"Sometimes the bad thing that in happen our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us."- Nicole Reed.
They had only been dating a month, but things between Brittany and Sam were heating up fast. Parallel to Santana's situation with Dani some years ago, they hadn't put a label on things, but did people really do that anymore? Asking someone to officially be your girlfriend/boyfriend almost seemed juvenile when you were close to 30. Brittany was just taking it for what it was, and Sam was doing the same. They hadn't told anybody outside of their New York bubble yet that they were back together, but now Christmas was a few days away and they were on the way back to Ohio. As they drove through Pennsylvania, Sam spoke what was on his mind.
"So…my family are having a party on Boxing Day. I'd really love you to be there if you have nothing on with your family. My mom always loved you Brit, she'll be so pleased when she finds out we're dating again"
Brittany swallowed. You know things are getting serious when you're being introduced to family members, or in Brittany's case re-introduced, and tagging along to family parties. But she ignored any doubts and nodded her head in agreement.
"Okay?" Sam clarified.
"Okay." Brittany smiled.
The first test was going to be Ashley's annual Christmas Eve party, that they were going to be attending together. She hadn't even told Santana that she was dating Sam again, but she knew that was going to have to change because Santana was going to see them together at the party. Something about talking to the person you're still hopelessly in love with about your current relationship, always felt incredibly uncomfortable for Brittany. Maybe she was worried that Santana would be able to see through it all.
As the 24th rolled around, Brittany was applying the finishing touches to her makeup in her childhood bedroom when her mom appeared at the door.
"So, you said Sam is picking you up?" Whitney questioned.
"Mm-hm" Brittany nodded casually, not taking her eyes off the mirror, knowing exactly where Whitney was going with this.
"He's a nice boy Sam, I always liked him…"
"Yeah, he is" Brittany said, waiting for her mom to stop playing this game and just ask her directly.
"You seem to be spending a lot of time with him lately…"
"Mom just cut to the chase already." Brittany sighed. She didn't mean to sound so frustrated but her mom's constant hinting over the years about Brittany settling down with someone had really ground her down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. Yes, Sam and I are dating again" she admitted.
Whitney exclaimed in joy, the exact reaction Brittany was expecting.
"Mom just calm down! It very early days" Brittany hissed, trying to shush her excitable mother.
"Just wait until I tell your father! He is going to be so happy!" Whitney clapped her hands together, before running down the stairs to find her husband, leaving a bemused Brittany to finish getting ready.
Well at least that was her parents in the know. Clearly Sam wanted them to find out about them dating too, because when he arrived at Brittany's house he made sure to knock on the door and come in to wait for her, rather than beeping his horn and waiting in the car.
The Pierce's were lapping it up.
"This is exactly how it should have been for your prom, with Sam picking you up like this and waiting in the hallway for you to appear. I love Santana like a second daughter but I can't believe you edged away from prom tradition that night" said Whitney, as Brittany shot her a look.
"Mom that was almost 12 years ago!"
When they got to the party they went their separate ways, with Brittany making a beeline for Santana and Sam heading off to speak to Mike. Ashley always invited everybody she knew to this party, but it was hit and miss who'd actually make it now they all lead adult lives. Santana had attended a couple of them, but a lot of the time she'd be spending Christmas Eve with Mila. This year Mila was spending Christmas Eve with Puck, with him returning her early the next morning so she could spend the rest of the holiday with her mom. Brittany's attendance depended on whether or not she was in Lima or New York for Christmas, and Sam hadn't made it to one since High School. Now he was dating Brittany and she was going, he was keen to join, excited to see his old school friends. This year had been a great turnout, and Ashley was milling around buzzing off the excitement. Even Artie Abrams had made an appearance, and Brittany inwardly laughed when she saw him, because she forgot all about how she briefly dated him for a hot minute until she spotted him at the other side of the room. She claimed at the time "he'd broken her heart".
"If only that's what real heartbreak felt like" Brittany laughed to herself.
Ashley's excitement was only further amplified, when she handed out the invitations to her wedding, the date finally set for Valentine's Date next year.
"It's a bit last minute no? Aren't you supposed to send out invitations long before the wedding, not just 2 months away?" Santana whispered.
"I mean, it's Ashley. It doesn't surprise me" Brittany laughed "she probably just expects everyone to be free to attend her wedding, because in her eyes it'll be event of the year"
Santana nodded her head in agreement. They loved Ashley, but she was so over the top and extravagant with all these large parties and events she was always hosting.
