A/N: Thank you for coming along on this adventure with Mama Lopez. Without further ado, I give you the final chapter. Final shout out and 1000 thank you's to slayhue for being the bestest beta in all the land. Mama Lopez loves you, and thinks you should call more often.
Santana and Quinn sat between their parents and the Pierces in the front row of the William McKinley High School auditorium. The speakers crackled and buzzed, as they sputtered out the pre-recorded Graduation March. The Summer School graduating class, all 15 of them, filed quickly from the wings of the stage onto the risers. Santana sat up straight and beamed as she watched Brittany walk across the stage in her cap and gown. Quinn noted that Mr. Pierce seemingly took a picture for Brittany's every step. The graduates sat, the music faded, and Brittany gave a quick wave and a smile to her front row cheerleaders.
Principal Figgins made a few remarks, and he and Ms. Pillsbury called out their names, one by one, and handed over the diplomas.
"Brittany S. Pierce," Principal Figgins announced.
Dr. Lopez, Maribel, Santana, Quinn, Judy Fabray, Susan, Mr. Pierce and Brittany's little sister all jumped to their feet, cheering and clapping. They made sure they were the loudest and proudest. Brittany dipped her head and shook it with embarrassed reaction to their cheers, but with a huge smile, as she got her diploma. Brittany gave a little curtsy to the small audience, her cheering section, and returned to her seat.
Out the corner of her eyes, Maribel saw Santana slump slightly with a sigh of relief. Maribel patted Santana's hand and leaned into her.
"I'm proud of you sweetheart," she whispered in her daughter's ear.
Santana paused with a little scoff. "This is Britt's graduation not mine Mama," Santana reminded her. "You should be proud of Brittany. She's the one graduating."
"I am proud of Brittany. I'm also proud of you and all the work you did to help get her to this day."
"It was nothing Mama," Santana dismissed. "Quinn was a big help, but Britt did all the work."
"I remember, a couple of months ago, a very distraught and defeated young lady who didn't even know how to talk to her girlfriend about graduation, let alone help her get there," Maribel explained.
Santana ran her bracelet through her thumb and index finger and smiled. "I was a hot mess."
"Well I wouldn't go that far," Maribel smiled. "The scotch and cigarettes were a bit much, don't you think?"
Santana shook her head. "I may have overreacted. Maybe."
Maribel chuckled. "You recovered well though. You made a plan, you two talked, you worked hard, you made sacrifices, you supported her unconditionally, despite your own worries. That sweetheart, is a big accomplishment. If you can do that, and you have, then you're more prepared than a lot of grown ups out there."
"For real?" Santana asked.
Maribel smiled and squeezed her hand. "For real."
Brittany looked over the audience and around the auditorium as Principal Figgins droned on about academic achievement, hard work and something about school budgets. Her eyes landed on Sue Sylvester's smug, yet smiling face, in the back corner of the auditorium. Brittany flashed her a smile. Sue uncrossed her arms, gave her a wink and left.
The Pierce's backyard graduation party bar-b-que was in full swing Saturday afternoon. Cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors, Kurt and Blaine, all joined the Pierces, Lopez's, Quinn and Santana in celebrating Brittany's graduation. Brittany received texts from Puck, Mercedes, Sam, Rachel, Mike, Tina, Artie, Sugar, Joe and even Finn; all congratulating her on graduating and wishing her luck in New York.
Santana smiled as Brittany read her texts throughout the afternoon. Everyone liked Brittany. They may not have believed in her, supported her, or thought she could add two plus two, but they all liked her. Santana used to envy Brittany's ease with making friends and getting along with everyone. Now she's proud and happy for her. Santana knew that without Brittany, the Glee club kids wouldn't give her the time of day. They would've tolerated her for her talent, and then tossed her aside upon graduation. Instead, she had been wished well too.
She knew Kurt needed roommates to live in New York, but that he also liked them enough to want to live with them. If it were just Santana, she feared he would never have bothered. But there they were, celebrating Brittany's graduation and ready to move to New York.
