Author's Note: I'm so glad you guys liked the proposal in the last chapter. I tried to get it just right for y'all so it would be unique yet romantic. I love when I see you guys quote lines back to me or to each other. That's awesome! Thanks to each of you for making this a great experience.
Her Smile Heals Me (part 26)
Santana opened her dark brown eyes to see sunlight cascading into her bedroom, but her eyes quickly shut again. She yawned as her eyelids fluttered back and forth on the thin edge between waking up and falling back to sleep. When she finally pushed them all the way opened, she saw a very naked blonde stretched across the bed, lying on her stomach with the sheet tangled around only one of her long legs and with the other leg very much exposed.
Santana's upper lip curled into a lazy smile as her gaze scanned the length of Brittany's torso. The brunette enjoyed the definition of muscles in Brittany's toned back and the smooth flesh of her shapely backside, covered by the sheet just at the point where her butt cheek curved to meet her thigh.
Remembering the activities of the previous night sent a surge of electricity straight to Santana's core followed quickly by an overwhelming feeling of peace as she remembered that she would get to spend the rest of her life with Brittany.
The Latina shifted over by her and began a trail of kisses from the back of Brittany's neck where her long blonde hair had fallen away then down her spine and over her lower back.
Brittany slowly stirred under Santana's soft touch, snorting slightly as consciousness reclaimed her.
"Good morning," Santana said sweetly as Brittany lifted her head off the pillow and stretched a bit. She continued to kiss down Brittany's lower back, wrapping her arm around her hips and laying her head on her exposed cheeks.
"Good morning," Brittany responded, looking behind her at Santana who was lovingly draped across her lower half.
Brittany lowered her head again on her pillow, nearly fading back into sleep except that she could feel Santana delicately caressing her skin, and as she dozed, Brittany could almost swear she heard Santana softly humming.
The blonde lay there for several minutes, enjoying the physical connection, until she finally felt enough awake that she turned again to look at Santana, asking her, "Are you going to come up here and kiss me or not?"
"Absolutely," Santana confirmed with a broad smile, moving up her body and settling into her arms.
Brittany kissed Santana then said, "You smell like you showed me a good time last night."
Santana laughed then asked her in an unintended sexy voice, "Did I?"
"Definitely," Brittany smiled, kissing her hard.
"I could stay like this with you forever," Santana said, feeling Brittany's breasts pressing into hers as the blonde leaned on top of her.
Brittany ran her hand down the length of Santana's side, ending up under her leg and pulling it into her hip as they deepened their kiss. Brittany could feel warmth and wetness from between Santana's legs against her upper thigh, triggering heat deep inside Brittany.
Brittany rubbed her hand along the back of Santana's thigh and leaned further against her, pressing her pelvis into Santana's folds.
There was a firm knock at the door followed by Rachel's voice, calling, "Santana?"
"Did you hear anything?" Santana said, sounding frustrated and wrapping her arms further around Brittany's shoulders.
"Not a thing," Brittany answered breathlessly, kissing Santana harder.
There was another knock, "Santana…you need to open up please."
The Latina sighed heavily. "Oh, alright," she grumbled, sliding out from under Brittany and picking up her comforter from the floor to wrap around her body.
There was another insistent knock before Santana reached the door. She unlocked it, opening it a crack and leaning to look out, "Yes?"
"Do you not have your phone?" Rachel asked, annoyed.
"Not on me, no," she responded with a smirk, tightening the fabric around her and wondering where she last saw her cell.
"Finn's waiting down in the driveway for you…," the shorter brunette notified her.
"Oh shit…work," Santana remembered suddenly.
"Just go on without her…," Rachel said into the phone, noticing Santana's lack of clothes and her disheveled hair, adding, "…she's not quite ready."
Santana abandoned the doorway to her room, no longer caring that Rachel was intruding on their morning endeavors. Turning to try to find her phone, she said to her bed partner, "Britt…have you seen my phone?"
"I tried calling you too," Rachel stepped a little further into the room and said to Brittany, who pulled the sheet around her body and sat up.
"They're probably both still in our clothes from last night," the blonde suggested with a slight blush to her fair skin.
"Burt's going to be so pissed," Santana mumbled as she dug around on the floor, finding her skirt and pulling her phone from its front pocket.
"Don't worry, Finn said he'd cover for you until you get there," Rachel assured her.
"That's really nice of him," Santana said, scanning through her texts that had collected since last night.
"Once you get a shower…and you clearly need one," Rachel raised her eyebrows in jovial judgment, "I'll be happy to drive you over there."
Santana smiled at the thought of a shower with Brittany, "Mmm…a shower?"
Brittany smiled too.
"Santana!" Rachel could see where this was leading, "Hurry, please."
