CHAPTER 9
Brittany is scanning through the Netflix catalog when she hears a knock on her front door. She pauses the show and gets up from the couch to open the door which reveals a smiling Quinn in front of her.
"Q!" Brittany squeals and extends her arms to give the other blonde a hug.
"Hi, B" she greets as she returns Brittany's hug.
"Come in," Brittany says as she moves a little bit to the side so Quinn can enter the apartment. She goes to the kitchen to grab two bottles of water before she leads Quinn to sit on the couch. Once seated, Brittany immediately hands her the bottle of water and shifts her body to face her best friend. "How was your trip?"
Quinn accepts the bottle. "Thanks," she pauses as she twists the cap open and drinks some water before setting the bottle on the coffee table. "It was alright considering I was traveling during rush hour."
Quinn is in town for the weekend since Maddison will be participating in a talent showcase at her school the next day so the blonde took Friday off from work and will be spending the rest of the weekend in New York.
"Well, you didn't have to come all the way here." Brittany points out.
"Are you kidding? It's my goddaughter's first talent show!" Quinn exclaims while placing a hand on her chest. "There's no way I'm going to miss that."
Brittany chuckles at her and rolls her eyes, "Fine..." She pauses and tilts her head to the side, "You know Q, you should think about moving here. Everyone's here and you're all alone in New Haven."
Quinn playfully glares and points a finger at Brittany, "I am not alone." She then chuckles and says, "I have friends there."
"But your best friends and your goddaughter are here." Brittany chuckles. "Just think about it, Q." She winks before shifting into a more comfortable sitting position on the couch.
Quinn clicks her tongue and sighs, "Fine, I'll think about it." She leans her back on the couch and faces Brittany, "I think that'd be nice to have all of you close by."
"Yey!" Brittany claps her hand before standing up from the couch and walking towards the kitchen. "I'm gonna get some apple slices, you want some?" She asks Quinn, looking over her shoulder.
"Sure," Quinn replies as she looks around the apartment. Brittany comes back on the couch and offers her some apple slices from the bowl. "Thanks. Where's Maddi?"
Brittany takes an apple slice on her mouth and chews before answering, "Liv took her to the mall to buy her a new dress for tomorrow, they should be back soon."
Quinn furrows her eyebrows and asks, "Oh… why aren't you with them?"
Brittany glances at her quickly and sighs, "I, um… I've been kind of avoiding her."
"What? Why?" she asks, frowning at her best friend.
"I don't know, Q. I just…" she stares at Quinn for a moment and continues, "I'm happy that we have her again, don't get me wrong. But, I don't know how to act around her, you know? She faces the TV again and grabs the remote to continue scanning for movies, "I'm afraid that I'm gonna do something and then scare her off. You know how I am around Santana."
Quinn sighs and pats her best friend's thigh, "Yeah, I know, but Britt… You can't keep avoiding her. One day, she's gonna notice. Maddi's gonna notice. What then, hmm?" she challenges. "Besides, she still decided to talk to you after you practically ambushed her with a kiss at her book signing. And she didn't resist the idea of her having a wife and a kid. Trust me, you're not scaring her off."
Brittany drops the remote on her side and slumps her shoulder back on the couch, "I just wish every day that she would just wake up or hit her head and remember everything."
"Yeah. And I get that avoiding her is your way of self-preservation but you can't keep doing this to yourself, Britt." Quinn sighs, "How is she by the way? Does she remember anything from the photos and videos you've been showing her?"
Brittany shakes her head. "No. I don't think she ever will" she says defeatedly.
"Hmm, well, we don't know that." Quinn pauses for a moment and clears her throat when an idea comes into mind. "You should ask her if she would like to come to Ohio with you one day. Going back there might trigger something in her memory."
Brittany turns her head to the side and frowns, "Y-you mean, bring her back to her parents' house?"
Quinn nods. "Yeah. But only if she wants to. Just bring up the idea to her and let her think about it."
Brittany doesn't think it's a good idea but it's worth a try. "Okay, I'll ask her sometime."
Just then, the front door opens and Maddison comes running to the living room with Olivia walking behind her, smiling at her ultra-energetic daughter. The little brunette's eyes light up when she sees her godmother sitting on the couch.
"Aunt Quinnie, you're here!" she squeals.
