Work (Charlotte Day Wilson)

Santana's POV

20 Minutes Later...

I bent forward, my body aching and screaming at me to stop, but it was a good pain. I mirrored Quinn's movements. She had always been more nimble than me, but especially so after my boob job.

"Oh God, Quinn!" I groaned, and she grinned at me.

"You got this, babe."

"Fuck, Q. How are you enjoying this?"

"Do you want to stop?" I was breathing heavily now, but I kind of didn't want to stop, no matter how dumb I felt.

"No."

"Atta girl."

I stretched out my legs, feeling the pull in my groin from all of the rough sex with B. It ached in ways that I never felt before.

"Fuck, I'm hot."

"Take off your shirt then...I'll wait." Q mocked, and I just rolled my eyes at her as I pulled my shirt over my head. "Better?"

"Yessss, fuck, so much better!"

The door to the apartment swung open, and I froze, but Quinn kept going, not giving a shit about Britt being here...but I did.

"Britt...you're back!"

"What are you two doing?"

"Your wife...well...you tell her, San." Quinn plopped down on the floor, bringing her feet together before continuing to stretch. I stood up and went over to my wife. Her cold hands touched my bare arms.

"Where's your shirt?" She asked and then glanced over at Q before looking at me again. "Where are the kids?"

"The kids aren't here. Your dad dropped by to pick them up for the night."

"Oh. I didn't know they were back."

"They got back and came straight here, picked up the kids, and tried to get me to play this whole missing kids trick on you, but with the way we've been, I didn't want to freak you out."

The door was still open behind her, and I could hear footsteps.

"Baby, I need you to put your shirt on. Now."

Britt looked concerned, so I didn't question her. Instead, I yanked my shirt back on. My hair was wild, so I pulled it into a top knot as a head popped in the doorway.

Celia.

I looked over at Quinn, in her sports bra and booty shorts. Britt must have known she was coming and knew what it looked like for me and Quinn to be half-naked and sweaty together.

"Hey, sis!"

"Hey. I'll come back to chat later. Mind if I steal my girl for a bit?"

"Please do. She's been nagging me for hours!" I joked, and Quinn glared.

"I have not."

"Say less, Q." I said, glaring at her, and she rolled her eyes this time.

Once the door was closed and Britt was alone with me, she yanked at the hem of my shirt.

"What are you doing?" I asked, batting her hands away.

"I like the way you smell when you sweat."

"Gross."

"You were groaning and stuff. It sounded like sex in here."

"Yeah, B, that's not happening with anyone but you. Especially not with Q. Been there, done that, I don't plan on going back."

"Goodie." Britt kissed my face and then ran the tip of her tongue along my earlobe.

"B...baby...we need...fuck...nibble right there." I demanded, and she complied.

She didn't waste time taking my clothes off. Instead, her hand just slid straight into my pants. The chill of her fingers sent shocks to my clit. I leaned my head against her shoulder and spread my legs.

"You should do yoga more often."

"Yeah?" I panted as her fingers buried inside of me.

"Mmmhmm." Her arm came around my back to hold me in place while she fucked me.

She didn't stop until I came. I watched as she sucked on her damp fingers.

"Fuck, that's hot."

"Wanna tell me how today went?"

"Yes, I need to."

"Okay, do you want to tell me over ice cream?" She picked up the bag she'd dropped on the coffee table when she came in.

"From the Rage Cage? Is it Rocky Road?"

"Yup."

"You're the best!" I shuddered when she winked at me before heading into the kitchen.

My phone buzzed, and I stole a glance at it.

Don't let her distract you with sex. Talk!-Q

Brittany's POV

When I stood outside our apartment door and heard her groaning, cursing, and calling Quinn's name...I felt the anger begin to rage inside of me.

But then I had to remember what I had said to Celia and everything Ana had told me. She regretted having sex with Quinn. There was no way that she'd do it again, but it sounded like it.

Celia wasn't far behind me, and I knew that what made sense to me didn't always make sense to other people like Celia.

So I opened the door and felt relieved to see them doing yoga...well, Quinn was doing yoga, Ana looked like she was bitching and moaning while fake stretching. Just like in Cheerios when she wasn't in the mood to practice. Q and I had always been the ones to push her to be her best.

The look of guilt on her face wasn't the same as the look she gets when she's fucked another person. I'd seen her enough times, directly after she cheats, to know the difference.

After seeing that they were just doing yoga, I was so glad that I hadn't stormed in there like a crazy person. I knew, though, that Celia would have.

I heard the car pull into the lot and knew that Celia would make something out of nothing so getting her back in her shirt was more important than anything else.

She wanted to talk to me, that much was clear, but I wasn't ready.