Santana thought back to more than three years ago. How life was for her. For Brittany. For the Glee club kids. It felt like yesterday and 100 years ago at the same time. Santana sighed and watched Brittany talk with Kurt and Judy Fabray while Blaine looked like he was having the most serious discussion with Brittany's sister. Santana later found out it was about One Direction. The most serious of serious discussions for an 11year-old girl. And Blaine.
At the end of the evening, Brittany hugged her last cousin goodbye, and walked back into the house with a yawn. Dr. Lopez and Mr. Pierce were out back cleaning the grill. Actually, they were taking a break from cleaning the grill and patio area, because Dr. Lopez was busy showing Mr. Pierce the new grill he wanted on his smart phone. Kurt filled Tupperware containers with leftovers in the kitchen. Quinn wiped down counters. Santana put away folding chairs. Blaine helped her little sister take out the trash. She looked over and saw her mother and Mrs. Lopez with their feet up in the family room, half asleep and talking quietly. Brittany joined her friends in the kitchen.
"Such good kids," Susan commented to Maribel.
Maribel smiled and nodded, "Yeah, they are."
"We did okay, huh?" Susan asked.
Maribel nodded and patted Susan's arm. "We did great. So great in fact, that they're all grown up and ready to make lives of their own."
Susan nodded and sighed. "They've got nice friends."
"I think Glee club was the best thing to happen for Santana. I didn't like when she was all cheer leaders and football players," Maribel confessed.
"Definitely good to have a variety of friends," Susan agreed. "And these kids all seem pretty genuine. I just hope our girls find more of that in New York."
"They will," Maribel assured her. "They know what real friends are now. They'll figure it out."
Santana finished up her breakfast Sunday and joined her mother on the couch. Maribel was reading the Sunday paper, and absentmindedly handed Santana the Style section.
"Where's Papi? I haven't seen him all morning?" Santana asked.
"He's shut himself in his office," Maribel replied, not looking up from the Business section of the paper.
Santana looked over at the closed door. "He's being weird."
"You're moving this week. He's being a father who's going to miss his daughter very much," Maribel explained.
"So why is he hiding?" Santana asked?
"He's being weird," Maribel smiled.
Santana shook her head and smiled.
"You all packed?" Maribel asked.
"Just about," Santana sighed and set down her section of the paper. "Just have to do the box of kitchen stuff you were going to let us have, and the last of my clothes."
"Want to do that now?" Maribel asked.
"Sure," Santana replied cheerfully. "Let me just go get that box," she said, as she got up and disappeared upstairs.
Maribel knocked on her husband's office door.
"Who is it?" her husband asked.
"It's me. Santana's getting suspicious of you being locked in there, so you better come out or think up a good excuse," Maribel cautioned.
The office door swung open and Dr. Lopez snuck his head out to look around.
"Where is she?" he whispered.
"Upstairs and coming back down any second. So stop what you're doing," Maribel scolded.
"But I'm not finished yet," he whined.
Maribel rolled her eyes. "Finish later. She thinks you're being weird and I'm starting to agree with her," Maribel teased.
Santana came bounding down the stairs with a large reinforced cardboard box.
"She's leaving us some stuff to cook with, right?" Dr. Lopez asked, eyeing the size of the box.
"Don't worry. Susan and I talked, so I know what Brittany's bringing to the kitchen. Kurt emailed what he had. He's bringing all the 'specialty' items," Maribel explained.
"He's got a torch for creme brulee and tart pans," Santana shook her head.
"What's a tart pan?" Dr. Lopez asked.
"It's like a shallow muffin pan," Santana explained. "I'm not going to complain though. The man's bringing the French press and he makes a mean quiche. He can bring all the weird baking stuff he wants."
Maribel pulled out old cooking utensils, appliances and pans she had set aside for Santana. Santana wrapped everything carefully in newspaper, and packed it neatly, one by one.