"Of course, honey!" Quinn smiles from ear to ear and opens her arms wide for a hug which Maddison happily flopped into, "I wouldn't dare miss your first talent show. Ohh, let's see what you have in there." She says, pointing to the shopping bag Maddi is holding.
Maddison excitedly opens the bag and takes out a blue dress to show Quinn and Brittany. "Mami bought me a new dress for tomorrow!"
Brittany smiles at Olivia as the brunette takes a seat at the loveseat on Quinn's right side. "It's beautiful, baby. Can't wait to see you wear it tomorrow." She smiles at her daughter then gets up from the couch and takes the dress from Maddi's hands. "C'mon, let's hang this up in your closet, and then you can help me make dinner." Maddison nods and takes her hand and the pair walk towards the girl's bedroom.
Brittany looks at Quinn over her shoulder and Quinn glares at her. Olivia doesn't notice Quinn's glare but she looks at Brittany curiously as the blonde and Maddi make their way to the bedroom. She then turns to face Quinn.
"Hey Quinn, long time no see. How was your trip?" She asks and Quinn smiles at her. They immediately fall into a comfortable conversation about everything that happened since they last saw each other a few weeks ago.
After dinner, all of them sat in the living room and watched the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast per Maddison's request. Quinn left to go back to her hotel shortly after the movie and Brittany decided to click on another movie on Netflix. In the middle of the 2nd movie, Maddison's head started bobbing beside Olivia so Brittany paused the movie and carried the girl to her bedroom.
She just finished tucking in Maddi when Olivia quietly enters the bedroom and kisses her daughter's forehead. Olivia stands straight again and turns to face Brittany.
"I need to get going. Thanks for dinner," she whispers.
Brittany locks eyes with her and nods "Okay, let me walk you out." She offers as she follows the brunette out of the room. Once they reach the front door, Olivia holds the doorknob but turns around to face Brittany again. The blonde is startled by her so she stopped walking immediately but their bodies are now only a few inches apart.
"Thanks again for dinner."
"You're welcome." Brittany smiles softly and they stare at each other for a few seconds. Olivia then stands on her toes and gives Brittany a soft kiss on her right cheek. Brittany's eyes widen at the contact and she feels an electric surge run through her entire body. This sweet and innocent kiss brings back a distant memory from when they were teenagers.
Brittany parked her car outside Santana's house and unbuckled her seatbelt before getting out of her car to open the passenger door for Santana. They had just finished their first date and Brittany could only hope that Santana enjoyed it. The blonde took Santana to her favorite clearing in Ohio for a sunset picnic. She enlisted Quinn to help her prepare the picnic basket which had turkey sandwiches, popcorn, and sparkling apple juice. They ate their food and talked about things that they hadn't known about each other and when the sun started to set, Brittany pulled Santana up for a dance. That first date with Brittany was the most romantic date Santana's ever had because she was always the one who put much effort into her previous relationships. She had to admit that she underestimated the blonde because everything about that date made Santana's heart do cartwheels.
Brittany opened the passenger door and held her hand out for Santana which the brunette happily took. The blonde closed the door and led Santana to her front door, never letting go of her hand. Once they reached the door, Santana turned around to face Brittany and gave her a sweet smile.
"I had so much fun tonight, Britt," she admits softly.
Brittany beams at Santana's admission and squeezed her hand, "Really?"
"Of course. No one's ever done that for me, Britt. Thank you." She smiles shyly and looks down at her feet. Brittany lifts her chin with her hand and smiles at her.
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Brittany shifts her gaze to Santana's plump lips and then back to her eyes, "Um… I should go," she says as she tilts her head sideways to point to her car.
"Yeah, okay." Santana nods, "Text me when you get home, and uh… I'll see you Monday?" She asks as her gaze also drops to Brittany's lips.
"Sure and yes, I'll most definitely see you on Monday. I'll even walk you to your classroom." She winks at the brunette and giggles.
Santana raises her eyebrows and giggles as well, "Is that right?" She asks and Brittany nods. "Well, I'll most definitely hold you to that." She then leans forward but stops a few inches from Brittany's lips. Brittany's breath hitched when she felt Santana breathing closely against her lips. Santana looks Brittany in the eyes affectionately before smirking and shifting her head to kiss Brittany on the cheek. "Goodnight, Pierce."
Brittany chuckles and shakes her head at Santana's teasing, "Goodnight, Lopez." She says and turns around to walk towards her car. She opens the car door and gives Santana a wave before sliding in and driving onto the street.
