Chapter 36: Exhausted
Santana's POV
I've finally just sat down on the couch to rest and I'm exhausted. This is the first time today I've been able to take a break and I'm so thankful I can now get 5 minutes to breathe. Looking after Aiden isn't any hassle because he's a good kid and we do it every day anyway and the same goes for Ella, looking after her is absolutely fine because she's beginning to get used to things now. However, trying to coincide both routines is becoming a major problem. Ella naps a lot more than Aiden so ideally it would be good to put Aiden down for his nap at some point when Ella is sleeping so they're both down at the same time and it gives Brittany and I time to get organised. The only problem is that Aiden doesn't want to nap when Ella is napping because he wants to hang out with one of us because he knows with Ella sleeping he'll get our undivided attention.
I finally managed to persuade Aiden to take a nap 5 minutes ago and Ella is thankfully still sleeping so I'm taking the opportunity to have 5 minutes to myself. I know it won't last long though because Ella is due feeding soon so she'll likely wake up soon. Brittany was upstairs taking a shower so I'm hoping as soon as she's done - which should be about now, and Ella is fed and changed, I can take 10 minutes to shower while Brittany looks after the kids.
"Hey" Brittany says quietly while walking into the living room.
"Hi" I sigh.
"You look exhausted babe" she points out as she sits down next to me.
"I am" I say while rubbing my eyes. "They're both finally sleeping at the same time so I'm trying to rest while I can" I tell her.
"That's good" she smiles. "I think it's my turn to feed Ella once she's awake so you'll have another 5 minutes to yourself then as well" she says.
"Actually I might just take a quick shower now then" I suggest while sitting forward.
"Ok but can you wait a second before you do that" she replies while gently holding my wrist so I won't move any further.
"Um…sure" I shrug. I'm a little confused about what's happening but anyway.
"This is for you" Brittany smiles brightly while taking her hand away from behind her back and handing me a wrapped gift.
"What's this?" I smile back while examining the gift.
"Open it and find out" she replies so I do just that and begin opening the gift.
"Wow…it's taped really well" I chuckle as I struggle to get the paper off it.
"Sorry I had to do it really tightly so Aiden wouldn't get a hold of it and open it" Brittany laughs.
"That's true I suppose" I laugh. Aiden is at a stage at the moment where he's into everything and wants to know everything. If he sees something he hasn't seen before then he wants to touch it or open it. "Finally" I say with a smile as the get the wrapping paper off.
"Yeah" Brittany smiles back.
"Huh…a square black box" I say voicing my thoughts aloud. "This looks suspiciously like a jewellery box or something which is weird because I know it's not my birthday and I'm pretty sure we got married in the month of June and this is November so I know it's not our anniversary so…"
"Baby just open it please" Brittany says interrupting me and kissing me.
"Wait…that means it really is jewellery" I say excitedly while smiling. I have no idea why I'm getting jewellery but I'm not wasting any more time finding out, I'm just going to look inside this thing.
"What do you think?" Brittany asks with a smile as I open the box. Inside happens to be a diamond necklace and not a fake one. It has real diamonds and everything on it so it must have cost her some amount of money.
"Brittany what on earth is this?" I ask softly. I do appreciate it and it's not like I'm mad or anything but what she's given me is very expensive and she really didn't need to do that.
"It's a present to say thank you for putting up with me these last 10 months" she smiles. "Looking back I've realised just how rude I was to you at times and I feel so bad for that because you didn't deserve it."
"Honey you were pregnant so you're hormones were going to make you do some crazy stuff so I really didn't take anything to heart" I assure her.
"Still, I think you deserve something special for how amazing you were" she smiles. "I took a lot of my frustrations out on you and that wasn't fair. I know if you could you would have swapped places with me in a heartbeat which is one of the reasons I love you so much" she states.
"Thank you for this" I smile while leaning over to hug her.
"I love you so much" she smiles as we pull out of the hug.
"I love you too" I smile back. "Hey, come here" I say while gently placing my hand on her neck and guiding her face closer to me so I can kiss her. However just as we lean in to kiss, we hear Ella start crying through the monitor.
"I better go" she laughs while pulling away reluctantly.
"Yeah I should take that quick shower now before Aiden wakes up too" I say while standing up.
"Ok" Brittany smiles.
XXX
Brittany and I are just getting ready for bed. It's still relatively early but we thought we'd get changed into something more comfortable so we could try and relax in bed together watching a movie or something. I've not got high hopes though to do that because I've got a feeling we're going to fall asleep quite quickly after our exhausting day.
"Are you watching me change right now?" Brittany asks turning to look at me.