If we started talking, I'd have to tell her that I was close to being fired and why.

The door closed behind me, and I knew that if I distracted her with sex, that it would buy me some time.

Luckily the ice cream hadn't melted, so I made the excuse of bowls and spoons before leaving her in the living room, shuddering after the fantastic orgasm that I had given her.

They'd summoned Ari back to figure out how she could fill my shoes until my situation was resolved.

I was suspended while they figured it out and would find out my fate the following Monday. So I had a little over a week to figure out what was next for me.

What I did, affected my wife and kids, so I needed to talk to her about it.

I just didn't want to.

We were fresh.

And happy...I think.

"You okay?" I flinched when I heard her directly behind me. I had been in the middle of making her the most decadent sundae that I could think of.

I picked up the bowls and turned to face her.

She gave me a sad smile that I think she was trying to pass off as hopeful, but it wasn't working.

"Why do you ask?"

"You have been in here for a long time. I wanted to make sure that my ice cream didn't melt."

I handed it to her, and she grinned.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"It's great. More than I needed but perfect. Thanks, B."

That didn't make sense, but I wasn't going to correct her. We were both on eggshells when only I should have been.

I moved over to the table that was the host of so many of our relationship decisions and discussions.

"Actually, can we cuddle on the couch?" This time, she just looked cute, so I nodded and followed after her.

She'd lit a few candles and had pulled out sheets.

"What's all of this?"

"We haven't made a fort in forever...I thought maybe we could?"

I shook my head; she'd fucked up somehow, the guilt was back on her face, and I would NOT let her ruin forts for me, but I couldn't tell her that. Ana was the most complicated dance routine that I ever had to perform, and one wrong move could mess everything up.

"Let's just cuddle. We can build a fort for the kids. Izzy would love it."

I'd thrown her off, but she recovered quickly and plopped down on her favorite spot on the couch.

"Okay, that's fine. I wanted to keep things light between us."

I sat next to her and pulled her legs onto my lap.

She smiled so hard that her dimples dug deep lines on her cheeks.

"How'd the meeting go?"

"Terrible. I spent the first half of it watching you have a breakdown in the car and the second half, snapping at Walker and the group."

She shoved ice cream into her mouth. Some dribbled. I reached out and rubbed it away with my thumb before bringing it to my lips. She clenched her thighs together.

Even now, I turned her on.

Celia had nothing to worry about; Ana had no interest in Quinn. She was hung up on me again. Let's just hope I don't fuck that up by bringing up Grady, which was inevitable.

"Is Walker mad at you?"

"No. She's...worried...you're just going to glaze over your breakdown?"

"Why is Walker worried?" It was shitty that I was ignoring her questions and digging deeper into what she was feeling guilty about.

"You know why, the coke." She muttered as she focused on her ice cream. I had put mine down on the coffee table and was rubbing her feet instead. I was trying to get her to let her guard down. "Are you gonna answer my question?" She looked at me with hurt in her eyes, and I looked down at her feet instead, rubbing in the spots that always made her groan. "God, that feels good."

"But she wasn't worried after knowing about the coke. She just wanted to help, but she believed in you, she told me that we shouldn't worry. Why'd that change?" My heart was racing. My hands went still, and my eyes were on her. She had her head down, stirring at her ice cream soup. "Ana?"

Please be sober...please?

Santana's POV

How fucking dare she ignore my questions and continue to push me for whatever she thought I was hiding.

This is how people treated me after realizing that I was on drugs. They were always jumping to the worst conclusion and then badgering me to split myself open for them.

I should have expected this from Britt though, she'd always been this way from the moment she realized that I had a problem. I had created this part of her once I started being a liar about almost everything.

My body was shaking with rage as I looked down at my melted soup. I was at war with myself, the touching was amazing, but the way her questions were cutting into me made me feel cornered.

There was a knock on the door then, and we both looked up at it.

"Should I get that?" She asked me.

"I don't know."

"Do you want me to? You look like you're about to cry."

"I just need a minute. You can answer it. I'm gonna go to the bathroom." She gripped my ankles loosely until I looked into her eyes. "What?"

"Keep the door unlocked."

I glared at her, but she just glared back.

"Fine." Only then did she let go of my ankles.

Being treated like this by her always hurt even if I had given her countless reasons to doubt me. I needed her to trust me and not assume the worst every time.

I stormed from the room, leaving my soupy ice cream behind. I slammed the bathroom door, and it rattled on the hinges, but I didn't give a flying motherfuck.

And for good measure, I locked the damned door because this was MY home.

Fuck her.

I dug the last Adderall out of my pocket, I'd been carrying it around all day long, and now that I felt my chest tight...well, I needed it.

