Chapter 52: New Chapters
Santana's POV
Today is an exciting day because my best friend finally gets married. I am so happy for her that her life is on track and she's taking the next step with James. I'm also a little happy for myself because it means my time making her wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses is finally over. It was nice getting to do something special like this for my best friend but it was also very stressful. I'm used to stress and pressure at work but there was a different kind of stress doing this for my best friend. We are so close so I was always afraid I might mess the dress up or she wouldn't like the design. Thankfully Quinn loves the designs I've created but I'm not sure I would do this again for someone so close to me.
Brittany and I are currently getting Jaxon and Xavier's stuff together so they can go to Brittany's parent's house. As much as we would have loved them to go to the wedding with us, they're just a little too young to do that so Brittany's parents were more than happy to have them for the day and take care of them tonight. It's going to be a long day today so we couldn't put the kids through that but maybe when they're a little older and we have family or close friends getting married then they can come.
"Oh my god, Quinn is going to kill me" I sigh as I just realise something.
"What's wrong?" Brittany asks concerned.
"I forgot to order us a cab to take us to the hotel so we're going to be late now" I say, shaking my head.
"Yeah, Quinn will kill us if we're late" Brittany states.
"Why don't I wait here with Jaxon and Xavier right now and Brittany, your dad could give you both a ride to the hotel. Then he can pick us back up after and take us back to our place" Brittany's mom tells us.
"You don't mind?" I ask David.
"Of course, I don't, what kind of dad would I be to Brittany if I grudged you both a ride" David smiles.
"Ok, thank you" I smile back.
"We should get our things together now and say goodbye to the kids" Brittany says as she grabs her purse from the side.
"Yeah, we should" I nod in agreement.
"We'll see you tomorrow, ok" Brittany says as she picks Jaxon up to hug him.
"Ok" Jaxon smiles.
"I love you so much" Brittany adds before placing Jaxon back on the ground. "I love you so much too Xavier" she tells our youngest as she reaches down to kiss his head.
"Come here, honey" I say while engulfing Jaxon in a hug before kissing him. "I love you" I tell him. "And I love you as well" I say as I kiss Xavier this time.
"Ok, we need to really go now" Brittany says as she grabs our bags.
"Yeah, we do" I say in agreement.
"We'll call you later mom to check in and say goodnight to the boys" Brittany tells her mom.
"Ok, I'll speak to you later" Alison smiles.
Brittany and I then head out to David's car and get ourselves and all of our stuff inside. There was a bit of traffic when we set off which did panic me slightly but at the same time, there was nothing we could do about it. The minute we get to the hotel, we make our way inside and rush to the suite Quinn is staying in. Brittany and I are getting ready with Quinn and the other bridesmaids while James is getting ready with his groomsmen. As soon as we reach the door, we knock on it and Tina quickly answers, ushering us into the room with everyone.
"Thank goodness you're both here" Tina says stressed.
"Why, what's wrong?" I ask concerned.
"I am freaking out Santana so I need my matron of honour" Quinn states.
"What are you freaking out about?" I ask confused.
"You being late" Quinn replies annoyed.
"Ok, we were 5 minutes late so there is nothing to panic about. We've not shifted the schedule at all by being a mere 5 minutes late" Brittany says calmly.
"This day just needs to be perfect" Quinn sighs.
"It will be, don't worry" I assure my best friend. "All you really need for it to be perfect is each other so everything else is just stuff that doesn't matter" I add.
"Santana is right" Brittany smiles.
"I always am" I tease.
"Anyway, we're all here now so let's get ready for your special day Quinn" Brittany says.
Once all of the hair and makeup is done and we've changed into our dresses, it's time to get the show on the road. All of the guests are already downstairs and seated and so are James and his groomsmen so it's now time for Quinn and her bridesmaids to make their way down.
"Are you ready to go?" I ask my best friend.
"Yeah" Quinn smiles at me.
"Your dad is in the hallway waiting so let's go" I smile back.
We all leave the hotel room and meet Quinn's dad outside. We make our way down to the ceremony in the elevator and line up outside, waiting on our instruction to walk down the aisle. Quinn and her dad will walk down last so Tina and Mercedes walk down the aisle first and then Brittany and I follow behind them.
"You look amazing, babe" Brittany tells me.
"Thank you" I smile.
"All of the bridesmaids dresses look great on us so you should be proud of making them" she smiles.
"Yeah, I am really happy with how they all turned out" I say.
XXX
Quinn and James's wedding ceremony was really beautiful but it was over before we knew it so we were all at the reception in no time. The speeches and the dinner are all finished so it's now time to really get the party started. Quinn and James have had their first dance together so now all of the guests are taking to the dancefloor to have some fun.
