"Huh? How can she be my Mami?"
"Look, Kitten," Mommy flipped through her pink phone and showed him a picture he had never seen before that made him gasp. Her voice sounded really choked up as if she was struggling not to cry and that made his own eyes start to sting. He was frozen in place, astounded by what he saw. It was his mom at the beach in front of the water, looking almost exactly like she currently did and she had a huge smile on her face and long, curled hair that fell past her shoulders. She looked so pretty and happier than he had ever seen her. Santana was beside her with her arm wrapped around the other woman's waist, holding her close and kissing her cheek, both of them in bikinis. They were obviously a really lovey dovey couple. Ugh! "That's the two of us not long before I found out I was pregnant with you."
"What! That's… that's really you and Santana?!"
"It's really us. I know it's a lot to take in but I really am your mother, V." Santana told him quietly in a serious tone. He could see her hands shaking slightly and he felt like time stood still, the room spinning around him.
"You're my other mom?" He stared at Santana in shock, recoiling from her. "No… you can't be."
If he was Luke Skywalker, which he had to be because of course he was the hero, she would be Darth Vader. Now he totally understood how Luke felt… having your mom be a villain was so weird. He was sure Santana was a villain. She had to be.
Deep down, he had always longed to meet the other mom his mommy talked about with that sad look in her pale blue eyes and he wondered if she would stop crying if that person ever came back.
Santana having such dark hair and looking so, so much like him in a way no one else ever did- the way she kept staring at him and acting all weird around him - even the way he felt this sense of protection around her, the way she seemed to read his mind sometimes and the way it scared him when she got strict with him in a way it never had with other adults before as if she had some kind of power of him - it all made sense. So that's why she was staying there at their apartment for so long. Mommy always comforted him by telling him he got his looks from his beautiful Mami whenever he got upset about not having her cool blonde hair and blue eyes.
Her voice… no wonder it was so familiar to him. That raspy, kind of deep, honey voice singing Songbird was so distinct. It was Santana.
He didn't know how to feel about this woman who he had been so determined to hate being the same the person he idolized and built up an image of in his head ever since he could remember. Santana looked hurt at the way he reacted and her eyes were filled with pain. His throat felt all dry, a heavy feeling settling in his stomach and he started to cry, big tears sliding down his cheeks. They were actual tears, not the crocodile ones he used sometimes when he was in a whiny mood or really wanted Mommy to give him whatever he wanted.
"I- I don't understand. Why didn't you tell me, Mommy? If she's my mom then why didn't she stay with us? Didn't she l-love us?"
"Valentino, Sweetie…" His mom tried to pull him into a hug while Santana sighed heavily, avoiding his eyes as she squirmed, shuffling her weight from one leg to the other. Before they could say anything more, he ran away to his room, unable to handle it all anymore as Mommy called to him in a worried voice. He heard Santana speaking to his mom in a hushed tone.
"It's okay, Britt. He's right. He doesn't have to think of me as his mom. I let him down. I let both of you down."
"It's not all your fault. You didn't exactly know I had your baby, Santana."
What did that mean? Why didn't mommy tell his other mom she was going to have him? He didn't understand any of it and curled up in a ball, covering his face with his hands as he trembled. He thought he was going to be so happy when he met his other mom but now he didn't know how to feel.
After a while he heard the door to his room open and his mom tiptoed in, sitting on the bed beside him and stroking his back gently until eventually he threw himself into her arms, accepting the comfort she offered.
"I'm so sorry about everything, Kitten," She whispered softly against his shoulder, her voice shaking. He wrapped his arms around her neck. "I know this is all so scary and confusing for you. I wish I could make things better."
"It's okay, Mommy."
Santana kept coming around their apartment a lot after that. Way too much, in his opinion, although she did buy them fancy food a lot and he could force her to watch cartoons with him to annoy her and she couldn't really tell him anything so eventually it was actually kind of fun. He figured out he could get her to buy him any toy he wanted just by turning big brown puppy eyes on her, which was another added benefit. Now he had tons more toys in his room and Mommy just shook her head at the two of them.
Now that he knew she was his other parent, it felt weird to still call her "Santana" but he didn't know if he could call her anything else yet when he was still so confused and hurt about everything.
Maybe she wasn't a total villain.
He was looking over his mom's shoulder as she flipped through her phone again and his eyes lit up when he saw another picture of the black-haired woman beside her wearing another leather jacket while propped up against a red and black motorbike.
"You have a motorbike?!"
Okay, maybe that was kinda cool. He was determined to hate Santana but he did like motorcycles a lot. His mommy had a moped but it wasn't quite the same thing. This was way cooler.