But I needed it NOW, and there was only one way that I knew how to make a drug take immediate effect.

So I smashed the pill on the countertop...Britt had been right about that...come to think about it, she was right about a lot.

I knew my time was limited, so I bent over and snorted quick. I wiped off the sink, just like I knew to do, then I unlocked the door before washing my hands.

She was talking to someone, probably Quinn or my sister, but I didn't care.

The tightness in my chest lessened, and my head began to hammer loudly.

My phone buzzed, shocking me out of a trance.

We are at the table.-Q

Not hungry.-San

Adderall will do that to you. It's not for anxiety, San...it's for ADHD.-Q

Maybe I have that. Did you tell her?-San

No. Ceily wanted to eat with you and check-in. Hurry up, or one of them is going to break that door down.-Q

5.-Britt

Seriously a countdown?-Ana

4.-Britt

I let out a growl and then opened the door.

My phone buzzed, but I didn't bother looking at it.

Instead, I walked into the kitchen and slid down in the chair next to B.

I couldn't meet their eyes. Instead, I just looked down at my plate. The serving was Isaac sized compared to everyone else's.

Quinn, being the best person ever, used my bowed head as a segue.

"San's right, we should pray." She reached across the table and took my hand. Her palm was a little sweaty, like she was nervous. Did she feel responsible for this?

My nose tingled, and I sniffed really hard. Britt took my other hand and pulled it into her lap.

Without a hand to wipe at my nose, the inevitable dribble that came with snorting shit began.

I thought Quinn would just go with a quick Bless Us, O Lord, but instead, she went completely Protestant on me.

Bitch.

"Heavenly Father, through you, this bounty has stretched and fed the masses. Thank you for this bounty, and ask that you use it to nourish our minds, bodies, and souls. I thank you for this opportunity to fellowship with people who mean so much to me. I thank you for providing me with the love of a chosen family when my family is lacking. Please help us to be trusting and loyal to one another. Help us to be forthright and compassionate with each other. In all things, Father, I ask that you remain present in and around us. In all these things, I pray. In the name of Jesus, Amen."

The moment Quinn released my hand, I grabbed a napkin and wiped my face.

I expected all eyes to be on me, but Celia and Quinn were both looking down at their plates. It was only B that was looking at me.

"Please?" She said, and somehow I knew what she was asking.

"It's not coke." I said, and then I got up from the table and walked towards my favorite spot on the couch. "Can we watch a movie while we eat? I need comfort." I said as I walked away.

My head was pounding, and my body ached as I pulled a blanket over myself and curled up in my favorite corner.

I didn't care anymore.

Hiding was exhausting, and I knew that all I had to do was give Quinn a look, and it would all come spilling out.

Maybe that's what I wanted.

Brittany's POV

Watching her leave the kitchen with stumbling footsteps wrecked me.

This was my fault. I was sure of it.

Instead of following Ana, though, I turned my anger towards Quinn.

"What do you know?" I asked, trying to keep myself in check.

Celia just kept eating, like maybe she knew what was going on already.

Then when she put her hand on top of Q's and leaned in to kiss her cheek, I knew that she did.

"I'm going to sit with Ana. You talk to Britt. She's too angry to be around my sister right now."

"And you don't think she's too angry to be around me?"

"I'm medicated, and I have learned my lesson. I won't hurt you or Ana...or anyone." I said, and Q rolled her eyes.

"Go." She said to Ceily.

Q waited for Ceily to leave the room before moving into her empty seat. We sat across from each other, and she tried smiling, but I wouldn't smile back at her.

"What's going on?"

"She was honest with Walker, and Walker, in turn, made her honest with me. She probably was going to tell you eventually today. It's not coke or painkillers."

"Then what is it because she is on SOMETHING."

"A few months ago, I was having trouble focusing in school. It was after everything went down. I went to my therapist, and she put me on Adderall for ADHD. It's really helped me be able to focus and not panic so much." Quinn looked guilty. "When she stole the cigarettes...she also went through my bag and took some pills. I didn't know until Walker pushed her, to be honest with me."

"Why did she take them?"

"I think that she thought they would help her with anxiety. She took them, Walker noticed that she was off and confronted her."

"So they won't help her with anxiety?"

"No, they can actually make it worse. I'm guessing that she just snorted some more, which can amplify the effects. It was beyond stupid, and now, we need to just go easy on her until she comes down. Her panic attacks have gotten worse since everything with you and Grady. She usually smokes or just takes a nap until she calms down. I hate that it's come to this, but I think we can all understand why."

"How am I going to tell her now." I muttered, and Quinn straightened in her chair.

"Tell her what?"