"I'm sure it will be event of the year as well. No expense faired. I mean if you ask me, it's my idea of hell. All I want is small and low-key" said Santana.
"Yeah me too." Brittany agreed, and she wondered if Santana and Dani had discussed marriage. The latter's absence didn't go unnoticed by Brittany tonight, and decided to carefully broach the subject.
"No Dani tonight?"
Santana shook her head.
"No, she's spending the evening with her mom, just the two of them. I totally get it. Since Dan's dad died, she's always spent Christmas Eve with her so that her mom doesn't feel lonely. It hits more at Christmas. I'd be with my mom too if she wasn't spending the night with Pablo and Sarah."
It wasn't a lie. Dani did say she was going to spend Christmas with her mom. But Santana knew there was an unspoken agreement that Dani wouldn't show up tonight, in a situation where there was a lot of alcohol. Neither of them wanted a repeat of the funeral, and if there was any hope of their relationship getting back on track, Dani wouldn't be here tonight.
Brittany squeezed Santana's hand, silently acknowledging that it was Santana's first Christmas without her own dad and letting her know she was there for her, and Santana swallowed her emotions before they could creep up on her.
"Anyway, what about you and Sam? You two looked pretty cosy tonight…"
Brittany chewed her lip as she thought about how she was going to tell Santana. She didn't know why she found it so hard to just come out and say it. Sam and Brittany had mingled with the other party guests, not being the type to stick to each other's sides like glue all night. But the little touches they'd shared, the looks, the way Sam would come over when Brittany needed a top up and fill her glass for her, the fact they had arrived together. Anyone with eyes could see that something was going on.
And as Santana awaited the answer, she prayed Brittany would laugh it off and say they were just good friends, because she knew from all the time they were spending together in New York that they were definitely getting closer in some way.
"Oh yeah I mean…we've reconnected somewhat, but it's still early days" Brittany smiled awkwardly.
She had played the relationship down slightly, and she didn't fully know why, but the truth was that it was early days still. She didn't want to go into detail or have people questioning their future when she didn't even know herself. She was just going to have to see how it all panned out, and people would find out as she did.
Thankful that Santana hadn't asked any more questions, they moved over to the drinks table to top up their drinks, Brittany completely unaware of the conflicts going on inside Santana's head.
Santana didn't fully know what was going on with Brittany and Sam, but all she knew is that it was something, and while she could be happy for Brit if it meant she was happy, she didn't want to hear any more about it for now.
Christmas had been and gone in a flash, and suddenly it was New Year's Eve. 2019 hadn't been Santana's best year, and she sure hoped 2020 would be better. Come to think of it, she was actually rather glad to see the back of 2019. She planned on spending the evening alone with a bottle of wine, and she didn't mind it that way. She was never a big fan of New Year's Eve anyway, it always made her feel some type of way, like she was under accomplished and hadn't achieved enough in the year. Puck had asked to bring Mila to a family party, complaining she didn't get to see his side of the family enough. Usually Mila wouldn't stay with Puck twice in a week, but it was the holidays, and Mila seemed willing to go to the party, so Santana let her go. Dani was working, which wasn't uncommon for her being that this was one of the busiest nights of the year hospitality wise. Santana's only plan for the day was meeting Quinn for lunch, and she was quite content with that.
She walked into the hotel to find Quinn at the check-in desk. Usually she was in the back office, but it was a busy day for them, so she guessed Quinn was overseeing everything.
"Hey! So listen, about tonight…" Quinn started, before Santana interrupted her.
"Quinn, no. I've already told you I'm not going to that party tonight. You'll have a great time, I'm sure, but I'm quite content on a night in just to myself with Kate, Leo and my good friend Mrs Cab Sauv"
"No, I wasn't talking about that. Come look" said Quinn, gesturing for Santana to come behind the desk while it was quiet, and pointing to the computer screen. "Do you know The Blackwell Inn, in Columbus?"
"Yeah, that's where Dani took me for my birthday when we were first getting together. She asked me to make it official there actually"
"Well, they just joined our group, so I was checking everything on the system before it goes live, and I happened to find this booking…" smiled Quinn, gesturing towards the computer.
"Booking for Danielle Sanchez" Santana frowned in confusion as she read "The Presidential Suite…for tonight…"
Quinn grinned as she watched the realisation dawn on Santana.
"Oh my God!" Santana squealed "Do you think!?"
