CHAPTER 46
A/N: Thanks to Lolfiction55, pacumeme57, Tamardejong, Flmagic11, Lina Jacob2, JerzyMare, Writersblock1000, Itsskik, Annarab, Olivia, Berrylucky5, Yadi, Butterflybarbie and the Guests for their reviews! Thanks also to those who reached out on social media and to pjay413 for proofreading this chapter. The girls' Hawaii vacation will be spread over two chapters and this one is mainly a collection of familial/domestic scenes but not only… As always, watch out the POV and enjoy!
ON THE NEXT DAY – AT THE AIRPORT (LOS ANGELES) – SANTANA POV
"You will find all the synopses in the folder, Quinn…" I say while walking, forced to hold the phone on my shoulder since my hands are busy pulling my suitcase and holding my daughter's hand. "… I also prepared a rough draft for the first two scripts so in case you… Oh no… fuck!" I suddenly let out after the front wheel of my suitcase broke.
"Is everything okay?" Quinn asks over the phone at the same time as I hear Brittany say "Santana…" in a disapproving tone.
"I know… 'no swearing around the kids'!" I sigh as Britt shakes her head. I have always sucked at respecting that rule anyway.
"Sorry, Q… The stupid wheel of my stupid suitcase broke…" I say. "Have a look and if you need more info, you can ask Artie, OK? I filled him in last week."
"Mama… I have to pee…" Sofia says with pleading eyes as soon as I end my conversation with Quinn, tugging on my hand.
"Again?" I sigh. "But mija… we just went 10 minutes ago!" I say with despair.
Between all the bags we have, Britt's dad who can't stop talking about bit-coins, the boys whose diapers we already had to change twice since we left the house, I'm actually more stressed than when I'm working!
"I'll take her, San…" Britt suggests, probably sensing that I'm getting a bit overwhelmed.
LATER – AT THE AIRPORT
We are now finally going through the security checks and it's time for Sofia to walk through the metal detector, for the first time on her own.
"It's like a game, peanut…" Brittany says, kneeling down to Sofia's level. "Everyone has to walk through this portal over there… and if it doesn't beep, you win!"
"You win what?" Our little girl asks, suddenly very interested.
"Um… you win an ice-cream when we arrive in Hawaii…" Britt replies and Sofia immediately smiles in excitement. That's not surprising considering that she's an ice-cream freak, much like her mom…
"So all you have to do is walk through and go to Grandpa…" Brittany says, pointing at her dad. "Do you understand?"
"Yes!" Sofia replies in her sweet little voice.
She first takes a few hesitant steps before running like a mad one through the detector and crashing into her grandfather's arms, without beeping.
"I won, mommy!" She says proudly and a little too loud.
"That's great, peanut! Well done!"
A minute later, my lovely blond goes through the metal detector while carrying Diego, fortunately without any problems. I immediately follow, holding Gabriel in my arms, until I hear a beep.
Of course, I could have bet on that…
"Mama lost!" Sofia shouts, pointing at me.
Does she really need to tell the whole airport?
"Ma'am… I need you to step aside…" A security officer suddenly says, standing next to me. "Is there anyone else that can take your baby?"
"Um…" I say before turning around. "Whitney, could you…?"
"Of course, dear… Come with Grandma, baby boy…" She says, taking him from my arms and I watch them go through the detector successfully.
"Please come over here…" The officer asks me and I do as told. "Do you have anything in your pockets such as keys or coins? Are you perhaps wearing a belt?" He adds but I shake my head no…
"Alright… Please follow my colleague…" He says, pointing at a lady officer.
As she leads me further away to search me, I can overhear Gabriel crying.
After a few minutes, the officer still can't figure out while the detector went off and I get more and more impatient. "OK look… can I please go now? My son is crying!" I object. "You searched me twice already, I even took off my shoes and as you saw yourself, I don't have anything in my pockets!"
BRITTANY POV
"Oh… that's a sad baby boy…" My mom says in a soft voice, holding Gabriel tighter in her arms.
"I think it's because he can't see Santana from here…" I say, knowing all too well how my boy can get when his mama is not around. "Can you maybe move a bit more to the left, mom? He should see her from there." I suggest and she nods.
"Look, Gabriel…" My mom says. "Mama is over there… You see her?" She adds, pointing at Santana. Upon seeing his mama, Gabriel fortunately calms down… He's still pouting and sniffing but no longer crying.
"I don't get this!" Santana says in an irritated tone as she finally joins us. "I always beep and they never know why!" She adds, immediately taking Gabriel back from my mom. "It's OK, mijo… I'm here now…" She says, kissing his cheek and gently wiping his tears.