"I've been suspended. My bosses are really pissed about Grady leaving the show. Tony told me that they talked about suing me for breach of contract. I have to go plead my case in two Mondays from now."

"Shit."

"Yeah, it's bad. She was looking guilty, and I know she would have told me, but I pushed her before she was ready."

"Oh...that explains the drastic measure of snorting."

"This is my fault. She was doing so good before I came here."

"You are her reality, though, so eventually, she was going to have to deal with you and everything that comes with it."

"I'm not sure what to do now. We are supposed to be moving back in a few days."

"Postpone it. Walker says that San needs to close out things here before she goes, and not for nothing, but you are looking a little out of shape. Maybe you can use this week to work out a bit so that when you go back to New York, you'll be ready to dance."

"That's a good idea."

"I know."

"What will you be doing?"

"I have class on Monday, so I am leaving on Saturday night. I'll be flying back with all of the sisters. Pray for me."

"Well, that's not nice." Celia said as she walked into the kitchen.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She passed out. I stretched her out on the couch and tucked her in."

"Thanks."

"We are going to get out of your hair. You two need some time alone, are you calm now?" Ceily asked. She had that look in her eyes like she was testing my response. I had come a long way from attacking my wife.

"I am. I'm not mad; I just feel annoyed with myself. We do need to talk. Thanks for explaining things and being here."

2 Hours Later...

I took the cookies off of the cooling rack and put them on the coffee table.

The baby monitor that I had put next to Ana in the bedroom rustled a bit. It was the first bit of movement that Ana had in hours.

Right on time.

I covered the food and then stripped off my clothes. My stomach ached a bit since I hadn't been able to finish my food earlier. Instead, I had to clean up the blood that had dripped onto the couch, then I had to put her in bed with a towel under her face.

After that, I didn't have an appetite, but I still had to take my pills as scheduled, only my stomach wasn't full enough to make the pills easy to digest.

We'd eat soon enough, though.

I slid into the cool sheets and put my arms around my wife. She curled up in my arms and let out a sigh.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, being sure to not speak too loud.

"Thirsty."

Quinn had warned me about that, so I had been prepared. I had plenty to drink out in the living room.

"Okay, are you ready to continue our conversation?"

She sniffed and then said dryly, "Are you going to ignore my questions again?"

"No. I'm sorry that I did that. I wasn't ready to talk about my stuff yet."

"Tell me about it."

"I won't push you to talk. Quinn already told me what happened, so don't feel like you need to tell me everything. I just want to help you. That's it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

"Are you hungry?"

"I can't eat turkey for another meal, B."

"Good because I got shrimp and pesto from Breadstix. It just got here, and the breadsticks are warm."

She sat up so fast that I just knew what was going to come next. I grabbed the towel from her pillow and quickly put it to her nose.

"Oh, God. Still?" She mumbled as she wiped her nose. Then she pulled the towel away and sniffed again. "It's never been this bad."

"Maybe that's a sign."

"I think you're right."

Her stomach growled so loud that we both paused in our movements and laughed.

Which felt way better than anything else had that day.

Santana's POV

I have denounced many things that I have only gone back to doing again, but this time, I know that I will NEVER snort pills again. The hangover was enough to scare me.

My head was pounding so hard that I could feel my eyes vibrating. Still, when I looked at my wife, her expression open and her eyes sparkling, I knew that I needed to be worthy of that kind of love.

She wrapped us in robes and then took my hand, leading me out of the room.

"Do you need to pee?"

"Yeah."

She followed me into the bathroom and then waited patiently while I peed. I deserved that.

While I washed my hands, she peed, and I just waited.

Maybe she was only hovering because she had to go too?

I decided then to stop overthinking and just go with the flow. When we just went from moment to moment, Britt and I flourished.

Britt washed her hands and then dampened a washcloth. I stood watching her, then she turned and was wiping my face with it. She was gentle and kept giving me this sweet smile.

I didn't know what to think of any of it. How was she so nice right now?

"Ready to eat?" She asked.

I nodded, and she leaned in and kissed me.

"Good. Come on, I have a surprise."

"You do?"

"Mmmhmm. Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Close your eyes."

I closed my eyes and bit my lip, trying like hell not to ruin this.

Britt led me from the bathroom with a scarf tied around my eyes.

She kept humming the lollipop song while I was taking super small steps.

"You said that you trust me, Ana. Take bigger steps."

"I do trust you."

We stopped at the edge of the kitchen and living room. I could tell because the cold tile butted against the living room's plush carpet, and I had no shoes on.

She let go of my hands and kissed my forehead.

"Don't move."

"Okay."

I stood still while she moved around me, and then I heard music playing low.