"Yes!" Quinn answered, knowing what was on Santana's mind "She's totally surprising you with a romantic hotel stay just the two of you to bring the new year in at the hotel you first got together in. How cute is that!?"
"I had absolute no idea! She told me she was working!"
"I know. And Santana I know how much you hate surprises sometimes because you're such a control freak, so when I found it, I thought I'd give you a heads up. So please try and look surprised"
"I can't believe she's done this" Santana smiled to herself "I didn't know she had it in her to be this romantic. Or maybe I just forgot..."
After so many disagreements about Dani not spending as much time at home anymore, Santana was genuinely touched that she had gone to the effort to plan this for her. She really was putting the effort in to make things better recently, and Santana appreciated her for that. Maybe 2020 was going to be her year after all.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone ringing, her stomach flipping in a way that it hadn't in ages when she saw Dani's name flash up. She imagined she was calling her to execute the surprise.
"It's her!" Santana shrieked excitedly, as Quinn jumped up and down clapping her hands in excitement. Quinn Fabray loved a bit of romance, especially when it involved two of her friends.
She looked on in anticipation as Santana stepped to the side to take the call.
"Hey baby" Santana purred.
"Hi gorgeous. Listen I'm not going to finish up here until pretty late tonight but I'm going to go straight to my mom's afterwards so I can be there when she wakes up. You know the holidays can be pretty rough"
Santana frowned. How could this be part of the plan? How could Dani spin this around to her suddenly being free tonight and whisking her off to Columbus. Was it all part of the surprise?
"Babe?" Dani pressed, breaking Santana out of her thoughts after a long silence.
"Yeah. Yeah, sorry I'm here."
"I'm going to be pretty hectic later, and the lines are going to get busy, so I just wanna wish you a happy new year now before everything gets crazy."
Santana swallowed, her mind swirling with panic.
"I love you" said Dani.
"Yeah, yeah you too" Santana managed, trying as best she could to hold it all together.
"I'll see you tomorrow gorgeous."
"Yeah…see you then" said Santana, hanging up the phone.
She didn't know how Dani hadn't picked up on her change in mood, but at this point she didn't really care. She turned to Quinn, who was staring at her with a questioning look.
"Check the booking."
"Here it is" Quinn shook her head, confused "Presidential Suite for two, checked in…2 hours ago"
She turned to Santana, and her face said it all. It was obvious what was going on here.
"Oh Santana…I'm so sorry" said Quinn, raising her palm to her mouth in the realisation of what was going through Santana's mind.
But Santana was emotionless, as she clenched her jaw, staring ahead in determination.
"You know what? I think I need to go ahead and pay our new hotel a visit. I haven't had chance to see it in person yet, if you want to come for the ride" said Quinn, and Santana threw her a thankful look. Nobody was going to screw her over like this.
"I think that's a great idea actually" Santana smiled firmly "Let's go."
2 hours later, they were situated at the bar of The Blackwell Inn, a drink a-piece to calm their nerves. Santana sure as hell needed it right now. A red wine for Santana, and a gin & tonic for Quinn. She wasn't exactly sure what her next step was, but all she knew was that by being here she felt empowered, and she needed to catch Dani out.
She wouldn't have to wait much longer because suddenly Quinn was tapping her arm ferociously.
"Santana! Over there! Look!" she hissed, pointing to the entrance to the bar.
Sure enough, there was Santana's cheating girlfriend.
"Wooooow" Santana said "Just when you think it can't get any better. It does. It really can't get any better than this" she laughed sarcastically.
Because not only was Dani quite obviously cheating on Santana, she was cheating on her with Marissa. Somebody that Santana actually knew as Dani's friend. Somebody that Dani went out with all the time, Santana thinking nothing of it, completely trusting the situation because just because Marissa was gay didn't mean she'd be attracted to Dani or that Dani would be attracted to her. And even if they were, Dani wouldn't cheat right? Wrong. Now she felt like an idiot.
She kept her cool, and simply watched them walk hand-in-hand towards the bar. She didn't look away once, as she watched Dani all happy and animated as she ordered a round of drinks for herself and Marissa. It was a Dani she sure hadn't seen in a long time. That's when it happened. Dani looked up to be greeted by the faces of a deeply disappointed Quinn and a contemptuous Santana. Dani's own smile dropped, and she realised she had been caught, as Santana and Dani's brown eyes stayed locked together.
Dani went to open her mouth, but Santana shook her head.
Not now. Not here.
She began to walk off, not wanting her emotions to spill out when she heard Dani running behind her.