"May I have this dance?" Brittany asks as she holds her hand out to me.
"Yes, you may" I smile as I gratefully take her hand in mine.
"I have been waiting to dance with you all day" Brittany tells me as we begin dancing.
"I really like slow dancing with you" I smile.
"Yeah, it's kinda romantic" Brittany smiles back.
"I never liked romance before but I do now that I have you to be romantic with" I tell her.
"Yeah, I wasn't a super romantic person either. I've only really been like that since we got together. I just don't think I felt like I wanted to be like that in past relationships. You bring that side out in me and I like it" she smiles again.
"There are a lot of sides to me too that I didn't know I had until we met, and you gently broke down my walls to reveal them" I point out.
"I did and it wasn't easy" Brittany teases me. "You were a hard nut to crack so to speak but I did it and I am grateful that I did because you're an amazing person Santana and you deserve to show off all of that amazingness. You didn't need to hide it because everyone should get to see how awesome you really are" she adds.
"Have I ever told you that I love you?" I ask.
"Tell me again" Brittany whispers.
"I love you" I smile.
"I love you too" Brittany replies before pecking my lips.
"You are amazing too, by the way" I say, realising I didn't tell her that before.
"Thanks honey" she smiles.
"I am so proud to call you my wife" I smile back.
"Speaking of being married, today has been a wonderful day so do you ever wish we could get married again?" Brittany asks me.
"Honestly, not one little bit" I laugh. "It was a great day in the end but way too stressful so I don't wish to repeat that" I add.
"Fair enough" Brittany laughs.
"Do you wish we could get married again?" I ask curiously.
"As much as we had an amazing time and got to spend the day with our family and friends, I still don't think I'd want to do that part again either. I like that we're married now and we honestly don't need some big party to have fun" Brittany says.
"I agree" I nod.
"Every day is fun for us and I think we fall more and more in love with each other as the days pass so we don't need another wedding to be romantic" she states.
"Exactly" I smile. "Hey, come with me a second" I say as I grip onto Brittany's hand and lead her off the dancefloor.
"Where are we going?" my wife asks confused.
"You'll see" I smirk.
"Ok" Brittany shrugs. Two seconds later we reach the bathroom.
"Lock the door" I state as we go inside.
"Huh?" Brittany says confused.
"Lock the door" I repeat as I reach behind my back to try to loosen my dress. "I don't want anyone walking in on us" I elaborate.
"Are we having sex right now?" she asks curiously.
"Well, I'm not undressing and asking you to lock the door so I can take a bath in the non-existent tub that's in here" I tease.
"Ok smarty pants, I'm just asking because I didn't expect this. I know we like to have sex but we don't do it that much in public places" Brittany smiles.
"Ok well we are going to have sex but firstly you need to lock the door, baby" I tell her.
"I'm not sure that I can lock it. It seems that you need an actual key to lock it" she states.
"Ok, let's get into a stall then" I say as I gently push my wife into one of the stalls and lock the door behind me.
"There's not much room in here" Brittany points out as we stand very close to one another.
"I know but we don't need a lot of room because we'll be pressed up against each other very soon" I state. "Now, undress for me please" I tell her.
"I don't know that I can undress without kicking you or punching you. There is really no room to move let alone fight with my clothes trying to remove them" she replies.
"Babe, don't you want to have sex with me?" I ask.
"Yeah, of course I do" Brittany nods eagerly.
"Then stop making excuses and complaining about the lack of space" l chuckle. "Less hesitation and more undressing please" I say as I lift up my own dress and drop my panties to the floor.
"Ok" Brittany says before following my lead and undressing somewhat.
"I actually feel kinda trashy having sex in a bathroom but I sorta can't wait" I state as I pull Brittany closer to me.
"If I get to see you without your clothes on then quite frankly, I don't care where it is, bathroom or bedroom" Brittany smiles.
"That is true" I smile back.
XXX
Brittany and I have just gotten back to our hotel room from the wedding. The rest of the night was so much fun celebrating Quinn and James's wedding. We all danced and had fun, probably drinking way more alcohol than we meant to. I am so happy for Quinn because she deserves the best and I believe she has that with James. I'm also happy because I got to spend the night with my wife and we just don't get enough alone time at the moment so it was really nice tonight.
"I know it's late but maybe we should make the most of having a bedroom to ourselves. We don't get a lot of time one on one in our bedroom at home since the boys previously slept in our room with us so it would be a shame for this opportunity to go to waste" Brittany smiles.
"That's a good point, Britt-Britt" I smirk.