Dr. Lopez watched from the dining room. He watched quietly, for the past few weeks as Santana's room started to get less and less Santana-like and more and more spare room-like. He'd peek in, when Santana was out, and see less and less on the walls, and more and more in boxes. He was happy for her, to be sure, but he was sad for himself. He kicked himself for working too much, kicked himself for not asking her to help him with jobs around the house. He just did them, enjoying the solitude and quiet as the perfect respite from the busy, noisy hospital. But now he regretted not making Santana his "little helper" like Mr. Pierce had done with Brittany.
Dr. Lopez couldn't watch anymore, as Santana closed up the box and labeled it with a Sharpie marker. He entered the kitchen and tapped her shoulder. Santana turned around, marker in hand and was surprised by the strong hug her father gave her. Her face pressed against his chest, her arms pinned to her side by his arms.
"You okay Papi?" she asked, muffled in his shirt.
"I'm just going to miss you. That's all," Dr. Lopez replied.
Santana smiled and got him to loosen his grip enough for her to return the hug.
"I'm going to miss you too," she said, twisting him from side to side.
"Promise?" he asked, looking down at her.
"Promise," Santana replied.
Maribel leaned against the counter with a watery smile and sniffed audibly. Santana turned around in her father's arms to see her mother wipe a stray tear from the corner of her eye.
"Mama, not you too," Santana smiled through her sigh. "You two are killing me. It's New York, not Mars. I'll be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas," she assured them.
"Won't be the same," Maribel sadly whispered.
"Come here," Santana invited, her arms open.
Maribel joined her husband and daughter in a group hug. Santana kissed the top of her head.
"I promise it'll be okay," Santana whispered. "Promise."
Santana came home emotionally exhausted but uplifted after her last evening out with Quinn and Brittany. Quinn gave both her and Brittany Metro North passes, so they could visit each other. Santana had a great time teasing Quinn about getting the idea from Rachel. Santana wanted to kiss Brittany right then and there when she said Quinn had a "Hobbit stalker".
Santana felt pretty good about the Unholy Trinity. They wouldn't be too far away, and she liked the idea of all of them going their own way and reporting back to one another. She was looking forward to hearing all of Quinn's clichéd college stories, so she could one-up her on what she imagined would be her epic and fascinating New York adventures. Santana knew that New York was so much cooler and badass than little old New Haven.
Santana just finished getting ready for bed when she heard a soft knock at the door. She looked at the clock and frowned with concern.
"Come in," she called softly.
Her father opened the door and peeked his head in.
"It's midnight Papi, don't you have the early shift tomorrow?"
Dr. Lopez entered the room with a hand in his pocket and one behind his back.
"Having trouble sleeping," he said with a sheepish grin.
"Papi…" Santana sighed with a pouty smile.
"I got you something. Well I made you something. Well, I put together something for you for New York," he explained, entering her bedroom.
Santana smiled and offered a seat on her bed. Dr. Lopez presented a red tackle box.
"Um, I'm pretty sure I'm not going fishing in New York Papi," Santana gently teased.
"Open it," he encouraged.
Santana unsnapped the plastic hinge and lifted the lid. Inside, instead of lures and hooks and bait, there were neatly packed medical supplies. Anti-bacterial ointment, swabs, ice packs, gauze, tape, butterfly bandages, and a box of "Power Puff Girls" band-aids.
"I thought Brittany would like those," her father explained.
"She'll love them," Santana replied and drew her father into a hug. "Thank you so much."
"It's not a tool box, but…" Dr. Lopez began.
"Hey, hey," Santana pulled back from the hug and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Since when are you in competition with Mr. Pierce for 'Best Moving Gift from a Dad'? This is perfect, and so very you, and so very useful. Considering how many times I've burned myself cooking, I'm pretty sure we'll be using this more than the toolbox," Santana comforted.
"I put extra aloe ointment in there for you," Dr. Lopez offered, pointing it out in the medical kit.
