SO I'M SERIOUSLY SHIPPING QUINNTANA AND YOU GUYS ARE THE BENEFACTORS OF THAT, PLEASE READ, ENJOY, AND REVIEW...

BTW I MODELED MISS YOUNG AFTER LEILA ARCIERI (Google her, for real...she's crazy hot)

Dropping her five year old daughter Beth off to her first day of kindergarten was nerve-wracking to say the least. Beth was sitting in her booster seat playing on her leap frog without care in the world, while her mother was freaking out. She wanted everything to go perfectly for her only child. Quinn was a single mother, not by choice. The only choice she made was to remain single and focus solely on being the best mother she could be. Her high school sweetheart and husband died in the line of duty when Beth was just two. She worried herself sick every time Noah left for a shift, and the worry wouldn't subside until the next time she'd see him. One evening her doorbell rung and behind it was her husband's partner and another police officer, offering her their condolences. Quinn, who's an exceptionally talented artist, drew Beth a picture of earth and heaven and attempted to explain to her two year old why daddy wasn't ever coming home.

As she watched her daughter in the rearview mirror, she thought of Noah and yet another moment he was missing. Beth Puckerman's first day of school. Up until now Quinn had home schooled her daughter and seriously considered keeping it that way. After much thought and a few arguments with her mother, she knew she had to let her daughter become a part of the world outside of their home. Her mother scolded her for trying to shield Beth from the world and explained she needed to learn how to socialize. So, here she was, a few blocks from William Penn Charter school. She rather send Beth anywhere else, but her father, Pennsylvania Governor Russell Fabray, insisted his only grand child attend his alma mater. Even when Quinn made a fuss about the 21,000 dollar tuition, he just shrugged her off and wrote a check.

Quinn enjoyed being a stay at home mom and, with her degree from Columbia university in Education, she was more than qualified to home school her daughter. But she gave in to her mother's pleas to let Beth have a "normal" childhood. She pulled in a parking spot and turned to face the child in the back seat that was the spitting image of herself. Her blonde curls, her hazel-emerald eyes, her bright smile. Beth looked exactly like her mother and everyone always told them so.

"You ready kiddo?"

"Yes!"

"Whoa, don't sound so excited to leave your mom." Beth giggled as Quinn got out the car and rounded it. She open the door to a bouncing Beth, who hadn't waited to release herself from her seatbelt. She hopped out the car and grabbed Quinn's hand. They walked in silence towards the class Quinn would be walking her to for the next nine months. Once outside the classroom Quinn bended down to be eye level with the most important person in her life.

"Hey kid, do you have any idea how much I love you?" Quinn looked at Beth and tried to fight the tears that were caught in her eyes.

"This much?" Beth opened up her arms to stretch them far apart.

"Nope, this much." She pinched together her thumb and pointer finger and raised it to her eye to squint through the small space.

"But that's only a little!" Beth pouted.

"Just messing with you." Quinn poked her daughter's stomach which caused her to giggle. It was Quinn's favorite sound. "I love you to the moon and back kiddo."

"I love you too mommy." Beth flung her arms around Quinn's neck and she almost let a tear drop before choking her emotions back.

"Have a great first day kid. Behave and I'll take you for ice cream after school and you can tell me all about it."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, but only if your teacher tells me you behaved." Quinn said firmly. She decided that no matter what grade her daughter was in, she'd take her out for ice cream on her first day of school, a tradition she hoped she could carry on until she graduated college.

"I'll be on my best behavior!"

"Good. I love you kid."

"Love you too, bye!" Beth was way too excited to leave, Quinn thought.

"Bye kiddo." Quinn said quietly as she watched her little girl skip happily into her classroom.

Once back in her car Quinn let her tears of mixed emotions fall. She was happy and proud but sad and worse, lonely. It was embarrassing to admit, but besides Rachel and her ex, Beth was Quinn's best friend, and best companion. When Rachel was busy with work or her three-year old twin boys, Beth was always there. Now, in her car, she had no idea where to go or what to do without the need to look after Beth. After Noah's untimely death, Quinn resigned from her position at Main Line Academy where she was an art teacher. Since then all she's done was take care of her daughter and home. Her trust fund was mostly intact aside from the money she used for emergencies, and Noah's life insurance took care of most of the bills, so there was no actual need to work. But now with Beth in school for over seven hours five days a week, Quinn felt the need to look for work. She knew it was too late in the year to apply for a teaching position but she put it on her to do list for the possibility of next school year. For now, she had no clue what she'd do to fill her days.

Rachel, who Quinn met and befriended after she returned from New York, was not an option. She was a wife, a mother, and a psychologist. She was always particularly busy and not readily available when Quinn wanted to hang. Today was no different. Beth was at school, and anyone else she could think of was at work. Quinn accepted that her day would be uneventful and began to count down the minutes until she was reunited with the only part of Noah she had left. She looked at the picture of him which she placed on her dashboard and wished so desperately that his time on earth hadn't ended.

