoe haven't patched things up yet?"

"I haven't really had the chance! I was too embarrassed and scared to answer her calls or texts the few days after. Then her mom swept her off to the Hamptons for Easter and the whole spring break week! And this week, she's been MIA because of the May Showcase rehearsals."

"What are you scared about?"

"Auntie... I beat her best friend's ass! I don't really know how she feels about that yet. And we've haven't really had the time to sit down and discuss anything. Honestly, everything's a big unknown right now..."

Roxie's throat and chest tightened at the inevitable future conversation she was bound to have with her girlfriend. But she needed to see her, and soon. Roxie was having major withdrawals as it had been the most time the girls had spent apart since winter break.

"There's still the phone if you guys insist on ducking each other at school." Brittany lowered her eyes. "Rox, you two are really amazing together. Just figure it out, and then invite her to your brother's birthday, okay?"

Brittany softly smiled. She was trying to exude confidence for her daughter by playing the situation off as two stubborn teenagers just needing to get their shit together. She knew deep down it was probably more complex than that, but she was trying to spur Roxie into making the first move.

"I'll try, B..." Roxie twitched a placating smile.

"Good!" Brittany stood up and again.

"We have been texting on and off all week while she's been staying late for rehearsals. It's just not the same; I wanna see her in person, Auntie. We have some like major couple soul-searching to do, and we can't do that over the phone."

Brittany stared and was rather proud of the fact Roxie had a sense of where to begin things with her girlfriend. The old Roxie would have definitely cut and run by now. Brittany looked away, letting the warm sunny day take hold. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back to soak up the rays, saying a silent prayer to the skies that both her girls could keep it together passed the summer.

Brittany looked at herself in the mirror later that night as she cut off her blow dryer. She blew an arrant blond strand out of her face and immediately started brushing the static out of her silky locks. She leaned her head to one side and brushed when she heard the faint, but familiar sound of Santana lightly singing. She smiled to herself as she recognized the Spanish lullaby Santana had sang to her pregnant belly for months. She walked and quietly leaned against the bathroom door frame, watching her wife sing a fading Gabriel to sleep on their bed. She laid facing him as the two shared a pillow.

Duérmete mi niño, duérmete mi amor
Duérmete pedazo de mi corazón,

Que tengo que hacer,
Lavar tus pañales sentarme a coser

Ese niño quiere que lo duerma yo,
Dormir en mis brazos y en mi corazón.

"I love that song..." Brittany gently spoke, walking up, then crawling on the bed.

"Yeah...?" Santana hummed, cracking a faint smile into the top of their son's head. She gently rubbed up and down Gabriel's back. He rustled in his fire engine red footed pajamas, but settled back into his little dream world.

"Mhm, he used to move around like crazy in my tummy whenever you would sing it, then settle down and sleep. Just like this..." Brittany snuggled in closer behind, placing a kiss to the back of his neck. She mimicked her wife in drawing circles on his back for a moment.

"My grandma used to sing it to me..." Santana spoke so small. "It always makes me think about her and how we never patched things up before... you know?"

"Mhm," Brittany searched her wife's eyes. "But baby... that wasn't your fault. You tried, even until the end..."

"I know, Britt."

"What's wrong? Talk to me, love." Brittany finally asked, propping herself up on an elbow.

Of course, she knew what was wrong. And this would undoubtedly be the first of many talks in the next few months. But she didn't mind, because she had taken the vows to always be there for her wife.

"I don't know..." Santana swallowed, then ran her fingers through Gabriel's hair. "I guess I just feel guilty. I've been wanting to make it out to Lima a lot more and spend time with my dad, and I haven't been able to."

"I'm sorry, I know we've just had a lot going on lately. And then I started the second project-"

"No, baby," she grabbed Brittany's hand over Gabriel's back and shook her head. "No one is to blame. It's just unfortunate that I haven't been able to get out there in six months."

"I know, San. But we're making a trip out before Memorial Day."

"I just wish they could make it..." she pouted and picked off a piece of lint from Gabriel's eyebrow. "I'm sad, Britt. I'm sad he's gonna miss Gabe turning one, our first 'real' Mother's Day, and I'm sad that Gabriel's never going to know his abuelo. Cancer just sucks!" she hissed.