"Yep, I can show you sometime, Kiddo." Santana looked very proud when he got all excited about that.
No, he shook his head at the very thought. The Devil Lady wasn't supposed to be fun… she was evil. Mommy's phone rang suddenly and her clear blue eyes widened at something Grandma was telling her. He could hear Grandma Whitney saying something really loudly into the phone as Mommy winced and held the phone away from her ear. Then she started texting someone really fast and looked a little worried after a long time passed. Knowing Grandma Whitney, she was so random it could be anything.
"Santana, sorry this is really important, so I'm gonna need your help. I need to go help my parents out with something. Rachel's working, Mercedes is also working, Sugar is Sugar and Tina's away on that trip with Mike and his parents. I don't know who else will babysit on such short notice. You don't mind babysitting Valentino and Lord Tubbington today, do you?"
"I don't need a babysitter! I'm not a baby!" Valentino piped up as his mom just stroked his brown hair softly in response, looking amused while Santana rolled her eyes, smirking.
"Okay, Big Boy. I um… Yeah, no big deal. Don't you worry, of course I'll watch the little rascals, Britt. We'll have a great time." Santana shrugged as his mom rushed around, all nervous and flustered about whatever she was doing.
"Oh thank you! You're sweet," Mommy kissed her on the cheek softly while Valentino turned to glare at the darker-haired woman sharply with a slight frown. "You know where everything is around here, right? Don't forget, Lord Tubbington needs to be fed on the dot or he'll get super grumpy. Don't let him eat anymore Arby's though; he knows he's not allowed. You need to brush him, okay? Val needs to be at school by eight-thirty. His lunch box is on the counter. He needs to be in bed by eight and don't let him get overtired. I'll be back tonight as soon as I can."
Mommy grabbed her handbag, fixing her hair in the mirror and put on her heels. Valentino ran up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and clinging to her.
"You're going already, Mommy?!"
"Aw, I'll be back before you know it, Sweetie. Please be a good boy for your mami, okay?" She whispered as she leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. He huffed, protesting this. "Give her instructions if she needs help. Pretty please, for me? Don't cry, Honeybunch."
"But I- I can't stay with her. She looks like the monster who lives in my closet!"
Santana groaned, rolling her eyes again as his mom burst into laughter at that.
"Real funny, Wise Guy. You really got me. How about this: if I'm the monster then that makes you the baby monster. How 'bout that?" The black-haired woman retorted with a smirk.
"No! No no no!"
"Oh I don't know, maybe she really is the monster in your closet," His mom mused. "I think she's just protecting you and scaring the other monsters away. So that's what she does in her free time when she's not with me. Santana, you have some explaining to do."
Even Santana couldn't seem to help smiling at that quip from her as Valentino giggled.
"You're so funny, Mommy!"
He watched from behind the corner later as Santana went up to his mom when she was about to leave. They both glanced around, as if they were making sure he couldn't see them then Santana kissed her for a moment, putting her arms around her. Valentino frowned, pouting.
"You're sweet but I really have to go," His mom whispered, their lips barely separating and their bodies still pressed close together. Valentino heard a car honking from the driveway and what sounded like Grandma and Grandpa's voices. "Are you really sure you're okay with babysitting? I know this is a lot. Call me if you need anything, okay?"
"It's nothing, I can handle the little guy and your cat for one day. In fact, I'm kind of honoured that you'd let me do this, Britt. You just focus on what you're doing and let me run things here."
She kissed the darker-haired woman on the cheek one more time, waving to her as she left and winking. After Mommy left, Valentino's eyes met Santana's own. Her dark eyes held a playful look to them. He stuck out his tongue at her and she playfully poked him in the cheek as she walked by, which infuriated him even more. He ran at her and she pushed him back by the forehead, keeping her arm extended to keep him away from her.
"You- you suck!"
"You seriously can't expect me to be threatened when you're so small and adorable. Alright, I get it, Dimples. So we've established that you hate my guts. Let me give you a tip. If you're going to insult someone, you gotta be better than that. Be a little creative. You gotta make them cry."
"What do you mean?"
Now he was intrigued. It was really funny how Santana came up with nicknames for everyone.
"So if you're gonna insult someone, you gotta go for the jugular."
"What's the juggler?"
"How the hell should I know? The neck or something. The point is, you gotta hit them where it hurts. So look for something they're really insecure about and focus on that. You gotta make it funny too though."
"Okay," He thought about it for a moment. "What are you insecure about?"
"Ha, as if I'd tell you that, Kid, even if I did have something. I have nothing to be insecure about so it won't work on me. Now go get dressed for school."