"It's perfect Papi, thank you," Santana said as she kissed him on the cheek and gave him another hug. "Now go to sleep, or you'll be as bad as me in the morning," she said with a little shove.
"Oh boy, I'll be out of a job if that happens," Dr. Lopez teased.
"Exactly, so go to bed," Santana ordered.
She watched as her father closed the door behind him and sighed. She shook her head and smiled, as she picked through the medical kit he had carefully put together.
"I'm going to miss you too Papi," she whispered.
"Santana! Oh my god, use the side mirrors!" Kurt yelled, as Santana tried to back the moving van out of its very cramped parking space at the rental shop.
"I am!" she yelled back, and slammed on the brakes.
"Use the convex mirror!" Kurt replied.
"The what mirror?"
"The little round magnifying one on the side mirror," Kurt explained, coming to the driver side door.
"When did you become a damn expert on driving stupid, fucking, no back windows moving vans?"
"Since I've been driving cars onto my Dad's shop lifts since I was 15, and parking them with precision when they were done and waiting to be picked up," Kurt replied with a bitchiness Santana couldn't help but appreciate.
Santana frowned in frustration. "Why do they park these things all close like a can of sardines? Christ!" Santana complained and smacked the steering wheel.
"Want me to…"
"No. No. I got this," Santana said, cutting off Kurt's offer to help. "Okay, wait, can you direct me, from back there?" Santana gestured to open area of the parking lot she's been trying to get to.
Kurt paused.
"I swear to Vogue, Glamour and Cosmo, I won't hit you," Santana pleaded.
Kurt nodded, still hesitant. "Just go slow, okay?"
"Don't worry Kurt, I still need you to pay rent," she smirked. "And to teach me that quiche recipe of yours."
Kurt rolled his eyes and took his position (safely) behind the van. After one more false start and two more rants of cursing in English and Spanish, Santana backed the moving van out of the parking space and waited for Kurt. He hopped in his van, adjusted the side mirror, and smoothly backed out in one try.
Kurt's phone buzzed with a text notification.
"I hate you – S"
Kurt looked over at Santana sitting in her moving van, giving him the finger. He chuckled, gave her a beauty pageant wave and blew her a kiss.
Santana followed Kurt to his house, and successfully backed the van up to the garage in two attempts instead of five.
"Quick learner," Kurt praised.
"Shut it Hummel," Santana smirked. "You have more than six inches of space on either side of your driveway."
"Well thankfully, after loading all this stuff up, it's all forward driving from here to New York," Kurt commented.
Santana nodded and opened the van back doors, ready to load up her half of the apartment furniture.
"I thought Britt was coming to help?" Kurt asked, as they both struggled with one of the 10 Ikea bed boxes.
"She was, but since she was away from her family for so long, she wanted to spend more time with them," Santana explained. "So I told her I'd handle the van and picking up this stuff, then I'm going over to her place later to load up her things, then back to my house and finish packing tomorrow, then well, we're out of here," Santana said with a relieved smile.
"Excited?" Kurt asked.
Santana nodded, as she slid another Ikea box into the van. "Excited, a little nervous too," Santana replied, hopping into the back of the van to straighten out the boxes. "You?"
"Same," Kurt said, as Santana gave him a hand up into the back of the van. "I mean; it's New York City, where I've wanted to be since I was a kid. But then again, it's New. York. City. You know?"
Santana smiled and nodded again as she let out a lung full of air. "Yeah, I know. I definitely know."
Santana pulled the van up to Brittany's house and let herself in with a couple of knocks on the door. Brittany's bureau, packed boxes and suitcases of clothes lined the foyer.
"Hello? 'Girlfriend with a Van' moving company is here for all your door-to-door moving needs!" Santana announced.
No reply.
"Hello?" Santana called again.