When she pulled the blindfold off, she was standing in front of me, blocking my view.

"Before I let you see, I just wanna say that I'm sorry that I pushed earlier. I was trying to avoid my own drama by forcing you to talk about yours. That's not cool. I hope you can forgive me for that."

"I forgive you, B."

"Awesome! Ready?"

"Yes."

She stepped to the side, and there in front of me was a fort that took up most of the living room. There were white lights in and around it.

"So?"

"It's beautiful, B. It's exactly what I wanted."

"Good, so let's go inside and get our grub on, and if you're down for it, we can take a bubble bath after."

"I'm so down, Britt Britt."

The food inside smelled so amazing.

Britt had put pillows on the floor, and the music that played was even louder.

"You sit there." She instructed, and I sat where she said to.

"Is this the Rumors album?" I asked, and she grinned.

"It's our greatest hits playlist."

"Oh babe, I love when you make me a playlist."

"I know."

If all of this had been a ruse to get me to drop my walls, she'd succeeded, especially since I knew that Quinn had done the hard work of snitching on me.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No. I do understand why Walker was worried, but I'm not mad. I just want you to be smarter about how you deal with your stuff. What's that Dr. Clover says about managing?"

"Manage your expectations."

"Yes. I don't know how it applies here, but I'm sure it does."

"I'm going to get on her schedule this week and talk about all of this. I was trying to find anything to make my mind stop focusing on the drugs in the treehouse. It was dumb, and I regret it."

"Good, I'm glad that you're doing something about it."

"Hold me to it, B. Seriously. You're my wife, and your opinion matters to me above all else."

"More than Walker and Quinn?"

"Yes."

"Sweet."

"Now that you know what's going on with me, I think it's your turn."

Brittany's POV

"I got suspended pending an investigation into my contract breach."

"They're talking about suing?"

"Yeah."

"Are they going to sue Grady, too?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I will have to basically fight for my job when I go back in another week. Ari said she has my back, which will be great when it comes to Frank because he LOVES her, but August is who I'm worried about. Frank has always hated me, but August has been in my corner this whole time. I hate that I've let him down. I also hate that they told me through Tony."

"Cowards."

"I was still going to head back with you and your mom, but Quinn told me that you still have business here."

"Yeah, Walker won't let me leave until I have left her with a clear business plan. So I was going to stay an extra week and meet with all of my people. Rob and Walker, then the managers of the locations. So that would mean bringing in all of my managers from the Beans...the owners of the strip mall shops. I also need to meet with Sal, and I have a six-month check-up with my cardiologist here. It's a lot to do in a week, but I think I can manage."

"I'll stay then. We can go back together. Maybe we can even shop for places online."

"And what, send someone in person to walk through?"

"Yeah, with video. That way, we can just move into our own place."

"That's a good idea. What about the kids?"

"We can split them off. You take one, and I'll take the other. On days that you can't take either, then I'll take both. My mom won't mind helping either."

"Then I guess that's settled. I need you to do something, and it can't wait."

"Anything."

"Get a copy of your contract and call Mami, tell her everything and see if she can help you."

"I...she's...I don't want her to look at me differently when she finds out everything."

"Mami won't look at you differently. She knows about Grady and our arrangement. I tell her way more than she ever lets on."

"You do?"

"Of course, she's my OG best friend."

"I know what you mean. My mom was my first bestie too, and then Court, of course."

2 Days Later...

We woke up early Sunday morning and kissed the kids goodbye while they slept. Mom and Dad were still in bed, so sneaking out of their house felt just like high school.

Ana held tight to my hand on the drive over to the Lima Bean; we grabbed four large coffees and then drove to her childhood home.

Her sisters had left the day before, so the house was empty.

Moving trucks were in the driveway already, with Hector.

I held tight to my wife's hand when we walked into the house. We'd been hiding in our fort and then my parents' house for two days, foregoing any further help with the house. The sisters and brothers-in-law took care of finishing the job.

She teared up when we walked into her father's empty office. At random, she pointed to a spot on the floor.

"That's where I stood when I told him I was in love with you...and that over there is how far I slid when he slapped me."

Her words made words catch in my throat.

She'd been through way more than I could ever imagine. I just wanted to shield her from any more pain.

"Mami?" She called out.

"Cocina." Gladys called back.

Ana's handheld tight to mine as we went into the kitchen.

Gladys looked straight at me. "When you get to New York, we will discuss this contract that you signed, and if you stay on with the company, we will be negotiating these terms."

"Will they go for that?" Ana asked me.

"Everyone negotiates; I was the only one who didn't."

"Mami's the best. Just one look from her, and they'll give you whatever you want."

"I just wanna dance."