Valentino stayed hidden in his room under the bed with Lord Tubbington beside him. He couldn't stop giggling when Santana walked all around the room and couldn't find him so she just started cursing and knocking things over.
"Ouch! Blasted Hot Wheels goddamnit!" She hissed as she tripped on the lineup of cars by his bed then shrieked when she stepped on his action figures. "What is it with this boy and cars?"
Of course, all of that giggling made it pretty easy for her to find him.
"Found you."
"I'm not here!"
Santana gave him a look with one eyebrow arched, not amused. She crawled toward them, looking under the bed. Valentino and Lord Tubbington both hissed at her.
"Hilarious, Cat Boy. Alright, I know it sucks but you have to go to school because your mom wants you to. We're late as hell already so hop to it."
He looked up at her nervously, not moving. She stared at him with her hands on her hips but her face softened.
"What's up? You don't want to go to school?"
"No!" He put on the crocodile tears, throwing himself on the ground and yelling. Santana slapped her palm over her face, sighing heavily.
"Nope. Behave right now." Santana told him firmly, in that deep, scary voice she sometimes used. Valentino was so shocked by her ordering him around that he stopped crying and just stared at her with his jaw dropped. He was always accustomed to getting his way, so this wasn't what he expected.
"F-fine. You're a witch!" He whined.
"What was that?" She looked at him with those burning black eyes and spoke with a tone of voice that made him stand a little straighter. "Put away your toys and get your blue shoes on. Now."
"Yes, Ma'am."
When he was done, Santana was still standing there looking around in boredom.
"I still don't want to go and you can't make me."
"So sassy today, Mister. What's so bad about school? You're six. What do you have to worry about anyway, you're gonna nap the whole time and hang onto monkey bars. It'll be the best time of your life."
"I don't take naps! That's for babies and I'm six going on seven!"
"Oh, my bad," Santana muttered, rolling her eyes. "Okay so what's the real deal? Some ugly, weak brat pushing you around?"
"No way! I'm the toughest boy!"
"Really?" She looked at him like she didn't believe him. "Then why were you hiding under your bed, Scaredy Cat?"
"Okay, yeah," He admitted eventually and then he sighed, casting his gaze downward. "How did you know?"
"Whoa, someone's actually bullying you? Why didn't you say anything to your mom about this?" She huffed, clenching her fists at her sides. "How dare these little twerps lay a hand on my little boy."
Her calling him "her boy" made him feel warm and happy somehow despite how confused he had been lately.
"It's really embarrassing. I don't wanna be a weak loser. Plus Mommy gets all sad if I tell her I'm in fights, so please don't tell her."
Santana nodded, a serious look on her face. She frowned, her lips tightening and her brows drawn together.
"I get where you're coming from, I would have felt the same but Valentino you could never be a weak loser - you're a Lopez. That means you're a prince; it's in your blood. Don't let those peasants at your school shove you around. That cut on your face - that wasn't just an accident this time, was it?"
He nodded. It was typical for him to get covered in bruises from playing rough but he hadn't wanted Mommy to know the truth about this one.
"Those little fu- I mean those little brats. Show me the little bastard who has been messing with you and I'll make him wish he was never born!"
"You would?"
He was tough, sure but the thought of his badass mother protecting him felt good. It felt like no one would ever be able to touch him if she was watching over him.
"Of course I would. You're my son and even if you weren't by blood, I will always protect you, cariño. Don't you ever forget it."
Before he knew what was happening she pulled him into a crushing hug and he pressed his face against her leather jacket, a few tears sliding down his cheeks. It was the first time she had ever held him. She ran her fingers through his soft brown curls and he closed his eyes, clinging to her. Unlike his mommy's flowery scent, Santana's smell was rich and reminded him of the forests Mommy had taken him hiking through.
"Thanks, Mami."
It was the first time he had ever called her that and he felt her tremble against him. Her voice was softer than he had ever heard it when she responded.
"Mami, huh?" She whispered in a shaky breath. "I can't believe I get to hold you in my arms for the first time. Do you… do you really want me to be your other mom, V?"
He nodded against her, clinging to her more tightly. When she looked at him again, cupping his cheek and wiping away a tear with the pad of her thumb, he had never seen her black eyes look so shiny and soft. She seemed like she was happy yet terrified.
"Good because I want that so badly. I'd love to be your Mami if you'd let me."
"Really?"
"You're my baby boy," She told him, kissing his forehead. "I know we've been fighting a lot but let me tell you something, I love you, Angel and I love your mommy. I love you both more than anything and I'm not going to leave you."