"Come here" Brittany says softly as she scoops me up in her arms.
"Hold on, honey" I smile as I hold onto her with my arms around her neck. "I wanted to freshen up first" I tell her as I gently kiss her cheek.
"Really?" she asks curiously.
"Yeah" I nod. "I'm not trying to tease you right now. I have been in this dress all night and it was pretty hot by the end of the night so I'm sweating" I explain.
"I don't care" Brittany shrugs.
"Believe me, you will care when I get undressed" I chuckle. "Let me quickly freshen up and then we can do whatever you want" I tell her.
"Ok" Brittany nods before placing me gently on the ground again.
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Yesterday was amazing getting to see my best friend get married and being a part of her special day with her. It was just such a wonderful occasion to celebrate together. However, today is a new day so we need to look towards that. Brittany and I are still at the hotel but we'll be heading home soon. We're going to have breakfast first and get packed up and then head home to see our kids.
"Are you ready to go downstairs to get breakfast?" Brittany asks me as she looks at her watch.
"I am" I nod. "I'm actually rather hungry this morning, what about you?" I ask my wife as I grab my purse.
"Not especially but I do think I should eat something to soak up some of the booze from last night. I feel a touch hungover this morning" she admits.
"I didn't think you drank all that much last night" I point out as we leave the room.
"Neither did I but apparently my body feels different" Brittany laughs.
"I'm sure you'll be fine in no time at all" I smile as I reach down to hold her hand in mine.
As soon as we finished breakfast, we went back to our hotel room and packed away our things. Brittany and I are just leaving the hotel now to go home. We've spoken to our friends and we've all said goodbye so we're all making our own way home. Brittany's parents are already at our house with Jaxon and Xavier so we said we would take a cab home rather than have one of them to pick us up to give us a ride back. It's easier for us to travel ourselves while they get the kids settled back in at home.
"Home here we come" I smile at Brittany.
"Yeah" Brittany smiles. "It was a fun night but I'm looking forward to seeing the boys" she adds as we get into the awaiting cab.
"Me too" I nod, smiling at the thought of my perfect little babies.
The journey from the hotel to home didn't take long at all so we were arriving outside our house in no time. We got out of the cab and unloaded our stuff before walking towards the front door. Brittany's parents' car was parked outside so we knew they were back with the boys which made us even more eager to get inside to see our children.
"We're home" Brittany says loudly as we walk through the front door.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Jaxon says excitedly as he runs towards us.
"Hi, honey" Brittany says as she immediately drops our bags on the ground and reaches down to pick up Jaxon.
"Did you miss us?" I ask Jaxon as I kiss his cheek.
"Yeah, I'm sure they both did" Brittany smiles.
"How were the boys?" I ask Brittany's mom as I walk over to pick up Xavier.
"Really good, actually" Alison smiles. "I mean not that I thought they wouldn't be good but I did wonder if they would be a little unsettled yesterday once you left but they weren't which was a little surprising" she adds.
"They're probably just getting more used to spending time with their grandparents that they feel really comfortable with you when we're not here" Brittany shrugs.
"That or they really didn't miss us" I joke.
After catching up with Brittany's parents for a while, they left and we got to spend some time with our children. I'm just hanging out with Jaxon in the living room right now while Brittany is feeding Xavier in the other room.
"Hey sweetie, do you want to come and sit with mommy?" I ask Jaxon.
"O-k" Jaxon replies happily as he climbs onto the couch next to me.
"I am so happy to be home and to see you and Xavier" I tell Jaxon as he curls up into me. "Are you happy mommy and I are home too?" I ask.
"Yeah" Jaxon nods eagerly.
"Oh, look at that, two of my favourite people cuddled up on the couch together, looking cute" Brittany says as she enters the room with Xavier in her arms.
"Yeah, we are pretty cute" I smile. "Do you two want to join us?" I ask.
"Definitely" Brittany smiles before sitting down next to me with Xavier still in her arms. "I could be wrong but I think someone looks a little sleepy" she says as she reaches over me and gently sweeps a stray strand of hair out of Jaxon's face.
"You do look a little sleepy, Jax" I tell our oldest son.
"Do you want to take a little nap?" Brittany asks Jaxon.
"No" Jaxon mumbles. "Want you" he says as he hugs me.
"We're not going anywhere buddy; you can nap here with us" I tell him.
"Ok" Jaxon replies.
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"I was thinking I might head into work today to do some stuff and catch up a little. I'm obviously not tied up anymore making Quinn's wedding dress so it might be a good idea to just see how things are going when I have the time now" I tell Brittany.
"That's cool" Brittany smiles.