Met with silence, she quietly walked upstairs and nudged open the door to Brittany's room. All the pictures Brittany had taped up over the years were gone. The Cheerios doll was missing from the chair. Her red and black backpack in its place, empty and flat. Brittany was tucked between her parents on her double bed, flipping through a picture album. They were pointing and chuckling and sighing. Mrs. Pierce's eyes were red-rimmed from crying. A crumpled tissue gripped in her hand. Mr. Pierce smiled wistfully at the picture album, but mostly at Brittany. Brittany looked up and grinned at seeing Santana at her bedroom door.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Santana apologized, looking away and moving back out into the hallway.
"It's okay Santana," Mrs. Pierce replied. "Just taking a little walk down memory lane."
"Um, I have the van," Santana said quietly. "If you want to wait and do it later," Santana suggested.
Mr. Pierce stood up and pulled Brittany up off the bed with him.
"Nope, we're good," he said with a smile and his arm firmly around Brittany's waist. "Ready honey?"
Brittany smiled and held her hand out for her mother to take as she joined them.
Santana, Brittany and her parents loaded Brittany's belongings into the van with little trouble. They still had plenty of room for Brittany's mattress to go in on moving day and Santana's things tomorrow. Santana swung the van key ring on her fingers.
"See you Thursday morning?" Santana confirmed.
"Yep," Brittany agreed. "Me, my overnight bag and our mattress."
Santana gave Brittany a hug and a kiss. "Have a nice time with your family," she whispered in Brittany's ear.
"You too," Brittany whispered back.
Santana turned to get into the van.
"Where's my hug?" Mr. Pierce asked.
Santana grinned and tucked a loose hair behind her ear.
"Girl is going to take our Brittany to the big city. Doesn't have the courtesy to give us a hug?" Mrs. Pierce teased.
Santana approached them and Mr. Pierce stretched his arms out wide, enveloping his wife and Santana into a hug.
"Call us if you're having trouble. Promise you'll call if you or Brittany needs anything. Promise me." Mrs. Pierce whispered in Santana's ear.
"I promise," Santana replied, giving Mrs. Pierce an extra squeeze.
"We'll see you Thursday morning," Mr. Pierce said, releasing Santana.
"Bright and early," she replied with a smile and a little nod to Mrs. Pierce.
Maribel saw the moving van pull up to the curb and her stomach turned and her heart sank. She watched as Santana hopped out of the driver's seat, and walked up to the house, just in time for dinner. Maribel took a deep breath, smoothed her hands over her hips and gave herself a quick pep talk.
"It's only New York. It's only New York. Not like she's going to Mars. It's only New York," Maribel repeated to herself.
Santana woke up early Wednesday morning and slumped down the stairs into the kitchen. As she reached for a coffee mug out of the cabinet, she heard her parents talking on the patio. They were still in their robes, the newspaper untouched on the table nearby, their coffee mugs empty.
"She still won't come?" Maribel complained to her husband.
Dr. Lopez shook his head. "I don't think so. I don't think she's going to change her mind until Santana's really gone."
"Your mother. I just…" Maribel just shook her head in resignation.
"It's easier to be angry with your neighbor, than it is to be angry at someone 800 miles away," Dr. Lopez reasoned. "She'll come around. Eventually," he sighed.
Santana leaned against the kitchen counter and sipped her coffee. She had mentally written off her abuela, for sanity's sake. The heartache hurt less and less, but it was still there. It would sneak up and gnaw at her when she least expected it.
"She better," Maribel sighed. "Santana is going to be gone for over three months. When she comes back, I'm not having an awkward Thanksgiving."
Santana distracted herself by starting breakfast for her and her parents. Dr. Lopez smelled the bacon first.
"I'm really going to miss that girl," he said wistfully, his nose in the air, inhaling the scent of smoked meat.
Maribel smacked him lightly on the arm. "You're going to miss her for more than making us breakfast," she teased.
"Yeah," he said, opening his eyes and staring at his lap. "We did good, didn't we?" he asked, turning to his wife.