"Yeah, yeah," Santana pushed the petite brunette out into the hallway, careful not to lose her grip on the comforter wrapped around her, "See you in a few, Rach."
She shut the door again and locked it then walked back over to the bed, dropping the comforter to the floor as she climbed back on the bed and into Brittany's arms, saying, "Now…where were we?"
Santana jumped out of the back seat of Rachel's SUV later that morning, waving quickly to Brittany in the passenger seat, as she ran into Burt's shop. As she walked around a car that was in the front work stall, she saw Chuck and Finn nearby, putting a new set of tires on a silver pick-up truck.
Burt stepped from inside the small office and said loudly, "There she is."
Santana stopped in her tracks, fearful that her morning was about to get further off track. Burt smiled broadly and started a hearty round of applause that Chuck and Finn stopped what they were doing to join.
"I've been told congratulations are in order," he said to her, walking over toward her.
"For…?" Santana looked confused.
"Your engagement," Burt said excitedly, giving her a hug, "That's wonderful!"
Santana's look changed from dread to a relieved smile and a slight blush of her tanned cheeks as she hugged Burt in return. "Thank you, Burt…I appreciate the support."
"Come out here…I want to show you something," he pulled her by the elbow until they were out in the fenced parking lot behind the shop. He stopped and pointed at an older, charcoal gray Honda Civic that had a very flat tire on the back passenger side.
"It's a flat tire," Santana observed aloud.
"Very good…roll up your sleeves cause you're about to learn how to change it," he told her in his no-nonsense manner.
Santana swallowed hard. She did tell him she wanted to learn things while working at the shop, and clearly, he was taking her at her word.
"Come back here," he motioned her to the trunk of the car, "Undo this section which covers the spare."
Santana followed his instructions, twisting the floor lock until it opened and she could lift it off, leaning it against the back of the car.
"Now, lift out the spare," Burt told her.
Santana reached in and pulled on the full-sized spare tire, working it out of the back and landing it with a thud on the ground.
"Good job, roll it over here," he encouraged her.
She wiped at a wayward lock of long hair, the rest already pulled up into a big ponytail.
"Ok, take this jack and slide it up under here," he showed her then stepped back for her to do it.
"Burt…," Santana started with self-doubt, "I can't jack up this car."
"Nah, I don't want to hear that…can't never could, kid," he stopped her objection, "You never know when you might be out on the road somewhere and blow a tire…I want the two of you to be safe and to know how to handle the situation."
Santana beamed from his paternal concern showing toward her. She craved that type of connection so much lately, and even though she got nothing back from her biological father, she was cognizant of how fortunate she was to have the Berrys and Burt in her life to fill the void.
"Now go on…slide that part up under there," he continued, kneeling down to demonstrate, "then pump this part, and you'll feel the car lifting up."
She pushed up the sleeves of her oversized coveralls and followed his instructions, putting all the strength she had in her thin arm into jacking up the car.
"So what's your plan on this marriage idea?" Burt asked her bluntly.
"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion, pausing a moment to rest and wipe the sweat from her brow.
"Well, not to take away from the romance of it all…but you and Brittany are using your heads about this?" he clarified, "Waiting until you two move to New York, right?"
"Yeah, of course…," Santana confirmed with a frown, looking up at him as if it never crossed her mind as to timing, "…it's not like we can get married in Ohio."
"Just enjoy being young right now…there's always time for grown up things later on," Burt reminded her, guiding her to remove the hubcap to take off the flat tire from the car.
"Do you not think Britt and I can make it together?" Santana needed some sort of confirmation from someone she respected.
"No, I'm not saying that…I mean, if any set of high school sweethearts can stick things out, I'd put my money on you two. I'm just saying, don't rush this part of your lives. Things aren't always the same once you're out in the real world…marriage changes everything. There are pressures you can't begin to fathom as a teenager," he advised her cautiously, "Just take your time…you two will know when the timing is right…ok?"
"Ok, Burt," Santana agreed, "Thank you."
"No problem…you have any concerns about anything…you come talk to me," he assured her.
She smiled at him as he guided her with putting the spare on and lowering the car back to the ground.
"Look there…you changed your first flat tire on your own car," he said proudly, "How does that feel?"
"It feels exhausting…but great," she joked, adding with a furrowed brow, "Wait…on my car?"
"Yes, ma'am…keys are in it," he winked at her, "I'll get you hooked up with a new spare."
"But Burt…I can't afford this car," she informed him.
"You're right, you can't…that's why I'm giving it to you," he said as he wiped his hands on a red cloth, "I talked to your dads yesterday…they'll set you up with insurance and you can use what you make here to pay for that."
"Burt…I don't know what to say," Santana was at a loss.
"Just say 'thank you'…and leave it at that."
"But Kurt…," Santana started, trying to wrap her head around this huge gesture.