"L, are you okay?" a concerned Brittany asks Olivia once the brunette pulls back from kissing her cheek.
Olivia, who still has a bewildered look on her face, blinks her eyes a couple of times before responding. "Huh? Uh, y-yeah… I'm good." She says and gives Brittany a shy smile.
"Okay," Brittany drawls "'Cause you looked like you've seen a ghost there for a second." She giggles and Olivia just shrugs and twists the doorknob to open the door.
"I should go," Olivia smiles at her gently "Goodnight, Britt."
Brittany smiles widely when she hears the nickname and stutters, "G-Goodnight, L. Drive safe and text me when you get home." Olivia smiles back and nods before turning around to head for the elevator. Brittany closes the door and leans her back on it as she touches her right cheek and smiles as she imprints the tingling sensation of her wife's kiss in her mind.
When she hears Brittany close the front door, Olivia turns her back and stares at the door. The kiss she gave Brittany sparked something inside of her.
It made her heart flutter.
It made her feel butterflies in her stomach.
But most importantly…
It brought her back to the memory of the first time she ever kissed Brittany on her cheek… 13 years ago.
The next afternoon, the Lopez-Pierces, the Berrys, Quinn, and Mercedes all meet up at Maddison's school to watch her first ever talent showcase. All of them stand up, yelling and clapping when Maddison enters stage left and sits in front of the piano. Maddi starts playing the intro to the song and then a boy and a girl enters the stage to dance to the song that Maddi is playing. Brittany's eyes are immediately filled with tears as she looks over to Mercedes on her far left side and then to Olivia beside her. She had no idea that Maddison was going to play "Can I Have This Dance" with two other kids dancing in the background. She glances at Olivia beside her who notices her tears and takes her left hand to rub circles on it to comfort her.
Brittany's tears fall freely on her face because all she sees is her and Santana, both in their wedding dresses, dancing to that song. It was their first dance as a married couple. Brittany wipes her tears and smiles softly at Olivia before focusing on Maddison again. Olivia watches Maddison in her element and she can't help but feel overwhelmed that she at least gets to see her daughter's first school activity. Her heart also swells with pride at how incredibly talented her daughter is at 6 years old. She continues to hold Brittany's hand and listens to the melody of the song when all of a sudden, she sees a hazy image of Brittany seemingly dancing in front of her and singing to the same melody that Maddison is playing on the piano.
Even a thousand miles
Can't keep us apart
'Cause my heart is
Wherever you are
The sound of loud clapping and cheering breaks Olivia's daze and so she lets go of Brittany's hand and immediately stands up along with the rest of the audience as they all give Maddison and her fellow first-graders a standing ovation for their beautiful number. She then glances and smiles longingly at Brittany who has a wide grin on her face and holds both her thumbs up at Maddi. She feels her eyes tear up and her heart pounds as she continues to stare at Brittany's side profile so she averts her eyes quickly back to the stage and blinks her eyes rapidly to stop her tears from falling.
After the showcase, everyone headed to a restaurant near Maddi's school in Chelsea for dinner. They sat at a round table with Maddison sitting in between Brittany and Olivia, Mercedes is beside Olivia, and then Quinn, Rachel, Hiram, and David. They had just finished ordering their food so David turns his attention to Maddison who's currently blushing at her Mami's praises.
"You were so good up there, baby girl!" David exclaims excitedly.
Maddison beams and replies, "Thanks, Poppy!" She gets up from her chair and runs to hug David. David had insisted that Maddi call him Poppy and Hiram, Pop-Pop, because "Grandpa" was a tad bit old for them. All the women smile at the adorable exchange between Maddison and her new set of grandparents as she pulls back from hugging David and proceeds to hug Hiram next and sit on his lap while they wait for their food. David then turns his attention to Brittany.
"So, I heard the piano and singing talent came from her." He smirks while pointing at Olivia.
Brittany glances at the brunette on her left side and smiles, "Yup, sure did."
"Britt just needs to start teaching her how to dance or enroll her in dance classes and Maddison will be a triple threat." Mercedes chimes in while beaming at Maddison.
"You dance?" Hiram asks Brittany.
"Used to." She replies with a small smile.
"She went to school for it in Chicago and then she got a job as a Jazz Teaching Artist at The Joffrey Dance Academy," Quinn says proudly.
