Because you've all waited so damn long. I'll skip a author's note here and see you all at the bottom. Do read it as it tells the future plans for this story. Enjoy!
Part ll: Chapter Ten
x.
It is official. Our wedding is on Saturday in Niagara Falls. Santana called her family about it and even though her mother was a tad upset that there really wasn't any notice, she understood with waiting for a transplant that we just didn't want to wait anymore with the uncertainty. I called Brittany and she said she'd be there sometime this afternoon; my sister, David, and Jerren will be there tomorrow and my parents are already up. Turns out, Santana broached the idea to them on Skype one day when I was at work and they loved the idea, which is why they were in New York; whether I said yes or no, they figured they'd show up regardless; though they had high hopes that I would say yes.
I awake to the sound of the fall in the background and smile instantly. That's what I've been doing mostly since we've arrived here; just smiled. When I turn over and take notice of my future wife, who looks just as content with half lidded eyes, I can't help but allow my grin to grow wider.
"We're getting married," I whisper to her and she returns the excitement, leaning over to kiss me softly.
"We're getting married," she repeats. "In three days," she adds and I turn back to lean my head back into the most comfortable pillow I've ever laid on.
"It's unreal, but in the best way possible," I turn my head to stare at her and she merely smiles, but nods in agreement at my words.
"I think we deserve a little happiness after the craziness we've gone through," she states and I hum my agreement. I've been pretty hard on myself these last few years, stating I don't deserve to have anybody love me, but damn it, I do deserve it. I deserve just as much happiness as anybody else; my happiness is laying beside me. I don't need anyone else; I never did.
"So my mother wants to go dress shopping as soon as Brittany gets here," I tell her and Santana nods, running her hand through her long dark hair.
She yawns softly. "So does mine, but I have a feeling you'll have an easier time than me," she states and I giggle at this, leaning over to press a kiss on her chest. Isabella and Santana's many female cousins, and aunts have decided to take it upon themselves to come dress shopping with Santana. Apparently it is very rare to see Santana in anything but pants and a shirt, so they wanted to bare witness to history.
"It'll be worth it in the long run," I reply staring up at her and she smiles warmly at this, kissing me gently again.
"Yeah, just let Brittany know my only condition is that your dress is easy to get off," she jests and I slap her shoulder playfully, before she flips us over and starts kissing me more deeply than she has been all morning.
When she pulls away. "I'm so ready for you to be Mrs. Quinn Lopez," she whispers down at me as I caress her cheek, placing another light kiss.
"It's all I've ever wanted to be since I met you on that subway," and now I finally get to be just that.
x.
I'm thankful there are more bridal shops in the area, otherwise Santana and her many family members would be here to see me try on dozens of dresses. Santana and I mapped that I take the east part of the city and she takes the west, that way neither one of us will run into anybody. We just really didn't want to see each other before the wedding in the possible dress we'd wear.
Nevertheless, this felt like a fairy tale dream. This is how it should be. Trying on dresses and getting that overwhelming sense of knowing that it's real, but not the sense that 'holy shit you're about to marry this person, what the hell are you thinking?' but more like, 'I'm marrying my best friend and soulmate'. Then you can't stop smiling even when your face feels like it's been injected with botox fifty times over.
As I stand in front of the three mirrors staring at myself in a white bridal dress, I can't help but shake my head. This is real; it's never going to get any realer than this. I'm marrying exactly who I want to marry; not because I'm settling or because I don't want to be alone. I'm marrying her because I truly have never loved anybody else quite like her and my God it never felt so good.
I turn around to my mom and Brittany, their mouths drop in awe. It's strapless with sequins along the top, stopping at my midsection. It flows out at my feet and exposes my back, stopping just above my lower back. It's positively beautiful and I feel absolutely complete in this dress.
I look at my mother and her eyes begin to water as she stares at me. I don't think she thought this moment would come, but here we are and I'm in a wedding dress. Brittany; her smile I don't think could get any wider. She postponed Brittany Spears to be at my wedding; she'll leave next week for Europe and I'm going to miss her terribly when she's gone; I'm just glad she could be here now; she's been my rock from the beginning.
