Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
The next morning Brittany heads to her therapist office early in the morning before anyone is awake. She gives Stella a soft kiss on the head before heading out. She doesn't like leaving her even though she'll be back in less than two hours.
"Good morning, Brittany," Kate says smiling at her.
"Thanks for squeezing me in." Brittany says sitting down.
"No problem, I'm glad you called to get ahead of any issues." Kate says. "And congratulations on the birth of your daughter. You must be so excited."
"I am, nervous, but really happy too." Brittany says.
"All new parents are nervous at first. It's a right of passage." Kate says chuckling.
"Yeah, thankfully our parents flew in and are helping." Brittany says all smiles.
"That's good, you and Santana must be happy to have the help." Kate says before going into therapist mode. "So, why did you need to see me?" she asks figuring it has to do with the birth announcement, but she likes to hear it from her patients.
"With the birth announcement we put out last night, we've gotten a lot of comments both positive and negative, I feel myself getting nervous about the negative." Brittany says biting her lip.
"Have you looked at the comments?" Kate asks.
"No, San and Amanda read some of the positive aloud, but skipped over any negative." Brittany tells her.
"Why haven't you looked? Don't you normally?" Kate asks.
"I didn't want to let the negative comments get to me so I didn't read any." Brittany explains.
"What about the good comments? I want you to read some of the comments now." Kate says,
"But-"
"Don't worry about the negative, just read the first ten." Kate tells her.
"Aloud," Brittany asks.
"Or to yourself, I just want you to read them." Kate tells her.
Brittany opens her twitter account and reads the first ten comments to herself. She doesn't want to read them aloud in case there's a really nasty comment in there.
"Well….?" Kate asks once Brittany looks up.
"They're all happy for us. One comment even said that she's the cutest baby they have ever seen." Brittany happily says.
"How does it make you feel?" Kate asks.
"Good, that people are happy for us." Brittany says.
"Keep that in your brain. Now I want you to read a negative comment." Kate says pulling one up for her.
As Brittany reads it her face falls.
"How do you feel?" Kate asks.
"Like the world is against me. That no one wants me." Brittany softly says.
"But that's not true at all. Your wife loves you and all those positive comments are so good, don't let one negative comment counter all that." Kate tells her. "There's way more people loving you than anyone who hates which is a very few."
"I guess," Brittany says.
Kate gives Brittany a look before saying. "I can't force you to believe it, you have to believe that the small number of negative comments don't matter."
"It's hard to not let them get to me." Brittany tells her.
"Focus on the positive, there are way more positive than negative." Kate says. "If it helps just don't look at them and if you need any help give me a call." she says as the session comes to a close. "I'll see you next week."
Brittany gets back home just as their moms finish cooking breakfast.
"Where were you?" Whitney asks her daughter.
"I had an doctor's appointment I couldn't reschedule." Brittany tells her.
"Really?" Whitney asks.
"Yeah mom." Brittany says.
"She's telling the truth, Whitney." Santana says coming in with Stella in her arms.
"So, long as everything is okay." Gloria says worried.
"Yeah, it was just a checkup." Brittany reassures them.
"Well then, it's a good thing we made your favorite blueberry waffles." Gloria says smiling.
"Great I'm starving." Brittany says.
She gives her wife a kiss on the lips, taking Stella out of her arms.
"Hello baby girl." Brittany says smiling at her daughter.
All thoughts of the negative comment completely gone; her baby girl is worth going through any pain. She loves her so much.
"How'd it go?" Santana whispers as they sit down at the table.
"Okay, she pushes me to work through things I don't want to. I'll tell you more later." Brittany whispers as their moms bring breakfast in.
"Pierce! Mario! Breakfast!" Whitney shouts.
The two men come running in both hungry.
"Thank you honey," Mario says giving Gloria a kiss on the cheek.
"You're the best." Pierce says to Whitney.
Brittany holds Stella the whole time they eat, nervous to put her down. Once breakfast is done, Gloria clears her throat to get everyone's attention.
"So, girls, your dads are going to head home tomorrow since they both need to go back to work. Whitney and myself are going to stay the week to help out." Gloria tells them.
"Thanks, mami," Santana says.
"And we can stay longer if you need." Whitney adds.
"Thanks, mom," Brittany says giving her a hug.
