"Mami, Papi. You two can come in." Santana coaxed, trying to get her parents to come in from the doorway. "Stephanie these are my parents, Maribel and Marcus Lopez."
Stephanie stood back up to her full height. She had still been crouching at the side of the play pen. "It's lovely to meet you both." She said politely as she shook Maribel and Marcus' hands.
"Likewise dear." Maribel smiled and then refocused her attention back to Santana and Rachel. She couldn't get over hearing those two little girls yelling for her daughter like that. "I assume these are the twins you two are going to try and adopt?"
Santana laughed and nodded her head as she tried to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "This little perfect angel is Sierra and that's Samara." Santana turned Sierra around so that she was facing Marcus and Maribel before nodding her head at Rachel indicating that she had Samara.
"Oh, they're so precious. Look at them Marcus." Maribel was bent over with her hands resting on her knees, she wanted to get in the floor, but she knew her knees would hate her if she did. "Hi babies." Maribel gave the twins a small wave. She laughed in excitement when Sierra waved back, her little hand twisting back and forth.
"Uh oh...we need a diaper change." Rachel said as she stood up with Samara in her arms. "What have you eaten today little one? You've got a stinky bum. I can't sit in this play pen any longer anyway, it makes me feel like we're on display at a zoo or something." Rachel climbed over the edge of the play pen and made her way to the back of the room where the changing table was.
Everyone listened to Rachel talking to Samara, successfully keeping the baby laughing so she wouldn't get upset about her diaper change. "Mami, Papi, you two can set down in the gliders there." Santana pointed towards the glider chairs that were sitting on the outside of the play pen.
Maribel and Marcus made their way over to the chairs, never taking their eyes off of Sierra. "How old are they Santana?" Marcus asked.
"They will be sixteen months on October twentieth." Santana lightly scratched at Sierra's sides making the little girl giggle.
Sierra flopped back against Santana's chest and looked up at the woman. "Mama."
"Yes baby?" Santana responded looking down. It would take some time to get used to hearing being called Mama, well eventually Mami. Nonetheless, it was still pretty damn special.
"Bite."
"Bite? Are you hungry mija?" Santana rubbed her knuckles gently on Sierra's cheek.
"They probably are hungry, they slept right through lunch after you and Rachel left. But, bite means these." Stephanie walked over with two containers of yogurt bites and two sippy cups of juice. "It's almost dinner time anyway, so these should hold them over for now."
"Oh boy. Look mija, Steph brought you bites." Santana shook the bag to get Sierra to focus on them.
"Bites!" Sierra clapped excitedly and stuck her hand in the bag as soon as Santana got it open for her. She wasted no time in sticking her fist in her mouth, which was full of yogurt bites.
"We want bites too." Rachel said as she brought Samara back over to the play pen and sat her down. Well, attempted to set her down as Samara did not approve of Rachel letting her go. The little girl pulled her knees up and bent her legs, holding onto Rachel for dear life when she tried to sit her down.
"No, no no no." Samara chanted.
"Okay, okay. I won't put you down. Santana will you hand me her baggy and sippy cup?" Rachel asked as she positioned Samara on her hip. She waited until Santana handed the items to her before she made her way over to the table and sat down with Samara facing outward on her lap. Samara took a few of her yogurt bites out before losing interest and started drinking her sippy cup. She leaned back into Rachel's chest and was just content to sit there watching everyone in the room. "Samara's the observer, the strong silent type." Rachel smiled down at the little girl as she rested her folded hands on Samara's legs. "Sierra's the talker and more mischievous one."
Santana glanced down at Sierra who was having a field day with her yogurt bites and grinned. Yep, she would definitely be the most influenced by Santana's shenanigans. Looking up through her lashes, Santana watched her parents watching her. They both sat with small smiles on their faces. It was easy for them to see all the love shared between the twins and Rachel and Santana. Hopefully, if they could prove themselves, Santana would let them try to be the best grandparents that any grandchild could ask for.
All of the toddlers sat around the large table in their high chairs eating dinner. Marcus and Maribel had taken great pride in being asked if they would like to help feed the babies their dinner. They were currently sitting in the gliders, Maribel with Jasmine, Marcus with Princeton. Santana sat on either side of Sierra and Samara, making rounds every once in a while if someone needed something. Benton had made himself comfy on Stephanie's lap, his favorite place to sit.
"Knock, knock." Everyone looked up as a head popped around the door and into the nursery.
"Mercedes'!" Stephanie exclaimed excitedly as she hopped up, careful to not knock Benton off her lap. The little boy scowled anyway, his favorite seat was gone. "You're back."
"Girl, it's good to be back." Mercedes' accepted the hug that was offered eagerly.
"How's everything at home?" Stephanie asked quietly.