"I think so," Maribel said with a comforting smile. "She's happy. She's healthy. She's smart."
"I just think of all the things I didn't know at that age," Dr. Lopez worried.
"And to think, here you are, a successful doctor, married to the best wife in the world. You helped raise an amazing daughter, who is much better prepared to live on her own than we were at her age," Maribel assured him.
"I could have used some of your lessons at that age," her husband chuckled.
"Me too. Why do you think I taught the girls all that? We made a lot of mistakes at that age, but we learned from them. I just hope all Santana's mistakes are fixable," Maribel replied with a sigh.
"She's smart, remember? And she's not alone. Brittany keeps her grounded, for the most part," Dr. Lopez smiled. "And Kurt's got a good head on his shoulders."
"If she'll listen to him," Maribel shook her head.
"She will. She won't admit it, not to anyone, even herself, but she will," Dr. Lopez comforted.
"Gosh we're making a lot of sense for parents with their only daughter leaving tomorrow morning," Maribel joked.
"There's nothing wrong with lying to ourselves to cover up the debilitating depression and panic," Dr. Lopez winked.
Maribel gave him a sympathetic pout and a nod of agreement. "Breakfast?" Maribel asked, standing up from her chair, hand extended to her husband.
"Love to," he replied, taking her hand.
Santana's parents were greeted with Western omelets, bacon, toast, fresh coffee and juice when they returned to the kitchen.
"You sure you can't come back on weekends, just to cook us breakfast?" her father quipped.
"Not unless you want to pay for every flight," Santana smiled. "Besides, today is Wednesday."
"Doesn't matter. It's my day off, so it counts. Well almost a day off," Dr. Lopez replied.
"I thought you weren't going in today," Maribel complained.
"Just from 7 to 11. They need coverage for the last part of the evening shift. Here all day. I'll have dinner with you, and I'll be here in the morning to see Santana off. Promise," Dr. Lopez assured her.
After breakfast, Santana and her parents spent the next few hours packing the moving van. Then repacking it, when they remembered they still needed to fit Brittany's mattress.
Santana wiped the sweat from her brow, as she chugged a glass of ice water in the kitchen.
"Where are you staying tomorrow night?" Maribel asked.
"Kurt and I are still arguing over that," Santana replied with a grimace.
"I wanted to drive straight through to the city, but he doesn't want to leave the vans on the street overnight. I mean I get it. It seems like a decent neighborhood, but you never know. So I suggested we drive through to New Jersey, so we're really close, but he didn't like the hotel prices there, and I told him I'd pay for it, but he got all proud and refused to do anything that wasn't split 50-50," Santana explained.
"Sounds like someone I know," Maribel mumbled.
Santana frowned and gave her mother a disapproving glare.
Maribel shrugged.
"Anyway," Santana continued. "Kurt suggested Stroudsburg Pennsylvania, because it's a lot cheaper and then it'll be about eight hours driving tomorrow and then less than two hours Friday morning. Then we have all day to move in and return the vans to the rental place."
"Sounds like Kurt's got the right idea," Maribel commented.
"He does," Santana sighed with resignation. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to make him work for it," Santana smirked.
"One of these days, I'm going to get your Ropa Vieja recipe right," Santana said, leaning back from the table and rubbing her full stomach.
Maribel laughed. "Never. But that's okay. Make it your own Santana. I could never get it to taste like mother's, so I'll tell you now to stop trying."
"But I want it to taste like yours," Santana whined.
"Good luck with that," Maribel winked.
Dr. Lopez left for work after dinner and left Maribel and Santana cleaning up the dinner dishes.
"Is it just me, or does your father always have to be somewhere when it's time to do dishes?" Maribel asked.
Santana smiled and nodded. "Who do you think I learned that from when I was younger."
"Yet here you are, helping me with dishes," Maribel remarked with a nudge.
"Yeah, well," Santana paused. "I guess I realized I like doing these little regular day things, with you."