"Yes I am" I smile brightly. I'm not even going to try and deny it when I'm being so obvious about it "You look so beautiful and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you so bad right now."
"I look horrible" Brittany blushes.
"Trust me, you don't" I assure her as I walk towards her.
"You would say that because you're just so sweet all the time" she smiles.
"Yes but I'm also not a liar so if I'm saying it it's because you're very sexy" I say as I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her lips.
"Well thank you" she replies as we pull out of the hold.
"So I'm thinking maybe we should watch the movie on a laptop because I don't want the noise or the lights of the TV to disrupt Ella" I say.
"Yeah I agree" Brittany nods.
"Ok cool" I say while firing up my laptop before getting into bed.
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Brittany has just finished nursing Ella and I've just got Aiden sat down to eat his breakfast. Brittany and I are sort of eating ours as we go along while we do other things. I'm just unloading the dishes from the dishwasher and Brittany is holding Ella in her arms while making a list of stuff we need to get from the grocery store.
"Aiden are you eating?" I ask as I notice him staring off into the distance at Brittany and Ella. "Aiden?" I ask again when he doesn't respond.
"Mom is talking to you sweetheart" Brittany tells him so he turns his head towards me.
"Are you eating your breakfast?" I ask and he shakes his head. "You need to eat Aid so you're nice and strong" I tell him.
"Ella" he replies while pointing to his sister.
"You can play with Ella later, eat your breakfast now though" I tell him. He stares at me for a second contemplating the idea before turning his head again and eating some banana. "That's a good boy" I say while sitting down next to him.
"Good" he smiles at me while clapping his hands.
"Yes you are a good boy" I smile back at him. Once he finishes eating, I let him play with his cars at the table for a little bit. "Hey can I get a kiss please?" I ask him and before he can reply Brittany is leaning over and kissing me. "You do that all the time" I say laughing as Brittany pulls away.
"Are you complaining?" she asks smiling.
"Definitely not" I smile back.
"Good" she smiles.
"So what are our plans for today?" I ask looking at her.
"I was thinking we could leave going to the grocery store until tomorrow and do a little bit of shopping today, what do you think?" Brittany asks.
"I'm cool with that" I smile.
"I was wanting to get a few bits and pieces for going back to work soon" she says. "Also starting some Christmas shopping can't hurt either" she tells me.
"That's true" I nod.
"I need to get some new pants for work because all I have left is maternity clothes or ones that don't fit me any more from before I was pregnant" she replies.
"Now you mention clothes, I was actually thinking about getting some new things myself" I say. "Funnily enough I actually put some delicate items on at the wrong setting on the washing machine the other day and shrunk them so I do want to buy another bra or two."
"Now that is the kind of shopping I like" Brittany smirks.
"Remember the kids are coming babe so you can't exactly be there when I try them on" I point out.
"It doesn't mean I can't follow you around the store when you're looking at them and then get you to perform a little fashion show at night when the kids are asleep" she smiles.
"Now that is a good point" I smile back.
"Ok well I'm going to take Ella upstairs to get ready and then I'll get changed too" she replies. "Shall we just leave whenever we're ready?" she asks.
"Sounds good" I smile. "I'll just tidy up a little in here before getting myself organised" I say.
"Ok" Brittany nods. "Aid why don't you come with your sister and me and let mom finish up in here?" she suggests.
"Yesss" Aiden replies excitedly while trying to get out of his chair.
"Just a second sweetheart" I chuckle while helping him out of his seat. "Don't worry they won't leave you, they'll wait" I tell him as I place him down on the ground.
"Let's go then" Brittany smiles at Aiden while holding her hand out to him. The 3 of them then go upstairs while I finish tidying up before joining them.
XXX
"Did you get any red ones?" Brittany asks curiously as I leave the lingerie store and meet her and the kids outside.
"That's top secret right now but I'll be sure to show you later what I bought" I smirk.
"You have to give me something to look forward to" she states. "You know I think you suit red coloured things so can't you at least just say you bought something red?"
"Ok fine, there are a few red pieces in here but that's all I'm saying" I tell her. I want to surprise her later with most of the things I bought so I don't want to give away too much.
"Ok" she smiles.
"So where to now?" I ask.
"Over here, I've gotten some pants for work from the store over there before so I'm hoping they'll still have the ones I like" Brittany replies as we make our way over to the shop. After picking up a few things, the kids and I follow Brittany over to the changing rooms.
"We'll wait at the seats here ok?" I say while sitting down with the stroller right next to me. I think it would look a little weird if we all follow her right into the area so we'll wait just outside the rooms.
