CHAPTER ONE
The familiar streets and neighbors filled Quinn Fabray's mind with nostalgic memories of her teenage days as she drove the white Lexus through Lima. After twenty years, the Class of 2013 would be having a reunion. Quinn was beyond ecstatic to see all of her closest friends back in one place together, even though that meant she would spend an entire week with her ex-wife, Mercedes Jones.
Quinn pulled her Lexus into the driveway of her in-laws, who still lived in the same house from twenty-two years ago. The beautiful craftsman style home looked exactly the same, except for a few renovations. She checked herself out in the rearview mirror before she hopped out of the vehicle. Quinn strolled up the steps to the front porch, and before she could even knock on the front door, it swung open and out ran Jaycee and Jayla, about tackling Quinn to the ground.
"Mommy!" Jaycee and Jayla shouted at the same time as they engulfed their mom in a bear hug.
"Woah guys." Quinn laughed at their excitement. "I'm getting too old. You two almost knocked me off the porch."
"Sorry, mom, we just missed you." Jayla expressed, looking up at her mom with the same hazel eyes.
"I've missed you guys more." Quinn kissed the both of them on top of their curly brown hair. "God, I just need you two to stop growing, my babies are turning to little adults."
Jaycee poked out his chin. "I'm a grown man already. Just look at this facial hair. I'm growing." Jaycee pointed at a few strands of hair growing from his chin. Quinn didn't even want to ponder on how quickly the moment was flying. The twins were growing up right before her eyes, and she just wanted to stop time.
"It's practically a full beard." Quinn joked, grabbing at his chin.
"So, mom, are you staying here with us this week?" Jayla asked with hopeful eyes.
"Oh no, your mom and I would kill each other." Quinn quickly dismissed the idea. As of late, she and Mercedes could only deal with each other for a max of twenty minutes a day.
"I don't understand why you and mom can't get along anymore. You used to be so happy." Jayla stood with her hands on her hips and her inherited Fabray attitude on full display.
"Woah, how about we reel that attitude in, Missy." Quinn corrected. "Your mom and I get along well enough to be great parents to the both of you, and that's all that matters. "Jayla's expression softened, although the attitude hadn't gone away.
Jayla glanced at her brother, who just shrugged his shoulders, Jayla followed and did the same. "Fine, as long as you promise to be nice to mom. No petty back and forth."
Before Quinn could respond, the front door swung open and out came her ex-wife. Mercedes stepped onto the porch, and Quinn could feel her entire mood switch.
"If it isn't my favorite ex-wife." Quinn made a joke and as soon as it came out, the look on Mercedes' face was the opposite of amused.
"It's good to see you made it. Late as expected." Mercedes retorted, an obvious smirk on her face.
"I already explained to you that there were no flights last night because of the storm. I couldn't force the pilot to fly me here." Quinn stated.
"It's just odd, that you can always find flights for work."
"You think I'm lying?" Quinn raised her eyebrow.
"Luckily Quinn, it's not my job anymore to care whether you're lying or not." Mercedes crossed her arms across her chest.
Quinn didn't appreciate Mercedes assumptions or snide comment. Her first instinct was to make a snide remark back but the hurt expressions on the children's faces calmed her down. The passive-aggressive banter between the former soulmates had become the norm whenever the two were around each other. Snide remarks, petty comments, and subtle jabs summed up their short and non sweet conversations.
Despite two years passing since their divorce, there was lingering hostility from unresolved issues. But Quinn decided to hold her tongue for the children's sake.
"By the way, mom, Uncle Sam brought mama flowers today." Jaycee spits out, breaking Quinn out of her personal thoughts.
Mercedes smacked Jaycee on the back of the neck.
"Ouch." Jaycee grabbed at the back of his neck.
Quinn's reaction was immediate. "Why is Sam bringing you flowers?" Quinn's playful tone was now gone.
Mercedes rolled her eyes. "He wanted to congratulate me on winning an Emmy."
"You won that a year ago."
"I know." Mercedes stated, but Quinn wasn't buying it.
"Hey kids, can you go inside so your mom and I can talk alone." Quinn put on her aloof smile.
Jaycee and Jayla gave each other what looked like a smirk before running inside the house, leaving their parents alone.
"I thought Sam's little high school crush would've been gone by now, but it seems to be the opposite." Sam's feelings for Mercedes had never been a secret. Before Quinn and Mercedes started dating, Sam would often sing songs to Mercedes in glee club.
"He's just being a nice guy. You know Sam and I have always been friends."
"I also know he has always had a crush on you. I don't understand why you're playing this off like it's no big deal."
Mercedes shook her head. "Why does it matter, anyway? I've never questioned you about the skanks you hook up with."
