Standing on a Precipice - Chapter Seventeen
Title: Standing on a Precipice
Author: Sio & Maura!
Rating: Up to NC-17 for later chapters
Length: 67,614 / 141,873
Spoilers: Possible mentions of up to Season 2 finale
Pairing: Rachel/Santana, Rachel/Jesse, Santana/OC
Summary: From a prompt given via Sio's tumblr ask box. Rachel and Jesse are married with children, but Jesse is slowly dying from cancer. Enter Santana, lonely and divorced but highly successful and willing to befriend the beleaguered mother. When Jesse passes and Rachel starts depending more and more on Santana's friendship, will they stay just friends or can it blossom into something more? Future!Fic.
Warnings (highlight to read): Pregnancy, character death, angst, children, non-con and drugging and talks there of in later chapters
Chapter Seventeen - Normal
Rachel just laid in the bed for a moment staring at the ceiling after she reached over and carefully flipped off the soft chirping of her alarm clock. She still hadn’t quite accustomed herself to waking up in the still slightly strange room instead of her bedroom in the house she’d shared for only a short time with her husband before he’d become too ill to stay at home. At least the bed is still the same, she thought to herself idly as she rolled onto her side and ran her hand lightly over the cotton sheets.
When she heard the soft sounds of Alex beginning to fuss himself awake, she sighed softly and pulled herself from the warm embrace of the bed that was trying to lure her back to sleep. Picking up her robe from where it hung over the footboard, she slipped it on as she crossed the room. when she reached the cradle, she smiled down at the baby boy gurgling and reaching up to her before she reached in and lifted him into her arms.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” she cooed softly, carrying him over to the rocking chair in the corner that once held a place in the living room of their smaller house.
She rocked gently as she undid her shirt and freed a breast for him to latch onto. Humming softly, she watched him feed with a quiet smile, carefully brushing his fine hair with her hand as he cupped her breast sleepily sucking. She cherished these quiet moments with her baby when everyone else was asleep and it was just the two of them. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her other children or being around Santana, but there was just something special about sharing the moment with her infant the same as she had with first Kayla then Cale when they were little. She’d rarely shared morning feedings even with Jesse, it was something that was solely hers and her baby’s to share.
“You’re going to be a big, strong man someday, sweetheart,” she whispered as he switched to the other breast with a little burp, “and you’re going to make your father very proud. I wish he could have lived long enough to see you, Alex. He would have been so happy to see how healthy you are, how strong.” She chuckled softly, “The way you can calm Santana down when she’s in a bad mood just by reaching for her. You would never believe it if you could have seen her when we were in high school together. She loves you so much, sweetheart.”
He finished eating, letting go of her breast with a sleepy yawn. She jiggled him a little, shifting him around to get a cloth out of the pocket of her robe and wiping off her mouth and cleaning of the traces that had leaked as he’d fed. When he started fussing, she spread the cloth over her shoulder and carefully held him up, supporting him against her shoulder and rubbed his back until he burped, a bit of spit up going onto the cloth. Chuckling softly, she cleaned him up and tossed the cloth into the hamper in the corner.
“Do you want to go snuggle with your Santana, sweetie?” She asked as she stood, walking towards the door, smiling when she heard him gurgle happily, head resting on her shoulder, “That’s right, Alex, you like snuggling with Santana in the morning, don’t you?”
She eased the door open and made her way down the hall to Santana’s room, carefully easing the door open and peeking inside and ensuring her best friend was still sleeping, curled on her side, one arm wrapped around a pillow and cuddling it close. She smiled and placed a finger to her lips as she turned to look at the baby nestled against her shoulder, “Hush now, sweetheart, we don’t want to wake her yet.”
She stole into the room and carefully lifted Santana’s arm from around the pillow, urging her with gently nudges to roll onto her back before letting Alex nestle against her chest. He yawned sleepily, one hand curling up to ball under his chin as he snuggled into her. Rachel smiled softly to see Santana’s arms instinctively come up to cradle him against her. She loved the way her best friend had taken to her children and couldn’t help herself from admiring the sight of the two newest members of her family cuddling as she carefully brushed black hair from Santana’s tanned, sleeping face.
Finally, she made her way out of the room, carefully closing the door as quietly as she could before stepping into the children’s room. Crossing to the bunkbeds, she crouched beside Cale’s lower bunk and gently shook his shoulder, “Hey, little man, time to wake up.”
Cale moaned softly and stretched with a sleepy grumble, “Don’ wanna get up, Mama.”
“I know, sweetie,” Rachel smiled softly as she brushed his sleep tousled hair away from his sleepy face, “but you wanted to go into work with Santana today, remember?”
It was like a switch was flicked on. Suddenly, he was scouring at his eyes with tiny fists, sitting up in his bed with his favorite Batman spread on it. “Yes, Mama. Work with Santa!”
“Hush now, your sister is still sleeping, but you can go clean up and start getting dressed while I make breakfast, okay?” He nodded and clambered from the bed, noisily rustling in his drawers for the special black sleeveless undershirt with the bright yellow bat logo emblazoned on the front that had been a birthday gift a month earlier. Rachel could only chuckle and follow him out as he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. “Are you okay cleaning up alone?”
He nodded, “I big boy, Mama!”
“Not a very big boy just yet, little man,” she teased, tousling his hair as she ran water into the sink for him and pulled the step-stool out from under the sink for him. Watching as he got up to the sink and started washing his face and and brushing his teeth - offering the occasional bit of help but generally letting him do most of it alone - she offered a gentle admonishment about the coming day. “I want you to be extra good for Santana, Caleb,” he watched her in the mirror, earnestly scrubbing his teeth with his little toothbrush and nodding. His mother rarely ever called him by his full first name, so he paid extra attention, “You listen to what she says and do what she tells you, understand? I don’t want to hear about how you were misbehaving at her work, young man. If I do, you won’t be going with her again, understand?”
He spat into the sink, “Yes, Mama. I be good.” He smiled hopefully up at his mom who laughed and picked up a washcloth to clean away the frothy leftover toothpaste circling his mouth and oozing down his chin.
“That’s my little man,” she helped him down from the stool and drained and rinse the sink, “now go get dressed to go to work with Santana while I wake your sister and make breakfast, okay?”
“‘kay, Mama. Can wake Santa?” He asked, eyes bright.
Rachel shook her head, amused, “Only after you’re dressed and breakfast is ready. She needs her rest and Alex is sleeping with her right now.”