"Ok babe" Brittany smiles before taking her clothes and going into one of the cubicles. Its a few minutes later before she comes out and walks over to us. "Does my butt look too big in these?" she asks standing in front of me.
"No they look fine on you Britt" I tell her.
"What about this shirt, does it fit me ok or does it look too tight in one place and baggy in the other?" she asks.
"No the shirt looks great" I reply. "It doesn't exactly go with the pants but they both look good as separate items" I say.
"Yeah I wouldn't really wear them together but I did like the shirt" she states.
"Yeah it is nice" I smile.
"Ok I'm going to try on the next couple of things" she says while making her way back over to her cubicle. "Oh Santana, watch your bag" she says while pointing to the stroller before disappearing. I quickly look at the stroller and realise Aiden has leant over and picked up one of my shopping bags and is rifling through my stuff.
"Aid that's not yours" I tell him with a slight laugh while taking the bag. He's not even two years old yet and has already tried to buy condoms and is now looking through my bras.
"Toy?" he questions. He was obviously bored and was looking for something to play with in the shopping bags.
"Oh I don't know if mommy will let me buy you a toy today" I reply.
"No mommy won't" Brittany says and I almost jump in fright. I didn't even see her walk back over to us.
"He wants something to play with though babe" I say.
"He brought Santana and a couple of toy cars with him. He really doesn't need anything else at the moment" she states. "If this was a random day then I might have gave in but it's only a few weeks to Christmas so we're not spoiling him with toys when it's so close."
"Ok" I nod. That does actually make sense so I suppose we shouldn't be spoiling him just now.
"So anyway, what do you think of this dress?" Brittany asks.
"I think it looks great although I don't know how much work you'd get done in it" I say honestly.
"No this isn't for work" she replies. "So you think it suits me then?"
"I do, I really do" I smile.
"Ok well I've tried everything on now so as soon as I get changed back into my clothes, we can go" Brittany says.
"Ok cool" I smile.
After spending most of the day shopping, we all go to lunch together before heading home. Ella spent most of the afternoon napping so we played with Aiden for a little bit before he went for his nap and then Brittany and I hung out together before we all had dinner together.
Aiden is in bed now and we've just put Ella down in her own room. She still sleeps in our room but we put her down to sleep in her own room from time to time when we're still awake so she gets used to the room and then she'll stay in our room later. We usually move her when she wakes up for a feeding and when we're about to go to sleep.
Brittany is currently in the bathroom and I'm just sitting on the bed going through some work emails on my laptop but I'm finding it really hard to concentrate since I just accidentally walked in on Brittany in the shower.
"Please go away because Brittany isn't able to take care of you tonight" I say aloud while shaking my head.
"Baby, who are you talking to?" Brittany asks walking out of the bathroom.
"Um…no one" I say really embarrassed.
"It sounded like someone" Brittany smiles.
"Ok fine" I sigh. "I was talking to myself because I forgot you were in the shower so I walked in to get my night cream and I saw you naked. You looked so sexy and I might have stayed staring at you for too long because I got a major hard-on" I admit embarrassed. "The only thing is I don't know how to get rid of it now."
"I'll do it" Brittany shrugs and before I can say anything else she is on the bed. She has my boxers at my ankles and she's got her lips wrapped around me.
"Shit…" I moan in pleasure.
"Don't be ashamed about it, just ask next time" she smiles up at me. I know I seem like an idiot getting embarrassed about things like this considering Britt is my wife and everything but I really don't want to do anything to upset her. She had been up and down the whole pregnancy that I don't want to catch her on an off day and make her feel like she has to have sex with me. I don't want to come across pressurising, I want to be supportive.
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It's Brittany's first day back at work today so I got the kids up and took them downstairs so Brittany can just focus on going back to work and doesn't need to worry about getting the kids ready. I'm just making Aiden some breakfast at the moment.
"Morning" Brittany smiles while walking into the kitchen.
"Morning" I smile back.
"Do you need me to do anything before I get changed?" she asks.
"All you really need to do is feed Ella and have something to eat yourself" I tell her.
"Ok well I'll feed Ella just now and then I'll have something to eat" she replies.
"I could make you something to eat if you want because I'm making Aiden breakfast just now anyway" I say.
"Ok" Brittany smiles before beginning to nurse Ella. As soon as she's done and we've all had breakfast, Brittany goes upstairs to get ready and I look after the kids. "How do I look?" she asks looking down at herself as she walks back into the kitchen.
"Beautiful" I smile.
"This shirt doesn't look too tight on me does it?" she asks.
"Not at all" I tell her honestly.