David and Hiram smile widely at Brittany. "That's impressive, Brittany. Why aren't you teaching dance now? I'm sure Juilliard would hire you since you already had teaching experience at The Joffrey." David asks, genuinely curious.
Olivia glances at Brittany and sees the same dejected look on her face when the same topic about her previous job was brought up during their first meeting at the café a few weeks ago. Brittany opens her mouth but closes it again when she hears someone call Olivia a few feet away from their table. They all look up to see who it is and Brittany sees a tall, blonde man with huge lips approaching the table. She then notices Rachel rolling her eyes at the man just as Olivia stands up from her chair and hugs the blonde man who's now standing behind her. Brittany just watches the interaction curiously.
"Sam! What a nice surprise." Olivia beams at Sam.
Sam smiles back and says, "Yeah, it's been a while. How are you? I heard you got published." He then looks at her up and down, "You still look as hot as the last time we saw each other." He smirks at the brunette making Rachel's eyes roll even more and Brittany to furrow her eyebrows at Rachel's facial expressions.
Olivia playfully pushes him on the shoulder. "Stop it, Sam." She then glances around the table and locks eyes with Brittany. She smiles at her before looking back at Sam, "Just here for dinner with my family. How about you? What're you up to?"
"Oh you know, still modeling here and there." Sam shrugs smugly. "I'm here for a meeting so I should get going."
"Alright, well, it was nice seeing you again, Sam." She says as she hugs him again. "Good luck with the meeting."
"Thanks. Take care, Liv." Sam smiles at her before leaving and sitting at a nearby table.
Olivia sits back down and frowns when she sees Rachel raising her eyebrows at her. She then glances at Brittany who's staring at her with a blank expression. She opens her mouth to say something but the waiter interrupts her when he places their food on the table. They eat their food in comfortable silence but also making small talk and jokes from time to time.
When they finished dinner which Hiram and David paid for as a treat for Maddison, they asked Brittany if Maddison could spend the night with them in Staten Island so the girls could go clubbing since it's a Friday night and they thought that the girls deserve a night out. Brittany was reluctant at first but Olivia and Rachel reassured her that it was fine. They all left the restaurant and the girls walked to the bar down the street from the restaurant. They sat at a booth and ordered a round of shots except for Rachel who ordered iced tea since she drove and was automatically assigned as the designated driver. Eventually, Quinn pulled everyone to the dance floor but Rachel and Brittany refused. Quinn glared at Brittany again because she knew what the blonde was doing.
"So, who's Sam?" Brittany asks loudly so Rachel can hear her over the blaring music.
Rachel rolls her eyes again at the mention of Sam's name, "Just some self-centered douchebag that Liv used to date." She then glances at the blonde who just gulps and nods her head. "It was short-lived," Rachel adds softly.
"Did… did she date a lot?" Brittany asks Rachel, her eyes are focused on Olivia who's now dancing with a girl that's standing too close behind her. The girl's hand is wrapped around the brunette, placing her palm in Olivia's stomach, and the sight makes Brittany's ears heat up with rage. Brittany clenches her fist and fights the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Well, I've only known 3 people that she dated but none of them became official. She didn't actually start dating until she started writing her book 3 years ago and her schedule always got in the way."
Brittany just nods and downs her last shot, her eyes never leaving Olivia and the girl. She then stands up from the booth, "I'm gonna get us more drinks, want another iced tea?" She asks Rachel.
"Oh, yes, please. Thanks." Rachel smiles gratefully at her.
3 beers and 6 more shots of tequila later, Brittany is tipsy and is now laying her head on top of her arms which are propped on the table. Olivia, Quinn, and Mercedes come back from their second trip to the dance floor, and Quinn giggles at Brittany.
"She dead?" Quinn asks Rachel and Brittany lifts her head and smirks.
"Not quite." Rachel laughs.
"I'm f-fine. Not drunk… juuuuust tipsy." Brittany says with a wide grin and her eyes barely opening. Everyone laughs and Olivia shakes her head and grabs Brittany by the waist to hoist her up from her seat.
"C'mon Britt, let's get you home," Olivia says, and Brittany giggles.
"Ohhh hi, Santanaaa. I've missed you soooo much." She then tucks her head in Olivia's neck and slurs "I waited 5 years for you, you know that?" She then pokes Olivia in the cheeks and giggles.