"Gabriel will know his grandpa, babe. We'll make sure of it! And cancer does suck really hard!" Brittany reached over to caress her face. She felt so unbelievably helpless that it actually ached.

Santana leaned into her wife's soothing touch and held back tears. She wondered when the feeling of always wanting to cry would ever go away. It seemed like it would never, not since receiving the news the day after Thanksgiving months ago. She searched her son's handsome face and closed her eyes like she was trying to burn the memory into eternity.

"Time just goes by so fast, Britt," she whispered. "Look how big he is..." Santana looked up and down his tiny body as he lightly snored away.

"Mhm..." Brittany finally scooted back down and hummed into the back of Gabriel's head, breathing him in. "But he's always gonna be our little baby."

"Can he sleep with us tonight...?" Santana softly asked, and Brittany could feel the vulnerability coming off of her wife like a heat-ray.

"Do you even have to ask?" Brittany smirked.

She got up and turned off the lights, and made sure the window was cracked a bit as Santana moved herself and Gabriel under the covers. Brittany snuggled into her original position. For awhile, she took turns again drawing circles on Gabriel's back with Santana until their hands stopped and rested on each other. And like so many times before, since Gabriel was born, the three of them faded away to the sounds of Brooklyn coming in through the window.

Roxie weaved in and out of pedestrians as she made her way up Flushing Avenue on her longboard. She had gotten it for Christmas from her mothers, but hadn't been able to take it out around Brooklyn yet. It was mid spring now though, and the ice and snow was long gone. Roxie didn't have to put up with the headache of the subway system to get across town anymore with her new mode of transportation.

She came to a sudden stop once she reached her destination. She flipped her board up into her hand and stared at Zoe for a moment through the coffee shop window. Her girlfriend sat at one of the small couple tables and looked to be casually flipping through her phone while sucking on a frappucino. Roxie gulped, and had no idea why she was so nervous. She had jumped at the chance to get out of the house early that Sunday morning after she had helped set up Gabriel's birthday party with her family. Her moms said she could get out for a few if she promised to be home before the festivities. She had been planning to hit her favorite record store until Zoe suddenly text her about meeting up at a local coffee shop.

Roxie blankly stared; the girls had yet to sit down and have a real conversation since the fight. They agreed only in text messages that they would give each other some space, and hadn't really text since Roxie invited her to Gabriel's birthday party on Thursday. That throat and chest tightening feeling came back again as her mind raced. Zoe wouldn't come all the way to Bushwick on Mother's Day just to break up with her, would she? Or maybe it was the opposite. Maybe Roxie should take it as a good sign that her girlfriend came to her turf instead having them meet at some neutral place.

There was no point in standing there like a weirdo any longer. She had to face the music sooner or later. As Roxie took out her earbuds and walked into the hip coffee shop, she told herself she would take it on the chin and stay standing, like she had done so many other times in her life before. The teenagers' eyes locked and they both slowly smiled as Roxie approached, finally taking a seat.

"Nice board, hipster." Zoe teased and playfully smirked. Roxie took it as a good sign and was finally able to relax some. She wanted to lean over and give Zoe a kiss, but thought better of it.

"Yeah, I'm just breaking it in like a new pair of jeans..." Roxie blushed and was trying her best to truck through the initial awkwardness.

"I uh... got you your favorite ice tea with a velencia shot. It's fucking hot today and I figured you might want something refreshing." Zoe smiled and pushed the tall ice tea across to Roxie, leaving a wet trail of condensation on the ebony table top.

"Thanks..." Roxie smiled and took a long sip. There was an awkward silence as both girls seemed to be waiting for the other one to make the first move. It was the single most painfully awkward moment between them since Roxie first opened the door on that snowy January day a year ago.

"Okay!" Zoe finally broke first. "Rox, what's going on with us? This is stupid!" she sighed

"I don't know! Are you gonna break up with me right now?" Roxie countered just as fast.

"What! No!" Zoe almost laughed. "Why would you think...?" she shook her head.