"Ok well I better be going soon then" she says. "So Ella is fed and I've prepared enough bottles for you today. I've left Aiden's rash cream in the downstairs bathroom so I would put some more on him just after lunch and that's about it" she says and I nod.
"Ok" I smile.
"Ok mommy has to go to work now but I love you both" she says while kissing Aiden's head and then Ella's.
"Wish me luck" she says while walking over to me.
"Good luck on your first day back" I smile.
"Love you" she says while kissing my cheek.
"Love you too" I smile.
"See you later" she replies before rushing out the door.
"Just the 3 of us now" I smile to the kids. Aiden claps his hands excitedly and Ella just looks at me like I said something nonsensical. "Do you want to go to the park today or we could go and see gran and Grandpa Lopez?" I ask.
"Grandpa" Aiden replies clapping his hands together again. As soon as we're all ready, we head to my parents' house. Once we get there, Aiden runs straight for my dad while I go to the kitchen with Ella and my mom.
"So how are my grandchildren?" my mom asks while taking Ella from my arms as I make us some coffee.
"They're noisy and your grandson is very energetic" I laugh.
"A little bit like his mom then" my mom laughs.
"No there is no way I had this much energy at Aiden's age" I shake my head.
"I can guarantee you did Santana. You had me exhausted all the time and then when you're siblings came along you got even more energy. I secretly think it was a way to get my attention because you were the only child until you were 2 and a half years old" my mom replies.
"What kind of things did I do?" I ask interested.
"You used to run around the house all the time looking in drawers and closets to see what you could find. You would look through my purse and then start drawing on the walls with my lipstick. Don't even get my started on bath time" my mom laughs while shaking her head.
"What did I do at bath time?" I ask.
"It took us about half an hour to finally get you in the bath because all you wanted to do was run around the house naked. One time you made it outside and your dad had to chase you down the street" my mom says.
"No you're making up that last part" I state. There is no way I would run down the street at 2 years old while naked.
"I'm really not sweetheart" my mom shakes her head. "Do you not remember we took away your favourite teddy bear for a week and you had to have the other one with you in bed at night?"
"Wait that's why I had that ugly ass panda?" I say just remembering.
"Yeah because we had to do something to make you stop. What kind of parents would we be letting our little girl run around outside naked?" my mom shrugs.
"Yeah I don't blame you" I say shaking my head at the thought. If I thought Aiden was bad then he clearly isn't compared to me. What on earth would possess me to run outside naked?
"So anyway, the kids are keeping you on your toes then?" my mom says.
"They are but I think I secretly like it. It's hard with 2 little ones but honestly I can't picture myself at work right now. What I'm doing feels right and like what I'm supposed to do" I say honestly.
"So it's Brittany's first day back at work, was she nervous?" my mom asks.
"No I think she was really looking forward to it actually" I say. "Did you find it hard to go back to work after each child?" I ask.
"I mean I missed you all but I felt better when I went back to work because it allowed me to feel like me but still have a family. Everyone is different really but it doesn't mean you're any less of a parent when you go back to work" my mom states.
"Yeah I mean Britt was feeling slightly bad last night but the situation we've got seems to be working and the kids don't mind either" I say. I know this is just Brittany's first day back but we've had days recently where I've stayed home while Brittany has had to do other things and honestly it works for us so I like it.
"It's not like she works miles away either so she'll see the kids before work and she's home by 5pm every night and there are weekends too" my mom says.
"Yeah I know and everything seems good just now but I just hope it doesn't backfire on us. I just worry sometimes that Brittany is doing too well if that makes sense" I say honestly. There has been no issues whatsoever since Ella was born which is a major contrast to after Aiden so I just hope it really is that good and Brittany isn't bottling anything up.
"Santana don't stress out over something that isn't there. Just be happy that we're all happy for once. I honestly can't see an issue with Brittany because you know all the signs now so I generally think everything is ok now" my mom assures me.
"Yeah you're right, I'm just letting my own demons get in the way of things" I say shaking my head trying to get rid of the thought. I have a terrible habit of fearing the worse when I don't need to think like that. All I ever wanted to be was happy and I am happy so I should be satisfied with that.
"Oh I think Ella needs another feeding now" my mom points out as Ella begins wakening up.
"Can you just keep a hold of her until I warm up her bottle" I ask my mom.
"Of course" my mom smiles.
"Actually why don't you give Ella her bottle" I suggest. Since Brittany is still breastfeeding then it's only ever been Brittany or I whenever Brittany prepares some bottles that can feed Ella so it might be nice for my mom to feed her granddaughter for the first time.
"Ok" my mom says excitedly. As soon as the bottle is ready, my mom begins feeding Ella.