"Okay, let's go." Olivia pauses and looks at Rachel, "I'm taking her back to her apartment, Rach. Don't worry about me."
Rachel frowns. "Are you sure? I can drive you."
Olivia shakes her head, "No, it's out of the way and I don't want you driving by yourself this late."
"You two can just crash at my apartment," Mercedes chimes in while pointing at Rachel and Quinn. "I live in this neighborhood. You don't have to drive back to Staten Island tonight, Rach." She smiles.
"Are you sure?" Rachel asks and Mercedes nods, "Okay."
"Great. Britt and I will just take a cab." She then turns to Rachel, "I'll see you tomorrow."
They paid their tab and went out of the bar to part ways. Rachel drove to Mercedes's apartment in Chelsea while Olivia and Brittany took a cab back to Midtown. The two women arrive at Brittany's apartment a little after 1 AM. Olivia got out of the cab first and assisted Brittany in going up the apartment with her left arm wrapped around the blonde's waist and her right hand holding Brittany's right arm that was snaked around her neck. During the entire cab ride, Brittany was humming the melody to Can I Have This Dance and occasionally slurring some of the lyrics.
Brittany sways as they walk in the hallway leading to her apartment. She then giggles and starts singing slash slurring again. "It's like catch-hiccup-ing lightning, the chancessss of findiiing someone like youuuu," she drawls as she looks at Olivia beside her and giggles.
They arrive at her door and the brunette fumbles on the blonde's keys to open it while Brittany continues to sing the song a little loudly. When she finally opens the door, she leads Brittany inside and chuckles, "Let's go inside before you wake your neighbors up."
She then sets the blonde on the couch and runs to the kitchen to grab bottles of water for both of them and runs back to the couch. She opens Brittany's bottle and guides it to Brittany's mouth and stares intently at her neck as the blonde gulps.
"Damn." she thought. Brittany definitely has something about her that makes Olivia feel things even when the blonde's only doing the most mundane of things, like drinking water. Brittany finishes her water and leans her head back on the couch while Olivia drinks her own water. They stay silent on the couch for a few minutes, Brittany mostly just trying to stop her head from spinning while Olivia tries to rest her eyes for a bit.
"So Sam, huh?" Brittany scoffs as she uses the liquid courage left in her system to finally break the silence in the room.
Olivia opens her eyes and turns her head to face the blonde. "Sam? What about him?"
"Didn't you date him?" Brittany asks annoyingly and Olivia furrows her eyebrows.
"Um, yeah. Why?"
Brittany just nods, "And did you get that girl's number at the bar?" She asks; her tone now full of spite. "Are you gonna date her?"
Olivia sits up straight, fully facing Brittany, and narrows her eyes at the blonde, "What? No! Why are you asking me all these questions?"
Brittany takes a deep breath and sighs before standing up from the couch. She almost stumbles when she gets up so Olivia immediately stands and holds Brittany still. Brittany faces her with a scowl on her face.
"It doesn't matter. I'm going to bed." Brittany says sternly.
Olivia shakes her head, "No, you're not. Answer my question. You don't think I didn't notice that you've been avoiding me lately? I'm not dumb, Brittany." She sighs and locks eyes with the blonde, "What's wrong?"
Brittany chuckles dryly at her question. "What's wrong?" she raises her eyebrows and continues, "Oh, I don't know. Me mourning not only my father-in-law's death but also my wife's disappearance for the last 5 years. And then, I find my wife 5 fucking years later only to find out that she doesn't remember me or our daughter." She yells angrily and Olivia can see a mixture of anger and sadness in Brittany's eyes. She just stares at the blonde as tears start streaming down the blonde's face. She doesn't want to interrupt Brittany since this is the first time she's opening up about her feelings.
"I found the mother of my daughter, yes, I'm happy about that." She continues as her breathing starts to get heavy and she's now full-on sobbing. "But do you…" she sniffles, "do you know how difficult it is to be around the one person you want and need but you know you can't have because of a fucked up situation?"
Olivia stares at the blonde as tears start forming in her eyes as well, "Britt, I-"
"No!" she replies loudly and steps forward so she's a few inches away from the brunette. She then points her index finger to her chest and continues, "It takes… everything in me to wake up every day and smile and watch you with our daughter and I have to distance myself because you…" she then points her finger to Olivia's chest, "you are not the same Santana that I married." She pauses and attempts to wipe her tears away but it just keeps on streaming down her face.