"I don't know, Zo. You could have invited me to your house or came to mine. And instead you pick a place where we can't make a scene. I see it in movies all the time. This is the type of place where you dump someone!"

"You're ridiculous," Zoe giggled. She giggled and Roxie's heart skipped a beat. She missed her girlfriend's laugh over the last few weeks. "Why do you always think bad stuff?"

"...It's all I know..." Roxie mumbled, averting her eyes.

"It's not all you know, that's a cop out. You have good things in your life; a lot of good things, Roxie." Zoe was starting to get fed up with that type of talk from Roxie. She reached across and interlaced their fingers. The feeling sent tingles through Roxie's body. The absence of Zoe's touch over the last few weeks had been torture.

"I know..." Roxie rubbed her thumb along Zoe's and gazed into her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm just trying to figure out what happened," Zoe quirked her mouth. "One minute we're fine, then Natasha shows up, and all hell breaks loose! This is really hard for me, Rox! I love you and love my best friends. I need to know both sides, so I can try to fix things."

"Didn't Cassie tell you everything...?" Roxie's eyes slightly deadened at the mentioning of her arch-nemesis.

"She told me her side. It was some bullshit story about how you attacked her all unprovoked. I never bought it! I know you, and you wouldn't do that." Zoe rolled her lips as she played with Roxie's fingers. "Look, I know she said something to you. What did she say to piss you off?"

Roxie thought the question over for a moment. She wanted so badly to tell Zoe right then and there just how evil her best friend was. She wanted to tell her word for word what the bitch said to her in that hallway when their faces were a mere inches from each other. She wanted to, but Roxie just couldn't. Who was she to ruin sixteen years of friendship? Who was she to knock Zoe down a social peg? She sighed and opened her mouth to answer.

"Cassie's just a bitch, Z," she rolled her eyes. "She told me some shit about you needing space, and I flipped out. That's all..." she looked down and chewed on her bottom lip.

Roxie lied. She didn't know why she lied. She didn't know why she was protecting Cassie Toscano's bitch ass when she could have lit her up right there. But maybe she was really protecting Zoe from having to make any tough decisions. She would take one for the team on this. Zoe was worth it, and Roxie was desperate. She wasn't sure if she could breathe one more day without her.

"That's all she said? Are you sure?" Zoe was skeptical.

"Mhm..." Roxie played it casual and took another sip of her tea.

"Roxie, I know some of my friends are bitches-"

"That's an understatement," Roxie quickly jabbed and opened her cup to eat a piece of ice.

Zoe sighed. "I'm not naive, Rox. I know how Cassie and the others have been operating. And yes, I know Natasha still might have a thing for me-"

"Might?" Roxie raised her eyebrows and found Zoe's statement utterly naive.

"Roxie!" Zoe scolded her for interrupting. "You remember we started talking about trust a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah..."

"Baby, I need you to trust me... like I trust you." Zoe squeezed her hand. "Please?"

One deep look into Zoe's glowing hazel eyes, and Roxie was done for. She did trust her. She trusted Zoe with all her heart and soul. However, she still couldn't get passed her total distrustof Zoe's friends, or the distrust of anything in her life lasting long. But admitting that would only send the discussion into circles again. Roxie just wanted to quit while she was ahead.

"I trust you... I always have." Roxie softly smiled. She brought Zoe's hand up to her lips, placing a kiss to her knuckles.

"This was just a little bump, Rox. We can make it work. I promise to talk to Natasha and tell her to knock off the flirting. I'll talk to Cassie too about her bitchy ways. I'll split my time, so you don't have to be around them. I can do it."

Roxie flickered her eyes and felt almost sickly guilty for what Zoe was suggesting. But she would never make her girlfriend choose, so this is how it had to be for awhile.

"Okay," Roxie kissed her hand again.

"So, are we good now?" Zoe finally flashed her perfect bright smile.

"We're perfect..." Roxie gazed lovingly, but wasn't sure how much she believed the statement.

"Can we kiss now? Because I've been dying without you," Zoe laughed.