LATER – ON THE PLANE – SANTANA POV
While the Pierces carry the twins in their arms, Britt and I try to get to our seats. "Come, mija…" I say, pulling her by the hand. "You can sit here, next to me." I add. Since we booked our flights last minute, we unfortunately can't sit all together…
"But I want to sit with mommy!" She complains, pouting.
How typical… I'm sure that if Brittany had asked her to go with her, Sofia would have said she wanted to sit with me, in true rebel fashion.
"Fine… you go with mommy…" I sigh. All I want is to sit down and take off!
"Since you already have Sofia to look after, I can keep Diego with me if you want, sweetie…" Whitney offers, turning to Britt.
"Are you sure, mom? It's not going to be easy with a 6 months old…"
"It'll be fine! Look, he's already asleep anyway…"
"Well… OK then, let's give it a try…" Britt says. "But dad, you should give Gabriel to Santana otherwise we're going to have a dramatic flight…"
"Sure…" He nods before taking a few steps towards me. "Here you go, Santana…" He says, placing Gabriel on my lap.
"Hey there, little travel buddy…" I smile at my son. "So… how about we spend the next six hours just you and me? What do you say?" I add, kissing his head.
LATER THAT DAY – IN HAWAII – AT THE BEACH HOUSE
Much to my surprise, the flight was actually pretty OK. Gabriel was an angel! He slept in my arms for most of the flight so I used that opportunity to close my eyes too and rest a little. For the remaining time, I either told him all about the fun stuff we would get to do in Hawaii or read stories to him.
Diego cried a couple of times but Whitney managed to calm him down rather quickly and although Sofia couldn't stay still for more than three minutes at a time, she didn't make a fuss… She just kept going from Britt to her Grandpa, asking them a million questions – something she tends to do a lot these days.
We have now finally made it to the beach house in which we will stay for the next four weeks.
"Wow… I had no idea this place was so big!" I say, impressed, looking around the house.
"I know, right?" Brittany replies. "It has 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, can you believe it?"
"Gosh that must cost a shitload of money…" I say. "Ow…" I whine when she elbows my side. "What?" I frown.
"You know 'what', Santana! Don't say words like shitload in front of the kids…" She mouths.
"Right…" I roll my eyes. Since I usually see the kids only in the morning or after work, it leaves me a few hours during which I can curse freely if I want to. But here… they will be with us the whole time and it's going to be a massive challenge if I can't curse at all for four weeks…
"They didn't notice anyway… Look, those two are completely gone…" I say, nodding towards our sleeping sons in the double stroller I'm pushing. "And Sofia has been talking to your mom about My Little Pony for a solid 20 minutes so…" I add. "Speaking about your mom… is she friends with a billionaire or something?" I whisper. "Surely only a billionaire could afford such a house, right?!"
"I don't know if they are billionaires but close…" She nods. "To sum up, the lady who owns this house went to high school with my mom and after graduation, she spent one year in Europe. That's where she met her husband, an Italian guy whose family produced ham and… well, long story short: they had such a lot of success that they progressively opened a series of butcher shops, then they opened a restaurant and now… it's a whole franchise with restaurants all over Europe."
"You're kidding! It's ham that paid for this house?" I ask, not believing my ears, and she nods with a smile. "Damn, I chose the wrong business…"
"But how come they're not here during the summer?" I add, curious.
"They usually spend the summer in Europe so… they lend their house to friends or rent it out… And as you can imagine, people fight for it! We're lucky she's so fond of my mom…"
LATER – MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
I am sound asleep when Diego's crying wakes me up. It's already the fifth time tonight that I wake up because of my children…
"God…" I sigh. "I don't get it! All of our kids normally sleep through the night now but each of them has cried at least once tonight!" I complain.
"That's probably just because they're confused by their new surroundings…" Brittany yawns. "Do you want me to get him?"
"No, no…it's okay, I'll go… Get back to sleep, honey…" I whisper, kissing her forehead.
Actually, the kids are not the only ones to be confused by their surroundings because once I'm in the hall, it takes me a few seconds to remember where to go…
"Hi handsome…" I whisper softly, after opening Diego's bedroom door. "Sshh, shhh…" I say, picking him up to gently rock him in my arms. "You don't have to be scared, baby boy… you're safe here!" I add, giving him a kiss. "We are at the beach house, for the holidays… and you're surrounded by people who love you very much: me, mommy… grandpa and grandma… and your brother and sister too!"