He nodded and ran back to his room. Rolling her eyes at her rambunctious son, she finished cleaning up the bathroom and headed back into the room, glancing at where Cale was rummaging in the closet, tugging down his dress pants. She stepped over to give him a hand getting the blue dress shirt he was having trouble with before moving to the bunk-beds and gently shaking Kayla’s shoulder. “Time to wake up and get dressed, little star.”
Kayla groaned and rolled over, her back to her mom, pulling her cover over her eyes, “No.”
“You have to get up, sweetheart. You have school today,” Rachel sighed, tugging on the cover. “Santana’s taking you, remember?”
“Don’t wanna go with Santi.”
It was going to be one of those mornings. She barely suppressed a groan as she managed to pull the cover back from her recalcitrant child, “Why not?”
“Want Daddy to take me.” Kayla pouted up at her, blinking blearily against the light as Cale jumped up and flicked it on.
“Sweetie, Daddy can’t take you to school anymore. He died, remember?” Rachel smiled sadly, gently stroking her hair, “He can’t be with us any longer now. That’s why Santana’s taking you to school, little star.”
“I want Daddy, Mama, not Santi!” The little girl’s face twisted up as tears welled in her blue eyes, “I don’t like Santi!”
Rachel sighed softly, encouraging the little girl to climb out of bed, “You like Santana, Kayla. You’ll hurt her feelings if you tell her you don’t like her.”
“But I don’t like her! She made Daddy go away.” Kayla pouted, resisting her mother’s attempts to get her dressed.
“She didn’t make Daddy go away, sweetie. Daddy was tired and couldn’t stay any longer and he died. It wasn’t Santana’s fault,” her mother explained as she chose a couple of shirts and pants for her daughter to wear, setting them out on the little table in the corner. “Now choose what you want to wear to school.”
Kayla came over with a thunderous frown on her little face, picking the blue top with the bear on it and faded jeans, taking them back to the beds. “It was too. She took me away and Daddy left. She didn’t let me stay!”
Rachel rubbed at her forehead. She couldn’t deal with this so early. “Kayla, listen to me. Neither Santana nor anyone else was the cause of Daddy dying and going away. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, sweetheart. He was sick, you remember how sick he was. And he just got too sick to make better any more. I’m sorry, little star.”
Kayla looked up at her mom with a sad expression twisting her little face as she pulled on her clothes, “I miss Daddy, Mama.”
“I know, baby girl. I miss him too. I miss him so much,” she knelt before her daughter and hugged her tight, “But we still have each other, okay? And I am going to do everything I can to be with you for a long time. Now get dressed and help Cale and I’ll make French toast for breakfast, okay?”
Kayla nodded, letting go of her mom and starting to get dressed in earnest, going over to help her brother button up his dress shirt and straighten his collar. Confident in her children’s ability to help each other and come find her if they needed more advanced help, Rachel made her way out into the kitchen, gathering the ingredients for French toast. As she cooked, she glanced at the clock with a tiny smile. One advantage of being Santana’s official assistant was that she could schedule her meetings and such to not occur until a more reasonable hour, giving her time to sleep and eat breakfast with the children before leaving.
She was just finishing the first batch of vegan french toast - normally she’d just make it with eggs, but the children had professed a preference for the vegan style with bananas when she made it their first morning living in Santana’s house, so it had become her go to recipe - when Cale came into the kitchen, clearing his throat noisily before posing with his thumbs hooked in the straps of his suspenders. She gave a low whistle, “Wow, little man, aren’t you spiffy? Who taught you to look so fancy?”
“Daddy and Santa,” he grinned, coming over to hug her leg, “French toas’, Mama?”
She gently tousled his hair before carefully smoothing it down again, “That’s right, French toast, little man.” She slipped him a piece of fried crust that had broke off while it was cooking, “Think Santana will be happy?”
“Santa lots happy, Mama.” He grinned toothily, “‘nanas?”
She nodded with a soft chuckle, “Definitely with bananas. I’m almost done if you want to go wake Santana now?”
“Can I?” His eyes were big and excited.
“Yes,” he took off down the hall in a clatter of polished dress shoes on the wood almost as soon as the word left her mouth, causing her to call out after him, “but be careful not to be too loud and wake your brother!”
Cale carefully twisted the knob on Santana’s door and walked the door open, hanging onto the knob. He tiptoed as best he could with his good shoes on over to the bed and grabbed onto the side of the mattress, pulling himself up and hooking his shoes onto the side of the bed to help him wiggle up until he got himself up on the bed. He grinned at Santana and his baby brother, both sleeping quietly, apparently unaware of their impending wake up call.
He carefully pressed his lips to his brother’s fuzzy head, whispering, “You stay sleep, ‘lex. Mama sayed.”
Then, well, if they hadn’t watched Sleeping Beauty the night before, things might have gone differently, but he decided that Santana looked enough like the sleeping princess to need a similar wake up call. He planted both hands carefully on her cheeks and leaned in to press a slightly sticky kiss to her lips, pulling away to peer down at her with a cheeky grin. “Santa wake now? We go work?”
Santana mumbled, not fully awake yet, but no longer sleeping since she had her face grabbed by two tiny hands. “No. Wanna sleep.” She mumbled softly turning her head to nuzzle the baby fuzz on Alex’s head. “Lemme sleep.” She tried to continue to sleep, though the lingering feeling of being watched and the warm, comforting smell of breakfast began ticking her nose. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times.
She had only gone to bed a few hours ago, after finishing working, then working out in the tiny gym typed set up in the basement of her home she had fallen asleep around 3:30am. It was now 6:45. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping, Cale?” Santana rasped, her voice thick with sleep as she wrapped one of her arms around his waist.
“Uh-uh,” he replied, snuggling into her not often getting permission to come and wake her up, “Go work now. Promised, Santa.” He placed a wet kiss on her cheek with a fairly loud smack sound, “Mama maked French toas’. Come eats?”
She nodded, sitting up slightly and giving him a warm one armed hug. “Morning.” she closed her eyes and enjoyed the waking up to her two boys that meant everything to her in her arms. “Okay buddy. I’m gonna get dressed you go make sure momma made Santa coffee, okay? We’s can’t start the day without coffee, right?” she smiled, kissing his head as he jumped off the bed. “You look sharp.” She smiled, she commented as she took in his attire.