Maribel paused drying the serving dish. "When did you figure that out, may I ask?"
"When Abuela banned me from her house…and her life," Santana quietly replied. She cleared her throat and put on a confident smile to her mother. "Something good came out of that whole mess. Made me realize what's important. I can't sit in Abuela's kitchen and eat her home cooked meals, or help her with her groceries, or drink her coffee that you can stand a spoon in. I can't do that anymore. And I miss that," Santana confessed.
Maribel put her hand on the small of Santana's back.
"But I can do all that with you," Santana proclaimed proudly. "And your coffee is way better than Abuela's," she added.
Maribel put down the dish she was drying and wrapped Santana in tender embrace.
"God, when did you get so grown up?" Maribel sighed. Her tears of pride and love and heartache stung at the corner of her eyes.
Santana hugged her mother back and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry Mama. I'm not all grown up yet. You still have your work cut out for you, I'll make sure of that," Santana joked.
Maribel just held Santana tighter.
Late that night, Santana sat on her bed and looked at her empty walls, her empty clothes hangers in her closet and the carpet divots where her bureau stood for all those years. She ran her fingers along her headboard and over her mattress. Trying to hold onto the memories of this room, and say goodbye at the same time. She picked up her phone and called Brittany.
"Hey," she heard Brittany whisper.
"Hey, why are you whispering? You okay?" Santana asked.
"My sister crawled into bed with me. She's fast asleep with a death grip on my waist," Brittany quietly giggled.
"Aww, poor kid," Santana sympathized.
"Yeah, well, I'm going to miss her too. Between her at my side and Lord Tubbington pinning down my feet, I'm getting the sneaking suspicion they don't want me to go," Brittany explained.
"Yeah, you'd think I was made out of Velcro for as much as Mama's been holding onto me these past few days," Santana replied.
"It's hard for them," Brittany reasoned.
"It's not a walk in the park for us either Britt. Is it?"
She heard Brittany sigh. "No, it's not. But we have a big adventure to look forward to. A new life. A clean slate. They're just looking at losing us out of their daily lives. It's throwing them off their game."
"They'll get used to it," Santana comforted.
"They will. They just won't like it," Brittany agreed.
"You still want me there at seven?" Santana asked.
"Yeah, we're supposed to meet Kurt at eight, right?"
"Yeah," Santana yawned.
Brittany smiled into her phone. "Then go to sleep silly. I'll see you in the morning."
"Okay," Santana yawned again. "I love you."
"Love you too. Sweet dreams," Brittany whispered.
"You too," Santana sleepily replied.
Santana arrived at the Pierce's home at precisely seven in the morning. Brittany looked out the front window and smiled at a freshly showered, coffee cup in hand, put together and rather awake Santana strolling up to her house.
"It's a little early for you to be so…awake, isn't it?" Brittany teased as she greeted Santana at the front door.
"Guess I woke up in a good mood this morning," Santana replied with a kiss. "Can't imagine why?" she smirked.
"Our big adventure awaits, and it looks like you're more excited than worried," Brittany observed.
"Oh, I'm worried, but I get to do this big adventure with you, so that helps. A lot," Santana replied.
Santana helped Brittany stuff the mattress into the last remaining space in the back of the van. Her parents appeared at the front door, dressed, drinking their coffees. Her little sister was still in her pajamas, wiping away tears.
"I'll hang back," Santana offered, as Brittany turned to say goodbye to her family.
Brittany smoothed her hand over Santana's arm and gave her a little squeeze of thank you.
Brittany, her parents and her sister stood on the front steps in a group hug. Brittany promised to call that night and when they got to New York. Her sister promised to take the best care of Lord Tubbington. Her parents promised not to worry too much. Well, they promised they'd try.
Brittany slid into the passenger side of the van and wiped away a stray tear.
"You going to be okay?" Santana asked with a sympathetic smile.
"Yeah," Brittany nodded. "I'll be good."
