The elevator dings, shaking her from her reverie. As she pulls out the keys, laughter can be heard inside, a smile once again graces her lips. Slipping inside, she hangs her jacket and purse before setting her keys in the bowl. Entering the living room she leans against the beam and smiles. Riley roars, playfully running a toy truck up his baby sister's leg causing the baby to yell with excitement.

Riley is now five. Currently he is obsessed with monster trucks, and for some god awful reason, musicals. But with Rachel babysitting them every once in a while, Santana knows who she can blame for that one.

Tatum is almost two years old now and there are certain ways those innocent, gorgeous hazel eyes look at Santana in a way that makes her want to protect both of them from the horrors of this cruel world.

She looks around at the pictures on the wall, the first is a picture of Santana's mom and abuela holding a newborn Riley at the hospital. Maribel is absolutely beaming with pride while Alma can't seem to take her eyes off the precious angel in her arms. Santana remembers how hard it was for Alma to come to terms with not only Santana being gay but her also being in love with and marrying Quinn Fabray. Having helped raise Santana, Alma remembered how the two fought, the matriarch did not support the relationship at first but when Santana told her she wanted to ask the blonde to marry her, Alma knew her granddaughter was serious.

So the grandmother finally bent for her granddaughter and granted her blessing, she showed up late to the wedding, even sat in the back row but what she did next cemented everything for Santana.

Alma Lopez, who has always been told she had a heart of stone...Cried. With Tears streaming uncontrollably, she watched her oldest grandchild struggle through her vows. She watched Santana's hand shake as she pushed the ring onto Quinn's finger, a deep exhale once she had successfully completed the task causing the church to softly laugh.

But she also listened. Alma listened to Santana pledge her heart and soul to Quinn Fabray. She listened to Quinn confess to have been in love with Santana since sophomore year and that made the woman smile. She listened to Santana vow to love, honor and protect the blonde in front of her all the days of her life. After the kiss, when both women turned towards their guests, Santana locked eyes with her grandmother. Alma nodded, placing her hands over her heart because in that moment she remembered the love she had with her husband.

After talks to Santana, she moved to embraced Quinn. The stunned blonde looked to her newly wed wife, Alma laughed telling the girl to breathe. Once the hug ended, Alma asked Quinn to look after and care for her angle, her first granddaughter and the other love of her life. With tears once again streaming, Quinn promised to protect the woman they loved with her life.

The next picture is Riley smashing cake into a shocked Quinn's face at his first birthday. Lastly a picture of Santana, her mom and Riley the day Tatum was born. Tears fill her eyes once more before she hears chants and feels four small arms wrap around her legs.

Santana spends the next hour or so playing with both children, catching up on their very exciting days, before bath time and bedtime stories are read. Santana enters her bedroom, placing the box on the top shelf in her closet, she runs her fingers alongside it before closing the door.

Reaching towards the nightstand, she turns off the light.

"I love you" Is whispered softly into the darkness

"I love you too" Santana whispers back

"How was it today?"

Santana inhales deeply "Like she never left and it breaks me because sometimes I can't help but think that if you.."

"Don't. Please don't San. I didn't go anywhere baby, I know we had quite the scare this past year but we beat this"

Santana shakes her head, wiping her tears she turns around "The thought of losing you the same way I lost her, it's too much. I miss her so damn much. And it hurts even more because we just really fixed things between us and then she…"

"I know Tana and I'm so sorry for that but no" Quinn shakes her head, placing her hand over Santana's mouth "No more what if's and no more buts, we won. We beat it and now we have forever, for us."

"But you weren't even there when Tatum was born…

I didn't have my Abuela and you were alone in surgery.

I hated that I couldn't be there for you, do you realize how scared and alone I was?"

Quinn nods "I know you miss Alma dearly and I know almost losing me was hard. I also understand you go to that place to feel closer to her and you started going more when I was in the hospital. But You need to leave all the negativity there, where it belongs. Because you" Quinn places her hand over her wife's wildly beating heart "Belong right here, with our kids, with me and we belong with each other.

You" kiss "Me" kiss "And our babies" kiss Okay?

"Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily, we both know my stubborn ass would always find my way back to you one way or another" Santana laughs at Quinn's words before nodding "And now we can enjoy our life with our kids for the next eighty years."

Santana's eyebrows furrow as she scoots back "Eighty? The fuck? Woman I almost lost you, you owe me at least a hundred more! But seriously Q, I ran out of time with her. I can't run out of time with you." Santana exhales deeply " You know what though? In some twisted way,

I hope this greif stays with me because it's all the unexpressed love that I didn't get to tell her"

"She loved you too sweetie, so so much. Please don't ever forget that" Quinn smiles, pulling her wife in once again. After a few minutes, Santana's body relaxes and she rests her head on Quinn's chest, listening to her wife's now gently beating heart and a certain calm washes over her. Closing her eyes, she remembers Quinn on the hospital bed as the words echo once more into the darkness.

"And in the pauses, The spaces between each breath, I will love you a lifetime"