He did his little pose again, thumbs hooked into his suspenders, arms akimbo and little feet in their polished black shoes set shoulder width apart, looking for all the world like something from out of GQ. If all the models had turned into toddlers. He grinned toothily up at Santana. “Mama sayed I spiffy. Go work now?”
“Totally spiffy.” she smiled, sitting up and cradling Alex to her chest. “I gotta go get spiffy now, so go have breakfast and I'll come out soon. Tell mama that Alex is sleeping in my bed still all safe and sound, okay?” She settled the baby into a space in between two bed pillows on her bed to make sure he stayed on his back. She kissed Cale’s head and turned him around to the door and swatted hit butt playfully. “Go on.” She laughed and watched him scamper out as she headed into her bathroom and quickly showered.
After taking a lightening fast shower, drying her hair and fastening it into a ponytail that rested on the base of her neck and left curled tendrils flowing down her back before she headed into her closet and grabbed her tight grey sleeveless dress and slipped it on with black heels. She picked up her black jacket and her bag and slung it over her shoulder before leaning down and picking up Alex. “Still sleeping.” She smiled holding him on her lap as she applied some eyeliner and foundation to her face.
The baby boy curled into her with a content gurgle, one little hand fisting a handful of her dress as he slept nuzzled against her. He was content and easy sitting with her, head resting against her chest as she applied her makeup. Rachel knocked on the door and poked her head in, smiling to see the two of them.
“You look very attractive today, Santana.” She commented, coming over and pulling a couple of tendrils of hair from her dress, smiling at her best friend over her shoulder in the mirror, “Planning on making Tobias jealous again? There is French toast on the table for you when you’re ready and according to your schedule, your first meeting isn’t until nine and Ajay will be arriving at eight, so you have plenty of time to eat with us. I warn you that Cale is entirely excited about getting to spend the day at work with you, to the point where he even chose his own outfit. But if he gets to be too much, you can always call me to come and pick him up.”
She stepped to Santana’s side and gently brushed her fingers over the soft downy hair on Alex’s head, “He does love being with you. Shall I take him and go put him back to bed now?”
She pouted, “I loves my morning baby cuddles.” She looked up her long eyelashes perfecting her pathetic gaze at her friend through the mirror. She handed the baby back to his mother and turned back to the mirror. She put some mascara on and finished her attempt at perfection before grabbing her perfume as she stood up. She walked into her bathroom, “Oh, you’re eldest son?” she called out from the other room. “Totally first based me when I was sleeping.” She came out with the faint essence of vanilla following her. “Yep, totally kissed me.” She smirked, “I will teach him my player ways.” she winked at Rachel before heading to the kitchen.
“Morning, Munchkins.” She smiled, “How are you today Kayla?” Santana headed over to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup of coffee and drained almost half of it before refilling it. She hovered over the table, her dress still super stiff and tight from the cleaners to sit.
Rachel could only shake her head in mild bemusement and follow Santana out. “Santana, I truly hope you didn’t mean that. Three is a little young to be learning such behavior and you are definitely going to be the one explaining the lessons of the birds and the bees to him if you insist on instructing him in that fashion.”
Kayla glanced up at Santana and frowned before turning back to her cereal having refused to eat French toast with everyone else, otherwise completely ignoring the taller woman. Rachel rolled her eyes with a sigh, “Kayla, Santana asked you a question.”
“I’m fine,” she groused, stuffing a spoon full of Cheerios into her mouth.
“Don’t mind her, she’s just being grumpy this morning.” Rachel reassured, picking up the plate of French toast she’d prepared for Santana and handing it to her before moving to prepare her coffee. “Also, much like the children, if you don’t eat, no treat.” She held up the mug, taking a sip from it with a teasing grin.
She looked at the girl sadly, “Okay. Kayla.” She didn’t like how the girl just spoke to her, she had never talked to her like that and she never dismissed the Latina before. She turned to Rachel when she took the mug from her hands. Santana looked shocked, “Woman. I will bite you.” She threatened as she reached out for her coffee. “Mine.” She said possessively as she reached out for the coffee. When Rachel held strong she pouted and took the plate. “Stubbles, you’re walking a thin line.” she narrowed her eyes and took two bites before turning back to her indignantly. “I do believe this is mine.” she took the mug back and held it tightly.
Rachel raised a disbelieving eyebrow, displeased, “Santana Lopez, I may have grown older and matured quite a bit, but I am entirely certain that my hearing has not failed me yet. I suppose it is possible that I may have simply had an unfortunately timed flashback to high school, since you most certainly did not just insult me in front of my children.”
Kayla looked between her mildly irate mother and Santana with wide eyes. She’d never seen her mother look that irritated with the Latina in the entire time she’d known the other woman. It was fascinating in a way, though it also reminded her unpleasantly of how her mom used to argue with her daddy. Her chest felt tight and she wanted the strong arms of her daddy to wrap around her an pick her up again but she didn’t know how to say it. So she just sat there, feeling uncomfortable and determinedly munching on her cereal.
Cale finished the last bit of his French toast and bounced in his high chair. “No mean, Mama! All done! Go work now!”
Santana looked down into her cup, not really sure when playful teasing crossed a line. “Sorry.” She mumbled forgoing the rest of her breakfast and getting up and grabbing her stuff. She walked back into her bedroom calling out as she left the table, “I’m leaving in 8 minutes, please be ready to go.” She sat down on her bed and nursed her coffee, leaning over and grabbing a few pill bottles from her night side table. She looked at the labels and took two and put them back and took pills out of the remaining three.
Rachel sighed, “Kayla, watch your brother.” She set the plate she’d picked up back down and walked down the hall to Santana’s room. Knocking softly on the door, she leaned inside with a concerned expression, “Can I come in?”
Santana looked up, counting out her medications in her palm and clapping them into her mouth, “Yeah. You live here too.” She shrugged, “Look I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” she washed her pills down with her coffee.
She came in and sat on the bed next to Santana, “I know you didn’t, Santana.” She let her hand rest on her friend’s leg, gently squeezing, “and if we were alone, it wouldn’t even be a problem, but I truly cannot be okay with you using those sorts of nicknames with me in front of them. They need to know that we trust and respect each other, even when we’re angry, so we can’t insult each other or fight in front of them. Okay?”