"…didn't want it," Burt cut her off, "I offered it to him several months ago, and he turned it down…something about the gray clashing with his skin tone. It's just been sitting here in the lot ever since. I need the space, and you need transportation…so there ya go…perfect solution."
Santana felt tears forming in her eyes. She hugged him tightly and said simply, "Thank you."
Brittany stood in the kitchen of the Pierce home Tuesday evening, washing dishes at the sink. As she rinsed a dinner plate, she internally admired the silver ring that was on the fourth finger of her left hand. She put the plate in the dishwasher then turned off the faucet.
As she wiped her hands on a cloth towel, she heard her little sister say, "Pretty ring, B! That one's new."
Brittany instantly stuck her left hand in the side pocket of her cotton shorts, giving a side-glance to her mother who stood at the center island, putting the leftovers from dinner into a storage container.
Mrs. Pierce walked behind her daughters to set the dirty serving dish in the sink. She turned and asked with interest, "Oh, did you get a new ring? Let's see it."
Brittany's breath caught in her chest, not prepared for this conversation with either of her parents. Thanks a lot, Em…Brittany mentally grumbled, glaring down at the curious child.
Her mother was perceptive enough to notice Brittany continued to awkwardly stand with her hand in her pocket, concealing something. Intrigued, she pulled on the teen's arm until her hand was in full sight.
"What a unique design," she admired, "Did you get this recently."
Brittany hesitated before answering, "Yesterday."
Mrs. Pierce also noticed the placement of the ring, knowing Brittany always wore her other silver ring on the middle finger of her right hand.
"Oh?" her mother turned to rinse the serving dish to add it to the dishwasher, "Well, it's very pretty."
"Thanks," Brittany responded cautiously, adding dishwasher liquid to the small hole inside the door of the dishwasher.
"Emily, darling…why don't you head upstairs. It's bath time," her mother instructed.
"Can I play with my mermaid doll tonight?" the little blonde asked.
"Yes, go ask your dad to run you some water," Mrs. Pierce told her.
"Bubbles too?" the seven-year-old giggled, knowing she was probably pushing her luck.
"Bubbles too…now go!" her mother playfully swatted her on the backside with the cloth towel.
Brittany finished getting the dishwasher going and turned to make a hasty exit from the kitchen before she was left alone with her mother.
"Not so fast," Mrs. Pierce stated sternly.
Brittany stopped in her tracks, her back still turned to her mother.
"So, let me see your ring again."
Brittany turned around to face her mother, holding out her left hand.
"The design really is beautiful, Britt...," Mrs. Pierce held her daughter outstretched hand, inspecting it closely, "The intertwined hearts is an interesting choice for you."
"Thank you…I loved it the moment I saw it," Brittany smiled, hoping this conversation would end soon.
"Interesting placement too," her mother noted, inspecting Brittany's face for a reaction, "On your ring finger there."
Brittany could feel her face blush but was powerless to stop it.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" the older woman asked directly.
Brittany swallowed hard, "Well…what do you want to know?"
Her mother raised her eyebrows, "Brittany Susan Pierce…you know what I'm asking. Is that an engagement ring?"
"Yes," she answered truthfully, blushing a deeper shade of red, "Are you angry?"
"You're seventeen years old, and you live in Lima, Ohio." Mrs. Pierce reminded her.
"We won't live here forever, Mom," the teen assured her, "Santana and I are moving to New York after graduation. We're allowed to get married there."
Mrs. Pierce nodded silently.
"You're angry," Brittany said sadly.
"No…I just worry."
"Santana's my whole heart, Mom…I could never love someone else more than I love her."
"I know," Mrs. Pierce smiled genuinely, "You two really do seem like a perfect match."
Brittany put her arms around her mother, "Then just be happy for me…please?"
"I am happy for you, baby…all I've ever wanted was for you to fall in love and to be loved in return…and if that is what you've found with Santana then I will fight for your right to experience that."
"Thank you, Mom…I love you so much."
"I love you too, sweetheart…," Mrs. Pierce stated as she tightened her embrace around her oldest child then added jovially, "…but you're the one who is telling your dad."
Santana leaned forward to change the radio station in the Civic that Burt gave her, pulling her hand back to take Brittany's hand.
"It's awesome that you have a car again," Brittany said, pulling Santana's hand to her face and kissing it.
"I couldn't believe it when Burt said he was giving it to me," Santana grinned broadly, "It's the coolest thing ever."
Santana was so excited to be able to drive over to Brittany's house to pick her up Wednesday evening. She didn't care that this car was not as new or as flashy as her Mustang. She had come to rely on everyone around her for transportation to get anywhere so now having a car of her own again gave her a new sense of freedom.
"You've worked so hard to get your life back on track, honey…We're all so proud of you," Brittany commented.
"Thanks, love," Santana was starting to feel proud of herself too.