Santana honked the horn as they pulled away from Brittany's house, everyone waving until they turned out of sight.
Santana and Brittany walked into Santana's house to pick up Santana's overnight bag and to say goodbye to her parents.
Dr. and Mrs. Lopez sat at the kitchen counter, sipping their coffee, their eyes tired from lack of sleep.
"Don't tell me you were up all night," Santana pouted, seeing the dark circles under her mother's eyes.
"I slept some," Maribel lied.
"We've got to meet Kurt at his place in a half hour," Santana said, fidgeting with her overnight bag that was left by the couch.
"We'll walk you out," Dr. Lopez offered, his voice rough from lack of rest.
He took his wife's hand and ushered Santana and Brittany to the front door and the foursome slowly walked out to the van parked in the street. Santana walked between her parents, they're arms linked around each other's waists. Brittany walked to Maribel's side, until she was pulled into her by Maribel's free hand. Brittany smiled shyly down at her.
"Have everything?" Dr. Lopez asked, as Santana tossed her bag into the van.
"Yes Papi," Santana smiled.
"GPS?" he asked.
"On my phone," Santana replied.
"Map?"
"In the van."
"Apartment keys?"
Santana pulled them out of her purse. Brittany pulled her set out of her pocket.
"Cash?"
Santana pulled $100 out of her purse. Brittany pulled the same amount out of her back pocket.
Dr. Lopez struggled to ask them what else they might have forgotten.
"Papi, we're ready," Santana assured him.
"I'm sure there's something else," Dr. Lopez stalled. "Oh right! Do you have you parents' undying love and support?"
Santana put her hand over her heart. "Absolutely."
Maribel and Dr. Lopez pulled Santana into a smothering hug. Santana hugged her parents back tighter. Thankful for their understanding when her abuela's was in short supply. Thankful for their support, when other's shied away. Thankful. Just so very thankful.
Maribel pulled away enough to grab Santana's face in both her hands.
"Call us," Maribel simply stated.
"I will," Santana promised.
Maribel looked over at Brittany.
"We will," Brittany confirmed.
"You don't have to move," Maribel replied, meeting her daughter's eyes.
"That's what grown ups do Mama. We do what's right, even if it's hard," Santana explained, pulling her mother into a comforting hug.
"A very smart wonderful women taught me that," Santana whispered in her ear.
"I promised myself I wouldn't cry," Maribel sniffed.
"Then don't," Santana smiled, pulling back and kissing her mother's cheek. "Just wish us well."
"I wish that every day," Maribel replied.
"Then we're good," Santana assured her.
She stepped back and held both her parents' hands.
"We'll call you tonight," Santana promised.
"Good luck sweetheart," Dr. Lopez said with one last hug.
"Be good," Maribel said with a squeeze of Santana's hand.
Santana smirked at her and squeezed her hand back.
"Try," Maribel smiled.
Santana turned and got into the driver's seat of the van. Maribel looked over at Brittany as she stood near the passenger side.
"Thank you," Brittany whispered, hugging Maribel then Dr. Lopez.
"Take care of her," Maribel said.
"I will," Brittany promised, and got into the van.
Maribel and Dr. Lopez stood at the end of the driveway and watched as Santana and Brittany drove away. They honked as they turned at the end of the road. Dr. Lopez stood behind his wife, his arm wrapped around her waist, as he waved goodbye to his daughter and Brittany, until they drove out of sight.
"You did good," Dr. Lopez whispered in his wife's ear, holding her close.
"How do you know?" Maribel asked, between sniffles.
"She'll come back."
Final A/N: Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, feedback, flails, quiet follows and favorites. I really do have the best readers. I'm taking a break (a little one) from writing, but I have a few ideas brewing for non-Mama Lopez Brittana stories. Maribel is tired and needs a vacation on the beach. She's had quite the summer, don't you think? So thank you again dear readers. You are fabulous, glitter-filled, rainbow unicorns of love and I adore you. Mwah! - jerzey