Rachel knew it was a hard adjustment, getting used to being around children all the time, but she believed in her friend. “You can tease me. I don’t even mind if you call me Midget or Hobbit, Santana, because I don’t believe you mean it maliciously. And besides, I am rather small.” She leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to the side of her friend’s head, “But the transgender nicknames? I’m sorry, but I can’t tolerate those in front of them. Please understand. I can’t be put into a position of explaining to their teachers why they declare that you call me things like that. Because people who don’t know us - don’t know our past - will not understand, Santana.”
“Stubbles is making fun of Trans people?” Santana asked, her face scrunching up in confusion. “Damn. Quinn was really mean with coming up with them...” She said mostly to herself, as she finished her coffee. “I’m sorry... I’m... mornings are bad for me. I didn’t sleep much and I forgot to take my medications before I came out,” she looked at the floor before biting her lip. “I know it’s not an excuse. I’m sorry, okay.”
Rachel smiled at her friend softly, leaning over to look up into her eyes, “Hey, I understand. I have bad mornings too, just like everyone else. I’m not mad at you, Santana. I just need you to understand what’s okay, alright? I don’t mind the nicknames, I truly don’t, because I don’t believe you mean anything mean by them. All I’m asking is you avoid the more potentially problematic ones in front of the children, that’s all.”
She gently rubbed Santana’s knee, “It’s an adjustment, living with children, but I’m certain you’ll come through with flying colors. You’re my best friend, Santana Lopez. I don’t know if I’d be able to do all this without you. But, speaking of your medications, since we do have little ones scampering about underfoot, could you please keep them in your medicine cabinet or at least lock the drawer they’re in? I don’t want to risk the children getting into them and I don’t think you want to lock them out of your room either.”
“Shit.” Santana exclaimed, laying back on her bed and opening the drawer and grabbing the five containers from the drawer. “I’m so stupid.” She apologized, sitting up and getting off the bed grabbing a set of keys out of the dresser drawer. “I would kill myself if anything happened to them because of me...” She said as she unlocked the other drawer in her dresser, which from Rachel vantage point contained several items of the adult variety. She threw the bottles into the drawer and closed it, locking it once more and putting the keys back into where they came from. “Okay. Locked.”
Rachel couldn’t help the light blush spreading over her cheeks at the glimpse of the items Santana kept in her locked drawer, but she tried to ignore it, “Thank you, Santana, I appreciate it.” She stood and wrapped her arms around Santana’s waist, hugging her tight, “And you’re not stupid, Santana. You’re simply unused to living so close to children. You’ll adjust. I believe in you. Now,” she pulled back to smile up at her friend, “I believe you have a slice of French toast to finish and,” she glanced at the clock beside the bed, “a half hour until Ajay arrives. Please eat?”
“I can try.” She said rolling her neck and picking up her mug. She headed out to the kitchen and refilled her mug and looked in the fridge grabbing the kid’s lunches. “Kayla, I made you hummus and cucumber sandwich, like you like, for lunch with a vegan brownie your mom made the other night, and, Cale, you’re having bananas and almond butter.” She put the lunch boxes on the counter and grabbed the reusable bottles and filled them both with apple juice and threw an ice pack in both.
Kayla grumbled something that sounded vaguely like “thank you”, but it wasn’t clear, which irritated Rachel when she overheard her as she came in.
“Kayla, what have I told you about manners? I don’t particularly care if you are sleepy and grumpy, you will apologize to Santana and thank her properly, do you understand, young lady?”
The little girl grimaced but nodded, clearly displeased with being pulled up short. “I’m sorry, Santi. Thank you for making my lunch.” Neither her behavior nor her tone were exactly pleasing Rachel, but she let it slide this once with a tight lipped grimace as she got Cale cleaned up and out of his chair.
“Santana, your breakfast, please?” She glanced at the other woman with a raised brow, “Just eat the one piece and I’ll make you a travel mug of coffee to take with you.” She offered a slightly teasing smirk, “I’ll even promise to make black bean enchiladas for dinner tonight if you do.”
She smiled and nodded eating a bit with a wink to Cale. She ate most of it and looked at the clock. “Alright, ninos let’s bounce and let mama do whatever it is I pay her to do.” She smiled getting up and sliding on her suit jacket, followed by her sleek leather jacket before helping Cale on with his and slipping his lunch in his backpack followed by doing the same with Kayla’s.
Rachel crouched down and kissed Kayla’s cheek, straightening her pink jacket. “You be good in school today, sweetheart, and please be nicer to Santana. She has been nothing but sweet to you and you’re being mean.”
Kayla slumped slightly, “I’m sorry, Mama.”
She kissed her daughter’s head, “Don’t be sorry, little star, do better.” Letting Kayla head over to the door, she moved to Cale and carefully fixed the cowlick standing up on the back of his curly head, “And you had best be a perfect gentleman for Santana.”
He nodded eyes bright and tiny hands wrapped around the straps of his backpack - he’d been so excited to get to go to the store with Santana and buy one with Batman boldly emblazoned on the back, “I be good, Mama. Promise.”
“I know you will, little man, go wait with your sister now,” she let him run over to stand with Kayla who was fidgeting by the door before straightening and smiling at Santana, “And you, young lady,” she rose up on tiptoes at kissed Santana’s cheek, not noticing the scowl that developed on her daughter’s face as she did, “have a good day at work. I’ll bring Alex by with lunch for you and Cale - because he will go through that one you packed before the morning is out - and tomorrow’s schedule to approve around one, okay?”
Santana nodded, her eye catching Kayla’s scowl. She smiled softly, “I wants sushi.” She said simply, “Veggie sushi but I still wants it.” She smirked and pulled away, “You better get to work, I might tell your boss you were slacking off all morning in your robe.” she played with the lapel of the terrycloth before sticking her tongue out and heading to the door with the children. “Hasta luego.” She waved as she ushered the little ones out to the car. Ajay was waiting and high-fived each child before helping them both get in their respective booster seats. Once Santana got into the black towncar he closed the door and smiled brightly at Rachel.
“I’ll keep them safe,” He stated, his accent a thick mix of Brooklyn and Indian. “See you at noon, ma’am?”
“Don’t worry, Santana, I’ll take the robe off before too long.” Rachel chuckled, waving at the rest of her family as they got in the car, “Thank you, Ajay. I know you will. And yes, I would appreciate a ride in to the office at noon, thank you for thinking of me.”
She waved at them again as he nodded and climbed back into the car, starting it up and pulling away. Once they turned the corner and she couldn’t see them any more, she stepped back inside to begin cleaning up from breakfast and get to work on Santana’s schedule for tomorrow as well as lunch for the little family.