"This is the one," my mother finally says and I nod to her as Brittany agrees. My mother quickly wipes her tears away and sniffles. "Now I wonder how my future daughter in law is holding up with her dress shopping," she adds to had a little light heartiness. I chuckle because I could only imagine.
"Oh I can call her," Brittany states already doing so before we could say otherwise, not that we would. As soon as it starts ringing she places it on speaker and suddenly it connects, and we hear tons of talking and maybe even yelling.
"Mami please!" Santana huffs at her mother and I can already picture the scene unfolding.
"Santana you need to get off that phone and try on these beautiful dresses hija," her mother states back and I hear her sigh, already sensing she rolled her eyes at this.
"Mami those are poofy, I don't do poofy," she reasons. "Hey Brittany is everything okay?" She addresses us.
"Hey honey," I say from my spot on the platform with a smile.
"Hey baby are you okay?" She asks concerned and I shake my head as if she's here.
"I'm more than okay, how are you holding up?" I ask curiously, though I'm pretty sure of the answer if what we just heard was any indication.
"Besides me wanting to kill the women in my family, I'm doing well. I'm getting married to you soon, so nothing is going to bring me down, not even them," she says and I smile at this.
"I found my dress," I tell her and she pauses for a moment that I think I lost her. "Baby?"
"Yeah I'm here," she clears her throat. "I'm just trying to picture you in it. I bet you look beautiful, but you always do, so it's not hard to imagine," she says making both my mother and Brittany smile wider at this.
"Did Brittany get my condition that I mentioned this morning?" I roll my eyes playfully.
"My mother is here Santana," I remind her and my mother just chuckles at this.
"Mama Fabray knows about the amazing sex we have already," my eyes widen and I begin to blush at her admittance. Yes granted the sex is amazing, but my mother doesn't need to know this.
"You're embarrassing her Santana," my mother states to her and Santana all but chuckles at this, I'm sure she already knew this.
"She'll be okay," she states before sighing deeply. "I better get back inside to deal with them. I love you Q. I'll see you soon," she says softly. Her voice always grows a seriousness undertone anytime she directs her love to me I've noticed; I guess it's a way to make sure I'm aware of how much she truly does.
"I love you too San. See you soon," I reply before the line disconnects and I turn back to the lady in the store. "We'll take this one," I tell her softly, not able to contain my smile any longer, especially after I just got done speaking to my future wife.
x.
By the next day, I was sure that Santana and I would have much rather elope. With both of our families in one place all we wanted to do was be away from them. It also didn't help one bit that both my sister and Brittany along with Santana's older cousins wanted to know about the bachelorhood parties. I think both Santana and I internally groaned at this during morning breakfast. We really didn't consider the whole thing because we just were so focused on getting married that it was the last thing on our minds. So we just mutually agreed we'd have them for their sake; however, we don't want strippers. It wasn't that we didn't like the idea of strippers rubbing against the other; though it really didn't sound appealing; we just didn't want that cliche crap. That's why I'm spending the day with my sister, mother, Brittany, and even Santana's mom, female cousins, and aunts at the spa while Santana, my dad and David, along with the rest of the men spend the day doing whatever. I haven't really gotten to spend time with her family other than when we went to Brooklyn and Santana hasn't spent time with my dad and David since Ohio.
We lay there relaxing and getting massages, I realize this is exactly what I needed. Even though this getaway turned into a wedding, I anticipated relaxation for part of it, especially this glorious massage and maybe even a little gossip. Eventually it turns into us all getting pedicures with glasses of champagne in our hands, sipping away while we enjoy the feeling of fingers digging in the right arches to relieve that tension held with in our feet.
"So I got to ask what is it about my cousin that's got you so smitten?" Gloria, one of Santana's cousin's asks me and I smile, shaking my head and shrugging.