"Are you coming into work today or are you staying home. If you want to work then we'll get Jessica to look after the boys but if not, then maybe Jess can help me while you spend time with our children" I say.
"I have a few things I need to do so let's get Jess to be on childcare duty today" Brittany replies.
"Ok" I smile.
"I'm not saying I will be in the office all day though, maybe just a half day" she points out.
"That's cool" I nod.
As soon as Brittany and I are ready for the day and the boys are with Jessica, we head off to work. Jessica is going to look after Jaxon and Xavier at our house so Brittany and I can stay as long or as short as we want at work. As much as I love being a mom and being with the kids all day, it is nice today to take a few hours out to check on my business. My priorities have changed a lot now but my business does mean a lot to me so I want to make sure it's still standing.
"I want to go and speak to Jack about something right now so I'll meet you in our office when I'm done" Brittany tells me as we walk inside.
"Ok" I smile.
Once I get to my office, I get started work straight away. I don't know how long Brittany is going to be so I thought I might as well just start working instead of waiting around in the event she takes a while. It takes me a little time to get up to speed with everything since I haven't been at work that much recently but when I do, it's like I never even left. I fall straight back into my working groove again.
"Hey, boss" Brittany smiles as she walks into the office.
"Hi" I smile brightly. I know I say it all the time but that feeling of knowing you're the boss when you're at work is amazing.
"What has got you looking so happy?" Brittany asks.
"Would you believe me if I said, seeing you made me happy?" I tease.
"No" Brittany laughs.
"You wouldn't?" I ask surprised.
"I mean yeah I would normally but right now, I don't think that's why you're happy" she tells me.
"I'm just happy because I love that feeling of being the boss at work" I reply. "Genuinely though, seeing you does always make me happy" I add.
"Seeing you always makes me happier" Brittany smiles as she leans down to kiss me.
"I'm glad we can still make each other happy" I smile back.
"Me too" Brittany nods.
"So…are you going to get started work now?" I ask my wife, changing the subject.
"I am" Brittany says before walking over to her desk and taking a seat.
"I like it when we're both working together" I tell Brittany.
"Am I your favourite employee?" she teasingly asks.
"I mean, yeah" I shrug like it obvious. "And before it goes to your head, it's not because you're my wife. I genuinely think since the day you started; you've always been the one that works the hardest" I add.
"We didn't get off to the best of starts but I won you over in the end" Brittany smiles.
"Yeah, we didn't start well" I laugh. "Let's be honest, you would have been fired at the start if it weren't for how smart and talented you were. If anyone else talked to me the way you did then they would have been gone but you were different. You worked harder than anyone else and as much as I disliked the backchat, I looked past it because selfishly I needed you more for the sake of my company" I explain.
"Yeah, and now you've grown to love that part of my personality" Brittany replies.
"Exactly" I nod with a smile. "Also, what's even better is that I know you don't act like that around anyone else. As much as you pissed me off in the beginning, I realised you did it only with me because you liked me. In a kinda of messed up way I find that endearing."
"I guess you could say it was a lame attempt to flirt with you because I don't joke around and tease anyone else like I did with you" she smiles.
"Exactly" I smile.
"Anyway, I should do some work now otherwise this was a wasted day being here. I might as well be productive since I'm not with the kids. I'd hate to think I wasn't using the time away from them wisely because I should have stayed home with them otherwise" Brittany explains.
XXX
Brittany and I have been working for a few hours now which is good because we managed to get some important tasks finished. It is a little weird though being in the same room together being able to work and not have to stop to take care of the kids. Before, one of us would have needed to stop working by now to feed them or change them so both of us working for a solid 3 hours at the same time is strange. It's also weird being in the same room together and not interacting with one another. I mean that used to happen all the time when we were busy at work but it doesn't happen often now since we've taken the break from work. Any time we're in the same room together these days, we're doing something together either with the kids or doing something fun like being at a wedding.
"So, how busy are you right now?" Brittany asks me, looking away from what she's working on.
"A little busy but not like stressed, why?" I say, wondering why she's asking.
"I thought we could get some lunch together or at least take a break together" she replies.
"I could eat lunch" I nod.
"Awesome" Brittany smiles. "I will go and get us some food while you keep working and once I'm back, you can stop and we'll eat together" she adds.
"Cool, sounds like a plan" I tell her.
"I won't be long" Brittany smiles before grabbing her wallet and leaving the office.
I'm only working for about 20 minutes before Brittany returns to the office with our food. She sets the items down on my desk and then makes us both some coffee before joining me. We start eating right away since we're both hungry so we don't really get a chance to talk much in the beginning. I don't really mind though because we have the whole day to talk if we want too. Right now, it is just important to refuel after working hard for a few hours.