"So where exactly are we going?" Brittany only knew that Santana texted her earlier in the evening and told her to be ready at seven-thirty, "You're being so secretive."
"I don't know either…Quinn sent me an address and told me to bring you there at eight o'clock tonight," Santana explained.
The girls continued to drive as they followed the mapping system on their phone which was taking them to the eastern edge of town.
"Slow down…I think this is it on the right up here," Brittany instructed, looking at the dot on the street map on her phone's screen.
Santana slowed the Civic to turn into a parking lot that was already mostly full.
"There's a space there," Brittany pointed out.
Santana stopped briefly for a group of young people to cross the driveway in front of her car then she pulled into the empty space and they got out, locking the doors behind them.
Brittany circled around the back of the car to take Santana by the hand as they walked up to the front door, seeing there was a line forming along the side of the building.
"What is this place?" Brittany asked loudly over the thump of music filtering out from inside as the girls took their place in line.
"I have no idea, but Quinn said to text her when we arrived," Santana stated, typing a message to the former head cheerleader.
Brittany linked her arm with Santana's, cuddling close to shield her body from the night wind, wishing she'd brought a light jacket to wear over her sleeveless top.
"Cold?" Santana asked, rubbing her hand up and down Brittany's exposed arm to generate some heat for her.
Santana didn't have on much more clothing than Brittany, wearing a short black skirt and a tight-fitting purple shirt.
It wasn't but a minute or two longer before they heard a familiar voice call out their names. They looked toward the front of the building to see Quinn walking in their direction.
"Hey!" the beautiful blonde greeted them each with a tight hug, "You two look gorgeous…come with me, we're inside."
"Who's we?" Santana asked, allowing herself to be pulled into the interior of the building by Quinn.
"You'll see," Quinn said sheepishly over her shoulder.
The shorter blonde weaved a path for the three of them through the teens and young adults who were congregated in and around the tables and booths that were set in the center of the floor. As they moved through the crowd, Santana looked up and around the inside of the building, holding tightly to Brittany's hand so they didn't get separated.
The Latina could tell the building was an old warehouse that had been converted into some sort of music venue. There were multi-levels of dance floors above them, and there was quite a crowd of young people gathered there for a Wednesday night.
"Here we are," Quinn yelled out over the piped-in music, bringing Santana and Brittany up to a large booth set in the center of the floor.
"Hiiiii!" several shrill female voices screamed out at their arrival.
The newly-engaged couple was elated to see all their girlfriends from Glee Club gathered together.
"Surprise!" Rachel called out, grinning ear to ear.
"So this is why you didn't want to ride with us," Santana laughed, hugging the smaller brunette.
"What's this for?" Brittany asked, hugging Mercedes who sat on the opposite end of the booth.
"It's a celebration," Tina told them as Brittany and Santana pushed into the booth between Rachel and Quinn.
"A celebration?" Santana asked.
"Yes, we're celebrating your engagement," Tina expanded.
"It's Girls Night Out!" Mercedes added with a big smile.
"Is there a band playing here tonight?" Brittany inquired, turning to Quinn who sat to her left.
"Yeah, it's a girl band called Zap…they asked Cate to play guitar with them tonight," Quinn said proudly.
A waitress came up to their table, asking them, "Has anyone taken your drink order?"
"Is this a bar?" Santana wasn't sure how they got in.
"Yes, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays are dry during the summer so they don't check IDs," Quinn explained.
"I'll have a diet coke with a lime," Mercedes ordered.
"Bottled water please," Tina asked.
"Um…7Up and cranberry," Rachel smiled, feeling sophisticated with her request.
Santana laughed at her, though she was privately enjoying the cool factor of them all being out at a bar even if they couldn't order alcohol. She decided to join in Rachel's fun, telling the waitress, "Same for me."
"Same," Brittany smiled.
"Same," Quinn nodded to the waitress, handing over her credit card, "Just start a tab please."
"No problem…be right back," the twentyish-looking girl responded with a smile.
"Hey, good lookin'…you here with anybody tonight?" a female voice said from behind the booth near Quinn.
The blonde turned around and cackled when she saw Cate standing there, "Hey, you!"
Cate leaned over the booth and kissed Quinn on the lips then acknowledged the group, "Hey, everyone!"
They all said, "Hi, Cate."
"I can't stay long…we go on in fifteen minutes, but I just wanted to see if they had your table for you," she said.
"Yes, it was reserved when we got here," Rachel informed her, "Thank you so much!"
"My pleasure…I'm just so glad you all could come out tonight," Cate said grateful for the support.
The waitress returned with the group's drinks, passing around the plastic cups of soda, as the house lights flashed.
"Ok, I've got to get back…I hope you all enjoy the set…there's another band playing after us too if you feel like sticking around," Cate said, kissing Quinn again.