Over the next week, both moms help a lot with the two women's confidence in taking care of their baby girl. Whitney convinces them that it's okay to put Stella down in a high chair, walker or car seat, that they don't have to hold her the whole time. Gloria helps them with layering and not overheating Stella along with that it's good to put her in a crib to sleep and allow them to sleep when she is. Those are just some of the things they've helped with.
"I don't want you to leave." Santana says the night before Whitney and Gloria are to leave.
"You two will do fine." Gloria says.
"But-" Santana starts.
"Trust us, you'll be fine." Whitney says smiling at them.
"We'll still miss you both." Brittany says pouting.
"We'll be back before you know it." Whitney promises.
"Now go get some sleep while you can. We'll watch Stella." Gloria tells them.
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Once their moms leave, the pair settles into a routine. Brittany gets up early with Stella, giving her a bottle and letting Santana sleep in. They both enjoy their days together staying home with no new projects on the horizon. At night, Santana gets up with Stella allowing Brittany to sleep. Amanda is keeping up a stream of posts about the baby to keep their fans informed.
"Here you go honey," Brittany says giving Santana a plate of her favorite food.
"Thanks Britt, you're the best." Santana says scarfing down the food as she's starving.
"I know you didn't eat lunch and wanted to make sure you had a good dinner." Brittany says.
She's been dotting on her wife even more since she gave birth. She wants her wife to know how much she loves her.
"Is Stella still napping?" Santana asks.
"Yes," Brittany says after checking the baby monitor.
"Good, we can have a quiet dinner together." Santana says.
"And talk about how Quinn and Mercedes have been blowing up our phones." Brittany adds smiling.
"I know, I love them, but I'm not ready to take Stella out and about, she's only three months old." Santana says.
"Maybe we can meet with them, you know that they won't stop until we do." Brittany tells her.
"They have been very persistent especially this this last week." Santana agrees.
"Good, I'll text Quinn and Mercedes, we'll meet them for lunch tomorrow." Brittany says not wanting to leave their home cocoon but knowing that they have to at some point.
"I hate to leave our comfy home." Santana says pouting.
"But we have to at some point." Brittany says agreeing with her.
Their peace is interrupted by Stella crying.
"I'll grab her," Brittany says getting up.
"Bring her down, that sounds likes her hungry cry." Santana shouts.
Brittany rushes up the stairs, skidding to a halt in front of the nursery door. She smiles as she looks down at her beautiful crying daughter.
"It's okay sweetie, mommy's here to bring you to mama." Brittany says picking up Stella. "Are you hungry?" she softly says.
She carries Stella down to Santana who is ready and waiting to feed the baby. Handing Stella to her wife, she sits next to her.
"She's a little piglet." Santana says when she has to switch boobs.
"Just like you." Brittany giggles, ducking when Santana tries to hit her with a pillow.
The next day, the new family heads out to meet Mercedes and Quinn for lunch.
"I think she's bundled up enough." Brittany says looking down at the carrier.
"Maybe another blanket." Santana suggests.
"Yeah, one more." Brittany agrees.
With Stella all bundled up, they make their way to the restaurant. They're very nervous about bringing her out. The whole way there, they both have their eyes on their daughter.
"Do you think she's okay?" Santana asks.
"She seems fine." Brittany says.
"Good," Santana sighs.
Needless to say, they are a mess when they reach the restaurant.
"Finally, we were starting to think that you wouldn't show." Quinn says.
"Like we wouldn't, if we did, you'd bug us even more." Santana says rolling her eyes.
"We're just glad you two finally came out of your home and we get to see the baby." Mercedes says smiling.
"You could have come by the house." Santana says.
"I just got back from shooting." Quinn reminder her.
"And I just got back too from my tour." Mercedes says.
"Oh yeah," Santana says.
"We forgot that not everyone is off like us." Brittany says as they all sit down.
"Yes, yes," Mercedes says waving her off. "Hand over my niece, I want to hold her."
"Me too," Quinn says.
"Be careful, we don't want to expose her to too many germs." Santana nervously says.
"Here," Brittany says squirting hand sanitizer on their hands.
"Really?" Quinn says shaking her head. "Please tell me you are not those moms."
"Just use the sanitizer." Mercedes says taking the baby from Santana. "Hello little one."
Stella stares at Mercedes for a moment before reaching out to try and grab her nose. She giggles when Mercedes stops her and tries again.
"She's so cute and unlike you." Quinn says as Stella smiles and giggles more.
"Hey!" Santana says.
"She seems to have more of Brittany's personality." Mercedes points out.
"Until she's hungry, then she's all San." Brittany says smiling.