"How long do you think you'll stay at work today?" Brittany asks me as she finishes eating.
"I don't think I want to be here for too much longer. I am making some good progress with my work but the mom guilt is beginning to set in again. I don't want to be away from the boys for too long a time at the moment" I admit.
"I was thinking it might be an idea to go home soon" Brittany agrees.
"How about we finish lunch and just go straight home" I suggest. "I'm at a suitable point anyway in my work that I can leave it there for today" I add.
"Sounds good" Brittany nods.
Brittany's POV
Santana and I are taking the day off from work today so we're just going to be spending it relaxing and having some time to ourselves, and spending quality time with our children of course. Santana is currently at home with Jaxon and Xavier while I'm out on a run with Carly. My wonderful wife said she'd take on the parenting duties for an hour or so herself so I could workout a little. I'm going to repay the favour later where Santana can do whatever she wants for an hour while I take care of our sons.
"So, how are things going with you?" I ask Carly curiously as we take off on our run.
"I don't know really" Carly says sadly. "My life is just so up and down right now that I don't know where I am. Sometimes everything is great and other times, it's like why is this happening to me?" she sighs.
"Things will get better, I promise you" I say reassuringly.
"I really hope so because I don't know how much more of this I can handle. I'm just stuck in this place of uncertainty that I don't know where or how to move forward" she admits.
"We just need to take it a step at a time. Let's figure out your next career move and perhaps the other stuff will fall into place when that's done" I tell her. "Is there anything at all you think you might like to do?" I ask.
"I really did love my job and modelling but I didn't love everything it came with. Do you know it sounds sad but I actually had a burger last night and cried. It had been so long since I ate food like that that I was so overcome with emotion because I had missed the taste of greasy fast food" Carly states. "I was just never allowed to eat things like that when I was modelling" she adds.
"So going back to modelling is a definite no?" I ask.
"I don't want to model anymore because it's too much pressure on me and the way I need to look. I'm not ruling out being involved in other ways in modelling though" Carly states.
"Like maybe being behind the camera?" I ask.
"Something like that might be something I could look into" she shrugs.
"Like I say, we'll figure all of this out and hopefully everything else will fall into place. We'll get you help if you need it as well to get you through this negative mental place" I tell her.
"I don't like to pry when it comes to sensitive subjects but you've alluded before to going through some things a while back" Carly states.
"Yeah, I've had a few ups and downs and honestly, I don't think anyone really knows how I felt. I have mentioned bits and pieces of it before like you say but I don't think I've ever really told anyone what really went on in my head" I admit.
"Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you talk about it if you didn't want to" Carly says feeling bad.
"No, it's ok" I smile, assuring Carly. "I didn't mean it like I didn't want to talk about it. I was meaning that I too have went through things before and that it's ok. No one knows how deep things were but the main thing is that I'm ok now" I add.
"What got you through it?" she asks curiously.
"Santana" I reply with a smile. "I don't think she really knows she saved me but she did. I mean she knows I did go through some things mentally but I don't think she knew the magnitude of how I really felt. It's not that I'm keeping secrets from her, I just wanted to block it out so when I got to a happier place, I left that part in the past."
"I can understand that" Carly nods.
"Speaking of people we love, are you and Jess doing good?" I ask curiously.
"Yeah, we are. Out of everything that is happening in my life, Jess is the only good thing to come out of it. I don't fall into that sad place when we're together. None of my worries appear when we're together" she explains.
"That's good, at least there's some positives in your life right now" I smile.
"Yeah, but at the same time, I don't just want to be Jess's girlfriend. I love her and she makes me happy but I want to have more in my life than just a relationship" she says. "It might sound cold but I need more than just Jess in my life to feel good again."
"It's not cold, I get what you're trying to say" I tell her.
"I definitely need her in my life though, don't get me wrong" she assures me.
"Honestly Carly, I know what you're trying to say so don't worry" I smile. "It's ok to want to do something other than just being a girlfriend. I love Santana and the kids so much and I'd be lost without them obviously but I do need my career in my life too. Santana and the kids are clearly more important to me than work but I do need it in my life at times" I add. If I had to choose between the two then it's Santana and the boys all day long but it is good to have a balance of the two.
"If I'm being totally honest, I kinda want what my sister has" Carly admits.
"You want to be a fashion designer?" I ask confused. I really didn't think fashion was something she was interested in. I mean I know she dresses well and everything but I mean for a career, I didn't think it was her thing.