They met freshman year of high school and he was a jerk to her. Always teasing her and making wise cracks. One day, after gym, he cornered her outside the locker room and kissed her, to which he received a slap across his cheek. He rubbed his cheek and grinned at her, he said it was worth it and walked away. The next day she was sipping from a water fountain when she felt a pair of lips near hers, it was Noah. She jumped up and shoved him as hard as she could to which he laughed. He told her he was thirsty and couldn't wait, then he walked away. Quinn didn't know it yet, but she had already fallen. Noah messed with her for the rest of the school year and she always hit or pushed him and he'd always grin at her and walk off. What solidified her growing feelings was an afternoon during summer break when she was laying on her living room floor drawing and heard the doorbell. Walking to the door and opening it to the stupid grin she'd missed for nearly three weeks took her breath away. Noah had on his signature dopey grin and a bouquet of flowers he clear picked from someone's unsuspecting garden.

They began hanging out everyday, all day for the rest of the summer. Quinn was certain he'd pretend like they were just friends or he was hooking up with her when school started back up but he didn't. He walked her to every class, he held her hand and referred to her as his girlfriend even though he hadn't officially asked her. He told her he loved her at their back to school dance that October and of course she said it back. They were blissfully together and nothing could break them up, that was until Quinn cheated. She couldn't help it, she started having weird feelings towards one of her friends and she had to explore it, if not to just rule out the possibility she may be gay. She and Noah had never had sex but she was sure she wanted to. When Courtney invited her over for a slumber party she got more than she bargained for. She loved every second she spent with Courtney and came to the conclusion she did like girls, but she loved Noah. Telling Noah she had cheated on him was the hardest conversation she had up until that point. He didn't talk to her for over a month. When he finally spoke to her again they had a long talk about why she would do that, then they made love for the first time and she admitted to him she was bisexual. She promised him she would never cheat again, and she never did.

Four years later, during her sophomore year at Columbia, she became mesmerized by a girl that worked at the campus café. She would see her around campus all the time but she tried to stay away. The internal battle to not look Marley's way was a pure blood bath. Quinn had to make the conscience decision everyday to not stare at her. One day Marley asked her a question while she sat at her usual table and Quinn was infatuated. She loved Noah more than anything but there was an inexplicable pull towards Marley. It didn't help matters that Noah was still in Philadelphia, beginning his rookie year as a cop. He was busy, she was busy and Marley was sweet and beautiful and right in front of her. As badly as she wanted Marley she couldn't possibly betray Noah again. So she didn't and she continued her torturous friendship with Marley.

When Quinn went home for winter break Noah could sense something was off. Quinn admitted to her feelings for Marley and he told her to go for it. Thinking he was testing her she declared her love for him repeatedly and shot down any idea of leaving him for her. Noah maturely suggested they take a year break. He told her they should focus on themselves and figure out who they are apart from one another. He also mentioned that she needed to get her "college lesbian on" before they got old and got married.

Thus began her year-long relationship with one Marley Rose. Even though they talked regularly, she missed Noah, she did, but Marley touched her in places she was sure Noah didn't even know existed. But she was also sure that he was learning a thing or two "discovering" himself. They both agreed that during this year-long "break" they could do what and who ever that wanted, and Noah was with a lot of different girls. He'd tell her all about it and she'd listen but he couldn't stomach listening to stories about Marley, simply because he knew she was in love. The most difficult part of the agreement wasn't the girls Noah was sleeping with or anything else concerning him, it was the fact that she and Marley knew they were living on borrowed time. At the beginning of their relationship Quinn explained, in detail, what she and her boyfriend was doing. She adamantly let her know that whatever they did could only last for twelve months, and Marley accepted that fact. That was until month eleven when she and Quinn were both an emotional mess. They ended up crying every time they made love, knowing that very soon it would be their last time.

Noah gave her an out a week before the year was up, he told her that if she was happy with Marley, she could stay with her and he'll always be her friend. He didn't even give her the chance to answer him, he told her to sleep on it and she did. For all of an hour. In the middle of the night she rushed over to Marley's dorm and made love to her all night long. There were no tears, only cries of passion. That weekend she visited Noah and made love to him too. When he asked her had she decided, her answer was simple.

"I'm in love with Marley. I'm in love with you. But it isn't the same."

"Oh." Noah hung his head as he stood in front of Quinn at 30th St station. "I understand."

"You understand that I want to spend the rest of my life with you? Good, that saves me a lot of explaining." she grinned at him as she watched his face light up.

"But..."

"But nothing, I'm in love with her, I am, but not the way I'm in love with you. I don't see my future children with her, I only see that with you. You and me, forever if that's okay with you."

"It's more than okay. I love you Quinn, and I was hoping you still loved me too. You know, after all this."

"Thank you Noah."

"For loving you?"