"Oh-oh, I hear a little monster coming" I smile as Aiden bounds into the room and jumps up on my lap. "What were you doing with Grandpa?" I ask him.
"Play" Aiden sighs while wrapping his arms around my neck and leaning his head against me.
"Someone is tired" I point out.
"No" Aiden states but his eyes are almost closing.
"As soon as your sister has finished her bottle, we're going for a nap" I tell him.
"Why don't you put him down for a nap here and then you can all have lunch with us later" my dad suggests.
"I don't want to annoy you both when you've got a day off together" I say.
"Your dad is right, you should stay and have lunch with us" my mom says. "Just because Brittany is back at work doesn't mean you need to start today with being home alone with the kids. Stay here for a while and ease into things."
"You don't mind?" I ask.
"Of course we don't, the best thing about having kids is getting grandchildren so we want to spend as much time as possible with our grandchildren" my dad states.
"I kinda like to think you did enjoy me though" I state.
"You were ok, not a phenomenal child but ok" my dad shrugs. I know he's only teasing me though.
XXX
After spending most of the day with my parents, the kids and I head home in time for Brittany getting back. I decided to make a start on dinner so that Brittany can just relax when she gets home.
"Aiden what are you doing sweetheart?" I ask as I notice him leaning over the bassinet that Ella is lying in. I do trust my son but he is a one year old and is very interested in things.
"Ella" he says while laughing. As I walk over to them I notice he has a gentle hold of her hand and she's smiling up at him.
"Hi, I'm home" we hear Brittany shout from the hall. Aiden takes off without a second thought.
"I guess we're not as popular as mommy tonight" I smile down at Ella before picking her up. I then make my way through to the hall where I see Aiden in Brittany's arms hugging her tightly.
"Hey" I smile as I walk closer to Brittany.
"Hi baby" Brittany smiles back while leaning towards me. Before our lips can even graze, Aiden pops his head between us.
"I'll kiss you later" Brittany laughs.
"I'll hold you to it" I smile. "So how was work?" I ask interested.
"Amazing Santana, honestly it was like just yesterday I was last there" she smiles.
"That's good" I say happy that she's happy.
"Don't get me wrong though, I wanted to be here with the 3 of you because that's just the best feeling ever" she says. "Generally though it was good to get back to some kind of normalcy after that tough pregnancy."
Brittany's POV
I've been back at work for a couple of days now and it's like I never even left. I've slipped right back into place perfectly and everything seems to be how it was before I went on maternity leave. The only difference between now and the last time I was here is that I can do a lot more hands on things now since I'm no longer pregnant so there aren't any restrictions on the kind of therapies I am working on. Before I could only take the more simplistic cases but now I'm right back to treating all patients with varying abilities.
I'm just about to meet a woman called Hannah who recently had surgery on her back. This will be her 5th physiotherapy session but it'll be the 1st one with me. Even though it was considered a major surgery, there wasn't any paralysis involved and it wasn't as severe as some back surgeries could be.
"Hi Hannah, I'm Brittany" I smile while shaking the woman's hand when she walks into the room.
"Nice to meet you" Hannah smiles.
"Why don't we sit down for a minute and then we'll get started once we've talked for a little bit" I suggest.
"Ok" Hannah smiles and then we sit down at my desk.
"So it seems that you're progressing very well and you've just had an appointment with your doctor who thinks you're recovering well too" I say.
"That's right" Hannah nods.
"Today we're just tackling your movement and I'm going to show you some ways to strengthen the muscles a little bit" I say. "Ok so if you just want to move over there where there is a bit more space for us" I say while walking over to the other end of the room.
"Ok" Hannah nods while following me over. We then get started on the physiotherapy. "So I've not seen you around before, are you new here?" she asks.
"No I've been working here for about a year and 4 months now" I smile.
"I just haven't seen you before and this is my 5th week of physiotherapy" she states.
"Well I am just back this week from having a baby so that's maybe why" I point out.
"I see, well congratulations" Hannah smiles.
"Thank you" I smile back.
"So how old is your baby?" she asks
"She'll be 7 weeks old this weekend" I say smiling just thinking about Ella.
"Wow you must be a supermom then" Hannah smiles. "I was certainly not back at work after 7 weeks with my 3 kids and I didn't look like that either. Did you starve yourself the whole 9 months" she jokes.
"Uh…" I really don't know what to say. The woman obviously doesn't know my history so she's just joking but it is a little bit of a sore point for me.
"You look young so you've probably just got a good metabolism or something" she smiles. "I mean what are you, about early twenties or something?"