"And dance, you shall, Mi'ja." Gladys said, patting my arm. Then she patted her cheek with her finger. "Que Dios te Bendiga, Nanita."

"Ay Mami, Bendicion. I was distracted, sorry."

"Mmm."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Our flight leaves in four hours. The movers should be done here in twenty minutes. Then you two can take us to the airport. Everything I've left behind will be picked up by the storage company—smart idea, putting this house under your property management umbrella, one less thing to worry about. Rob is going to be here tomorrow to oversee the storage movers. I don't need them breaking my shit."

"Right, and where do you plan to put your moving stuff that's going to New York?"

"I'm going to be a great mom and move all of your stuff downstairs to the guest room. I'll make sure the stuff that you won't be using right away is packed up and put in the garage."

"Thanks."

"One more thing," Gladys looked at us both, and I knew whatever was coming was embarrassing. "Rumor has it that you had sex on the kitchen table?"

Ana was mortified while I just hummed the mash-up we had done in school. She looked at me with wide eyes, and I just shrugged.

"Yeah." She muttered to her mom.

"Good to know, that's going in the trash."

I cackled, Ana elbowed me, but I couldn't stop. Instead, I leaned close to her ear and hummed the lollipop song.

We were definitely already in a better place.

Santana's POV

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013

Dear Henry,

So much has happened since I started writing here. Today though was monumental for me. I think I found a new home in the city. I just need Britt's approval. I told her that sky was the limit, knowing that she's so cheap there's no way she could top my actual budget.

More than that, I had a video call with Doc and Cici. I told them about the Adderall and admitted that I was trying to find release. I talked to them about the coke, and then Doc kicked Cici off the call. She evaluated me and diagnosed my moderate anxiety. She's sending a prescription to the pharmacy today but expressly forbid me from taking Adderall because it would only make things worse.

I don't know what the hell got into me other than just being overwhelmed with all that cocaine.

The positive in all of this is that I was in a house full of people when it happened. God only knows how bad it could have been if I had been alone.

I've just got to thank God that I wasn't.

Hopefully, these pills will make a difference.

Laundry's done,

Talk soon.

-Santana

I was on the floor folding Daniela's clothes while she babbled to me, and it hit me just how calm I felt.

"Mami." She said to me, and I smiled at her.

"Yes, baby."

She waved her hand at me, and I knew immediately that she wanted to sing.

I put the folded clothes in the laundry basket and then moved closer to her.

"La linda manita, que tiene el bebé, qué linda, qué bella, qué preciosa es." Her gummy smile lit up my world. "Yay!" She clapped her hands and then began to shake them at me again. So I sang it again, "La linda manita, que tiene el bebé, qué linda, qué bella, qué preciosa es."

We went on like this over and over again until the bedroom door opened, and Isaac came in with Britt right behind him.

Once Daniela saw her brother, she forgot all about the nursery rhyme.

"Oh, were you singing the hand song?" Britt asked, and I nodded.

"I was."

"Did she make you do it a hundred times?"

"Sure did." Britt leaned over and kissed me before lifting the laundry basket onto the dresser.

"Awesome, go do you; I'll put these clothes away and get them ready for bath time."

"You're the best."

"I know." I kissed both of my babies before kissing Britt.

"Thanks, B. I've had to pee for like 45 minutes."

"Sorry about that. I got here as soon as I could, go take care of that. Maybe start the tub for these two goofballs."

The kids had gone back to hugging, and it made my heart melt.

I hoped that they kept this bond for a lifetime.

Brittany's POV

3 Days Later...

The week went way faster than I expected it to. All week, I'd been running with Sue while Izzy was strapped to my back or just running routines with Izzy dancing beside me in the studio over my parents' garage.

Ana was even busier than I was. She was running around with Walker, going to meetings for business and her recovery, all while insisting that Dani didn't need coverage. I was amazed to see her every night in the nursery with Dani, singing to her or playing with her.

Seeing her in her element as a mom, finally, was a dream come true.

When she was with the kids one-on-one, you could tell that the only thing that mattered was their happiness.

And now, with just two days left in Lima, we are going to do our walkthrough of the penthouse that she fell in love with.

Quinn and Gladys are going there with the realtor and showing us everything in person.

My only responsibility is bringing home dinner from We Lime.

All Ana has wanted for days is waffles, but I'm never in West Lima, so today, I took a detour and headed to the diner on the way home from Sue's.

Izzy was asleep in the carrier, his head against my back when someone called my name.

"Brittany?"

When I turned, I wished that I hadn't.

"No." I said.

But she came over anyway.

"I thought that was you. How are you? When did you get to Lima?"

"I've been here for a month. I thought you left town?"