He couldn't say anything, stunned as he closed his eyes for a second, breathing in her leathery, woodsy scent that was so comforting now. She really was his other mom and she loved them. Everything suddenly felt all better and his worries were disappearing the longer she held him.
"Now about that little brat who's messing with you, I think you just need to learn how to fight," Her lips curved upward into a smirk, whirling around to face him. "Here, come at me with all you got. Show me."
"Huh?"
He wasn't expecting this but he eventually complied as Santana gestured for him to come closer.
"What? I thought I had a little boy, not a dainty little thing. You can do better than that. Really hit me, c'mon. Punch me like I'm that bully you don't like," He growled and really smacked her in the face this time. He backed away when her eyes widened, expecting her to be angry with him but she only smirked and turned proud eyes on him. "Okay, now that was good. That's how you punch like a badass. We'll work on it. We'll get you some boxing lessons so you can protect your mommy even better, right?"
"Yeah!" He shouted excitedly. "I wanna do boxing!"
"So you wanna be the coolest, most popular kid?"
"Yeah!"
"Then you've come to the master. I'll teach you everything you need to know about being popular and getting cute girls. So another thing, cats on your shirt? You gotta be a little more badass."
She rummaged through his cupboard, finding a black shirt and tossed that to him.
"Okay!" He shouted back to her, putting on the shirt and then gasped, alarmed when he looked at his bright red and blue watch. "Oh no! I'm so late for school!"
"Oh to hell with it, we're already late. If those frumpy, old as hell teachers have a problem with it and wanna say anything to you, I'm gonna go all Lima Heights on them. Let's go."
He nodded, following her out into the garage.
"What's Lima Heights? You're always talking about it."
"What's Lima Heights, he asks…only the most dangerous place on earth. Kids these days. You're lucky your mommy kept you far away from that place."
His eyes lit up when he saw where she was leading him.
"I get to ride on your motorcycle?"
"Of course," She put on his helmet for him, making sure he was strapped in tightly. "So the other thing is, you can't let people know you're all impressed by stuff. You gotta play it cool, acting like you don't care. That's how you make people think you're cool."
He squealed excitedly as she sat him behind her and secured him to her then he screamed practically the whole way there.
"That was so much fun!" He declared, punching the air when she helped him get down.
All the kids on the playground were staring at him in awe when he showed up with her. A blond mean boy with long hair and pale skin was pointing at him and snickering to his friends. Mami kneeled down and whispered to him, frowning at the other kids.
"Hey, is that the one? That's the little troll who's been tormenting you?"
"Yeah."
"What's his name?"
"Jude Fabray."
"Fabray? Wait a minute, I know that cold-hearted smirk anywhere. That's Quinn's son. Of course he's a little jerk, he learned it right from the original bitch herself."
After a while, she seemed to get fed up with the boy jeering at him and marched up to him.
"Alright, that does it. No one messes with my son. Hey you, Dennis the Menace, you got something to say?"
The little boy practically fell back on his butt, looking up at the woman with wide, terrified goldish-green eyes as he whimpered. The other kids around him all began laughing at him instead of Valentino.
"Oh, you're all quiet now, huh? If you're gonna mess with Valentino again, you're in big trouble with me. Got that? Nod if you understand me."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"That's what I thought."
"Everyone is scared of you, Mami!" Val gushed, running up to her as she swaggered away. "This is so cool!"
His mommy so pretty and always felt comforting to have around but when Santana was by his side it was a little different. He felt powerful like he was with a superhero - or maybe a supervillain in her case with special powers or maybe a warrior who would always watch out for him.
"Yeah, of course they are. You bet. All in a day's work. Okay well, gotta go now, okay. I'll be back to pick you up. Be good."
She turned around to look at him again, noticing that he was still standing there staring up at her silently. She smirked, shaking her head as if knowing what he wanted when none of his friends could see and leaned in, quickly kissing his cheek after pulling him into one more bear hug. She gently tapped his chest on the area where Mommy told him his heart was.
"Hey, you're strong and brave. I know you are, okay? Your name means strength. Don't let anyone push you around," She reached around behind her, unclasping a necklace he didn't realize she was wearing. It was thin and gold with a simple, flat, heart-shaped pendant. "This is yours from now on. A heart for the Valentine's Day baby. It's my protection necklace."
He stared up at her in awe as she put the necklace on him. He loved jewelry especially gold and hearts so much ever since he could remember. It looked so cool. Everyone was going to be jealous of him.
"Really? I can keep it?" He gasped. "You like hearts too?"
"Always did. I want you to have it," She ruffled his hair, laughing as he got all happy about that and danced around. "That's real gold by the way. Take good care of that for me, Little Guy. See you soon."