"Good luck!" they all told her, seeing her wave back at them as she headed toward the stage.
"Ok, ladies…a toast?" Quinn raised her cup.
"Yes, definitely…a toast is in order," Tina agreed.
"Everybody, get your cup up in the air for these two girls," Mercedes raised up her diet coke, smiling, "Britt…Santana…we weren't sure how long it would take the two of you to realize what the rest of us saw every day…but we couldn't be happier for you guys!"
Santana smiled, slightly embarrassed, leaning back into Brittany's embrace as the blonde wrapped her right arm around Santana's waist.
"We've come a long way, you and I…," Rachel said warmly to Santana who sat next to her, "…but in the end, I didn't just get a sister…I'll get a sister-in-law too!" The petite brunette threw her arms around both Santana and Brittany, saying, "I love you both."
"We love you too, Rach…," Santana responded, holding up her own plastic cup, "We love each of you girls…senior year is going to be awesome."
"Yes it is!" Quinn chimed in.
Tina looked as teary-eyed as the rest of the girls, telling them all, "It's taken two years, but we are all happily in love now. This is just so exciting!"
"Agreed!" Quinn smiled, leaning forward so they could all click their cups together, "To the Glee Girls!"
They all settled back into the booth when the room darkened and the stage lit up as Zap started playing.
Quinn's eyes instantly went to the attractive brunette playing lead guitar, and she clapped loudly, hollering, "Yay, Cate!"
The rest of the girls looked over at her, laughing affectionately at her shameless display of love.
Later that night, Santana knocked on Rachel's bedroom door, opening it when she heard the tiny diva tell her, "Come in."
"Here are your earrings," the Latina said, removing the second one, "Thanks again for letting me borrow them."
"No problem…just set them there on my dresser," Rachel told her. She was lying on her stomach across the foot of her bed, already dressed in her pajamas and flipping through a fashion magazine.
"Tonight meant a lot to me and Britt so thank you," Santana stopped to say, leaning against one of the posts on Rachel's four-poster bed.
The smaller brunette looked up at her, stating with a melancholy tone, "Yeah, it was fun to all be together like that."
Santana frowned. "You don't sound like you had much fun."
Rachel sighed heavily, looking back down at her magazine.
"Rachel?"
She looked back up at Santana with tears in her eyes.
"Are you upset about something?"
Rachel started crying so Santana kneeled down at the side of her bed.
"Tell me what's wrong," the Latina prodded her.
"I'm fine…really," Rachel sniffed and wiped at her eyes.
"Yes, you look totally fine too," Santana softly teased.
"I'm just sad…and I can't really figure out why," she confessed.
Santana removed her sandals and sat further on the floor so she was face to face with Rachel. She closed the magazine and tossed it over onto the floor. "Talk to me."
"When Tina said tonight that we were all finally in love, and I looked around at all of your faces…and all of you truly are in love…like real love…like soulmate kind of love…."
"Rachel," Santana cut off her ramblings, "What's your point?"
"I don't feel that," she said sadly.
"You don't love Finn?"
"I love him…I just don't think I love him like you love Brittany…or Quinn loves Cate…or Tina loves Mike."
"Ok, I get it," Santana interrupted her again, "I always thought you did though."
"I always thought I did too…I mean, he's wonderful…he's sweet and affectionate and loyal."
"Sounds like you're describing your dog," Santana joked cautiously.
"Exactly!" Rachel agreed, "I need to be challenged…intellectually…and artistically…and…."
"Spiritually?" Santana offered with a grimace, knowing that Finn, as nice a guy as he was, would never provide these things for Rachel.
"I thought he was all I ever wanted…until I started thinking about him being all I'd ever have." Rachel sighed again.
She had already started thinking about graduating next year and about how Finn would fit into her life in New York and in the theatre world. She wanted to be a huge star. No, it was more than that…she knew she would be a huge star…someday. She never wanted to hurt Finn, because she did love him. If she was honest with herself though, and with Finn, she knew she was outgrowing him.
"Do you think what I have with Finn is true love?" she asked Santana.
"I think that there are a lot of people you will meet in New York," Santana tried to encourage her without being too strident.
"The idea of that excites me," Rachel admitted.
"If you can see yourself without the other person then no…I don't think it is true love," Santana confirmed, putting a supportive arm around Rachel's shoulders.
Santana nervously pulled on the bottom of her cotton shirt before she reached up and pushed the doorbell Thursday evening.
She looked around at the decorative chairs and planters that were on the porch, remembering how much her mother enjoyed having the colorful flowers in front of the house. Santana realized that this was the first time she stood on the porch of her childhood home since the day she and Brittany were told by her father to leave.
The door opened and her mother greeted her enthusiastically, "Santana!"