"I did; the danger has passed, so I'm here handling some business. Obviously, Santana is still around." She reached behind me, and I heard Izzy's tired little 'hola'. "Hey little buddy, ha ha ha!" She said in Elmo's voice.

I hated that she had a bond with my son.

"Can you not hype him up, please?"

"Oh right, it's nearly bath and bedtime. My bad."

"What do you want?"

"Is she still sober?"

"Yes. No thanks to you shoving a kilo of coke at her." I was glaring now, but I tried to keep my voice light; I didn't want Izzy to get upset.

"I didn't have a choice. Don't worry, I'm not coming to win her back. I got married...not that you care." She waved her finger at me.

"Who would be nuts enough to marry you?"

"Carmen."

"Nico's Carmen?'

"She's my Carmen." There was a glint in her eyes that I didn't like.

Gross.

"Congratulations."

"You're not going to come around and ruin things, are you?"

"No. Seeing you here was a coincidence. I wasn't even planning on anyone knowing that I was here. I'm only here tonight. Gotta head back to the wife and kid."

The moment my name was called, I grabbed my order and left Sugar standing there.

"Bye to you, too, Brittany. Bye, Izzy."

"Bye!" He yelled.

I was bouncing on my feet outside the apartment door, trying to burn away my anger from seeing Sugar.

"Mami! Mami!" Ana opened the door as I paced the hallway, and Izzy saw her first.

She held up a bag of trash towards me.

"Can you throw that down the shoot?"

"You're not going to ask me what's wrong?"

"Sugar texted me. I know what's wrong. Whenever you're ready, come on in."

"You still talk to her? I thought she ghosted you."

"She did. This was the first time I heard from her. We're good, B. I swear."

She caught herself at the same time I felt my heartbreak. I felt the tears but tried not to make it obvious, Izzy was watching. Even though I couldn't see him, I could feel his tiny hand rubbing my back.

Even though I was hurting, I put a smile on my face when I went to take the bag from her, but she didn't let go; instead, she pulled me forward. Her free hand wrapping around my neck, her eyes were locked on mine.

"I need you to know that I don't want anyone else, not Sugar, Ari, or any other person. I just want you. I'm yours, B. Proudly so."

Her words hit me and brought me back to that hallway when she was in tears, trying to get me to understand how she felt about me.

"Proudly so, Ana, I'm yours." She kissed me, and then she patted my shoulder, pushing me off.

"Go throw that away and come inside. I have needs."

I had gotten worked up for nothing, trust was a tricky thing, but it was more because of me than her.

Santana's POV

She took longer than it should have to throw a bag down a chute, but I wasn't going out into that hallway again. I wouldn't bug her. Instead, I set the table and then sat there with Daniela in my lap.

"Mano." She said and shook her hand at me.

I took her little hand and began to sing.

"La linda manita, que tiene el bebé, qué linda, qué bella, qué preciosa es."

"Yay!"

"Che Che?" She said, and I sighed. We'd been making progress with her not breastfeeding, but my anxiety rose the longer Britt was lingering outside. I pulled up my shirt, and Daniela squealed. "Yay!"

"Enjoy while you can. I told you, baby girl, After your 1st birthday, you're cut off from my leche."

Her eyes twinkled as she ate. She held onto my boob like it was her lifeline.

"You gave in?" Britt asked, and I looked up at her red-rimmed eyes. "I look worse than I feel, don't look at me like that."

"I only want you, B."

"I know."

She took off the carrier pack and helped Isaac to his feet. He waited for her to help him out of the carrier, and then he ran over to me and put his head on my leg. I rubbed his curls, and he patted my leg.

"You believe me, right?"

"I do. I was already feeling anxious about Monday. I have a lot on my mind, and I could just tell that she was trying to make me mad."

"I get that. Sugar likes to get people riled up. She's a sociopath and I told her so."

"You did?"

"Yup. I told her to give my love to Carmen, and I reminded her that the moment she gave that kilo to me, we were done."

"Good."

"Mami and Quinn should be calling soon. Let's get these two fed and bathed, so we can eat."

"Okay, I'll feed Izzy."

Britt looked much calmer.

Crisis averted.

Even after they ate, Daniela double-time with breastmilk and baby food, Mami and Quinn still hadn't called us. So we started birthtime.

Isaac was dazed as he sat in the tub and I could see it coming, he was getting sick again.

"Does he look a little off to you?" I asked B while I washed Daniela's hair.

Britt looked over at Isaac and nodded.

"Hey, buddy?" He looked up at her and smiled. "Come here." He moved closer to Britt who was kneeling next to me. She put her hand on his back then looked over at me nervously. "He's wheezing."