Chapter Eighteen
Author: Sio & Maura!
Rating: Up to NC-17 for later chapters
Length: 67,614 / 141,873
Spoilers: Possible mentions of up to Season 2 finale
Pairing: Rachel/Santana, Rachel/Jesse, Santana/OC
Summary: From a prompt given via Sio's tumblr ask box. Rachel and Jesse are married with children, but Jesse is slowly dying from cancer. Enter Santana, lonely and divorced but highly successful and willing to befriend the beleaguered mother. When Jesse passes and Rachel starts depending more and more on Santana's friendship, will they stay just friends or can it blossom into something more? Future!Fic.
Warnings (highlight to read): Pregnancy, character death, angst, children, non-con and drugging and talks there of in later chapters
Chapter Seventeen - Normal
Rachel just laid in the bed for a moment staring at the ceiling after she reached over and carefully flipped off the soft chirping of her alarm clock. She still hadn’t quite accustomed herself to waking up in the still slightly strange room instead of her bedroom in the house she’d shared for only a short time with her husband before he’d become too ill to stay at home. At least the bed is still the same, she thought to herself idly as she rolled onto her side and ran her hand lightly over the cotton sheets.
When she heard the soft sounds of Alex beginning to fuss himself awake, she sighed softly and pulled herself from the warm embrace of the bed that was trying to lure her back to sleep. Picking up her robe from where it hung over the footboard, she slipped it on as she crossed the room. when she reached the cradle, she smiled down at the baby boy gurgling and reaching up to her before she reached in and lifted him into her arms.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” she cooed softly, carrying him over to the rocking chair in the corner that once held a place in the living room of their smaller house.
She rocked gently as she undid her shirt and freed a breast for him to latch onto. Humming softly, she watched him feed with a quiet smile, carefully brushing his fine hair with her hand as he cupped her breast sleepily sucking. She cherished these quiet moments with her baby when everyone else was asleep and it was just the two of them. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her other children or being around Santana, but there was just something special about sharing the moment with her infant the same as she had with first Kayla then Cale when they were little. She’d rarely shared morning feedings even with Jesse, it was something that was solely hers and her baby’s to share.
“You’re going to be a big, strong man someday, sweetheart,” she whispered as he switched to the other breast with a little burp, “and you’re going to make your father very proud. I wish he could have lived long enough to see you, Alex. He would have been so happy to see how healthy you are, how strong.” She chuckled softly, “The way you can calm Santana down when she’s in a bad mood just by reaching for her. You would never believe it if you could have seen her when we were in high school together. She loves you so much, sweetheart.”
He finished eating, letting go of her breast with a sleepy yawn. She jiggled him a little, shifting him around to get a cloth out of the pocket of her robe and wiping off her mouth and cleaning of the traces that had leaked as he’d fed. When he started fussing, she spread the cloth over her shoulder and carefully held him up, supporting him against her shoulder and rubbed his back until he burped, a bit of spit up going onto the cloth. Chuckling softly, she cleaned him up and tossed the cloth into the hamper in the corner.
“Do you want to go snuggle with your Santana, sweetie?” She asked as she stood, walking towards the door, smiling when she heard him gurgle happily, head resting on her shoulder, “That’s right, Alex, you like snuggling with Santana in the morning, don’t you?”
She eased the door open and made her way down the hall to Santana’s room, carefully easing the door open and peeking inside and ensuring her best friend was still sleeping, curled on her side, one arm wrapped around a pillow and cuddling it close. She smiled and placed a finger to her lips as she turned to look at the baby nestled against her shoulder, “Hush now, sweetheart, we don’t want to wake her yet.”
She stole into the room and carefully lifted Santana’s arm from around the pillow, urging her with gently nudges to roll onto her back before letting Alex nestle against her chest. He yawned sleepily, one hand curling up to ball under his chin as he snuggled into her. Rachel smiled softly to see Santana’s arms instinctively come up to cradle him against her. She loved the way her best friend had taken to her children and couldn’t help herself from admiring the sight of the two newest members of her family cuddling as she carefully brushed black hair from Santana’s tanned, sleeping face.
Finally, she made her way out of the room, carefully closing the door as quietly as she could before stepping into the children’s room. Crossing to the bunkbeds, she crouched beside Cale’s lower bunk and gently shook his shoulder, “Hey, little man, time to wake up.”
Cale moaned softly and stretched with a sleepy grumble, “Don’ wanna get up, Mama.”
“I know, sweetie,” Rachel smiled softly as she brushed his sleep tousled hair away from his sleepy face, “but you wanted to go into work with Santana today, remember?”
It was like a switch was flicked on. Suddenly, he was scouring at his eyes with tiny fists, sitting up in his bed with his favorite Batman spread on it. “Yes, Mama. Work with Santa!”
“Hush now, your sister is still sleeping, but you can go clean up and start getting dressed while I make breakfast, okay?” He nodded and clambered from the bed, noisily rustling in his drawers for the special black sleeveless undershirt with the bright yellow bat logo emblazoned on the front that had been a birthday gift a month earlier. Rachel could only chuckle and follow him out as he made his way down the hall to the bathroom. “Are you okay cleaning up alone?”
He nodded, “I big boy, Mama!”
“Not a very big boy just yet, little man,” she teased, tousling his hair as she ran water into the sink for him and pulled the step-stool out from under the sink for him. Watching as he got up to the sink and started washing his face and and brushing his teeth - offering the occasional bit of help but generally letting him do most of it alone - she offered a gentle admonishment about the coming day. “I want you to be extra good for Santana, Caleb,” he watched her in the mirror, earnestly scrubbing his teeth with his little toothbrush and nodding. His mother rarely ever called him by his full first name, so he paid extra attention, “You listen to what she says and do what she tells you, understand? I don’t want to hear about how you were misbehaving at her work, young man. If I do, you won’t be going with her again, understand?”
He spat into the sink, “Yes, Mama. I be good.” He smiled hopefully up at his mom who laughed and picked up a washcloth to clean away the frothy leftover toothpaste circling his mouth and oozing down his chin.
“That’s my little man,” she helped him down from the stool and drained and rinse the sink, “now go get dressed to go to work with Santana while I wake your sister and make breakfast, okay?”
“‘kay, Mama. Can wake Santa?” He asked, eyes bright.
Rachel shook her head, amused, “Only after you’re dressed and breakfast is ready. She needs her rest and Alex is sleeping with her right now.”
