Santana and Rachel walked around the St. Lawrence Mall pushing the twins in their strollers. Leroy and Bayani were walking ahead of them with their arms linked, giggling to each other about something. They were on their way to one of the many book stores that was in the mall. Leroy had said something about dropping in to check out his book stand. The entire family had already visited several stores where they honestly hadn't found much of anything. With the mall being the size it was, you would think that Santana would find something that Rachel might like. However, thus far she had came up with nothing. At least they still had the jewelry stores to visit, where Santana knew she would at least find wedding bands.
"Let's go in here." Santana spoke casually as she turned the stroller she was pushing, carrying Samara, into a place called Lily's.
"What do we need from in here?" Rachel asked curiously as she followed along.
"The one thing our parents have been nagging at us to get for weeks now." Santana responded as she looked into the display cases.
"Aww San, you want to get our wedding bands today?" Rachel swooned.
"If we find something we like." Santana shrugged her shoulders. She kind of regretted not getting the full set when she purchased Rachel's engagement ring. There was a chance that she could always go back and get it, but it wouldn't be here in time for the wedding ceremony. "Unless, you want the original band that matches your ring?" It never hurt to go ahead and ask.
"No, because I would want you to have a matching band for your ring and it didn't have one." That had actually been a hard selling point for Rachel. She had thought long and hard about getting a different ring, but the one she picked out was so Santana that she couldn't pass it up. "I want something that will match with yours."
Santana turned around to look at Rachel with a soft smile, that was a very reasonable request. "I want something that will match yours too. But what do we want? Stirling silver? White gold?"
"Go." Samara chirped from her stroller, looking at all the pretty sparkly things in front of her.
"She either said go and meant keep moving or go for gold." Santana chuckled.
"Pretty sure she said go for gold." A sales associate interjected while walking up to Santana and Rachel. "I couldn't help but to overhear that you two are looking for wedding bands?" Santana looked the woman up and down, trying hard not to roll her eyes. She knew the woman was just doing her job and that possibly selling a set of wedding bands could bring a hefty commission. She was older, probably late sixties, dressed to the nine's in a black power suit.
"Yes Ma'am. We were just trying to decide what we wanted exactly. I'm Rachel, this is my wife Santana and these are our girls, Sierra and Samara." Rachel grinned proudly, putting on her best Broadway smile. Of course she still had it, she always would.
The woman gasped, placing her hands on her chest. "I knew I recognized you when you came in. My heavens, I feel as if I am in the presence of royalty."
"Pardon?" Santana chuckled nervously looking around for all accessible escape routes.
"You two are practically LGBT royalty! My grand daughter and her little girlfriend, I swear they are so cute together, look up to you two so much. She'll be so jealous that I got to meet you." The older woman laughed.
Rachel looked over to Santana who was still looking around a little nervously, but slightly more relaxed than a moment ago. "What's your grand daughters name?"
"Her name is Amelia, but I call her Lily. She's my pride and joy, hence the store name."
"That's actually really lovely. How long have you been in business?" Santana asked with curiosity.
"Twenty years exactly next month." The woman, who went from sales associate to store owner beamed with pride.
"Well, Ms..?" Santana paused realizing she didn't yet know this woman's name.
"Oh please dear, call me Brenda."
"Ms. Brenda, since you know what you have for the sale the best, can you recommend some rings for us? We would love to look and chat if that's alright with you?" Santana didn't want to seem pushy and she was interested in hearing more about this woman and her business, but she didn't want to stand around talking all day.
"Yes, yes. Let me show you some of my best sellers. I should have realized sooner that you two probably have things to do and people to see." Brenda rushed off to pull some of her best sellers and some of her general favorites from the cases so that Santana and Rachel could have a look. In all her time she had been in business, this was one of the few moments where she would hopefully make a sale to celebrities.
"I would assure you that we aren't in a rush, but frankly we've put this off until the last minute." Rachel giggled as she watched Brenda pick out a few bands of the basic variety. Just something for the women to get an idea about which direction they wanted to go.
"Yeah, our parents have been nagging at us for weeks." Santana grumbled to herself more than anyone.
"They just want to make sure everything is in order. It's how all parents are when it comes to weddings." If Brenda picked up on Santana's disgruntlement, she chose to ignore it.
"I really like this one San." Rachel pointed out a very pretty white gold band. It wasn't as thick as traditional bands which Santana immediately liked and she really liked the pattern.
"That's a paisley pattern. I didn't know you wanted a band with designs on it." Santana was kind of shocked that Rachel had picked that particular ring.
"I didn't know that I wanted one either until I saw that one. It's gorgeous San and I want something that fits our personalities like our engagement rings and this one does." Rachel was almost drooling over this band, it really couldn't be that easy to pick their rings out so quickly right?
"That's one of my favorites, but I honestly don't sell a lot of them because it's designed. You would be surprised how many people want straight gold or silver bands." Brenda started moving some of the other selections back into the case. For some reason she didn't want Santana and Rachel to pick different rings, this one was just perfect for them.
"What's the details on that ring?" Santana knew just by looking at the ring it was going to cost a pretty penny, never the less two pretty pennies since they were each getting one.