"Hi, Mom," the teen smiled warmly at the older woman, stepping inside to give her a hug.
"Come in, come in."
Santana followed her mother into the living room and sat on the couch next to her, feeling oddly disconnected from the familiar furniture.
"I'm so glad you called," Mrs. Lopez turned toward her daughter, "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
"Oh, no...I had dinner before I came over," she told her, crossing her legs at the knees and shoving her phone into the front pocket of her jeans.
"Would you care for some hot tea…anything?" her mother tried again, wanting so much to make Santana feel welcomed.
"No, Mom…I'm fine…really," Santana took her mom's hand, "Thank you though."
"So what is this big news you wanted to share with me?"
"Well," Santana took a deep breath, becoming more accustomed to revealing big secrets to her mother, "I started to ask you to come to another one of my sessions with Dr. Shane in order to tell you this, but I decided that we've been more open with each other lately and that I could just come right out and tell you."
"Santana, I never know these days what you're going to tell me, but you're starting to worry me now," Mrs. Lopez stated with a look of concern on her face.
"Ok, you're right…I'm sorry…there's no need to worry," Santana laughed lightly, "This is a good thing…I think so anyway."
"What is it?"
Santana pulled her arm back and nervously rubbed her hands together. She licked at her dry lips, and the ponytail on top of her head bobbed as she fidgeted slightly in her seat. Yeah, this isn't getting any easier, she privately noted.
"Just tell me, Santana."
"I asked Brittany to marry me," she blurted out.
Mrs. Lopez just stared back at her in silence.
"She said yes," Santana smiled guardedly.
Mrs. Lopez glanced down.
"Mom?"
The older Latina looked back up at her, swallowing hard before saying with reserved emotion, "Congratulations."
"I know that it might take some time for that to sink in…I understand…it still seems rather bizarre to us too," she tried to make her mother feel more at ease with the idea.
"It is certainly…unexpected," Mrs. Lopez stated.
"It won't be anytime soon…so don't worry about that part. Believe me, everyone has made sure to point out that we are too young right now and that we shouldn't rush into anything."
"You are quite young," she responded.
"It won't be until after we move to New York…after graduation…probably even after college," Santana explained, "Education is still very important to me."
"That's good," Mrs. Lopez breathed heavily, standing up, "Are you sure about the tea?"
Santana stood and followed her mother into the nearby kitchen, "Mom…stop."
She caught up to her mother and tugged on her arm.
"Aren't you happy for me?"
Mrs. Lopez paused before answering, "I'm happy that you are happy."
"What does that mean?"
Her mother turned back around and took the tea kettle off the back of the stove, walking over to the sink to fill it with water.
"I gave Brittany a ring and everything…so like, it's official…like a real engagement," Santana found herself needing to convince her mother, perhaps even to convince herself.
"A ring?" That seemed to make the older woman even less comfortable with the idea.
"Yes. It'll be a real marriage, Mom…with a real wedding."
Santana watched her mother turn off the water and wipe the bottom of the kettle with a dry cloth. It was clear she was trying to process this influx of information.
"Are you planning to do this in the church, Santana?" her mother asked hesitantly.
"I'm not sure…it will depend on what Brittany wants too," Santana answered honestly.
"It is one thing to pursue this…idea of marriage…but in the eyes of God, Santana…I'm just not sure it's appropriate," her mother said as she moved back to the stove, turning on the burner under the kettle.
"Are you saying that my marriage to Brittany will be a sin?"
"Santana," Mrs. Lopez sighed, not wanting to hurt her daughter.
"Just please say you will come…," Santana had tears in her eyes, disappointed that this wasn't going as well as she anticipated, "You will, won't you?"
"Of course," her mother confirmed through tight lips.
"I wouldn't ask Dad to give me away or anything so you don't need to worry about all that," the young brunette said sadly, "I just want you to be part of it. It would mean a lot to me, and by the time we plan it then maybe you'll feel more comfortable with the whole idea."
Mrs. Lopez nodded, leaning toward her daughter, "I will help you anyway I can."
Santana hugged her mother tightly, grateful for the progress they were slowly making.
"I don't think it's wise to tell your father about any of this though," the older woman warned her.
"Tell me what?" a deep voice asked from the doorway of the kitchen.
Santana pulled away quickly from her mother, standing up straight and pulling at her shirt again.
"Oh nothing, Hector," his wife said dismissively, adding, "You're home early."
"My meeting with the hospital board was rescheduled," he informed them.
"I should go," Santana said.
"What brought you by here tonight, Santana?" her father asked, stepping further into the kitchen.
"She was just passing by, Hector," Mrs. Lopez covered.
"I was asking Santana," he said sternly, unconvinced that he wasn't interrupting something, as he set his briefcase in a kitchen chair and placed his suit jacket over the back of it.