Roxie chuckled, then scooted and hopped her chair around until she was between her girlfriend's legs. Zoe grabbed her face and slowly smiled into a long, and much overdue kiss. It was instant electricity and a much needed jolt to both girls. They immediately felt like they were the only two in the coffee shop.

"I missed you..." Zoe kissed the tip of Roxie's nose.

"I missed you too..." Roxie mouthed, caressing her cheek bones with her thumbs.

"Do you think there's time for a quickie at my house before Gaby's party?" Zoe mischievously flickered her brows.

"Unfortunately, not." Roxie laughed out. "But maybe we can sneak in an epic make-out session on my bed while everyone's in the backyard."

"Or your laundry room. No one will ever find us in there!" Zoe still couldn't wipe off her grin, and Roxie just shook her head.

"Fine, whatever. Let's go then," Zoe finished off her drink. "You're lucky I came prepared and brought Gabe's present with me," she reached down in a bag by her feet and pulled out a medium sized gift covered in balloon wrapping paper.

"Awww, I'm sure he's gonna love it."

"Oh, he is!" Zoe proudly stated. "I even got your moms a little Mother's Day gift," she reached down and pulled out a card to show Roxie.

"Oh shit!" Roxie's face paled. She let her head fall to the table in defeat and banged it a few times.

"What?" Zoe froze and stared in confusion at her girlfriend before figuring it out. "Oh no! You forgot about Mother's Day, Rox! What the fuck?"

"I don't know... maybe... yes." Roxie winced and ran her fingers down her face in embarrassment. "Ugh, I'm a fuck up."

Roxie felt like shit. It was her first Mother's Day since being adopted by two of the most perfect women on the planet, and she had forgotten to buy them a gift. Worse yet, she had no idea what to even get mothers on Mother's Day, she didn't really have much experience in that department.

"You're not a fuck up, babe." Zoe soothed. "It's Mother's Day and there's tons of ideas. All you need is a card! Maybe you can write them a poem? You're good at lyrics."

"Oh my god! That's so cheesy, Z." Roxie scrunched her face at the horrible suggestion.

"Okay, you might be talking to the wrong person here. Every year I get my mom virtually the same Marc Jacobs cardigan just in a different color, then we have breakfast. And I totally got your moms two gift cards to that deli they like to be fat kids at on Wilson Avenue." Zoe held up the card, looking apologetic for not being better help.

"That's it, I'm fucked!" Roxie groaned.

"No, you're not." Zoe patted her back. "You just have to think of what this day means to you, Rox. And then the perfect gift idea will come. You have to keep it in perspective. Like a year ago, where were you today?"

"Ummm, I was telling my bio mom off in a prison rec room and then I made it back just in time to see Gabriel's disgusting, bloody mucousy birth." Roxie laughed.

"Ewww," Zoe shoved her shoulder.

"Ugh, I don't know. I'm not good at-"

Roxie stopped mid sentence as the floral shop across the street caught her eye. She gazed passed Zoe's head as the gears began to turn in her head. It was a cheesy idea, maybe even more cheesy than Zoe's poem suggestion. But it felt right, and something her mothers would probably appreciate. They kind of had no choice; Roxie didn't have that much allowance money saved up. It would be the perfect gift, and on a budget.

"What...?" Zoe tried to follow Roxie's gaze, but was still confused on what she was looking at.

Roxie just smiled at her girlfriend; rather content with herself.

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master."

Shannon jumped out in front of Santana with a red lightsaber as she tried to make it down the deck stairs with a tray of hamburger patties for the barbeque. Santana just stared in annoyance at her sister-in-law and gave her the most epic eye roll she could muster.

"Shannon, move!" she chuckled and tried to move passed the youngest Pierce.

"Uh, this is the part where you say, 'Only a master of evil, Darth.' and then we clash lightsabers."

"I don't have a lightsaber, just this tray of raw burger. Now move, nerd! And put that sword back on the party favor table. They're for the kids!"

"Only half the kids are here right now, it's early. Besides, there all babies from Gabriel's daycare. Do you think they'll appreciate the epicness of this toy?" Shannon defended her actions of trying to steal from toddlers.

"I repeat... how do you have a boyfriend?" Santana laughed and was finally able to make it around her.