But no matter what I try, my sweet boy unfortunately keeps crying. With Gabriel, I know exactly what to do but Diego is more tricky… I'm running out of ideas to calm him down when something from another life suddenly comes to mind.
"Let me tell you a story, mijo…" I say, gently rubbing his cheek with my thumb. "When I was little, I spent a lot of time at my Abuela's because my mommy and daddy were both working. And she would try to make me take afternoon naps but I was so not tired that I couldn't sleep! So, to make me sleepy, she used to sing this oooold, Spanish song which was also veeery slow… and I swear, it worked every time! You want to try together?"
I start singing Abuela's song and much to my surprise, I can still remember all the lyrics, even if I have not heard that song in decades! I make sure to sing it slowly and keep my voice as soft as possible, carefully rocking my son in my arms. He eventually stops crying, looking at me with his beautiful big blue eyes.
"Oh you like it too?" I ask when I see him smiling at me. "You see, your Nana Alma is a very smart lady, she has always known what to do!" I add, kissing his nose.
ON THE NEXT MORNING – AT THE BEACH HOUSE
"Rough night…?" Whitney smirks when Brittany and I join her in the kitchen. I'm sure we look like hell!
"They woke up 7 times! 7 times…" I repeat with despair, shaking my head.
"Yeah… we didn't get much sleep…" Brittany confirms in a sleepy voice, before taking a seat at the table. "I hope they didn't wake you up, mom?"
"Oh not at all… I slept like a baby all night long!" Whitney replies. "I always sleep great here, it's so… peaceful!"
Lucky her.
LATER THAT MORNING – ON THE BEACH
"Can you make another one like that…?" Sofia asks me as we are building a sandcastle together.
"Another tower? Sure, baby! Where should we put it?" I ask.
"Here!" She says in an excited voice, pointing to the left.
"Alright… I'm on it!" I reply, throwing a quick look at my baby boys who are playing in their inflatable pool, with their grandma.
"Well… here you are, your majesty. You now have the tower you requested!"
"Do you think mommy will like it?" She asks.
"Oh yes, I'm sure mommy will be very impressed!"
"When is she coming back?" She asks with a pout.
"Soon, mija… She just went on a little walk with Grandpa. Why don't you go pick some nice seashells to decorate your castle in the meanwhile? It will look even better!" I suggest and she immediately takes up the mission.
If someone had told me a few years ago that I would spend my vacation building sandcastles with a kid, I would have laughed. But since I missed Sofia's first summer holiday because of the infamous baby fight, I'm more than happy to make up for lost time.
While she's busy, I take the chance to embrace my surroundings: the ocean and beautiful nature around, my children happily playing on the beach and… the sun that nicely warms up my skin. I had not realized until now how much I needed this vacation… So many things happened since I last took one: we had three kids, I launched Glee, an album… and I never really took a moment to stop and breathe.
With those thoughts in mind, I decide to lay down on my towel while Whitney watches my little monsters… I'm also here to sunbathe after all! And boy does it feel great to just close my eyes, without having to think about anything…
I'm so comfortable that I eventually fall asleep for a while until I hear Sofia suddenly shout "Mommy's back!"
As my eyes search for Britt, I spot her hugging some guy before he shakes her dad's hand. What the fuck… who is that?!
It takes me a couple of minutes until I finally recognize him… It's 'blue shorts'! The divorced neighbour whose kids used to play with Sofia two years ago – and who was sitting all smiles next to my wife on quite a few of her Hawaii pictures.
"San! Come over here!" Brittany shouts, waving at me enthusiastically. I guess she wants me to meet him… And even though I don't feel like it, I eventually make my way towards them.
"Patrick, this is my wife, Santana…" Brittany says with a smile. "San, you remember Patrick? I told you about him… He was staying in the house next door the last time Sofia and I were here…"
"Right… I remember." I nod, throwing a small smile at her. "Hello Patrick…" I add, holding out my hand to him.
"Hello Santana!" He says with a friendly smile, shaking my hand. "It's really nice to finally meet you! I'm sorry you couldn't make it last time."
Right. I guess "couldn't make it" is a nicer way to put it than "my wife and I were on the verge of a divorce and she flew thousands of miles away from me"…
"Um… it's nice to meet you too." I reply politely. "So… are you staying in the house next door again?"
"I'm afraid it was already rented to someone else – which is too bad because that house was amazing! I'm still on the same street though, in the house opposite yours actually."