"She's just really good to me in a million and one ways," I simply state and her other cousin just rolls her eyes.
"Or is it just that she's good in bed. I've heard from her other girlfriends that she's like some type of goddess," Mina, Gloria's sister states and my eyes widen almost mortified. Again my mother and my future mother in law are sitting right there listening to this conversation.
"Oh God," I grumble, chugging what is left in my glass before tapping it and holding it up to get a refill, making them all laugh.
"Oh hija, you better get used to the conversations. They don't get any lighter and once you're apart of this family the embarrassment will just wash away," Isabella states as my glass is filled again. I thank the woman who pours it and I shake my head.
"I've just never had this much people in my life who are here to celebrate something so important in my life before. It certainly does feel like a family thing with all the embarrassment that I get, but that aside, I do love it," I sip and they all smile warmly at my words. "And yes your cousin is a goddess in bed," I add and they laugh, cheering for Santana.
"Oh dios mio," Isabella curses, sipping her own glass making me giggle.
"Sorry Mama Lopez," I chuckle and she all but returns it. I hum in contentment then glance around the room. "I wonder how things are going with the guys and Santana," I say aloud my thoughts.
"You can't be away from your lady for more than a few hours can you?" Fran teases and I sigh softly almost sad because I miss my fiance terribly. I just hate being away from her; call it clingy or whatever the hell you want, but I'm just calling it that I'm madly in love with the woman of my dreams.
"I can't help it, I just miss her like crazy," I sigh before my phone goes off, causing me to look at it. It's a picture of Santana taking a selfie at what looks like a golfing range. She's dressed in golfing attire and a little newsboy hat, smiling with her single dimple on display, causing me to giggle at the caption.
Am I Tiger Woods yet? #imturningintoagrandpa
"What did my daughter send you now?" Isabella asks and I pass the phone around to them as they all end up laughing, when it gets to Gloria she laughs the worst.
"Oh my God, she looks like a moron!" Gloria yells pointing at the phone then handing it to Mina who just laughs with her sister, before handing it back to me as I pout.
"Aw no, she looks adorable," I say staring at it a little longer before saving the picture with a little smile.
"She totally saved it," Brittany mumbles into her glass making Fran laugh, then nod. I look up and glare at them, shaking my head in disappointment.
"You are supposed to be on my side Britt. I thought we had something special," I jest and she laughs, grabbing my hand.
"Always and forever," I can tell she was actually being serious when she said that so I couldn't even joke about that with her, all I could do was smile and give her hand a tight squeeze before releasing it.
Come tomorrow, I will be Mrs. Quinn Fabray and all these girls will be my family, and that warms my heart.
Okay so grammatically this is probably not all there, but I'm planning on doing something with this story after it's completed; therefore, there will be time for me to fix it then. Thank you all for your intense patience, it means the absolute world to me. A few things I want to say before I let you all go:
Firstly, I have about three more chapters left for this story in the works. I've completed the next one already and had intended to complete the entire story before posting anything else; however, I haven't done anything with this story in so long that I didn't think I should make you all wait much longer, so this is just a small calm before the storm.
Secondly, I have made the conscious decision (if you do not follow me on Tumblr or anything) that this story has no true ending. What I mean is, I've decided to write two different ones; however, I am posting neither of them and here is why. I don't want to give you one ending and decide you hate that one and then say "Thank God I have another ending." I also feel it loses the substance I've tried to build with this story for three years if I give you both.
With that said, I'm allowing you guys to decide on your own which ending you will receive. I need you all to either give me emails or whatever way I can to send you the ending you so choose. You only have to say "I choose 1" or "I choose 2" whether it be in a PM or review; or Tumblr message; YOU CANNOT HAVE BOTH. You must choose wisely. You may send them in RIGHT NOW as I am planning to complete this story this week.
Thank you all so much for the patience and love again. As for Traces in the Sand, once this is completed that will be my next mission for completion. So until next time my people.
xSam