"They're good, could be better, but for now we're good." Mercedes' face turned a little solemn before it brightened again as she took in the scene before her. "Santana Lopez and Rachel Berry. I've been waiting to meet you two for almost two weeks now. I'm glad I was able to catch you, now I don't have to call first thing in the morning like I had planned too."
"You were going to call us super early on a Sunday?" Santana raised an eyebrow in disinterest.
"Right. But I figured you wouldn't mind when I told you that I was calling for you to bring in your paper work so we could get it filed as soon as possible. The twins social worker is waiting on my call to start a home study, we just have to do some things by the book first, which is getting that paper work turned in." Mercedes smiled as she came around the table to properly introduce herself.
Rachel took a moment to take Mercedes in, she was kind of intimidating when you think about it. This woman was one of the few who had the potential to make or break this family. She screamed business in her pencil skirt suit with at least four inch heels. Who even dressed that way on a Saturday? Rachel looked down at her slightly worn jeans and zip up sweat shirt...she was not prepared for this unexpected meeting.
"How are you able to start a home study when you know nothing about us? I mean, I'm not saying we're bad people or anything. It's just it seems too trusting of you and you should know better as a lawyer for children of all people." Santana didn't mean to get so defensive, it was just if they were willing to jump the gun for them, then how many times had they jumped the gun for it to end horribly for some other child?
"I promise, we never try move things along this quickly unless we know for a fact that the child or children in question is going to a good home with good people. You're celebrities, there is more information out there about you than you realize. Good information too. Plus, we've talked to Chloe and Stephanie here who speak highly of you and the connection you have with the twins." Mercedes looked over to Stephanie who was leaning against the counter with her arms folded over chest smiling.
"It's okay honey." Rachel spoke quietly to Santana who had a thinking hard face on. She reached out and rested her hand on Santana's thigh. "How long do we have to prepare for the home study after we turn in the paper work? I assume you want us to bring it to you tomorrow since we don't have it with us or anything." Rachel looked up at Mercedes.
"Yes, I would greatly appreciate if you brought it to me tomorrow and as preparations for the home study, there's not much to prepare. We understand that you may not have a room or rooms set up yet or things for the children. The first home study is just a get to know you session, anybody can look good on paper, face to face is a different story. She wants to feel you out as people. Since you two already have such a strong connection with the twins, after your paper work goes through and if the social worker more or less likes you enough, you will be sent a list of things needed for the girls. You will have a few weeks to complete the list, which includes adoption meetings, home visits with the girls, and working on the case plan that I know Stephanie already gave you."
"Guilty." Stephanie raised her hand. "We knew things would progress kind of quickly once they started and we wanted them to get everything together, because those girls deserve a good home, just like all the babies in here." Stephanie couldn't help but to smile at Benton.
"Well some stuff on the case plan you can't really prepare for, like the random drug testing until the adoption goes through and copies of any doctor reports from visits that happen in our care. I mean I respect that you want to make sure that the girls are in the best care possible, but really the only stuff we can prepare is their room and buying them clothes and stuff they need." Santana reasoned.
"You really have to do that stuff nowadays? I remember when our old neighbors adopted a little boy when Santana was about ten I think. All they had to do was prove they had a bed, clothes and food and pass a background check to be able to adopt him. Times have really changed." Marcus rocked back and forth as he spoke. Princeton had finished his bottled and was happily sucking on a pacifier well on his way to dream land.
"This is a special case, not just because of Santana and Rachel being high profile, but because of the twins. Case plans are based on the child's past, so I assume you can conclude for yourself the situation the girls may have been in before." Stephanie murmured sadly as she looked at the twins who were still happily eating their dinner. Well, Sierra was happily eating her dinner, Samara looked as if she was about to nod off into her tray. Rachel chuckled as she slowly moved to get the little girl out of her high chair and give her a baby wipe bath. It was getting late and a restless nap after crying just hadn't done much for the little one.
Mercedes looked down at her watch. "I know this was just a quick visit, but all I wanted to do was stop in and see everyone for a moment. Do you guys know where my office is? Over on fifth street by the Home Federal bank." Mercedes waited for Santana and Rachel to nod in the affirmative. "Okay, I must be going, we can talk more in the morning..say ten?"
"Sounds good to us." Rachel smiled as she answered. She had already stripped Samara down to a diaper and was running a warm baby wipe over the little girls arms. Samara was completely limp against Rachel, soft little snores escaping out of her mouth. It was all finally about to happen, soon the twins would be home with Santana and Rachel, right where they belong.
The every four day update schedule begins with the next chapter. I appreciate you guys being so understanding, it really means the world to me that you like this story enough to wait that extra day for an update. Just so you all know, I would never go weeks or months without updating.
Thank you for all the views, reviews, favorites and follows.