"Oh that's so great that you're close by again!" Brittany immediately says and I'm really not liking her enthusiasm. "So the kids can play together! I mean… I assume Leo and Lily are with you?"
"Yes, they are!" He confirms. "Well… this morning, they have gone to the market with their grandmother but they'll come to the beach this afternoon… Sofia is here too, right?"
"Yes! She's just over there actually…" Brittany replies. "Peanut! Come say hi to Uncle Pat!"
"Uncle" Pat?! Since when do we give the "uncle" title to some random guy?!
"Look at you, missy! You've grown so much!" He tells Sofia, holding his hand up for a high five.
"And who are those little fellas with Whitney?" He says. "Has the family grown?" He asks with a smirk, looking at Brittany for confirmation.
"Yes, it has!" She replies with a proud smile. "Our twin boys joined the family last December…"
"Oh wow, twins! Congratulations, ladies!" He says. "Leo will be so happy, he keeps complaining that all kids here are girls!" He adds with a chuckle.
ON THE NEXT AFTERNOON – AT THE BEACH HOUSE
"San… wake up, honey…" Britt says, caressing my cheek. "I'm afraid it's time to get up and get ready… otherwise we won't get to the restaurant on time."
"Right…" I yawn, stretching my arms. "God, I just had the most amazing nap in this thing…" I say, looking around our hammock.
"I know… me too! And apparently… we're not the only ones…" She smiles, nodding towards Sofia who is sound asleep between us.
LATER – AT THE RESTAURANT
"Can I try that?" Sofia suddenly asks, pointing at Brittany's plate.
"You want to taste shrimp?" I question with surprise but she nods in confirmation.
"Alright…" Brittany says with a smile. "Here you go, peanut…" She adds, holding a fork in front of our daughter's mouth.
Our little girl takes the bite and starts chewing silently while we all look at her for what feels like forever, waiting for her verdict.
"Can I have another one?" She simply asks.
"She likes shrimp?!" I say, not believing my ears because kids usually hate that! She's definitely her mommy's daughter…
A WHILE LATER – ON STROLL
After dinner, we decided to go on a digestive walk before heading back home. Brittany and I are walking hand in hand while Whitney is pushing the boys' stroller by our side. Sofia is "walking" with her grandpa in front of us – although technically, she's just sitting on his shoulders while he is doing all the work.
"The winter was pretty harsh that year…" Whitney says, telling a story from Britt's childhood. "… So I bought these big, fluffy earmuffs for Brittany… And she loved them so much that she wore them every single day! Even during the summer!" She laughs and I can't help but squeeze Brittany's hand in mine. "Once I even found her sleeping with them on!"
"They were comfy!" Brittany argues. "And very efficient! After all, I didn't get sick that year!"
"I wish I could have seen that…" I smile.
"Oh I'm pretty sure I have pictures somewhere at home!" Whitney replies. "I'll show you next time you visit." She adds, making Britt roll her eyes.
"Thanks a lot…" My lovely wife tells me with a reproachful tone.
"What?" I say innocently. "I bet you looked very cute…" I add, pressing my lips on hers.
EVEN LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE BEACH HOUSE
"You come with mama, mija?" I ask, holding out my hand to her. "It's late… it's time to brush your teeth."
"Why?" My little girl asks, grabbing my hand as we make our way towards the bathroom.
"Because you know that every night, we brush our teeth before going to bed."
"Why?"
God, please help me… Every single day she finds something to question like this!
"Because." I reply although I'm pretty sure that this will not shut her up.
"Because of what?"
Bingo…
"Because we want clean, strong and healthy teeth, mija."
"Why?"
Good lord… How many more 'whys' will I have to go through tonight?!
Because the sooner you go to bed, the sooner I can have sex with your mom, that's why! But of course, I can't tell her that.
"Because if you have healthy teeth, you will have a beautiful smile and you will be able to chew your food! Even when you are a very old lady!" I say. "So come on, open your mouth now…" I add, holding her toothbrush in my hand.
"Why?"
"So I can brush your teeth!" I say, getting impatient.
"Why?"
"Because if you don't brush your teeth…" Brittany says, appearing out of nowhere. "… you'll have bad breath and Liam won't want to kiss you anymore." She replies in a matter-of-fact tone.
Sofia remains silent for a few seconds as if she was trying to process her mom's words until she suddenly turns back to me, opening her mouth wide.
Right. I should have known that kissing the Irish midget would be more important than having healthy teeth…
A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER – ON THE BEACH
"What are you doing, mama?" Sofia asks me out of nowhere.