He nodded and ran back to his room. Rolling her eyes at her rambunctious son, she finished cleaning up the bathroom and headed back into the room, glancing at where Cale was rummaging in the closet, tugging down his dress pants. She stepped over to give him a hand getting the blue dress shirt he was having trouble with before moving to the bunk-beds and gently shaking Kayla’s shoulder. “Time to wake up and get dressed, little star.”
Kayla groaned and rolled over, her back to her mom, pulling her cover over her eyes, “No.”
“You have to get up, sweetheart. You have school today,” Rachel sighed, tugging on the cover. “Santana’s taking you, remember?”
“Don’t wanna go with Santi.”
It was going to be one of those mornings. She barely suppressed a groan as she managed to pull the cover back from her recalcitrant child, “Why not?”
“Want Daddy to take me.” Kayla pouted up at her, blinking blearily against the light as Cale jumped up and flicked it on.
“Sweetie, Daddy can’t take you to school anymore. He died, remember?” Rachel smiled sadly, gently stroking her hair, “He can’t be with us any longer now. That’s why Santana’s taking you to school, little star.”
“I want Daddy, Mama, not Santi!” The little girl’s face twisted up as tears welled in her blue eyes, “I don’t like Santi!”
Rachel sighed softly, encouraging the little girl to climb out of bed, “You like Santana, Kayla. You’ll hurt her feelings if you tell her you don’t like her.”
“But I don’t like her! She made Daddy go away.” Kayla pouted, resisting her mother’s attempts to get her dressed.
“She didn’t make Daddy go away, sweetie. Daddy was tired and couldn’t stay any longer and he died. It wasn’t Santana’s fault,” her mother explained as she chose a couple of shirts and pants for her daughter to wear, setting them out on the little table in the corner. “Now choose what you want to wear to school.”
Kayla came over with a thunderous frown on her little face, picking the blue top with the bear on it and faded jeans, taking them back to the beds. “It was too. She took me away and Daddy left. She didn’t let me stay!”
Rachel rubbed at her forehead. She couldn’t deal with this so early. “Kayla, listen to me. Neither Santana nor anyone else was the cause of Daddy dying and going away. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, sweetheart. He was sick, you remember how sick he was. And he just got too sick to make better any more. I’m sorry, little star.”
Kayla looked up at her mom with a sad expression twisting her little face as she pulled on her clothes, “I miss Daddy, Mama.”
“I know, baby girl. I miss him too. I miss him so much,” she knelt before her daughter and hugged her tight, “But we still have each other, okay? And I am going to do everything I can to be with you for a long time. Now get dressed and help Cale and I’ll make French toast for breakfast, okay?”
Kayla nodded, letting go of her mom and starting to get dressed in earnest, going over to help her brother button up his dress shirt and straighten his collar. Confident in her children’s ability to help each other and come find her if they needed more advanced help, Rachel made her way out into the kitchen, gathering the ingredients for French toast. As she cooked, she glanced at the clock with a tiny smile. One advantage of being Santana’s official assistant was that she could schedule her meetings and such to not occur until a more reasonable hour, giving her time to sleep and eat breakfast with the children before leaving.
She was just finishing the first batch of vegan french toast - normally she’d just make it with eggs, but the children had professed a preference for the vegan style with bananas when she made it their first morning living in Santana’s house, so it had become her go to recipe - when Cale came into the kitchen, clearing his throat noisily before posing with his thumbs hooked in the straps of his suspenders. She gave a low whistle, “Wow, little man, aren’t you spiffy? Who taught you to look so fancy?”
“Daddy and Santa,” he grinned, coming over to hug her leg, “French toas’, Mama?”
She gently tousled his hair before carefully smoothing it down again, “That’s right, French toast, little man.” She slipped him a piece of fried crust that had broke off while it was cooking, “Think Santana will be happy?”
“Santa lots happy, Mama.” He grinned toothily, “‘nanas?”
She nodded with a soft chuckle, “Definitely with bananas. I’m almost done if you want to go wake Santana now?”
“Can I?” His eyes were big and excited.
“Yes,” he took off down the hall in a clatter of polished dress shoes on the wood almost as soon as the word left her mouth, causing her to call out after him, “but be careful not to be too loud and wake your brother!”
Cale carefully twisted the knob on Santana’s door and walked the door open, hanging onto the knob. He tiptoed as best he could with his good shoes on over to the bed and grabbed onto the side of the mattress, pulling himself up and hooking his shoes onto the side of the bed to help him wiggle up until he got himself up on the bed. He grinned at Santana and his baby brother, both sleeping quietly, apparently unaware of their impending wake up call.
He carefully pressed his lips to his brother’s fuzzy head, whispering, “You stay sleep, ‘lex. Mama sayed.”
Then, well, if they hadn’t watched Sleeping Beauty the night before, things might have gone differently, but he decided that Santana looked enough like the sleeping princess to need a similar wake up call. He planted both hands carefully on her cheeks and leaned in to press a slightly sticky kiss to her lips, pulling away to peer down at her with a cheeky grin. “Santa wake now? We go work?”
Santana mumbled, not fully awake yet, but no longer sleeping since she had her face grabbed by two tiny hands. “No. Wanna sleep.” She mumbled softly turning her head to nuzzle the baby fuzz on Alex’s head. “Lemme sleep.” She tried to continue to sleep, though the lingering feeling of being watched and the warm, comforting smell of breakfast began ticking her nose. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times.
She had only gone to bed a few hours ago, after finishing working, then working out in the tiny gym typed set up in the basement of her home she had fallen asleep around 3:30am. It was now 6:45. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping, Cale?” Santana rasped, her voice thick with sleep as she wrapped one of her arms around his waist.
“Uh-uh,” he replied, snuggling into her not often getting permission to come and wake her up, “Go work now. Promised, Santa.” He placed a wet kiss on her cheek with a fairly loud smack sound, “Mama maked French toas’. Come eats?”
She nodded, sitting up slightly and giving him a warm one armed hug. “Morning.” she closed her eyes and enjoyed the waking up to her two boys that meant everything to her in her arms. “Okay buddy. I’m gonna get dressed you go make sure momma made Santa coffee, okay? We’s can’t start the day without coffee, right?” she smiled, kissing his head as he jumped off the bed. “You look sharp.” She smiled, she commented as she took in his attire.