"Okay, um...finish cleaning her and I'll get him set up with his machine."

"Are you sure?"

"You get him all day, I get him at night. That's the deal, she's all yours."

Britt looked at Daniela and fake glared. "Don't bite me. I don't have any che che."

Once I had Isaac dried and in a fresh diaper, his inability to take a deep breath became more obvious.

He was close to tears as he sat in the glider with his mask on while I turned on Elmo for him.

"You need to hold him while he's doing it, baby. He needs the comfort." Britt came into the room with a giggly baby wrapped up in a towel. I was obviously out of practice with my son.

I stopped cleaning up the room and slid into the glider with him. Once he was in my lap, he curled up and rested his face against my chest.

Daniela was glaring at him while Britt got her ready.

"Hey, be nice." Britt scolded her.

"Che che." She whined, her bottom lip trembling.

"Seriously, kid? She's so getting cut off."

Brittany's POV

"It's perfect." Ana whispered while she nursed Dani again. The penthouse was beautiful and had this great room, that Ana promised I could use as my practice space.

"There are two other offers already in."

"What's the top bid?" Ana was negotiating already.

"1.3. Which is below the threshold that you and Sandra set last week."

"Where's the owner?"

"She's showing Quinn the view."

"Make the offer for 1.5, cash."

Try as I might to not thinking it, Grady's words haunted me. Ana treated life like a game of Monopoly but instead of letting that thought slip past my lips, I tucked the blanket around our sleeping son who wouldn't let me put him down after his treatment.

So much for Ana's needs, there were definitely going to be kids in the bed with us that night.

Ana made the offer and the owner accepted with a happy smile. Gladys signed on Ana's behalf and just like that we had a new home.

"Thanks for this Mami."

"My pleasure, she says that you can move in this weekend. So I will get your stuff moved here and rally your sisters to get you unpacked."

"Seriously? You don't mind?"

"We are a family, Nanita, this is what we do."

"Okay, thanks."

Ana overlooked the part of this that benefited Gladys, with our stuff out, she'd be able to make the house her own.

I was happy because I had dance space and because I wouldn't have to go back to that house.

There were just too many ugly memories in that place.

Two Days Later...

By the time we got off the plane and into the car, I was beyond annoyed with everyone and everything.

Ana had insisted that we get in early Sunday morning so that we'd have a whole day to get adjusted before I went back to work. When she said it, I thought it was a great plan but when it was actually time to do it, I hated every second of it.

"I missed this car." Ana said from the back seat. "Has it really just been sitting in the garage all of these months?"

Quinn shrugged.

"I'm sure one or more of your sisters have used it. I had to get the keys from Sandra which meant a cab to West Chester, then a cab to the house, before coming to the airport."

"Gross." I muttered.

"I filled the fridge for you guys but the pantry was all Gladys. I can't wait for you two to see the place, it's amazing."

I rolled my eyes and stared out at the city skyline. My fate was going to be decided the next day, and all I wanted to do was run away.

"Thanks, Q. Are you going to stick around for a bit, or do you have plans?"

"I was hoping you'd let me keep the car for a bit, I wanted to go see Beth. They're all the way out on Long Island, and the train ride is merciless."

"Sure, Q. Anywhere we need to go, we can get a cab or the subway."

"Thanks."

I felt a hand rubbing my arm and turned to glare at Q but it was Ana. She was searching my eyes and giving me a sweet smile. How could I be mad at that?

"It's going to be okay, Britt Britt, I've got your back."

"Thanks."

I knew that my mood was a hot mess but who could blame me? All the things that I had been trying to put out of my mind since my surgery were back to slap me in the face. I would have to deal with all the Grady drama again and while I loved that Ana and her mom were going to help me, I was embarrassed. There was just so much that they didn't know and would probably find out in the next couple of days.

And then there were things that Grady said that were starting to ring true and I hated to look at my wife through the eyes of the man that ruined my life.

I was a work in progress, just like Ana the major difference is that consequences don't seem to stick to her like they do to me.

Please God, take away this resentment...this is on me.

My fault, my bad.

I was doing my best not to bargain with God but it was becoming harder as time marched on. I pressed my hands to my scar and thought about all that I had already lost and decided that in comparison, a job was just a job.

And my wife, my soulmate must have felt that quitting spirit because she pinched my arm so I'd turn to look at her.

"If you're going to lose your job, go out like a winner. Go down swinging. You're a Lopez and we don't fucking quit our dreams."

"Yeah?" I challenged. "What about you?"

"You are my dream, B. That's why I'm still here."

"Okay, I'll fight."

"Atta girl."

A/N: One more chap in this present to come. I'm thinking it will be up tonight or in the morning. Love you, chicas!