"I'm applying sunscreen on Gabriel, as you can see…"
"But you already did that before we came here." She points out.
"I know but it's time to apply some more."
"Why?"
"Because it has to be reapplied regularly, mija."
"Why?" She asks again and I sigh in exasperation. I swear there is nothing more annoying than a child who won't stop asking why!
"To protect the skin from the sun, otherwise it can hurt."
"So I need some more too?" She asks but this time, I'm just happy that I got a different question.
"Not right away, you can wait a little longer…" I say.
"And why Gabriel needs it now then?"
"Because Gabriel has pale skin like mommy… and they are more sensitive to the sun than most people…"
"Why?" She asks again, locking eyes with me, and all I can do is sigh.
"Brittany, can you come over here, please? Like now?" I suddenly shout in a desperate tone, without breaking eye contact with Sofia.
I've suffered enough, now it's her turn!
LATER – ON THE BEACH
While Britt was busy with the boys, I played with Sofia and although I had fun, I'm completely exhausted now! First of all, I feel like she made me build something like 17 sandcastles today but she also insisted that we play ball and have some fun in the water.
Brittany was more lucky, she even got the chance to go rest in the sun when her mom took over. But Sofia, on the other hand, has not let me catch a breath! So when her grandpa joins us, I take the opportunity to take a break and finally go lay down, next to my beautiful wife.
"Hi you…" I say, resting my chin on my hand to contemplate her.
"Hi yourself…" Britt replies with a smile.
"I haven't got the chance to tell you earlier but… that's a very nice bikini you have there… Is it new?" I ask, purposely tracing my fingers on the edge of her bikini top.
"It's new indeed… You like it?" She asks in a flirty way.
"I love it…" I whisper, capturing her lips in a kiss.
"Mamaaa!" I suddenly hear from afar, making me break the kiss out of reflex.
"Yes mija…" I say through my teeth.
"Can we play beach tennis now?"
"But I already told you, baby… We'll do that later…"
"But it's later now!" Sofia argues, frowning.
Seriously? She asked me to play beach tennis barely three minutes ago! And I told her I needed to rest first! Why can't she just play with her grandpa for a while?!
"I'm busy kissing mommy!" I reply, out of patience.
"But you and mommy kiss all the time!" She complains and I open my mouth in outrage at her statement while Brittany is laughing.
"We surely don't kiss all the time, it's our first kiss since we arrived on the beach!" I protest.
"That's not true!" My little monster objects. "You kissed right before we built our sandcastles."
"That? Our lips barely even grazed!" I argue.
God, she needs to make some friends! Where are blue shorts and his kids when you need them?
"Peanut, come over here…" Brittany says, much to my dismay. Why are we inviting her over, she already imposes enough as it is!
"You know how in movies people kiss when they are in love?" She asks calmly.
"Like me and Liam!" The little one replies and I immediately roll my eyes. How much kissing is going on with that little perv exactly?!
"Precisely…" Brittany answers. "Well, mama and I are in love too so… sometimes, we kiss." She says. "Why don't you go play with grandpa for a while and mama will come get you when it's time to play beach tennis?" She adds and after nodding in agreement, our little girl finally runs back to her grandfather.
"You're a genius…" I say, looking at Britt in amazement before reconnecting our lips.
"Mama! Are you coming?" Sofia shouts, interrupting us again.
"Oh my God!" I complain, raising my arms.
"Maybe you should go, honey…" Brittany suggests.
"No!" I frown. "Look… I love her more than life and I don't mind building sandcastles or fighting in the water but I really don't want to play beach tennis with her! Do you know what it is to play beach tennis with a 4 year old, Britt? She barely manages to 'serve' and when I hit it back, she can't even catch it! We only have two shot rallies that last 3 seconds and I have to pick up the ball over and over again. It's so boring! And I'm pretty sure it's going to break my back!"
"Well… I understand but… that little girl just wants to play beach tennis with her mama…" She shrugs in response. "You should enjoy it while you can, honey… because some day, you will be begging her to play with you and she won't care." She adds, making me sigh.
"Why are you always so wise?" I pout before reluctantly getting up.
EVEN LATER THAT DAY – IN BED
While patiently waiting in bed for Brittany, I go through a few leaflets I picked up earlier today. It's pretty amazing all the activities they have around here!
"Watcha reading?" My blonde suddenly asks as she enters our bedroom.
"Oh I was just checking if there was anything special we could do with the kids while we're here and hear this… There is a travelling circus that will be here in three days! Of course, the boys might be a bit too young for that but we should take Sofia, I'm sure she'll love it! Or we could take the three of them to the Sea Life park and make it a family day?"