"No, I meant I want to have what Santana has in terms of having a family and a career. She seems to be able to have both so I want that too. I want Jess but I also want to do something for me which is having a career I really like" she explains.
"You can have that; we just need to figure it out first" I smile.
"Anyway, enough about my mental health. Let's talk about something a little happier" Carly says.
"Like what?" I query.
"How about my nephews?" she replies.
"That is something I could talk about all day. My children are the cutest little people you could ever meet" I say, smiling at the thought of Xavier and Jaxon.
"How is Jaxon's speech coming on?" Carly asks.
"Really good. He is learning to say more and more words already. Honestly, I couldn't be a prouder mom because he is so amazing. He definitely takes after Santana in his intelligence because we all know I'm not the brightest crayon in the box" I state.
"You are intelligent, Brittany. Maybe it's not in the same way as Santana but you're definitely smart" she assures me.
"Thanks" I smile.
"Even if he doesn't get his intelligence from you, Jaxon certainly takes after you with other traits which is nice. Santana says he's started dancing already" Carly states.
"Yeah, he has actually. It is so cute that he likes to dance because it's something I've always loved to do so I'm glad we can share that" I say.
"What about Xavier, who is he more like at the moment?" she asks.
"Right now, Xavier is 100% Santana. I can't explain it so I don't know what it is but he is just the tiny version of Santana" I reply.
"I didn't want to say anything in case it made you feel bad but Xavier is the exact double of Santana as a baby. Looks and personality I would say" Carly tells me.
"Wait…how do you know that" I say amused. "You're younger than Santana so you wouldn't know baby Santana?" I ask. I'm not saying I disagree; I just think it's funny she said that.
"Well looking at baby pictures of Santana, Xavier looks like her and my mom said his personality is the same as Santana's was when she was younger" Carly shrugs.
"Tantrums aplenty to come then?" I joke.
"I'll tell Santana you said that" Carly laughs. "You'll be in the doghouse for sure when she finds out you think she has tantrums all the time and that Xavier will too."
"Even though I am joking, don't tell her because I don't want to be in trouble. My least favourite place to be is in Santana's bad books. I was often there during the pregnancy and I don't want to go back to that. I'm too accustomed at the moment to having Santana close to me at all times since we're not working much so being in the doghouse would mean being apart and I'm not ready for that yet. I like being around her 24 hours a day" I explain.
"I won't tell her; I was just joking too" Carly smiles. "You and Santana are so cute together by the way" she adds.
"Thanks" I say, appreciating the comment.
"You two have quite a stable relationship so I'd like to hear more about it because I'm kinda in awe of you both" Carly says.
"Are you sure you want to know about that because I'm married to your sister" I point out.
"I can be mature about things" Carly nods.
"Well, my relationship is going really well right now. Santana is the best and I just fall more and more in love with her everyday" I say. "It's also getting a little exciting again because Jaxon and Xavier now sleep in their own rooms again so we have the bedroom all to ourselves" I smirk.
"I know I said I can be mature but I don't think I can" Carly laughs. "It was so cute what you said before talking about being around her all the time but now talking about bedrooms, all I can think about is my big sister having sex with someone."
"Not just with someone, with me" I say proudly. Honestly, I sometimes need to pinch myself because I don't know how I landed so lucky to be married to someone as awesome as Santana. She could have anyone she wants but yet all she wants is boring old me.
"I still don't want to know" Carly laughs.
After running for a little longer, Carly and I decided to finish it there. We had been running for some time so we were getting tired. I invited Carly to come back to my place to hang out but she declined saying she had things to do so. I'm not sure I like her going home to sit alone since she isn't in the right headspace but there wasn't much else I could do. I've just arrived home just now so I'm heading to the living room where I hear Santana.
"Hey, you" Santana says smiling at me. "I missed you" she adds as she leans up to kiss me.
"Yeah, I missed you too" I say quietly, pulling away as soon as Santana pecks my lips.
"Are you sure about that because you can't seem to get away from me quick enough" she teases.
"Can we talk?" I ask seriously.
"Uh…yeah" Santana replies sceptically. She's probably wondering why I'm being so serious right now and why I'm not in my usual joking mood.
"I really don't want to worry you Santana but at the same time I don't want to not say anything because I'm getting a little worried myself" I start off.
"Brittany, what is going on because I am worried now?" she asks.
"Let's sit down" I say as I lead my wife over to the couch to sit.
"This isn't about you and me, right?" Santana asks nervously. "I thought we were pretty good at the moment but now I'm wondering what you're trying to tell me."
"It's not about you and me. You're right, we are solid at the moment" I say, offering Santana a gentle smile to calm her down somewhat.