"Whatever." Shannon walked away, making her way to torture someone else with her dorkiness next.

Santana dropped the tray off at the pit where her father-in-law was barbecuing. She chatted with and greeted some of the daycare parents as she made her way back up the deck and then back into the house. She leaned against the back door after entering, enjoying the peace and quiet for a moment. It was an early wake-up call for everyone to get the house ready for the big day. Her in-laws had come in that Friday, and Santana was already exhausted from their energy. She sat at a barstool and moved some Star Wars party plates out of the way. She wondered if she could maybe sneak in a little shot of gin to take the edge off the already hectic day. Before she could get to the part where she decided that was an awful idea, Brittany and her mother walked into the kitchen.

"Birthday boy has a clean diaper now!" Brittany sang as they entered.

"Yay!" Santana mocked clapped. She grinned proudly at their baby boy as Brittany brought him closer. Gabriel was looking rather birthday dapper in his flannel short-sleeve button down and jean shorts. His hair was now long enough for a little gel and to rock the formal side part. Of course, all topped off with his favorite red high top converse.

"I'll take him, Britty." Jesse grabbed Gabriel out of Brittany's arms. "So, he can play with his friends," she baby-talked and bounced him on her hip as she made her way out the back door.

"They've been like the best babysitters all weekend, huh?" Brittany laughed, watching her mother leave.

"Mhm..." Santana forced a smile.

"Are you okay?" Brittany asked and took a seat in Santana's lap. She searched her face, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Yeah, I'm good, honey..." Santana pecked her lips, holding tighter around her waist. "It's my son's first birthday, it's Mother's Day, and I'm with the people I love. I can't complain..."

"Good..." Brittany softly spoke and brushed some of Santana's hair out of her face. Her wife had that sad underlying look in her eyes again. A look she hadn't seen since before Christmas. But it was something she would have to get used to for awhile, and hopefully Santana wouldn't shut her out like before.

"I love you," Santana leaned forward and planted a firm kiss.

"Mm, I love you too... Happy Mother's Day." Brittany hummed back.

"Speaking of Mother's Day and our children," Santana said between kisses. "Where's the teenager? She's supposed to be here by now to help with the chaos."

"I don't know," Brittany murmured and couldn't bring herself to stop kissing.

"Jesus! PDA at a one year old's birthday?"

The couple broke their kiss to find Roxie and Zoe standing hand-in-hand in the kitchen entryway.

"Ohhh! Look who made up, Britt-Britt?" Santana teased the teenagers.

"Aww, about time!" Brittany leaned her cheek against Santana's. "Look how cute they are, sweetie!"

Zoe cutely laughed and Roxie looked about ready to explode from embarrassment.

"Are the presents outside?" Zoe asked, lifting up her bag of gifts.

"Yeah, honey. There's a big table, you can't miss it." Brittany pointed and Zoe smiled at Roxie before leaving her alone with her mothers.

"So, that's what you were doing, huh? Doing a little making up with Zoe?" Santana teased some more.

"Yes and no," Roxie smirked. "Can you both come with me in the living room real quick?" She asked, looking between her mothers.

"Um... o-okay, sweetheart." Brittany said.

The couple looked curiously at one another and stood up, finally following their daughter into the living room. They walked gingerly and almost unsure, holding each other's hands until they reached their destination, where they were met with two of the most exquisite bouquets of pink carnations sitting on the coffee table in beautiful glass vases.

"Oh my god..." Brittany cooed and rushed over to them, followed by Santana. "You got us these, Rox? They're so pretty, honey!" she was already tearing up.

"Yeah..." Roxie blushed. "I didn't have much money after I bought Gabriel's gift. It's all I could afford," she anxiously rubbed her hands.

"No, mija... these are beautiful," Santana swallowed. "Just perfect..." she gazed with glassy eyes at Roxie.

"When my grandpa died, I remember going with some of his musician friends to a flower shop. The lady there explained to them that purple carnations were what they wanted for a funeral, and symbolized mourning. I remember her explaining that pink carnations were for mothers, and they symbolized a mother's pure love."