"Okay… Who are you and what did you do with my wife?" She asks.
"What?" I shrug.
"You're planning activities that involve animals?" She asks in a surprised tone while climbing over my body. I was thinking it was to go to her side of the bed but she settles for straddling me instead and takes the leaflet from my hands to check it out for herself.
"So…? I don't hate animals! If they're not in my house, I'm fine!" I argue. "Plus, you and the kids all love them and I… well, I love to see your faces light up so…" I shrug timidly.
"Well… I think it's a great idea!" She smiles, capturing my lips in a tender kiss.
"Yeah?"
"Yes." She confirms before pulling me into a longer kiss, one of those that always sends shivers down my spine.
"By the way…" She whispers, kissing down my neck. "I just checked on the kids and they are all in dreamland so… how about some you and me time…?" She adds with a smirk.
Oh well, I don't need to be told twice! My hands immediately travel to her hips to pull her closer to me as I deepen our kiss.
ON THE NEXT DAY – ON THE BEACH – BRITTANY POV
While Sofia is happily playing with Leo and Lily, I'm completely captivated by another endearing scene. A few feet away, Santana is laying on her back on the beach towel, holding Gabriel's little hands while he's sitting on her stomach. She's speaking to him in Spanish and occasionally tickles him to make him giggle, and I can't help but smile when I see them laughing together. How is it possible to be that cute…
I suddenly feel my mom's eyes on me and when I turn towards her, I see her smirking at me.
"What…? I say, confused.
"Nothing…" She laughs. "You just look so smitten!"
"Well… I'm in love…" I shrug timidly.
"I'm just so lucky, mom…" I add in disbelief. "I really have everything I have ever wanted…"
"Aw… I love to see my baby so happy…" She smiles, caressing my cheek.
LATER THAT DAY (EVENING TIME) – AT THE BEACH HOUSE – SANTANA POV
"Can I help you with anything, girls?" Whitney asks, joining me and Britt in the kitchen.
"No thank you, Whitney. We've got it covered." I reply with a smile, continuing to dice the potatoes.
"Besides, Santana is cooking a traditional dish and you know that Abuela's recipes are like state secrets so… I'm afraid you can't be in here, mom…" Brittany adds.
"What?" Whitney frowns. "But… Abuela is not even here, she won't know!"
"Oh she will…" Brittany and I say in chorus.
"It's like she has a sixth sense for these things…" I add. "One look at you and she will know… and then all of us will be in big trouble. Let's not forget that she claims to have the evil eye power!"
"But it's not like I was some stranger…" Whitney argues. "My daughter is a Lopez now! And so are my grandchildren! We're family!"
"And you think that's all it takes?" Brittany chuckles. "I also thought that marrying Santana would be enough but if that was true, the old woman wouldn't have kicked me out of her kitchen for three years!"
"Three years… but why?" Whitney asks.
"Because according to Abuela, three years is the 'minimum time required to see if a marriage is truly solid'." Brittany replies and I shrug when Whitney turns to me for confirmation.
"Well… you have been married for much longer than that so she must see your marriage as a solid one by now!" Whitney says. "And that makes me a legitimate in-law! Can't in-laws have some privileges too?"
"Actually they can." I confirm.
"Aaah you see?" Whitney smiles in satisfaction, turning to Britt.
"But…" I say. "… that requires even more years of 'seniority' than what she imposed on Brittany."
"How many years exactly?" Whitney frowns, crossing her arms. "Five?"
"Um no… it's… 10 years…" I say timidly.
"10 years?!" She repeats in a shocked voice. "So I have to wait for another three years?!"
"I'm afraid so…"
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE BEACH HOUSE - BRITTANY POV
After a wonderful dinner, the family gathered in the living room to play Pictionary. Santana and I are teaming up against my parents and we are totally kicking their ass.
"A dog?" My mom asks while my dad is drawing on the board but he shakes his head no. "Um… oh! A cow?"
"Time is running out, guys…" I warn.
"A giraffe! Um… a donkey!" She says and given the way my dad is gesticulating, she's apparently getting close. "A… horse?" She asks.
"Time is up!" I shout.
"It was a unicorn!" My dad says in a disappointed tone.
"A unicorn?" My mom asks. "That is not a unicorn, it has no horn! It's a horse at best… and honestly it looks like a disfigured one!" She criticizes while he raises his arms in protestation.
"I should have teamed up with Sofia!" She complains, crossing her arms. "Even a 4 year old can draw better than you!"