She then holds her chest as she feels it tighten with all the crying she's doing, "I wake up every day wishing that one day, you'll remember me. And each day that you don't, it's just another stab in my heart and the pain suffocates me." Olivia attempts to take her hand but she immediately pulls it away, "Don't."
Olivia wipes the tears on her cheeks as she watches Brittany sob and breathes heavily. She hates watching Brittany cry and she hates it even more that she's the reason for it. She wants to just go ahead and tackle Brittany and hug her as tight as she could. Brittany's words and the pain that comes with them pierces Olivia right through her heart. She knows it's been difficult for the blonde but she didn't know yet the extent of her pain.
Brittany's crying calms down a little bit and she wipes her tears before crossing her arms to hug herself and locks eyes with Olivia. "It suffocates me… knowing that you're right here with us but all I can do is look at you. I have to control myself around you because I respect you too much to even take advantage of you." She then lowers her gaze to the floor and sniffles, "I'm sorry. I didn't have the right to act like a jealous wife. Your dating life is none of my business so, I'm sorr-"
Olivia cuts her off when she closes the distance between them and cups both of Brittany's cheeks before kissing her forcefully. The blonde pulls back and touches her forehead with Olivia's.
"Fuck." Brittany sighs and backs away from Olivia before turning to walk away from the brunette. Olivia quickly grabs her wrist and stops her.
"No, come here," she says, gently tugging Brittany's arm towards her.
"Stop doing this to yourself, Britt." She hears Quinn's voice inside her head so she closes her eyes and sighs. She then turns around and cups Olivia's cheeks gently before taking the brunette's bottom lip in between hers. Olivia wraps her arms around Brittany's waist and pulls her closer. The warmth of being in each other's arms instantly relaxes them both into the kiss. Olivia immediately opens her mouth, inviting Brittany's tongue into hers and the blonde didn't hesitate to respond. Brittany moans when Olivia sucks on her tongue before biting her bottom lip lightly. They continue to kiss passionately for a few minutes, gliding their tongues with each other. Olivia feels her heartbeat quicken and she moans when Brittany sucks on her bottom lip and licks it. She then places a hand under Brittany's shirt and lightly runs her nails on the blonde's lower back, the sensation sending shivers through Brittany's entire body.
Brittany pulls back for air and touches her forehead with Olivia's. She then rubs her nose against the brunette's as she lets out a sigh like a weight has been taken off her shoulders. Olivia opens her eyes and smiles from ear-to-ear before tilting her head to the side as they stare at each other affectionately. Kissing Brittany like that for the first time left her breathless and she doesn't mind doing it again. Olivia's eyes start to tear up again just by looking at the way Brittany's eyes convey love and pain all at the same time. She raises a hand and wipes the tear tracks off Brittany's face. Brittany smiles and places her right hand on top of the brunette's heart and her left hand wiping Olivia's plump lips with a thumb.
Olivia leans in and pecks Brittany's lips before taking her hand and guiding the blonde to her bedroom. They both lay down on the bed with Brittany's head on the brunette's chest and Olivia's hand caressing the blonde's hair. Olivia kisses the top of Brittany's head and whispers, "We can talk more tomorrow." Brittany just nods as she feels her eyes become heavy while Olivia continues to run her fingers through her hair. Soon enough, both of their breathing evens out and they fall into a peaceful slumber.
Olivia wakes up and is glad that she's not facing the windows because Brittany had opened the curtains slightly to let some sunshine fill the room. Her eyebrows furrow when she sees Brittany sleeping with her head on top of her arms while sitting on the floor beside the bed facing Olivia. She carefully turns to her side to just stare and studies the blonde's facial features. She chuckles as she hears the adorable faint sound of snoring coming from Brittany.
Brittany stirs in her sleep when she feels a set of eyes staring at her. "Creep, why are you staring at me?" She says softly with her eyes still closed.
Olivia giggles, "I am not." She then tucks some stray hair behind the blonde's ear and cups her cheek and Brittany moves her cheek a bit to lean into the brunette's touch. "You can't even see me."
"Mhmm…" Brittany opens her eyes and repositions her head so she can lock eyes with Olivia, "Why are you staring at me while I sleep."