"Yeah I'm 23" I smile back.
"So are you coping ok with a new-born?" she asks.
"As well as I can" I chuckle. "It's not easy but we're getting there and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way."
"It must be a bit different for you though with a new baby" she says.
"I mean it is but I love being a mom anyway so it's good" I nod.
"It's a weird feeling but a good one though being a mom for the first time, isn't it?" Hannah asks.
"This isn't my first child, I also have a son" I point out.
"Oh" Hannah says slightly shocked. "Sorry I just assumed it was your first because you're young but you have another child."
"Yeah he turns two in January" I smile. I've been getting that a lot lately but I don't take any offence to it. I mean it is a lot to handle having two kids when I'm still 23 but at the same time a lot of people have a few kids when they're still in their early twenties. Ideally this wasn't my plan because I didn't know where my life would be at but now I really wouldn't want it to change. I love being married to Santana and I love our children.
"So you're only 23 and you have two kids and still managed to get a decent career" she points out.
"I mean it wasn't easy and I don't think I could have done it without anyone else but my wife. She's been so amazing through everything and she even wanted to stay at home with the kids while I went back to work" I reply.
"She's definitely a keeper then" Hannah smiles.
"She definitely is" I smile just thinking of how amazing Santana is.
"I had to quit college because I got pregnant and then I had to wait a few years before I could finish my degree because I had no one to look after the kids because my husband was working fulltime" she tells me.
"I'm thankful I didn't have to but the pressure I put myself under in my last year when I was pregnant was ridiculous. I ended up with an eating disorder and everything" I state. I know I probably shouldn't divulge this much to a patient because it's probably not deemed professional but it's nice to actually hear how other mothers got through things.
"Oh wow…I'm really sorry for my joke earlier" Hannah says apologetically.
"Don't be silly, it's fine" I wave it off. "I'm all good now and I feel so much better this time around after the pregnancy" I say honestly.
"So is your wife a fulltime mom then?" she asks.
"No she's a lawyer but she's taking a little longer time off than me to stay home with the kids" I reply. "She's still doing cases here and there if they're doable to work from home but when Ella is a little older then she'll go to childcare with her brother and my wife can go back to work."
"Oh I see" Hannah nods.
"We're just fortunate to know someone who works in childcare so they'll go to her. My nephew actually goes too so it's nice they can all have each other as well" I smile.
"That's good" she smiles. "Anyway I'll let you get back to work because you'll be thinking I'm a nosy woman asking you all these questions."
"Don't be silly I like getting to talk to my patients" I smile back. "So how old are your kids?" I ask.
"They're all boys and they're 21, 22 and 24 years old" she replies.
XXX
I've just arrived outside the house and parked up. It's been really good getting back into work recently but there's no denying just how much I've missed Santana and the kids. There isn't a better feeling than arriving home to them and getting to spend some time with them.
When I walk into the house, the whole place is silent. As I quietly walk into the living room, I notice Ella fast asleep in her bassinet and Aiden is lightly snoring on the couch curled up next to Santana who is also sleeping. He has his head rested on her stomach and his arm lightly around her as she also has her arm over him. I quietly kneel down at the side of the couch and lean forward to Santana's ear where I make a buzzing noise.
"Shit" Santana mutters while jolting upright causing Aiden to startle awake. I really can't help but laugh at her reaction.
"M-mom…?" Aiden asks confused.
"Mom just got a fright, don't worry" Santana says while kissing Aiden's head to reassure him before looking at me.
"Hi baby" I smirk.
"Was that you?" she asks and I just make another buzzing noise in response. "That's not funny, I literally thought there was a bee or something at me" she frowns.
"You're so cute" I smile and lean in to kiss her.
"I would say the same about you but that wasn't cute, that was mean Britt" she pouts. "You know how much I hate bees."
"I'm sorry" I smile before leaning in to kiss her.
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"You're in a very chipper mood this afternoon" Martin points out as we sit and go over a case together. "Glad it's finally Friday and you've got the weekend off?" he asks.
"Yeah I mean there is that but there's also something else I'm looking forward to" I grin. I seriously cannot keep this smile off my face. "My parents are having both kids tonight and keeping them until tomorrow so it's going to be just Santana and me alone."
"Some quality time together then?" he replies.
"Yeah and not only that but I had my check up with my doctor the other day and she's given me the all clear so I can finally have sex with my wife again" I state. "Tonight is the perfect opportunity to have some couples time together so I'm going to make sure we do."
"That's a little more than I needed to know" Martin laughs nervously.
"Sorry, I'm just so excited" I apologise.
"It's fine" he smiles.