"Alright, alright… let's stay calm. It's just a game!" I say. "And it's my turn to draw now… Come on, San… let's show them how it's done." I add while my Latina takes a sip from her glass of wine.
I quickly look at my word and immediately start drawing on the board while my mom checks the timer.
"Um… a pen?" Santana asks hesitantly and I wave my hand to indicate that she has almost got it.
"A pencil then?" She immediately says and I nod enthusiastically before drawing something next to it.
"A pencil box? Um… oh! A pencil sharpener!"
"YES!" I scream in excitement while my mom closes her eyes in despair. "Well done, honey!" I add, kissing her lips.
"OK can we stop the torture here, please?" My mom says… "You girls are like two halves of the same brain! It's not fair!"
"You've always been a sore loser…" I chuckle.
"That's not true!" She objects. "I just thought that it would be nice to talk and drink wine for the rest of the night…" She lies. "So who's with me?"
"Oh I'm always down for that!" Santana says.
"Great!" My mom answers with a smile, pouring more wine in Santana's glass. "How about I tell you a few more stories from Brittany's childhood?"
"Oh come on, mom…" I complain. I should have known that she would find a way to take her revenge.
"So when Britt was 5 years old…" She says, completely ignoring me.
ON THE NEXT DAY – AT THE BEACH HOUSE – SANTANA POV
"Come on, mijo… You've got to eat!" I say with despair, caressing Diego's hair while holding the spoon in front of his mouth. I have been trying to make him eat for 15 minutes but no luck…
"It's really good, I promise!" I add to encourage him but my boy doesn't seem interested at all.
"OK… let's try something else…" I sigh. "A spoon for mama?" I ask with a voice full of hope but he still won't take it. "A spoon for mommy then?" I say but his mouth remains closed.
"I see you're stubborn like me…" I sigh, almost ready to give up and to go get someone else. "OK… I have one last trick… but you can't ever tell anyone that I did this… OK? It will be our little secret!" I add before taking the spoon again.
"Here comes the airplane!" I sing song in an enthusiastic voice, doing loops with the spoon. "This is ground control to Captain Diego… Can you open your cute little mouth so the plane can land safely?" I add, making a fake radio voice while moving the spoon closer and closer to his mouth.
Fortunately, my little act eventually makes him giggle and he finally opens his mouth.
"YES! Great job, mijo!" I smile enthusiastically as he swallows his food. "Ok… let's do it again!" I add, making plane sounds.
A FEW DAYS LATER – EVENING TIME – AT THE RESTAURANT
Tonight, Brittany took us all to an outdoor restaurant she tried out two years ago, claiming that it was an amazing place and I couldn't agree more! The tables are spaced enough to talk without having to shout and there is a cozy yet romantic ambiance with those cute little candles and beautiful flowers everywhere. And the food… oh my God, the food was absolutely amazing!
There is also a small dance floor in the middle and as Britt and I silently watch her parents dance lovingly together, I suddenly feel a great sense of calm. But maybe it's because the kids have been really well behaved tonight: Sofia has been quietly coloring in her coloring book at the table while the boys have been sleeping almost the whole time we have been here.
"That's going to be us in 30 years…" Britt suddenly says while squeezing my hand, her eyes going from her parents back to me. And as she smiles at me, I can't help but kiss her lips tenderly.
"Can you imagine how old these ones will be in 30 years…" I say, nodding towards our children.
"I know! Maybe by then they will even have their own kids!" She says and no matter how crazy it sounds right now, she's probably right… God knows that my little monsters drive me insane at times but the idea of them growing up always makes me a little sad… I wish they would stay with us forever…
"Well hello, ladies! Fancy meeting you here!" I suddenly hear Patrick say, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"Right!" Brittany chuckles sarcastically, getting up to give him a warm hug. "You know I love this place!"
"Oh don't I know that!" He smirks. "Two years ago, you were here practically every night!"
Every night? Really…?
"You and your overstatements!" She rolls her eyes, placing her open hand on his chest to playfully push him. "But what can I say? They have amazing food and a dance floor, that's all I need!" She shrugs. "So… are you here alone?"
"Nope! As a matter of fact, I'm meeting…" He says but he's cut off by a female voice suddenly shouting "Brittany!" behind him.
"Oh my God! Louise! Charly!" Brittany says with a wide smile before engulfing them in a hug while I just sit there, trying to understand what's going on. Who the fuck are all these people?!
A FEW MINUTES LATER – AT THE RESTAURANT
"So… how do you all know each other?" I ask once they sit at our table.