"My mom says we should be thankful that she's not like me. Apparently, I was a nightmare as a baby, I cried whenever they put me down." Santana tells them.
"I can totally see that." Quinn says.
They all laugh at that comment. Stella is not happy to not being the center of attention and she let's them know with a loud cry.
"Are we ignoring the cute baby." Mercedes coos. "Sorry sweetie, you have our attention."
"She gets that from both of us. Wanting to be the center of attention." Brittany proudly says. "She's going to be a star."
"Yes, she is," Santana agrees with her wife.
"No pressure," Mercedes says chuckling.
She hands Stella over to Quinn who's excited to hold the baby. Stella though has other ideas and starts crying.
"Really, it's okay honey." Quinn says rocking the baby. "Did you train her to do this?" she asks glaring at Santana.
"No," Santana says holding up her hands. "But she is my daughter."
"This is just hilarious." Mercedes says.
Brittany takes Stella from Quinn and she instantly calms down.
"It's okay sweetie, that's auntie Quinn. Her and mommy like to argue but really like each other." Brittany whispers.
"Of course, she calms down for you." Quinn complains.
"It's not you Q, I'll be back in a few." Brittany says getting up and heading to the bathroom.
"Where's she going?" Quinn asks.
"She has a dirty diaper." Santana says.
"Of course, she does. I swear you planned this." Quinn grumbles.
"Babies are messy." Santana says shrugging.
"On a very different note." Mercedes says wanting to get off this topic. "How have you two been?"
"Good, really good." Santana says. "We're excited about Stella and Britt has been her amazing self."
"No more issues?" Quinn asks hinting at their occasional intimacy issues.
"Nope, Britt's gotten help." Santana simply says.
"That's great, you two seem so happy. I'm glad." Mercedes says.
Brittany comes back right after that, giving Quinn the now clean Stella to hold. Stella now happy, stares at Quinn, reaching out to grab her nose.
"We are very happy." Brittany says sitting down.
The four of them coo over Stella until a waitress comes over to take their order. After that Stella gets fussy and only settle down if Santana holds her.
"She loves her mommy." Brittany says handing her over to her wife.
"I'm shocked she's not more attached to you." Quinn says.
"She is, it's just I have the milk." Santana says.
Santana covers herself with a blanket so she can start feeding the hungry baby.
"I know you two already said that you were planning to take a year off. Has that changed?" Mercedes asks curious as she doesn't think she could not work for a year.
"I don't know about San, but I'm thinking about maybe taking a movie roll in a few months. I have missed acting more than I thought. For right now though the only thing I'm doing is some post production on a few movies. Things that I don't have to leave LA for." Brittany tells them.
Santana already knows that Brittany is thinking about taking a roll. They had talked about it and decided that she wouldn't do so before Stella is six months old. Neither is fond of being apart, but Santana understands how much Brittany loves to act as she feels the same about music.
"Let me know when you do as I'd love to work with you again." Quinn says.
"I will," Brittany promises.
"I've started doing a bit of writing for my next album. Stella is a great inspiration, though I'm taking it slow." Santana says.
"I can't wait to hear it." Mercedes says.
Stella, now done eating, doesn't like that no one is paying attention to her so she starts crying.
"Shh, it's okay Stella." Santana says burping her.
This only makes her cry even more.
"I think she wants attention." Brittany says taking her from her wife. "Don't you Stella." she sweetly says and Stella stops crying.
"Just like you," Quinn says tickling Stella's belly which causes her to giggle.
"Hey," Santana says frowning.
"San, you can't say you don't like to be the center of attention." Mercedes says.
"This is why she's going to be famous one day." Brittany proudly says.
They end up staying for another hour before they head out.
"Next time we'll come to you, but we both knew you hadn't been out in months." Mercedes says.
"And someone had to get you out." Quinn adds.
"Yeah, yeah," Santana says waving them off.
"It was nice to get out." Brittany agrees.
They give each other hugs before leaving.
"See you three soon."
"Bye Q, Mercedes."
"Come on Britt, I want to get Stella home." Santana says not wanting to be out much longer.
"I'm coming," Brittany says carrying Stella in the carrier.
Since they've been out for a while now and nothing bad has happened, they're both calmer as they head home.
"I may find Q annoying a lot of the time but I'm glad they forced us out. It was nice to see them and just get out of the house." Santana says leaning into her wife.
"I couldn't agree more." Brittany says.