"Again, I wasn't staring. It's called admiring." She nods and then winks at the blonde. This is the first time that she gets to freely admire Brittany's beauty up close. Brittany playfully rolls her eyes at her and she just smiles as she sits up and leans her back on the headboard. "Why were you sleeping on the floor anyway?
"I woke up because my throat was feeling all kinds of icky so I ran to the bathroom to get rid of everything I ate and drank last night," Brittany explains then sticks her tongue out and makes a disgusted face. "I just sat here so I don't wake you in case I have to run again."
Olivia smiles softly and nods, "How are you feeling?"
"A little better." Brittany gets up on the floor and saunters to the door, "I'll cook some breakfast for us."
The brunette then moves and plants her feet on the floor before getting up and catching up to Brittany. She then grabs Brittany's arms and turns her around so she's facing the Latina. "No, let me cook for you. You need to rest seeing as you had a rather eventful morning in the toilet."
"Do I have to? Can I at least help?" Brittany pouts and Olivia clicks her tongue before chuckling at the sight of Brittany pouting.
"Fine."
"Yes!" Brittany pumps her fist like she had just won a bet with the brunette and grins widely while Olivia just shakes her head in amusement. She stares at Brittany for a few seconds before leaning in to kiss the blonde. Brittany's eyes widen and immediately cover her mouth, "No, I have vomit breath!" She exclaims, her voice muffled by the hand covering her mouth. Olivia laughs and takes Brittany's hand to uncover her mouth before leaning in and giving her a peck in the lips. Brittany smiles coyly and the color of her cheeks turns into a light shade of pink when they pull back from the kiss.
"I um… I should go brush my teeth." Brittany giggles and goes to open her dresser. She grabs a pair of shorts and a shirt and hands it to Olivia, "Here. You can change into these so that you're comfortable." She smiles and Olivia nods
"Thanks. I'll be in the kitchen after I change." She says before taking the clothes from Brittany's hands. Brittany then turns on her heels and goes inside the bathroom leaving the brunette to change into more comfortable clothes.
Olivia is in the middle of flipping a pancake when Brittany enters the kitchen. She turns her head and smiles softly at Brittany as she grabs a banana from the kitchen counter.
"What do you need help with?" Brittany asks as she leans on the counter and takes a bite of the banana.
Olivia looks around. "Um, can you take over the pancakes so I can start the eggs and sausages?" She asks and Brittany nods before throwing the banana peel in the trash. She then moves to the counter to prepare the eggs. "How do you want your eggs?"
Brittany smiles, "Scrambled."
"Perfect." Olivia nods and proceeds with cracking eggs on a glass bowl. "By the way, David said he's taking Maddi back here after lunch so I don't have to pick her up and bring her back." She pauses for a second before continuing, "Maybe the three of us can do something together?" She asks hesitantly to gauge if Brittany would continue avoiding her.
Brittany turns her head to lock eyes with Olivia. Her face is unreadable before her smile slowly spreads across her face which makes Olivia sigh in relief. "Sure, that'd be nice. You can just stay here for the rest of the weekend."
"Awesome," the brunette replies with a wide grin. "I'll text David to bring me a change of clothes."
They ate their breakfast in comfortable silence while stealing glances and soft smiles with each other. Brittany insisted that she wash the dishes and Olivia didn't have a choice but to agree since Brittany decided to pout until the brunette agreed. Olivia shook her head and chuckled before leaving the kitchen to relax in the living room. The blonde somehow knew she wouldn't be able to resist the pout and she was a lost cause. She sat on the couch in the living room and turned the tv on. A Bake With Anna Olson rerun is on the Food Network so she left it there as she waited for Brittany to finish washing dishes. Olivia racks her brain on how she would start the inevitable conversation she's bound to have with Brittany. She's happy that Brittany finally opened up about her feelings but she also has a gut feeling that Brittany's meltdown the previous night was just the tip of the iceberg.
Brittany walks into the living room, breaking Olivia's daze. The blonde smiles when she sees that Anna Olson is on the tv and then sits beside the brunette.
"She's awesome," Brittany says while turning her head to face Olivia. "I met her at a book signing on Broadway last year."
Olivia furrows her eyebrows at what the blonde just said, "You were at Barnes and Noble on Broadway for her event last year?"
"Yeah. I was in the area so I decided to go pick up a new book for Maddison and ended up on the line for her event." Brittany explains but then furrows her eyebrows as well and asks, "Wait… were you?"