"Ok, what are you worried about then?" she asks.
"I'm worried about your sister, Santana" I state. "We both know she's been going through a few things recently with her mental health but I think it's bigger than what she's letting on. I don't want to panic you but I also don't know what to do so we need to talk."
"Ok" Santana nods. I can see from her face that she too is starting to get worried.
"I just don't think she's been as open about how she's really feeling. Like I say she has told us she's struggling a little but I don't think she's really telling us how badly. This isn't just about her career anymore; I think she feels lost in general. Modelling was obviously a big part of her life and now she isn't doing it, she feels like she's not the same person anymore" I explain.
"She doesn't want to model anymore, though" Santana points out.
"I know and she's glad she quit but I still think it's made her feel this way. As much as she didn't want to be tied down anymore, it was a major factor in her life so to not have that anymore she doesn't feel like herself anymore" I say.
"Surely if we find something else she is passionate about and find her a career then she'll feel better" she says.
"Yeah, it would help but like I say, it's more than just her career now. Quitting modelling has made her feel like she's lost part of herself so getting a new career won't fix everything" I reply.
"I get that" Santana nods. "I guess I'll just need to talk to her about it but in a way she doesn't really know we're talking about it" she adds.
"Yeah, we'll just try and delicately bring the topic up" I state.
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Santana and I aren't working today so we're having some family time together again. We're not really in a rush to go back to work permanently. We're just taking things day by day so if we feel like we want to work then we will but if not then it's ok because spending time with our children is so much fun. I've got something planned to do today so I'm hoping Santana and the boys might come with me but if not then we can always just spend the afternoon together.
"Hey honey" Santana smiles as she walks into our bedroom.
"Hey" I smile back.
"What are you up to?" she asks.
"I'm just getting changed to go out. I've got an appointment with my tattooist today to have Xavier's name written on my wrist next to Jaxon's" I explain.
"Ok" Santana smiles.
"Do you want to come and we can take the kids" I ask.
"How long do you think your tattoo will take?" she asks. "I mean I would love to spend time together and take the kids out for the day but I don't want them stuck inside waiting around for ages if it takes you some time" she adds.
"I don't think it'll take that long because it's not a big tattoo or even a complicated one really so I don't suppose you all will be hanging around waiting for me for too long" I point out.
"Ok, we'll tag along then" Santana smiles.
As soon as I'm ready, I get the boys ready and Santana gets ready for the day. We then all head out and make our way to my appointment. Santana said she would drive there and back in case my wrist is sore once I've had my tattoo done. I wasn't too bothered but she insisted so I let her because it's cute that she's always thinking about me and taking care of me. We're all just making our way inside now.
"Hi Brittany, how are you?" my tattoo artist, Stephanie asks.
"I'm really good. I've got my little family with me today so I'm happy" I smile.
"So, this is Santana" Stephanie says with a smile.
"Yes, this is my beautiful wife" I say, smiling at Santana. "And this here is Jaxon who you've heard about and this is Xavier, my youngest son" I say as I introduce my children.
"How old are the kids?" she asks.
"Jaxon turned one last month and Xavier is 10 weeks old" I reply.
"11 weeks actually" Santana corrects me.
"Oops" I say, laughing nervously. It probably isn't a good look not knowing how old my child is.
"Maybe it is a good idea for the tattoo today as a reminder" Santana tells me.
"Is that what we're doing today?" my tattooist asks.
"Yeah, I want to have Xavier's name and date of birth on my wrist below Jaxon's name and date of birth" I say.
"No problem, we can definitely do that" Stephanie replies. "Why don't you come over and we'll get you prepared?" she says leading me over to the chair, with Santana and the kids following.
"I just want the tattoo the same size and style as the other one" I tell Stephanie as she starts.
"Ok, that's fine" Stephanie smiles.
"Do you need me to hold your hand?" Santana teases me as I wince in pain a little.
"No, I do not, I'm a big girl" I smile.
"Are you sure about that?" Santana asks amused.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It just pinches a little more than I remember" I shrug. "Let's all just keep talking though to take my mind off it" I add.
"Ok" Santana nods.
"I see you have some tattoos Santana" my tattooist remarks. "Are you thinking of adding any more?" she asks.
"I'm not sure" Santana says conflicted. "I do want more tattoos but I need to think carefully about what I really want. I don't want to just get a tattoo because I want one, I want it to mean something. I'd like to incorporate my children's names somehow but I don't know how yet" she explains.
"I've got some designs you can look at if you want. I can show you them once Brittany is finished" Stephanie replies.
"Ok" Santana smiles.