"Um…nothing really," she shrugged, unsure of how to even talk to him anymore.
"You both look upset…what were you two talking about?" he pursued.
Santana looked down, angry with herself. She always allowed her father to reduce her down to nothing in his presence, and she was simply tired of feeling that way around him.
"I was telling Mom my great news," she said boldly, pushing her shoulders back and glancing over at her mother who shook her head.
"Santana," the older Latina cautioned.
"What news?" Dr. Lopez asked.
The teenager took a step closer to him and looked him in the face, "Brittany and I are engaged."
"Engaged?" he looked horrified, hoping that word did not mean the same to his daughter as it meant to the rest of society.
"That's right…engaged," she said proudly, smiling at him, "I'm going to marry a girl, Daddy…the most awesome girl in the whole world…and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop us."
Hector Lopez drew back his hand and slapped Santana hard across her left cheek.
Santana's hands instantly went up to cover her stinging cheek as she looked back at him in shock.
"Get out," he said firmly, pointing to the entryway.
Santana ran past him toward the front door.
"And don't come back to this house," Dr. Lopez shouted angrily, "Ever!"
"Santana!" her mother called after her.
Santana did not stop though. She ran out of the front door and down the porch steps to get into her gray Civic. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and started the ignition before she lowered her head on the steering wheel and sobbed.
Mrs. Pierce was folding laundry in the living room Thursday evening when the doorbell rang.
She finished folding the towel in her lap then set it aside, looking at the clock on a nearby table. 7:47 pm.
"Who could that be?" she said aloud to nobody.
Before she reached the door, there was another ring.
"I'm coming, I'm coming…just a second," the older woman said as she turned the knob and opened it.
Standing on the porch was Santana.
"Brittany's not here, dear," Mrs. Pierce told the Latina.
"Will she be back soon?" Santana had driven directly to see Brittany after she drove away from her parents' house. Even before the evening's events, she didn't consider it her home any longer, feeling more and more like a member of the Berry family.
"Not too long, I'm sure…she went jogging," her mother said.
"Okay," Santana didn't know what to do so she turned around to walk back to her car.
"Santana, you can wait inside, sweetheart," Mrs. Pierce laughed.
The brunette turned around, "Ok…sorry."
"Don't be…come on in," Mrs. Pierce invited her inside.
Once they were in the light of the living room, the older Pierce noticed Santana's face.
"What happened to you?" she asked with concern, putting her hand up to the teen's cheek.
Santana turned her head out of reach, "Nothing…I should just go." She turned quickly toward the front door, but Brittany's mother grabbed her by the arm, turning her back around.
"Santana, somebody hit you…were you in a fight?"
Tears filled Santana's eyes again, the pain and humiliation of her father's reaction still close to the surface.
"Oh, sweetheart…what happened?" Mrs. Pierce put her arms around Santana and pulled her close.
"I told my parents something important tonight, and my dad…he, uh," Santana wasn't sure what she should be saying in front of Brittany's parents.
"Was it about your engagement to Brittany?" she inquired delicately.
"You know about that?"
"Yes, Brittany told me about it."
"When I told my dad…he hit me," Santana choked out.
"Come in the kitchen, and let's get you some ice to put on it," Mrs. Pierce put an arm around the young girl's shoulders, guiding her toward the kitchen.
Brittany's mom flipped on the light switch inside the spacious area and walked Santana over to the bar stool that was at the center island. She got a small zip-lock bag out of the cabinet then put a few ice cubes in it, turning to put it on Santana's bright red cheek.
"This should take some of the heat out of it…and help with any bruising," Mrs. Pierce ran her hand down the back of Santana's head as the Latina put her own hand over the plastic baggie.
"Thank you," the teenager said, sniffing back some of her tears.
"Here's a tissue too," the older woman handed her a Kleenex from a nearby box.
"Thanks." Santana wiped at her nose as she sat on the stool and held the ice to her burning face, "You aren't mad at us about it?"
"About you two getting engaged?" Mrs. Pierce clarified.
"Yes…or married?"
"Why would I be mad? You love Brittany, she loves you…right?"
Santana nodded.
"Then once you two are old enough to shoulder such an enormous commitment…we will be delighted to see you marry our daughter."
Santana smiled, grimacing when she did because of the intense pain in her face.
The two of them were quiet for a minute, hearing the front door open and Brittany pass by the kitchen.
The tall blonde stopped and backed up, seeing that it was Santana in the kitchen with her mom.
"Hey, I thought that was your car in the driveway," Brittany stated. She was dressed in black running shorts and a tight-fitting, pink tank top. Her iPod was secured to her upper arm with a running band, and she was sweating profusely.
Neither of them responded.
"What happened?" Brittany asked when she saw that Santana was holding a bag of ice.