"Santana wait!" she cried desperately, Quinn following close by to make sure Santana was okay.
And Santana couldn't stop her rage. She spun around to face Dani and poured her red wine all over her white dress, as Dani's mouth dropped open in shock and Quinn stifled a laugh.
Nobody, messes with Santana Lopez.
The first day of 2020. The start of a new year. The start of a 365 page blank page book. Unbeknownst to Santana and Brittany, it would turn out to be their happiest year yet, which is funny considering both of their years began on such different pages.
But the two of them were always so Yin and Yang. Brittany the calm to Santana's panic, Santana the wise to Brittany's innocence. Always in love but never on the same page, it was only a sign of the times that their first day of the new year would end up like this.
Yin and Yang; inseparable and contradictory opposites.
If Yin is stronger, Yang will be weaker. But eventually, both sides would pull together to find that perfect balance and become two halves that complete. When Yang is strongest it contains Yin, when Yin is strongest it contains Yang.
Throughout their whole journey, Santana and Brittany had rode through the waves of life, both of them going through their fair share of heartbreak over the years and the other one always being there to help them through it.
With Yin being lightness, and Yang being darkness, both girls had been through both experiences.
Sometimes Santana was Yang while Brittany was Yin, like when she broke up with Dani and was ready to tell Brittany how she felt about her, only for Brittany to move away to the other side of the world. Then Puck returned into her life and forced her into a custody battle, and she lost sight of everything.
Sometimes Brittany was Yang while Santana was Yin, like when she watched Santana come out and meet Dani and had to watch from the side lines. When her life felt like it was tumbling, and she lost her boyfriend and her baby in the space of a year.
It constantly flipped. But right now, on January 1st 2020, Santana's situation could not have been more Yang to Brittany's Yin.
Yang
She and Dani needed to talk; Santana knew that. So, when Dani had asked to come home so they could do just that, Santana had agreed. There was so much she wanted to say to Dani, but now she was here in front of her, she didn't know where to begin.
"How did you find out where I was?" Dani asked weakly.
"Well if you actually did your research into the hotels you're having sex in, you'd know that hotel recently joined Quinn's chain. She found the booking and we thought you were surprising me. Then we spoke on the phone and it was obviously so not the case"
"Santana, I don't even know what to say to you…"
"Well how about you start at the beginning" Santana said sternly "Liiiike…with how you started sleeping with one of your best friends behind your girlfriends back"
Dani looked down and swallowed.
"How long has it been going on for?"
Dani drew her breath.
"A few months" she admitted, forcing herself to look Santana in the eye.
"Oh. Oh well that figures!" Santana laughed sarcastically. "Now I really know why you've been so distant the past few months. Why you've been going out all the time. All those times you were working, or spending time with your mom on Christmas Eve. Was that the truth? Or was that just an excuse so you could be with Marissa?"
Dani looked down, her eyes filling with tears.
"Actually, don't answer that!" Santana cut in "I don't think I even want to hear it."
"Santana I'm so sorry. Really, I am. I…"
Santana put her hand up to stop Dani. She wasn't ready for her apologies. Not yet anyway. The two of them sat in a tension filled silence until Santana spoke again.
"You know, when I realised you had booked a hotel with someone and that you were definitely cheating on me, I thought it was going to just be a one-time thing. Just another of your messy things that you'd talk your way out of or blame on grief. I didn't think for one minute you'd be having a whole ass affair. That it would be more than just sex. That you'd actually pick someone over me".
"I didn't want to pick someone over you Santana. I wanted you. But do you realise how hard it is to love you, knowing how completely and utterly in love you are with someone else? Knowing that I'm only really a stopgap. A substitution for the one person you love and can't have"
Santana was caught off guard at that, and she bit her lip.
"So, you're saying I'm hard to love?" Santana asked, her insecurities rising to the surface.
"I loved you Santana. I still do. But clearly sometimes, love just isn't enough. You're not hard to love, maybe I worded that wrong. But it's lonely to love you when you feel like you're not getting the same energy back. And I don't want to keep bringing things back to my dad, but you know how much I struggled with that and still do, and I know you were a great support and you cared for me through it all. But knowing that no matter what you'd never love me as much as you love…her, just made it all seem so much harder".