"Wow, I didn't know that." Brittany smiled. She leaned over to smell the flowers.

"I got you each a dozen for the twelve months Gaby's been with us too. I-I know I told you when you adopted me, but it's worth repeating. I don't know where I would be right now without you two doing what you did. I'm forever grateful... and I love you guys. Happy Mother's Day."

Roxie stood her beautifully awkward self and smiled at her mothers. They stood staring back speechless for a second. They were always a little blindsided whenever their daughter decided to make any sort of speech of that caliber. That feeling they both felt the moment Gabriel was born crept back in. It was a cross between their hearts cracking open and a volcano erupting in their chests. The warm and fuzzies came over them in an instant, and they both rushed to their daughter. They openly wept as they sandwiched her.

"Ugh, you guys are kind of hurting me." Roxie squeaked out after an extended moment.

"Shh, don't ruin the moment, mija..." Santana giggled through happy tears.

"Yeah, we're almost done, Rox. Give us about thirty more seconds," Brittany joked.

"Why all the long group hugs though? Can't we just hug one at time like normal families?"

"No!" The couple said in unison.

Buzzzzzzzzzz. Buzzzzzzzzzz.

"Saved by the bell, Rox." Santana laughed. "I'll get it."

"It's probably Quinn and Nick," Brittany guessed.

"It better be! If they're gonna try for a baby right after they get married, then they need to learn how to deal with all these little monsters for an afternoon!"

Santana shouted as she opened the door. She smiled, expecting Quinn and Nick, one of their other friends, or even a daycare parent with one of Gabriel's baby friends. But it wasn't any of them, to her surprise. Her face went ghost white and her heart jumped in her throat as she stared back at her parents.

"Hi, bebé!" Miguel sickly croaked through a smile. He was thin and decrepit; the cancer seemed to be eating him alive right in front of Santana. But he still had that lively gleam in his big brown eyes.

"Hi, mija..." Maria smiled wide.

"Papí y mamí?" Santana's mouth was open in shock. "I-I thought the doctors said daddy couldn't travel..?"

"Eh," Miguel waved his hand in annoyance. "These new doctors don't know anything! It was a little shortness of breath. I wouldn't miss my grandson's first birthday for the world," he grinned.

"It's a turnaround, mija. We have a flight back home tomorrow afternoon," Maria cleared up.

Santana laughed through uncontrollable tears and launched herself into his arms just as Brittany and Roxie stepped into the doorway to see what all the commotion was about. They looked just as shocked, and Brittany teared up as well at the sight of her in-laws. Santana couldn't believe the mix of emotions that day had already brought her.

She was like a madwoman for the rest of the afternoon as she glided around, taking pictures of everything and everyone in her line of vision. She had become the resident house photographer for the day, while Brittany ran after Gabriel and made sure the party ran smoothly. Santana loved the job, because she was able to be a fly on the wall in some respect. She could just observe her beautiful family from behind the lens, and marvel at how wonderfully unique they all were.

But no matter how far she veered, her camera kept finding its way back to her father. She must have filled up a whole memory card just with pictures of he and Gabriel alone. And when it came time to cut Gabriel's Star Wars cake, Miguel was again front and center with his grandson. Everyone cooed and laughed as Gabriel smashed his face into a piece of his Millenium Falcon in his high chair, then grinned with his now four teeth. A series of 'awwws' rang out when the baby tried to reach out and feed his abuelo some of the frosting, instead missing Miguel's mouth and getting his nose.

Brittany held Santana from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder as she recorded the moment and took pictures. Santana looked to the side randomly to see Kurt drinking punch out of a Wookiee cup, cooing and awwing along with everyone else. She smirked to herself, and made a mental note to spam his email the next morning with all of the birthday pictures.

End Note: Kind of a weird chapter for me. I naturally kept switching to Britt's POV. So, kind of a different flavor. I hoped you enjoyed it :)

Random Note: The Zoxie one-shot will be up on my tumblr Sunday afternoon. A lot of calls from some of you for me to post here on FF as well. I can't deny you beautiful souls lol, so I'll probably post it here soon after it goes up on tumblr. (martianinthought)