"Well… Patrick and us go way back…" Louise replies. "And… last year… was it last year?" She asks, turning to Britt.
"Two years ago." Britt corrects, showing two fingers.
"Right! Two years ago, we wanted to play beach volleyball but we were missing a fourth person, someone who would be willing to team up with that loser…" She says, pointing at Patrick. "So… when I spotted Brittany walking along the beach, I asked her if she wanted to join us."
"You 'asked', really?" Britt says, laughing. "You ran to me like an insane person, grabbed me by the shoulders and said you needed urgent help for a life or death situation!"
"It was a life or death situation!" Louise argues. "Without you, we couldn't have played beach volleyball! And what kind of vacation is that?" She adds, taking a sip from her glass of wine.
"Anyway…" Louise continues. "… We all got along so well that we went out for drinks together a few times, then dinners… That's thanks to us that Miss Pierce even knows about this amazing restaurant by the way! You're welcome!" She says, turning to me, and I can't help but clench my jaw because her name is Lopez-Pierce! But God knows how Brittany introduced herself two years ago…
"We were basically inseparable…" Louise adds. "… until Pat and Britt here backstabbed us when they got crowned King and Queen at the dance competition!"
What…? God, why Britt never told me any of this? The more I hear tonight, the more I feel like they are talking about a different person!
"Are you ever going to let that go?" Patrick asks Louise.
"Never!" She replies. "Charly and I were dance champions every single year until you two walked in!" She says, raising her arms. "As a matter of fact, I demand a rematch! And I won't take no for an answer!"
"If you won't take no for an answer, how about I'm sorry but I delivered twin babies six months ago and I'm not in shape for a dance competition?" Britt asks.
"I would say you're full of shit because clearly you look as hot as ever!" Louise immediately replies.
"It doesn't mean that I'm in shape!" Brittany argues.
"Well then maybe this time it will be a fair fight, Pierce! Because you really played us last time! I had no idea that we were up against a dance goddess and Fred Astaire's spiritual grandson!"
LATER – OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT
"It was really great seeing you, guys!" Whitney says, kissing Charly and Louise goodbye. "But I guess we'll meet again in a few days, for the dance competition?"
"Absolutely!" Louise replies. "And you know I love you, Whitney, but… I'm seriously going to kick your daughter's ass this time. Caught that, Pierce?" She shouts, turning to Britt.
"Oh bring it on, Foster!" Britt replies in a sure yet soft tone, not to wake up Sofia who is sleeping in her arms.
"You're walking back home with us, Patrick?" Whitney asks.
"Sure, I would love to!" He replies with a smile, offering her his arm like a gentleman.
The two start walking back home, followed by Brittany and her dad, while I push the boys' stroller behind them. After what I witnessed tonight, I can't help but think that I really have no clue about what Brittany did in Hawaii two years ago. I thought she was thinking about us and spending time with her parents and our child but… the truth is that she was going out, on what really sounds like double dates to me… I can't even believe my wife went to such a romantic place with blue shorts! The only times she talked about him was to say that his kids were playing with Sofia, she never said that she was spending so much time with him! And she never even mentioned Charly and Louise! So what else did she not tell me?
LATER THAT NIGHT – AT THE BEACH HOUSE – IN BED
Brittany and I are reading in bed but I can't focus on my book. I just can't stop replaying the night in my head, over and over. Patrick, Charly and Louise all acted like they were close friends with Britt, as if they had talked last week! Is it possible that she kept in touch with them after her Hawaii vacation? If so, that would mean that she has hidden them from me for the past two years! And suddenly, I can't help but feel like I'm sharing a bed with a stranger.
There is no way I will be able to sleep now… there is even no way I will stop obsessing about this. I just have to know.
"Britt…" My mouth whispers before my mind even knows it.
"Yes, honey…?" She asks, not looking away from her book.
I sigh loudly, struggling to speak.
"Did something happen between you and Patrick?" I eventually find the courage to ask.
A/N: I'm sure you all hate me for ending the chapter with that, but you know that I love cliffhangers! Please tell me what you thought of this chapter in the reviews!
- Did you enjoy the interactions between "Brittana" and their kids or was it boring?
- What did you think of the "new" characters - Louise (honestly, I kinda love her) and Patrick?
- Were you surprised to hear about what Brittany was up to when she was in Hawaii without Santana?
- What do you think Britt will answer to Santana's question?
Obviously, there is more to come in the next chapter - which will still be about their holiday - but this time, it will focus more on Brittana than the kids.