"But why didn't you talk to me about any of this? That's what couples do. They have issues, they work things out. They talk. And I tried to get you to open up so many times, but you just pushed me away"
"I know" Dani admitted "And part of that was guilt because of everything with Marissa, but before any of that, pushing you away was just easier. Easier than giving everything to you and knowing you could never give me the same back. But at the same time, I loved you and I loved the family we'd built and…I didn't want to lose that. So, I clung on to you, but when Marissa was there and I was her first option and not just her second, I couldn't say no to that either. It's a mess and it's complicated- I know. I don't expect you to understand".
But weirdly enough, Santana did understand. She felt the anger wilting away and she found herself actually feeling sorry for Dani. She could almost see her own actions reflecting in her. Desperately seeking love from somebody else when you're not getting it from the person you love the most, sounded pretty familiar to her.
"Do you love Marissa?" Santana asked, and Dani shrugged.
"I don't know. I never really let myself think about it because I always loved you. Like I said…it's complicated. She makes me feel happy, I suppose there is that, but I don't know about love. I'm sorry, I don't know what answer would have been the best one for you to hear there, but that's the honest one"
"The honest one is all I wanted" Santana smiled weakly.
"It started out purely physical, but I guess as we were friends', emotions did become part of it. And I guess I could open up to her a lot about my dad, so the emotions grew more because of that. I physically cheated on you and…I'm not proud of that. But I think, if we're being honest here, you've been emotionally cheating on me with Brittany for our whole relationship".
Santana nodded, taking everything in that Dani was saying. She might not have wanted to admit it but, Dani had a fair point.
"I wish you'd have just told me how you felt instead of doing all this behind my back but, I guess in some weird, fucked up way…I actually understand" said Santana, as Dani raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"I never wanted to hurt you Santana, it just…got out of hand. I'm not in the best place right now and haven't been in a long time, I know that. And we both know our relationship wasn't in the best place either".
Santana nodded, choosing her words carefully.
"Thank you for being real with me. Can I be real with you for a second and tell you what I've been trying to say to you for a while now? Something you'd never let me say because you shut me off?"
Dani nodded and looked down; she knew what was coming.
"I think…" Santana began, going against her instinct to reach for Dani's hand "I think you need some help. I've watched the way you're struggling with grief, and I don't think you're dealing with it in a healthy way. When you bottle it up like that or drink away the pain, you become a person that I don't even recognise" she admitted, giving Dani's hand a squeeze before pulling away.
Dani listened, tears trickling down her face as she finally accepted Santana's words.
"And Dani, it's not a bad thing to need a little help at a time like this. I personally think that everybody could benefit from a little therapy. We've all got skeletons. What you went through is really rough, and there's nothing at all wrong with speaking to someone about the impact it had on you and how best to handle your emotions going forward".
"Well you lost your dad, and you seem to be dealing with it okay"
"Yes but, I'm not you. Everybody handles grief in different ways, it has no rules. There's no right or wrong way. And I might be doing okay now but who's to say that's going to be the same 3 to 6 months down the line? It could all change at any time. I just want you to do what's best for you, and to know that it's okay to seek help".
Dani nodded, and Santana could tell that for once, she was actually taking it in and not being defensive. Unlike Brittany, her and Dani were actually pretty alike. Maybe that was why ultimately, they were never going to be together forever. Opposites attract.
"Wow" Dani laughed slightly, wiping her tears "I think that's the most honest conversation that we've had in our whole relationship".
"I think you're right" Santana laughed.
"Can I be honest with you about something now?" Dani asked.
"Sure…fire away" said Santana, unsure what Dani was going to say here.
"You should go after Brittany. Clearly, she's the person you love and want to be with, and you're going to spend the rest of your life utterly miserable if you don't do something about it. You'll find some other girl, and you'll try and force yourself to be happy and fall in love with her, but it won't work. And I'm saying this as someone who witnessed it first-hand and tried for years to believe you could forget about her and be happy with me. But you can't. I know it, and you know it, and you're only going to regret it if you don't pursue her. You should know from your dad passing that life is too short. Don't let fear get in the way of something that can be your biggest happiness."
Dani stood in silence, letting Santana fully absorb what she had said. After years of trying to suppress the truth, it was hard for her to come out and actively encourage Santana to chase Brittany. But she knew for Santana, it was really her only route to happiness, and she at least deserved that.
And Dani didn't need to verbalise the unsaid. It was obvious they were over. They were over a long time ago and this conversation was a long time coming. They both could have saved themselves a whole lot of hurt, but they were here now, brutal honesties rising to the surface.