"What about you Brittany, is this your only tattoo for the moment?" Stephanie asks.
"I have thought about getting a tattoo on my wedding ring finger so I've got a permanent wedding band on but at the same time, I kinda like our weddings rings so I want to wear them. You wouldn't see the tattoo if I wore them though so I don't know what to do" I say.
"Yeah, don't get your wedding ring tattooed. Just wear the rings I gave you please" Santana says, not liking the idea.
"Ok, that's settled then. This is my only tattoo for the moment" I laugh.
XXX
Santana, the kids and me have all just gotten home. It didn't actually take too long to do my tattoo so we were finished quickly. Santana did have a look at some designs but she still doesn't know what she wants yet so she's going to think about it before making an appointment. We've just got Jaxon and Xavier settled so Santana and I were going to make some coffee and just hang out but we've just noticed her sister turning up outside.
"Carly, hi" Santana says surprised to see her sister as she walks over to us.
"Hey…uh are you busy?" Carly asks.
"Not really, we're just back from being out for a few hours" Santana replies.
"Oh, I'll leave you to it then because you'll be getting the boys settled and stuff" she replies sadly.
"No, come on. Come and hang out with us" I smile.
"Yeah, your nephews will be happy to see you" Santana says.
"Ok" Carly replies.
"So, what's going on, how are you?" I ask as the three of us go to the living room to sit down.
"I'm ok" Carly shrugs.
"Are you really?" Santana asks.
"Well, I mean I'm no worse than I've been recently" Carly sighs.
"Maybe you should come and live with us for a while until you're in a better headspace?" Santana suggests.
"Uh…that is not necessary" Carly laughs.
"Honey, I'm not joking" Santana says seriously. "You might benefit from being around your family instead of being alone with your thoughts" she adds.
"Yeah, I mean why not stay for a little while" I smile.
"Look, I'm fine" Carly shrugs.
"You're not though, are you?" Santana says softly.
"Ok I admit I'm not in the happiest of places right now but I'll be fine" Carly replies.
"I'm worried about you Carly so I don't want you to be alone" Santana states.
"Santana, I'm not going to do something stupid so I don't need you to watch over me 24 hours a day. Like I say I am in a kinda dark place at the moment but I'm not about to end it all and kill myself" Carly tells us.
"Carly, do not joke about this like that" Santana says, not appreciating Carly saying something so serious.
"I'm just saying. I know I'm not ok right now but I'm not at rock bottom. One thing I know is that I do want to get better so I can assure you I'm not having those kind of thoughts" Carly replies.
"Carly, we're not saying that you are but we are worried about you. I totally get it if you don't want to stay for a little while but all we're saying is that being around family might help. Being around your sister and nephews might be the tonic you need to get out of that place. I know being around my family and friends made me feel better" I explain. "Also, Jess is here a lot working for us so being around your girlfriend might help" I add.
"No offence but I think it would make me feel worse to stay here because I'd feel like a charity case or you're pitying me" Carly sighs.
"It's not like that though, we just want the best for you" I state.
"The only other alternative is to move in with mom and dad for a while" Santana states.
"I think that would make me feel even worse" Carly says, rolling her eyes. "I'm too accustomed to doing my own thing nowadays that living with my parents again would make me go insane. I can't live with them again and have to follow all of their rules or whatever" she adds.
"Come and stay here then. We have no rules so you can do as you please" Santana shrugs.
"I find that very hard to believe" Carly laughs.
"Ok, we have some rules but they're nothing like mom and dad's" Santana states. "Mom and dad would have rules like having to know where you are every second of the day and no eating in certain places or whatever. Britts and I's rules are more relaxed, they're not specifically about you. You can come and go as you want so we're not strict that way" she adds.
"Exactly" I smile. "Our rules would just be making sure the kids are safe which you do anyway when you're here and no coming into our bedroom if the door is closed" I shrug.
"Yeah, definitely don't come in if the door is closed" Santana smirks as she wraps her arms around me.
"There might be things you don't want to see" I tease.
"See, this is what I don't think I could cope with" Carly replies. "I think couples being in love is great and everything but I don't appreciate high doses of PDA everywhere I go."
"Believe it or not but Santana and I aren't as bad as you think. We can keep our hands off each other most of the day because we're used to being professional at work. If we couldn't keep our hands off each other we'd never be able to work together" I point out.
"It's true" Santana shrugs. "Plus, most of the romance would be in the bedroom and we've established you wouldn't come in with a door closed anyway."
"Please let us help you" I plead.
"Ok fine, I will move in but only for a few days" Carly states.
"Good" I smile.
That's it for this chapter, let me know what you think.