"Excuse me, I don't hook up with skanks." Quinn defended.
"I know what I see and hear Quinn." Mercedes facial expression was full of attitude. "Every time I log on to IG, it's you in photos with a different young blonde hair, blue eyed girl."
"Friends of friends." said Quinn, shrugging her shoulders.
"Mhmm. I bet they are." Mercedes looked unconvinced and unimpressed.
"This isn't about me anyway." Quinn deflected. "This is about Sam sending you flowers."
Mercedes huffed. "Why do you even care? We're divorced remember?"
"I don't care." Quinn retorted. "I just expected you to shoot for a lot higher than Sam Evans. He's a thirteen-year-old boy trapped inside the body of a thirty eight-year-old man. Even the twins can have more intellectual conversations than that man child."
Quinn didn't have the kindest of words for Sam Evans. Throughout her entire relationship with Mercedes in high school, she always felt that Sam was waiting for her to mess up so he could swoop in and take her spot.
"Well, I think he's a great guy." Mercedes expressed. The expression on her face changed as well, her harden face softened. "He's kind, he's sweet, and he makes me laugh." Mercedes said, and Quinn caught the twinkle in her eye.
At that moment, she realized that Mercedes wasn't telling her the whole truth. Quinn recognized that look. Mercedes' use to have the same twinkle whenever Quinn was around. That sparkle between them died years ago, but it was back…for Sam.
"Wow, you like him." Quinn mouth stayed agape. She didn't know how to feel. Even though she always knew the time would come, but it didn't feel how she thought it would.
"I don't know, I just-." Mercedes shook her head, apprehension in her eyes. She stopped mid-sentence. "I recognize that the relationship between us for the past couple of years have been pretty toxic but I still respect you. If Sam and I decide that there is something between us, I will tell you first out of respect. But until then, just stay out of my business. You don't have that privilege anymore." Mercedes stormed away back inside the house, leaving Quinn alone on the weathered porch.
Quinn just stood still with her feet planted on the front porch. Mercedes seemed to have moved on. A part of her was upset that Sam had moved in on her ex, since all of them were close friends. Then another part of her felt a bit of resentment that Mercedes was moving on. The emotion of jealousy was the confusing part for Quinn. By the time that Mercedes had filed for divorce, Quinn had already mentally checked out of their marriage. The last eighteen months of their marriage were hell for the both of them. The once passionate, intimate, and youthful couple turned into being just toxic roommates. When they weren't arguing about intimacy and careers, they were arguing about the kids, and when they weren't fighting about the kids, their conversations were almost obsolete. In the end, divorce seemed to be the best and only option for them, and yet thinking about Mercedes dating Sam didn't sit well with her.
"There's my favorite daughter-in-law." Quinn's thoughts were interrupted by Mercedes, sweet mother Mary, who walked out the door with her arms outreached to embrace Quinn.
"Hey mom." Quinn hugged the petite elderly woman in a warm embrace, being engulfed by a familiar smell of chocolate chip cookies.
"I'm so glad you're here." Mary interlaces her wrinkled chocolate brown hands with Quinn's pale fingers. "I told you, just because you and Cedes aren't together anymore, that doesn't mean you can't visit your mama."
Quinn brushed the back of Mary's hand and rested it on her cheek. "I'm sorry, I've just been so busy with the agency, but I'll do better. I promise." Quinn kissed the back of Mary's hand again. She felt bad for not visiting her mother-in-law more often. The older woman treated her like a daughter back when her own family wanted nothing to do with her. Mercedes's family stepped up and took her in without hesitation.
"I know you will." Mary winked at Quinn and patted her on the hand. "Now come inside. I made my chocolate chip cookies just for you. Don't tell the grand babies I said that." Mary whispered in Quinn's ear, causing the blonde woman to giggle. With their hands still interlocked, Mary leads them into the house and back into the kitchen, we're the rest of the family had already begun digging into the tray of cookies. Off near the window, Quinn could see a bouquet of roses sitting in the sunlight.
"Slow down munchkins, leave some for Quinn." Mary pulled out a chair for Quinn and force her to sit down. She grabbed a napkin and poured Quinn a glass of milk.
"Ma, Quinn's not a baby." Mercedes commented with an eye roll.
"She's my baby. I've been taking care of her since she was fifteen years old." Mary kissed Quinn on her cheek. Quinn in return stuck her tongue out at Mercedes, who put her palm up.
"Don't be jealous Mercedes, I can't help I'm so lovable."
"More like insufferable." Mercedes shaded. Jaycee and Jayla laughed at the quick comeback.