"I know we have a lot to sort out, but for now I'll just pack an overnight bag with a few things, go crash at my mom's for a few days. When you tell Mila can you…well can you go gentle on me? I don't want her to hate me"
"Of course. Dani, Mila loves you. You've been a big part of her life for almost 6 years now, and just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean you can't still be a part of it. The way I see it, the more people in her life the better"
"I really appreciate that" Dani smiled, and she retreated upstairs to pack her bag.
When she had done, she said goodbye and headed out of the door, turning back to face Santana one last time.
"Happy New Year Santana, here's to both of us making 2020 a good year and taking what we've said to each other on board"
And when Dani had left Santana said cast her mind back over the past 24 hours and her newly single status and rolled her eyes with a shake of her head.
"Yep. Happy fucking New Year"
Yin
It had been a nice day to start the year for Brittany. She had woken up feeling slightly fragile from Blaine's New Year's Eve party the night before, that Kurt had insisted she came to, eager at the chance to finally introduce his best friend to his boyfriend. Sam had come along too, but as usual had woken up hangover free, it was a trait that she despised him for. Why couldn't she drink as much as he did and pay no consequences?
Being hangover free meant Sam had encouraged them to step out into the cold New York air for a walk around Central Park. Brittany had objected at first, because she just wanted to spend the day in her PJs watching movies, but Sam had persisted. In the end, Brittany enjoyed the walk, and it actually made her feel better.
Now they were sitting watching Titanic.
"This is Santana's favourite movie y'know". Brittany pointed out.
"Mm-hm" Sam nodded.
He seemed awfully distracted, but Brittany figured he was probably bored. Maybe he just didn't like Kate and Leo.
"How long's left?" Sam asked.
"Erm…let me check" said Brittany, reaching for the remote "Still another hour yet".
"Okay, I'm turning it off" said Sam, and he reached for the remote and did just that.
"Hey! I was watching that…" Brittany began, but Sam interrupted.
"I think I love you."
The statement took Brittany completely by surprise and she didn't know how to react.
"Okay…" she laughed nervously.
Before she could even process it anymore, Sam bent down in front of her and immediately pulled out a box, popping the lid open to reveal a ring.
"Oh my God! Are you proposing?" Brittany cupped her hands to her mouth.
Sam smiled up at her.
"Sam…we've only been dating for like 5 weeks. Stand up, you're freaking me out!"
"I know. Look I know this is fast but just hear me out. You were…my first love, first time, first heartbreak, first everything. And in all those years we weren't together, I still thought of you. Now we've found ourselves in each other's lives again and, I've never been so sure of anything, that you're the person I want to spend the rest of my time with."
"Sam, this is crazy…"
"I'm a guy who goes after something I want when I see it because…life's short, and I don't wanna go with regrets. Call me crazy but, I know the way I've felt about you for years now, not just 5 weeks. But the 5 weeks we've had together have only amplified that. I don't have long left in New York before I'm on the road again, and I want to know when I'm out there, that I'm tied to you in some way. That you're mine forever."
"But people will think we're insane. We literally only just got back together"
"Who cares!? I don't. The Brittany I know doesn't care what other people think either. This is only going to happen for us later down the line, so why wait? Why do what 'normal people' do and wait around for years when we could just shoot straight for the happy ending? I personally couldn't think of a better way to start the new year, than asking you to do life with me forever. We're not high school kids anymore Brit. We're pushing 30, we've seen the world and we know what we want. For me that's a future with you, and lots of blonde children running around, inevitably turning our blonde hair grey. So…what do you say?"
It was the mention of children that stopped Brittany in her tracks. Ever since she lost Little Poppy, she yearned to be a mother. She was only 29 but, she always had those worries that she wouldn't meet the right person and that her maternal clock was ticking. Especially when she always thought that right person was Santana, and she was just never coming. Maybe Sam was right. Why wait? She had lived her life waiting in the shadows for years, maybe it was time to step out and actually live it for once, choosing happiness, even if it did mean doing something slightly crazy and marrying a man she had only been back together with for 5 weeks.
With the image of three perfect blonde children heavy on her mind, Brittany found herself spluttering out the words she thought she'd never say.
"Okay" she laughed uncertainly.
"Okay?"
"Okay" Brittany clarified, and she laughed again as Sam stood up and punched the air in triumph. He was such a dork.
He pulled Brittany in for a kiss, and she couldn't help but smile into it, pushing any doubts firmly out of her mind.
"Happy New Year, my wife-to-be"
"Happy New Year, Sam".