Olivia nods, "I was. Mainly because my publisher wanted me to observe how to handle a book signing event even though we were still in the early stages of my book launch."
"Wow." Brittany sighs sadly, "I could've found you last year." Her shoulders slump and she turns her head back to the tv. She feels tears forming in her eyes as she thinks about how she would've already found her wife a year ago but fate decided to play games with her. The couch dips beside her and Olivia takes her hand and places her other hand on Brittany's cheek to coax the blonde to face her.
"Britt…" She says as soon as she makes eye contact with the blonde. She wipes the lone tear that escaped Brittany's eye and says, "Hey… I'm here now. What could've happened last year doesn't matter anymore." She then takes both of Brittany's hands and squeezes them.
"I'm sorry for what I did last night. I was out of line." Brittany apologizes and squeezes the brunette's hands back.
Olivia leans in and pecks her lips. "Don't be," she says while pulling back from the kiss. "If the roles were reversed, I'd be jealous too." She smirks and Brittany's cheeks turn into a shade of pink.
"Britt…" she pauses and takes a deep breath, "I heard everything you said last night and you don't have to be sorry for feeling that way because..." She smiles tenderly at Brittany, "technically, I am still your wife, just with a different name and no memories of the past but, you know what I mean."
"Yes, but I-"
"-respect my feelings and didn't want to take advantage of me in my current condition. I get that but, Britt…" Olivia then moves closer to Brittany and rubs her right forearm, "You do know it's not that hard to like you, right?" She smiles and Brittany furrows her eyebrows. "I'm not blind, Britt. I can see why I married you. C'mere."
Olivia leans her back on the couch and pulls Brittany with her to cuddle. Brittany is hesitant at first but eventually gives in and places her head on the brunette's chest. Olivia runs her fingers through blonde locks which instantly relaxes the blonde. "You're an amazing person, Brittany. You're beautiful, quick-witted, incredibly smart, and most of all, selfless." Brittany looks up at her with a confused look. "What? You did just set aside your own feelings to make sure I'm comfortable with this motherhood thing and you said before that your feelings didn't matter as long as Maddison was happy."
"But your feelings matter, Britt." She pauses and kisses Brittany's forehead. "Because if it weren't for those feelings and if you have continued to avoid me… I wouldn't have remembered how the butterflies in my stomach felt when I kissed your cheek after our first date. Or that the song Maddison played at her talent showcase yesterday was the song we first danced to as wives." She smiles and tears escape from her eyes as she admits to Brittany for the first time that she's starting to remember her past.
Brittany's body shoots upright and she stares at Olivia wide-eyed. "What?"
Olivia smiles softly and wipes her tears, "I…I've been having flashes of memories." She shifts in her seat again and holds Brittany's hands, "It first happened the other night when I kissed your cheek by the door."
"When I told you that you looked like you've seen a ghost?"
"Yeah. I saw your 17-year old self right in front of me being all cute and whatnot." She teases and Brittany blushes. "Then it happened yesterday. When the two kids started dancing on stage, you appeared right in front of me again; you were wearing a white dress and we were dancing while you were singing some of the lyrics to the song." She moves to wipe Brittany's tears and cups her cheeks, "Your love is like a beacon that guides my memories. I'm starting to remember because of you and with Maddison.'s help, of course." She croaks as tears also start falling from her eyes.
"Oh my god" Brittany whispers and wraps her arms around the brunette's neck. They stay like that for a few moments until Olivia pulls back and cups the blonde's cheeks again. She kisses Brittany's lips again to reassure her that there is no need to hold back on her feelings anymore.
"And for the record, it doesn't matter who I've dated in the last 5 years anymore. They obviously didn't last for a reason." She says while pulling back from the kiss and smiles affectionately at Brittany. "I still may not remember everything but, I am your wife and the mother of a child that you raised beautifully. That is what's important right now. The three of us."
Brittany just nods and smiles back before kissing her gently. She understands that Brittany might be overwhelmed with emotions right now and is still processing so she pulls Brittany back into their previous cuddling position. They stayed silent for a few minutes, just savoring this new dynamic between them while staring at the now muted television. Olivia continues to run her fingers through Brittany's hair until she clears her throat and asks the question that she's been wanting to ask Brittany.
"Hey, um. Can I ask you a question?" She asks softly and Brittany nods. "What happened in Chicago? After I… after I disappeared? I want you to tell me."