Mary walked over and placed her hand on both Jayla and Jaycee's shoulders. "You know your moms won't admit it, but this is just their little way of flirting with each other. They've been this way since they were teenagers."
"That is not true." said Mercedes.
"Sure it is. The two of you would go back and forth like this all the time and ten minutes later, I would hear what sounded like furniture being moved upstairs."
"Oh my god." Mercedes hid her face behind her hands.
Quinn brushed her blonde hair in front of her eyes to hide her embarrassment. The twins made gagging noses and covered their ears.
Mrs. Jones giggled at their reaction. "Ain't nothing to be embarrassed about, just young love."
"Exactly, young love." Mercedes spoke up. "Quinn and I haven't been those kids in a long time."
"It could be if the two of you would just let go of your darn stubbornness." Mrs. Jones said sternly.
"I thoroughly agree with your mother." In walked Mercedes's dad, Marvin. A tall black man with a dominating six foot one frame, a cigar hanging out of his mouth.
"My beautiful daughter-in-law is here to save the day." Marvin stomped over with the biggest smile on his face and embraced Quinn in a giant bear hug.
"Hi dad." Quinn hugged him back. "You still drinking from that fountain of youth?"
"Oh yeah, I got to keep myself looking good, so no young fellow comes and sweeps my lady off her feet." Marvin joked. The cigar that was in his hand now resting on his lip.
Quinn laughed at the elderly man's still youthful attitude. "I just hope I am as cool as you when I get older."
"Trust me baby, you're already there. Now come outside with this old man for a minute."
"Okay." Quinn accompanied Mr. Jones out the patio door onto the back porch. She saw Mercedes eyes following them the entire time.
Mr. Jones sat down first on the deck chair and Quinn followed sitting across from him. Mr. Jones didn't speak, instead, he lit his cigar and take a relaxing inhale and exhale.
"Is everything okay, Pops?"
"I just wanted to talk to you about what's going on with you and my daughter."
"I think we're doing okay. We have the kids on a perfect schedule, and we've been able to agree on most things concerning them."
"I love my grand babies, but that's not what I'm talking about right now."
"Okay, what do you mean, pops?"
"How long are you going to pretend like you're not still in love with my daughter?"
"Mr. Jones…"
"Oh no, don't call me Mr. Jones now, Ms. Fabray. When are you going to put your pride and stubbornness aside and admit to yourself that you still care for Mercedes."
It took aback Quinn. The last thing she expected Mr. Jones to want to talk to her about, was her relationship with Mercedes. "I know you mean well Pops, but that ship has sailed and it's never coming back."
"You know that Sam Evans boy stopped by this morning with flowers for Mercedes."
"So I heard."
"And what are you working to do about it? I hope you will not sit back and do nothing."
"There's nothing for me to do. I will always love your daughter. We shared an incredible life together." Quinn sighed. "But that part of our lives is over now, and we're just trying to move forward."
Marvin smirked and took a sip of his Scotch. "Do you remember the night you asked for my blessing to marry Mercedes? We were sitting right here in this same spot."
Quinn chuckled at the memory she knew very well. "Oh god, my heart was beating so fast I felt I would hyperventilate."
"You were a nervous wreck. I thought you were going to chew your bottom lip right off." Marvin let out a jolly laugh Quinn was sure could be heard by all the neighbors. "But you got yourself together, and I don't remember verbatim, but you thanked me. You thanked for taking you in and treating you like my own. You told me that I raised a remarkable young woman and you loved her more than anything in the world. Then you said…"
"You've already given me so much, but if you would give me your blessing, I promise to love and cherish Mercedes for the rest of her life and after." Quinn finished the line for Mr. Jones, a sad smile revealing itself. Sitting with Mr. Jones and thinking back on that night had Quinn in her feelings.
Mr. Jones placed a comforting hand on Quinn's knee, a warm smile upon his aged face. "If you knew the world was ending tomorrow, could you say with absolute conviction that you gave it all you had? Would you be able to tell to yourself that you did all you could to make it work? Did you fight all the way to the end for your love? I don't want to know the answers to these questions, but I think you should be honest with yourself and your heart will do the rest." With a pat on the knee, Mr. Jones left Quinn on the patio with her thoughts.
The words cycled through her mind and through all of her emotions. Quinn didn't move. She just sat on the chair looking out across the backyard thinking about everything he said. She thought back to the last eighteen months of their marriage, replaying all of their arguments, fights, disagreements, and counseling. The nights they went to sleep angry, the times they canceled counseling sessions, and the nights she stayed at a hotel instead of taking a flight home. Mercedes was once the love of her life and sitting on the porch alone with her thoughts, she started to feel both doubt and confusion.