He did his little pose again, thumbs hooked into his suspenders, arms akimbo and little feet in their polished black shoes set shoulder width apart, looking for all the world like something from out of GQ. If all the models had turned into toddlers. He grinned toothily up at Santana. “Mama sayed I spiffy. Go work now?”
“Totally spiffy.” she smiled, sitting up and cradling Alex to her chest. “I gotta go get spiffy now, so go have breakfast and I'll come out soon. Tell mama that Alex is sleeping in my bed still all safe and sound, okay?” She settled the baby into a space in between two bed pillows on her bed to make sure he stayed on his back. She kissed Cale’s head and turned him around to the door and swatted hit butt playfully. “Go on.” She laughed and watched him scamper out as she headed into her bathroom and quickly showered.
After taking a lightening fast shower, drying her hair and fastening it into a ponytail that rested on the base of her neck and left curled tendrils flowing down her back before she headed into her closet and grabbed her tight grey sleeveless dress and slipped it on with black heels. She picked up her black jacket and her bag and slung it over her shoulder before leaning down and picking up Alex. “Still sleeping.” She smiled holding him on her lap as she applied some eyeliner and foundation to her face.
The baby boy curled into her with a content gurgle, one little hand fisting a handful of her dress as he slept nuzzled against her. He was content and easy sitting with her, head resting against her chest as she applied her makeup. Rachel knocked on the door and poked her head in, smiling to see the two of them.
“You look very attractive today, Santana.” She commented, coming over and pulling a couple of tendrils of hair from her dress, smiling at her best friend over her shoulder in the mirror, “Planning on making Tobias jealous again? There is French toast on the table for you when you’re ready and according to your schedule, your first meeting isn’t until nine and Ajay will be arriving at eight, so you have plenty of time to eat with us. I warn you that Cale is entirely excited about getting to spend the day at work with you, to the point where he even chose his own outfit. But if he gets to be too much, you can always call me to come and pick him up.”
She stepped to Santana’s side and gently brushed her fingers over the soft downy hair on Alex’s head, “He does love being with you. Shall I take him and go put him back to bed now?”
She pouted, “I loves my morning baby cuddles.” She looked up her long eyelashes perfecting her pathetic gaze at her friend through the mirror. She handed the baby back to his mother and turned back to the mirror. She put some mascara on and finished her attempt at perfection before grabbing her perfume as she stood up. She walked into her bathroom, “Oh, you’re eldest son?” she called out from the other room. “Totally first based me when I was sleeping.” She came out with the faint essence of vanilla following her. “Yep, totally kissed me.” She smirked, “I will teach him my player ways.” she winked at Rachel before heading to the kitchen.
“Morning, Munchkins.” She smiled, “How are you today Kayla?” Santana headed over to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup of coffee and drained almost half of it before refilling it. She hovered over the table, her dress still super stiff and tight from the cleaners to sit.
Rachel could only shake her head in mild bemusement and follow Santana out. “Santana, I truly hope you didn’t mean that. Three is a little young to be learning such behavior and you are definitely going to be the one explaining the lessons of the birds and the bees to him if you insist on instructing him in that fashion.”
Kayla glanced up at Santana and frowned before turning back to her cereal having refused to eat French toast with everyone else, otherwise completely ignoring the taller woman. Rachel rolled her eyes with a sigh, “Kayla, Santana asked you a question.”
“I’m fine,” she groused, stuffing a spoon full of Cheerios into her mouth.
“Don’t mind her, she’s just being grumpy this morning.” Rachel reassured, picking up the plate of French toast she’d prepared for Santana and handing it to her before moving to prepare her coffee. “Also, much like the children, if you don’t eat, no treat.” She held up the mug, taking a sip from it with a teasing grin.
She looked at the girl sadly, “Okay. Kayla.” She didn’t like how the girl just spoke to her, she had never talked to her like that and she never dismissed the Latina before. She turned to Rachel when she took the mug from her hands. Santana looked shocked, “Woman. I will bite you.” She threatened as she reached out for her coffee. “Mine.” She said possessively as she reached out for the coffee. When Rachel held strong she pouted and took the plate. “Stubbles, you’re walking a thin line.” she narrowed her eyes and took two bites before turning back to her indignantly. “I do believe this is mine.” she took the mug back and held it tightly.
Rachel raised a disbelieving eyebrow, displeased, “Santana Lopez, I may have grown older and matured quite a bit, but I am entirely certain that my hearing has not failed me yet. I suppose it is possible that I may have simply had an unfortunately timed flashback to high school, since you most certainly did not just insult me in front of my children.”
Kayla looked between her mildly irate mother and Santana with wide eyes. She’d never seen her mother look that irritated with the Latina in the entire time she’d known the other woman. It was fascinating in a way, though it also reminded her unpleasantly of how her mom used to argue with her daddy. Her chest felt tight and she wanted the strong arms of her daddy to wrap around her an pick her up again but she didn’t know how to say it. So she just sat there, feeling uncomfortable and determinedly munching on her cereal.
Cale finished the last bit of his French toast and bounced in his high chair. “No mean, Mama! All done! Go work now!”
Santana looked down into her cup, not really sure when playful teasing crossed a line. “Sorry.” She mumbled forgoing the rest of her breakfast and getting up and grabbing her stuff. She walked back into her bedroom calling out as she left the table, “I’m leaving in 8 minutes, please be ready to go.” She sat down on her bed and nursed her coffee, leaning over and grabbing a few pill bottles from her night side table. She looked at the labels and took two and put them back and took pills out of the remaining three.
Rachel sighed, “Kayla, watch your brother.” She set the plate she’d picked up back down and walked down the hall to Santana’s room. Knocking softly on the door, she leaned inside with a concerned expression, “Can I come in?”
Santana looked up, counting out her medications in her palm and clapping them into her mouth, “Yeah. You live here too.” She shrugged, “Look I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” she washed her pills down with her coffee.
She came in and sat on the bed next to Santana, “I know you didn’t, Santana.” She let her hand rest on her friend’s leg, gently squeezing, “and if we were alone, it wouldn’t even be a problem, but I truly cannot be okay with you using those sorts of nicknames with me in front of them. They need to know that we trust and respect each other, even when we’re angry, so we can’t insult each other or fight in front of them. Okay?”
Rachel knew it was a hard adjustment, getting used to being around children all the time, but she believed in her friend. “You can tease me. I don’t even mind if you call me Midget or Hobbit, Santana, because I don’t believe you mean it maliciously. And besides, I am rather small.” She leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to the side of her friend’s head, “But the transgender nicknames? I’m sorry, but I can’t tolerate those in front of them. Please understand. I can’t be put into a position of explaining to their teachers why they declare that you call me things like that. Because people who don’t know us - don’t know our past - will not understand, Santana.”