"So are you leaving early today?" he asks.
"No but I've got some help in keeping Santana away from the house so I can make things romantic" I reply. I've managed to get Santana's sister to keep her occupied until I've made dinner and everything. They're taking the kids out for the day and then Santana will drop Aiden and Ella off at my parents' house and then come home. Ideally she won't arrive home until I'm all prepared but there's only so much stalling Eva can do especially when they're hanging out with 3 kinds under the age of 2 so I'm just crossing my fingers it'll work out.
"I see" Martin nods in understanding.
"So what about you? What are your plans for tonight?" I ask.
"Not much really. I think we're just ordering takeout and watching a movie" he replies.
"You should go out and have some fun. I mean not that staying in isn't fun because I love having Santana all to myself in bed all day if I can but sometimes it's nice to get dressed up and go to a bar or two" I say.
"Well we prefer the quieter nights at the moment" he says. "This is between you and me ok, but Ashley is pregnant" he smiles.
"Congratulations" I say while hugging him.
"We're not as overjoyed as we could be since what happened last time but as soon as we get the first scan done then we can relax a little more and enjoy the pregnancy" Martin says.
"I wish you and Ashley all the best anyway" I smile.
"Thank you" he smiles back.
XXX
As soon as I got home, I made a few preparations for dinner before heading upstairs to take a shower. I'm going all out tonight making sure every inch of me is super clean and moisturised. I mean don't get me wrong, it's not like I go around without showering or something, I just mean I am taking extra care and attention tonight to make sure we have the most perfect evening together. I've finally got rid of the pregnancy weight and I'm satisfied with how my body looks so I want to just go the extra mile to make sure Santana likes it too.
Once I'm finished in the shower, I do my hair and makeup and then get changed into one of my favourite dresses. I light a few candles in the bedroom and throw some rose petals across the floor to make the room look romantic for later. As soon as I'm satisfied with how I look and how romantic the room looks, I make my way downstairs to take care of dinner. I'm just cooking the vegetables when I hear a key in the door so I know it must be Santana getting home.
"Britt, you've put the chain on in the door so I can't get in babe" I hear her say through the tiny area of where the door is open. The reason I put the chain on is because I didn't want her to enter the house without me knowing and spoil my surprise.
"Ok I'm coming" I say while wiping my hands on a towel and then making my way through to the door.
"I wish I was but I'm not fully there yet" she smirks as I open the door.
"Obviously I wasn't coming like that but whatever" I smile at her as she walks inside.
"Wow Britt, you look…beautiful" she says while taking in my appearance for the first time tonight.
"Thanks" I say blushing slightly. I've suddenly just gone all nervous for a second. "So um…dinner is not quite ready yet but why don't you come to the kitchen with me and keep me company until I'm done" I suggest.
"Sounds good but let me just quickly use the bathroom first" she smiles and I nod. "I won't be a second" she says while going to the bathroom and I go back to the kitchen. As soon as she is finished, she joins me in the kitchen.
"Hey" I smile at her as she walks over to me.
"I just noticed the dining room table all set up, do I sense a little romantic night for the two of us?" she asks.
"That's correct" I smile.
"You could have told me babe and I would have helped with the preparations because you must be exhausted from work today" she replies.
"I wanted it to be a surprise and I wanted to treat you tonight" I tell her.
"Well dinner smells good so I'm looking forward to it" she says before kissing my cheek. "Now that I know, can I do anything to help?" she asks.
"Not really, I'm just about to plate up the food in a minute" I say.
"Ok well at least let me get us something to drink with dinner" she says while walking over to the fridge. "I think we have some sparkling flavoured water somewhere we could have and pretend it's sparkling champagne" she smiles.
"Feel free to have some alcohol babe, you don't need to have what I'm having just because I can't drink at the moment" I tell her honestly.
"No sparking water is good for me" she smiles while grabbing some glasses for us. As soon as the food is finished, I plate it up and take it to the dining room while Santana takes our drinks through. We then sit down together and begin eating.
"I love the necklace by the way" I smirk as I notice the necklace she's wearing.
"Thank you" she smiles. "It was a present from my wife."
"She has good taste" I smirk again.
"She really does hence the reason she picked to be with me" she jokes.
"I love you" I say softly while taking her hand and giving her a gentle smile.
"I love you too babe" she smiles while squeezing my hand.
"This is nice isn't it?" I say looking at Santana as we eat.
"Yeah it is but…I don't know…" she says hesitantly.
"You miss the kids so you're finding it weird?" I ask.
"I mean I do generally miss them but that's not what I was going to say" she replies.
"Ok so what?" I ask.
