El Regalo - The Gift
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"Y mi Quinn?" Alma asks looking past her granddaughter and great grandson
"Your Quinn?" Santana 's eyebrows furrow as she places the baby into his high chair "Abuela, I didn't know you liked blondes too? Is this where I get it from?"
Alma laughs, playfully hitting the girl's shoulder "No seas esi Santana!"
"MY wife, Quinn, is getting ready for OUR date, I volunteered to run Aiden over. Are you sure you're okay watching him?"
Alma takes a step back, crossing her arms "En serio? vas a pararte allí y preguntarme eso?"
"I just remember you watching me aanndddddd" Santana laughs, wrapping her arms around her grandmother "Ya sabes que te amo viejita"
Alma laughs, returning the embrace, her eyes closing briefly. She remembers back to a five year old Santana running around her house on Saturday mornings. As much as she missed it, she was grateful to be able to spend so much time with her great grandson.
"Vasta!" Alma laughs "Ve a tu cita y dale a Quinn mi amor"
Santana smirks, reaching the door "Can I give her My love instead? We might be a little late picking up Aiden if that happens"
Alma waves as Santana speeds away. She re-enters the kitchen to see the baby boy blowing kisses.
Alma Lopez is the eldest of five. Her strict parents ruled with an iron fist, luckily she always had a rebellious streak in her which often led to more bad than good. Alma fell head over heels in love with her high school sweetheart, Roberto (May he rest in peace) and the rest is as they say, history. They had two wonderful children, Miguel and Maria. Maria had always dreamed of moving to a big city, finding her dream job, her ideal husband and leaving Lima the second she could. Once she graduated high school, she never looked back. Miguel on the other hand stayed close by to help his mother. In true Lopez tradition, Miguel met and married his high school sweetheart, Maribel, and a few years later they had a beautiful baby girl.
With tears in his eyes, Miguel handed the second love of his life, his beautiful baby girl, to Alma.
Maribel said her name was Emilia but Alma disagreed.
Both their eyebrows furrowed as the matriarch shook her head "Ella no es un Emilia, esta hermosa nina es Santana"
Santana became Alma's entire world.
Miguel was in the thick of medical school and Maribel worked most weekends which meant Alma was able to spend more time watching Santana. The two became inseparable, that is until Santana turned sixteen. One rainy evening Santana stopped by with flowers. Alma knew right away something was up. The two sat at the kitchen table and Santana began to tell Alma how she loved girls in the way she should love boys. Alma's world came crashing down, she disowned Santana and the two didn't speak for almost two years.
Heartbroken, Santana ended up moving to New York after high school.
Before work, Miguel had gone to check on Alma and let her know that Santana would be in town visiting but that this time, she wasn't alone. This would be the weekend Miguel & Maribel Lopez would finally meet their daughter's new girlfriend, Quinn. Alma sat with it for a few days before asking Miguel to please ask Santana to stop by, if she wanted to. A few days later there was a soft knock, Alma's world could finally spin again because there stood a teary eyed Santana. The two embraced and over tea were able to talk about everything. Alma apologized over and over again for being so closed minded, she hated that they had lost two precious years.
As a sign of good faith, Alma invited Santana and Quinn over for dinner that very same evening. The three talked, laughed, cried and much to Santana's dismay, Quinn and Alma gushed over the countless and at times embarassing photo albums of her childhood.
Alma vividly remembers the day Santana told her she was going to be a great grandmother.
Quinn and Santana were in town visiting their respective parents and brought Alma a small blue gift bag. In it sat a tiny onesie that read Oh Boy! With tears in her eyes, Alma was out of her seat, both arms tightly wrapped around her girls.
Quinn and Santana frequented Lima countless times over her pregnancy. Alma flew with Miguel and Maribel to New York for the birth of her first great grandchild. After a few hours of waiting, Quinn ushered the three back into their room. She walked over and picked up the sleepy boy "Lopez's we'd like you to meet someone. His name is Aiden Miguel Lopez"
Alma patiently waited for her turn. The way Miguel and Maribel's face lit up filled her heart. After a few minutes, it was her turn. Miguel handed the baby to his mother and suddenly Alma was transported back in time, he looked so much like Santana it made her cry.
Miguel and Maribel said their goodbyes and went to hail a cab but Alma stayed behind a few minutes, smiling watching Quinn huddled on the small couch holding their baby boy. She turned to see Santana fast asleep, Alma quietly walked back into the room and stroked her granddaughter's cheek before placing a kiss on top of her head. "Mi pequena, te amo. Estoy tan orgullosa de ustedes"
"Uela"
The sudden outburst shakes Alma's reverie. She smiles listening to the three year old talk gibberish.
"Que quires Aiden?" Alma asks
Aiden's head tilts and Alma laughs, Santana makes that exact face when she is in deep thought. He places his right index finger under his small chin and thinks.
"Tilla?" He questions and Alma quickly nods.
She pulls the highchair into the kitchen where she begins to make him a tortilla.
After a few moments she carefully places one onto his highchair.
"Glacias" Aiden says, packing his small cheeks full of tortilla. "Hmmmmmm"
Once he's had enough, Alma removes the tray and Aiden hops off with a small umph. The two walk hand in hand into the living room. Alma reaches for the blanket and the two aimlessly scroll Disney in search of a movie. Aiden holds his bottle, burrowing further into his great grandma's chest as she places a kiss on top of his head. Half an hour later Aiden's small snores cause Alma to laugh, she scoots over allowing him to fully spread out on the couch.
A few hours later there's a light knock on the door.
"Miss me?" Santana beams only to be pushed out of the way
"Abuela" Quinn laughs as Alma embraces her.
"Seriously?" Santana huffs
"Aye mi Quinn! I've missed you!" Alma says, squeezing the girl.
Quinn makes eye contact with Santana and smirks.
"How was he?" Quinn asks, handing the diaper bag to Santana
"It's like I'm not even here" Santana huffs, picking up Aiden
"He was perfect as always. Thank you both for letting me watch him" Alma smiles, walking the family to the door. She embraces each member before waving as they drive away.
After Aiden was born, New York didn't feel like the right place to raise a baby. So they sold their beloved loft and moved back to Lima. Closer to Santana's parents and of course, Alma.
Santana ended up working at the hospital with Miguel and Quinn opened a small law firm in town. They had been back in Lima for three years but at times it felt like they never left. It was a short drive home. Quinn unpacked the diaper bag as Santana laid Aiden down in his lightning McQueen racing bed.
"When did you buy him a bracelet? It looks so good!" Quinn whispers
Santana's eyebrows furrow as she shakes her head "What are you talking about?"
The two quietly step closer to inspect it further.
Santana gasps.
"What??" Quinn whisper shouts
"Oh" Tears flood Santana's eyes as she grips the dresser
"Look at what it says."
A soft smile spreads across Quinn's face as she rubs Santana's back "He is so loved"
The inscription on the teeny tiny bracelet read
Pequeno
The same nickname a grandmother used to call her first and only granddaughter.
Love, passed down from generation to generation