"Eighteen karat white gold with twenty bead set round cut diamonds, which is about point fourteen carats total weight." Brenda explained and then waited for the follow up question that she always received.
"How much is it?" Rachel cringed a little in anticipation.
"Fifteen hundred. Pricing is based on a size six ring." Brenda looked back and forth between both women as they looked at each other. It was obvious they were having a silent conversation with their eyes.
Are we okay with paying that much?
Are you sure this is the ring we want?
I really like it, do you?
Yes.
Okay, let's get two of them.
"I believe we will take two of them please. What do you think lady bugs? Do you like the ring?" Rachel asked while she unstrapped Samara and Santana unstrapped Sierra from their strollers. The two girls had been so enamored with all the shiny things that they hadn't even made a peep since when they first came into the store.
"Pwetty!" Samara giggled while reaching for the band. Rachel gently clasped her hand while shaking her head no.
"Go?" Sierra asked while seriously looking at her Mami.
"Yes, baby it's gold." The Latina woman laughed before kissing the tiny human on the forehead.
Rachel and Santana left the store a few moments later with their ring orders in hand. Unfortunately Brenda didn't have the ring in their sizes so they had to be ordered. That was fine with Santana and Rachel, at least they had their wedding bands taken care of now. At first they had been worried that the rings wouldn't be ready in time for the wedding, but Brenda assured them that she marked the rings as urgent and that her retailers were always swift on wedding orders. A few days tops and they would be able to pick up their rings.
The girls were now back in their strollers just enjoying being pushed as they babbled back and forth to each other and kept their eyes open for their Pap and Lolo. Rachel was sure that she would find her father most likely still in the book store. It was one of his favorite places to hang out, especially since he insisted this book store in particular had the best coffee and muffins.
"After we find Dad and Bayani are we going to head back to McKinley?" Rachel asked Santana as she weaved her stroller around a couple of people standing right in the middle of where everyone was trying to walk.
"Are we meeting Shelby and Cassie there or were they coming out here since this is closer?" Santana responded as they made their way into the book store. Sure enough Leroy and Bayani were sitting off to the side chatting with three teenage boys.
"I'm not sure." Rachel shrugged her shoulders before stopping at the table were Leroy was sitting. The girls immediately began to yell at the men, screaming Pap and Lolo over and over.
"Not sure about what?" Leroy smiled in greeting before reaching for Sierra who was damn near close to falling out of her stroller in her haste to get to her grandfather.
"About whether we are meeting Mom and Cassie here or in McKinley." Rachel explained while eyeing up the teenagers who looked like they all had just peed their pants.
"Oh, we are meeting them here, well not here here, just at a restaurant close by." Leroy glanced at Rachel before kissing Sierra on the cheek and sitting the little girl down in his lap. "Gentlemen, these are my daughters, Rachel and Santana." The teenagers nodded, their mouths now hanging open. "And these are my grand daughters, Sierra and Samara." Leroy tickled the little girl under chin making her smile and shake her head before reaching over and going the same to Samara who was now sitting in Bayani's lap.
"It's lovely to meet you. Are you fans of my Dads work?" Rachel asked curiously.
"We're...we're huge fans." One of the teenagers spoke up, his voice cracking with nerves. "We love your music too, Rachel and Santana we love your paintings."
"Thank you. You look familiar." Santana nodded to one of the teenagers who had shaggy black hair and bright green eyes. She felt like she had seen this kid before.
"I've been to several of your shows with my grandparents before and I was lucky enough to be in two of the classes that you've spoken to." The other two teenagers had now focused all of their attention on the shaggy haired teenager. It was like they were waiting on him to reveal a huge secret.
"Your last name wouldn't happen to be King would it?" Santana gave her general smirk.
"Yes Ma'am." The boy grinned with pride that Santana actually knew who he was.
"Marky, you never told us you knew the Santana Berry-Lopez!" The teenager who had originally spoken first, squeaked out.
"Shut up." Marky whispered harshly though clinched teeth. "I don't know her, I just know her work really well."
"Marky, huh? Are you named after your grandfather?" Santana smiled, these boys were going to end up fighting right here in the book store.
"I am. Marcson King the Second, Gramps said calling me Junior was too informal." Marky shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
"You don't look like a Junior anyway, Second fits you better." Santana nodded her head and laughed along.
Leroy looked down at his watch and noticed the time. They were about to be running late to meeting Shelby and Cassie. "Gentlemen, it's been lovely, but we should really get going." Leroy turned his head towards Santana and Rachel. "We have to meet Shelby and Cassie in about twenty minutes."
"We actually have to get going too, our history project isn't going to do itself." Marky stood up and began to gather his books.
Everyone began to say their goodbyes. The teenagers each shaking Leroy and Bayani's hands for hanging out with them for so long. The entire family even hung around for a moment to take pictures, they didn't have to, but the teenagers left with such big smiles on their faces, it was definitely worth it. Now they were finally on their way to meet Shelby and Cassie. Santana and Rachel couldn't wait to announce that their rings had been ordered. They would have to call Maribel and Marcus later to inform them. However, no one could see the bands until the day of the wedding, it would just make it that much more special.
If you're curious about the bands that Rachel and Santana picked, you can Google #120110 paisley pattern diamond ring.