"I kinda feel like one night isn't enough. We live together but I feel like I've missed you more than I ever have recently. We've been so busy with the kids or work that I haven't really had you all to myself in a while" she admits.
"I must say I do feel the same" I nod in agreement. Obviously I love my children dearly but I'm still human and I do need time with my wife.
"I'm sure we'll figure ways out eventually about how to get more time together. We just need to get into a good stable routine first with the kids" she points out.
"Yeah, exactly" I smile.
"So how was your day today?" Santana asks.
"It was good but I was quite unsettled because I was too excited about tonight" I admit.
"I didn't know we were having a romantic night tonight but I was excited in general to just spend some quality time together so I know what you mean" she smiles.
"Did you have fun day though with your sister and the kids?" I ask.
"Yeah we did and I actually think my mom was right the other day. Aiden really is a lot like me as a child" she says. ""When I was visiting her she was telling me what I used to be like as a kid and she said I used to be as wild as Aiden."
"Oh really" I smile. "Do elaborate."
"One time before I took a bath, I was getting undressed and then ran outside naked. Apparently my dad had to chase me down the street because I just wouldn't come back inside" she laughs.
"Oh my god, I wish I could have seen that" I say laughing too. Just thinking about it seems so cute. "I assume there is no way to recreate the scene?" I smirk.
"I'm sorry but no" Santana smiles. "I know I say I would do anything for you and I really would but somehow I don't think you're too serious about this" she says hopefully.
"Yeah don't worry" I smile. "I still want to see you naked in general though" I smirk.
"Somehow I think you might just do that really soon" she smirks back.
"Is that a promise?" I ask.
"Yes it definitely is" she says leaning over to kiss me. "First though, I really want to finish this food because it is just amazing babe, honestly."
"Not to toot my own horn but I am enjoying the food myself" I say honestly. "I think this is only the second or maybe third time I've made this dish so it was a bit of a risk because I didn't know if I'd pull it off but it is kinda good."
XXX
Once we finished dinner, I cleared up and then we sat down together and just talked for a little bit. I wanted us to let our food digest first before we did anything else because it was quite a filling meal we ate.
"Do you want to go upstairs?" I ask while turning to look at Santana.
"Yeah" she smiles while placing her glass on the table. I hold out my hand which she gladly accepts and then we make our way upstairs. "Wow, it's romantic in here" she smiles while walking into the room.
"I'm just so glad the place never caught on fire with the amount of time the candles were left unattended" I laugh. "These candles have been lit for a while and I have been downstairs most of the night."
"Well luckily the room is ok" Santana smiles while wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Yeah" I smile while placing my hands on her hips. "It's so weird but I feel like we can't even do this anymore and just stare into each other's eyes for a moment."
"I know but we should focus on how we can right now and enjoy the moment" she smiles before closing the gap between us and then kisses me. We start off kissing really slow before picking up the pace a little as we move closer to the bed. I gently remove her shirt before she unzips my dress at the top and takes it off me.
"This is about you tonight" I tell her while letting her crawl onto the bed before I lie down, hovering above her.
"Ok" she smiles. We kiss for a moment before I pull back to remove her skirt to leave us in just our underwear.
"Someone is looking very sexy tonight" I smile as I notice not one single hair on her body. We certainly don't get complacent in our marriage but there's something nice about how much effort we've both put in tonight to make sure we're looking 100% fantastic. I always make sure I look good as does Santana but tonight we've both went the extra mile.
"I didn't want to be presumptuous but I figured with the good feedback from the doctor and the fact your parents were taking the kids then I thought we might do something special tonight" she says as she wraps one leg around me and pulls me closer.
"Well you thought right" I smile as I feel her smooth, perfectly moisturised skin against mine. I start off just slowly kissing her before picking up the pace slightly. I begin kissing down her neck and across her collarbone before making my way down her body slowly.
After a few minutes I realise Santana has been quiet for some time now which is weird because we've got the house to ourselves so we can be as loud as we want. After moving back up her body and placing one last kiss to her collarbone, I look up at her and realise she is fast asleep. I can't help chuckling slightly at this. Yes I wanted us to have a special night but I'm really not mad right now. I know she has been super exhausted lately looking after the kids so I'm just going to let her sleep and maybe we can spend some of the morning together tomorrow before the kids come home.
I press a gentle kiss to her forehead before quietly getting out of bed and blowing out the candles. I quickly check downstairs to make sure everything is ok before returning to bed and snuggling close into Santana.
"Goodnight" I whisper while kissing her and wrapping my arms around her. She doesn't verbally respond but moves slightly and holds onto me tightly.