“Stubbles is making fun of Trans people?” Santana asked, her face scrunching up in confusion. “Damn. Quinn was really mean with coming up with them...” She said mostly to herself, as she finished her coffee. “I’m sorry... I’m... mornings are bad for me. I didn’t sleep much and I forgot to take my medications before I came out,” she looked at the floor before biting her lip. “I know it’s not an excuse. I’m sorry, okay.”
Rachel smiled at her friend softly, leaning over to look up into her eyes, “Hey, I understand. I have bad mornings too, just like everyone else. I’m not mad at you, Santana. I just need you to understand what’s okay, alright? I don’t mind the nicknames, I truly don’t, because I don’t believe you mean anything mean by them. All I’m asking is you avoid the more potentially problematic ones in front of the children, that’s all.”
She gently rubbed Santana’s knee, “It’s an adjustment, living with children, but I’m certain you’ll come through with flying colors. You’re my best friend, Santana Lopez. I don’t know if I’d be able to do all this without you. But, speaking of your medications, since we do have little ones scampering about underfoot, could you please keep them in your medicine cabinet or at least lock the drawer they’re in? I don’t want to risk the children getting into them and I don’t think you want to lock them out of your room either.”
“Shit.” Santana exclaimed, laying back on her bed and opening the drawer and grabbing the five containers from the drawer. “I’m so stupid.” She apologized, sitting up and getting off the bed grabbing a set of keys out of the dresser drawer. “I would kill myself if anything happened to them because of me...” She said as she unlocked the other drawer in her dresser, which from Rachel vantage point contained several items of the adult variety. She threw the bottles into the drawer and closed it, locking it once more and putting the keys back into where they came from. “Okay. Locked.”
Rachel couldn’t help the light blush spreading over her cheeks at the glimpse of the items Santana kept in her locked drawer, but she tried to ignore it, “Thank you, Santana, I appreciate it.” She stood and wrapped her arms around Santana’s waist, hugging her tight, “And you’re not stupid, Santana. You’re simply unused to living so close to children. You’ll adjust. I believe in you. Now,” she pulled back to smile up at her friend, “I believe you have a slice of French toast to finish and,” she glanced at the clock beside the bed, “a half hour until Ajay arrives. Please eat?”
“I can try.” She said rolling her neck and picking up her mug. She headed out to the kitchen and refilled her mug and looked in the fridge grabbing the kid’s lunches. “Kayla, I made you hummus and cucumber sandwich, like you like, for lunch with a vegan brownie your mom made the other night, and, Cale, you’re having bananas and almond butter.” She put the lunch boxes on the counter and grabbed the reusable bottles and filled them both with apple juice and threw an ice pack in both.
Kayla grumbled something that sounded vaguely like “thank you”, but it wasn’t clear, which irritated Rachel when she overheard her as she came in.
“Kayla, what have I told you about manners? I don’t particularly care if you are sleepy and grumpy, you will apologize to Santana and thank her properly, do you understand, young lady?”
The little girl grimaced but nodded, clearly displeased with being pulled up short. “I’m sorry, Santi. Thank you for making my lunch.” Neither her behavior nor her tone were exactly pleasing Rachel, but she let it slide this once with a tight lipped grimace as she got Cale cleaned up and out of his chair.
“Santana, your breakfast, please?” She glanced at the other woman with a raised brow, “Just eat the one piece and I’ll make you a travel mug of coffee to take with you.” She offered a slightly teasing smirk, “I’ll even promise to make black bean enchiladas for dinner tonight if you do.”
She smiled and nodded eating a bit with a wink to Cale. She ate most of it and looked at the clock. “Alright, ninos let’s bounce and let mama do whatever it is I pay her to do.” She smiled getting up and sliding on her suit jacket, followed by her sleek leather jacket before helping Cale on with his and slipping his lunch in his backpack followed by doing the same with Kayla’s.
Rachel crouched down and kissed Kayla’s cheek, straightening her pink jacket. “You be good in school today, sweetheart, and please be nicer to Santana. She has been nothing but sweet to you and you’re being mean.”
Kayla slumped slightly, “I’m sorry, Mama.”
She kissed her daughter’s head, “Don’t be sorry, little star, do better.” Letting Kayla head over to the door, she moved to Cale and carefully fixed the cowlick standing up on the back of his curly head, “And you had best be a perfect gentleman for Santana.”
He nodded eyes bright and tiny hands wrapped around the straps of his backpack - he’d been so excited to get to go to the store with Santana and buy one with Batman boldly emblazoned on the back, “I be good, Mama. Promise.”
“I know you will, little man, go wait with your sister now,” she let him run over to stand with Kayla who was fidgeting by the door before straightening and smiling at Santana, “And you, young lady,” she rose up on tiptoes at kissed Santana’s cheek, not noticing the scowl that developed on her daughter’s face as she did, “have a good day at work. I’ll bring Alex by with lunch for you and Cale - because he will go through that one you packed before the morning is out - and tomorrow’s schedule to approve around one, okay?”
Santana nodded, her eye catching Kayla’s scowl. She smiled softly, “I wants sushi.” She said simply, “Veggie sushi but I still wants it.” She smirked and pulled away, “You better get to work, I might tell your boss you were slacking off all morning in your robe.” she played with the lapel of the terrycloth before sticking her tongue out and heading to the door with the children. “Hasta luego.” She waved as she ushered the little ones out to the car. Ajay was waiting and high-fived each child before helping them both get in their respective booster seats. Once Santana got into the black towncar he closed the door and smiled brightly at Rachel.
“I’ll keep them safe,” He stated, his accent a thick mix of Brooklyn and Indian. “See you at noon, ma’am?”
“Don’t worry, Santana, I’ll take the robe off before too long.” Rachel chuckled, waving at the rest of her family as they got in the car, “Thank you, Ajay. I know you will. And yes, I would appreciate a ride in to the office at noon, thank you for thinking of me.”
She waved at them again as he nodded and climbed back into the car, starting it up and pulling away. Once they turned the corner and she couldn’t see them any more, she stepped back inside to begin cleaning up from breakfast and get to work on Santana’s schedule for tomorrow as well as lunch for the little family.
Chapter Eighteen