"Can we talk about it in your room?" Santana asked, looking over at Mrs. Pierce.
"Sure," Brittany said, curious as to what was going on.
The two girls made their way upstairs, and as soon as they got inside Brittany's room, she closed and locked the door.
She immediately walked up to Santana, putting her hand up to her cheek and feeling a hard knot forming just under the skin, "Oh my god, Tan…that's really bad. What the hell happened?"
Santana explained to her everything that happened when she went to see her mom.
"She still thinks me being a lesbian is this huge sin…I can see it in her face."
"Come here," Brittany pulled Santana into a tight embrace, "We can't help who we fall in love with."
"I know," Santana sounded so defeated, lowering her head on Brittany's prominent shoulder.
"I smell bad, huh?" Brittany asked.
"You do smell very sweaty," Santana laughed a little.
"Let me get a quick shower then we'll talk," Brittany suggested.
"Okay."
Brittany kissed her then went into the interior bathroom. After a minute, Santana heard the water start running. She slipped off her shoes and was about to relax on the bed when the bathroom door opened again.
Brittany stuck out her head and asked, "Unless…you want to join me for a bath?"
Santana smiled broadly.
"Is that a yes?" Brittany smiled back.
Santana walked back over to the bathroom door, kissing Brittany sweetly, "The answer to that question will always be yes."
The brunette took off her clothes and joined Brittany in the bathroom where she'd already starting collecting water in the tub.
Santana watched the blonde add the lavender-scented bath salts that she loved so much then she grabbed a couple of washcloths and towels out of the upper cabinet and set them near the tub.
Brittany turned toward Santana, offering her outstretched hand, "After you."
Santana grinned, taking Brittany's hand and allowing her to assist her down into the bath water. The Latina leaned forward to shut off the faucet as Brittany lowered herself into the tub behind Santana, reaching up to pull the brunette back against her.
Santana handed one of the washcloths back to Brittany, getting the other one all soapy.
She enjoyed feeling Brittany's firm breasts pressed against her bare back as she reclined against her. She pulled up one of Brittany's long legs and ran the soapy cloth over it to get it clean.
As Santana washed Brittany's limbs, she gently splashed some of the bubbles over Santana's tanned shoulders. To avoid getting her dark hair wet, Brittany wound Santana's ponytail into a bun on top of her head, tucking inside itself, then she kissed her softly along her neck.
"I just can't believe he hit me," Santana said, the event still weighing heavily on her mind.
Brittany didn't say anything, allowing Santana to think out loud.
"When we have kids, I will never…ever…treat them like that," the Latina said adamantly, "We'll treat our kids with respect."
Brittany smiled into Santana's skin, "Kids?"
Santana relaxed further into Brittany behind her, "Don't you want kids?"
"Definitely," the blonde assured her, "I think you will make a wonderful mother."
"You will too," Santana smiled, pulling Brittany's arm around her bare chest.
"I love you," Brittany confirmed.
"I love you too."
The girls were quiet for several moments, holding each other.
Santana couldn't shake her thoughts of her father and how incredibly angry he was. She pulled her hand to her cheek and pushed on it lightly, instantly feeling a sharp pain from the pressure she applied.
"My face really hurts," Santana said dishearteningly, "He practically slugged me he hit me so hard."
Brittany felt it again, finding it still hot. "Here, put this on it," she placed a folded, wet washcloth to Santana's face.
The blonde gently caressed Santana's wet arms. The sound of the warm water moving around their bodies was comforting to them.
As Brittany held her, Santana started crying. "He threw me out of the house again," she revealed through her fresh tears, "I got thrown out twice."
"I'm so sorry." The insult wasn't lost on Brittany. She was angry too that he would dare lay a hand on Santana, but she held her tongue, not wanting to make Santana feel worse about the situation.
"I hate him, Britt…I don't care if I ever see him again."
Brittany wrapped her arms tightly around Santana, letting her cry out her hurt, "It'll be okay, honey…what we have together is between us…nobody else's opinion matters."
Wise men say,
only fools rush in
Oh, but I can't help
falling in love with you...
Shall I stay,
Would it be a sin
If I can't help
falling in love with you...
Like a river flows,
surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes,
Some things were meant to be...
So take my hand,
and take my whole life too
Cause I can't help
falling in love with you...
Like a river flows,
so surely to the sea
Oh my darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be...
So won't you please, just take my hand,
and take my whole life too
Cause I can't help
falling in love, in love with you,
Cause I can't help
falling in love, falling in love,
I keep falling in love with you.
Author's Note: The song Can't Help Falling In Love is at its most vulnerable in Ingrid Michaelson's rendition. Her version of this song is incredibly moving and beautiful and reminds me so much of the struggles Brittany and Santana go through just to be together.
As always, I appreciate your feedback on this chapter. Thanks, Kim