"No, for loving me enough to let me go. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"How about we start right now."

It was unconventional and she still had two more days until their year "break" was up, but Noah proposed right there in the middle of the train station and of course she said yes. They didn't get married until two years after she graduated and they didn't have their first child until they'd been married for five years.

Marley and Quinn's friendship dissipated when Quinn came back to campus on Sunday with an extra piece of jewelry. But not before they made love on last time. They didn't speak for ten years, not until Marley found out Noah had passed away and showed up to the funeral. She comforted Quinn all night back at her hotel while Beth stayed at Quinn's house with Judy, Quinn's mom. Marley held Quinn tight while she sobbed herself to sleep. She'd wake up every so often and sob some more, Marley would wake up too and hold her tighter. Needless to say their friendship was rekindled, even though Marley's wife wasn't too keen on the idea.

When Quinn pulled into her designated parking spot at the Mansions at Bala, she pulled out her phone to Skype her friend, who was also a stay at home mom.

"Hey Quinn."

"Hey Marley, you busy?"

"Nope, just got Jules down, how are you?"

"Pretty good. Can I see her?"

"Sure." Quinn watched Marley walk from her living room to her daughter's nursery. Marley and her wife each gave birth to two children. Julie was the latest addition to the Pierce-Rose household. Marley had her just six months ago. Brianna was seven, Michael was four and Dianna was two. Marley pointed the camera in the direction of Julie's crib where she laid sound asleep.

"Good she's so beautiful." Quinn whispered. Marley backed out the room and was soon plopped down on her couch.

"Yeah."

"Where's Di?"

"Napping too. Thank Jesus, Mary and Joseph."

"Oh stop it, you love it."

"I do."

"I miss having a baby around."

"Want one of mine? No seriously take one, we have too many. And Britt's crazy ass said she wants two more."

"That's wonderful."

"Wonderful my ass. More like stressful. Why don't you have another one?"

"I need a man for that." Quinn reasoned.

"Or a woman."

"Or that. But we both know I don't have time for anyone in my life except for Beth."

"Oh!" Marley exclaimed. "How was dropping her off today?"

"Rough. I wish you lived in Philly, then I could come over and cry on your shoulder."

"Don't be such a baby, she's growing up."

"Yeah..." Quinn said sadly.

"Besides, who in their right mind would ever leave New York? Opps, sorry." Marley snickered at Quinn's insulted expression.

"I had someone waiting here for me, remember?"

"Oh, I remember Quinn." She wasn't positive, but Quinn was almost sure she saw a tinge of regret on Marley's face. Marley has never said it, but Quinn knew she wanted everything she had with Brittany, with her. But that was a topic neither woman touched, there was no point.

"Yeah, so...I had to come back. I love Philadelphia anyway, even if Noah wasn't here waiting on me, I would have come home."

"I suppose, but how could you subject little Quinn to not growing up in New York. It's the greatest city on earth." Marley refused to call Beth by her name, even though both Quinn and Beth objected. Eventually both mother and daughter accepted it.

"I beg to differ."

"Mommy?" Dianna's voice could be heard.

"Really? You were asleep for like a half hour." Quinn saw a mess of blonde hair and piercing blue eyes staring at her. Marley brushed her hair back and Dianna smiled and waved.

"Hello princess Di, goodness Marley, Brittany spit her out."

"I know right, Brianna too, it's uncanny."

"She does look just like Bri when she was a baby." Brittany was a photographer and had a ton of baby pics of all their children. Marley had barely sent Quinn half of their first born's pictures. They only got to age three so far. "Geez Mar, you have such a beautiful family."

Marley smiled adoringly at Quinn before she directed her attention to Dianna. "Yeah, I'm blessed."

"I'll let you get back to mommy duty."

"Okay, text me later to tell me how her first day went."

"Sure thing. Bye Di. Talk to you later Mar."

"Bye Quinn." She blew the camera a kiss and disconnected their call.

She tried to ignore the tingles Marley still sent her, but Marley made that difficult by just breathing. Even though she was happily married with four beautiful children, Quinn knew she could have Marley, in a not so platonic way. She'd never leave her family, she knew that, but she couldn't imagine there would be much difficulty getting her into bed. Quinn shook off her wandering thoughts knowing she'd never do that with someone else's wife. She chanced a look at her clock and instantly regretted it. Still five and a half more hours until it was time to pick up Beth, what to do now? She got out of her car and went into her apartment.

Quinn was so bored she did something she hadn't done since she found out about Noah's death, she drew. After clicking through her emails she found the perfect subject. A two-year old Brianna Pierce-Rose. Just then she decided she'd draw all of her friend's children, frame them and give them to her for Christmas.

Two fifty couldn't have come fast enough. And when the bell rung, she was already outside Beth's classroom. Beth ran up to Quinn and jumped into her waiting arms. Quinn lifted her and squeezed her tight.

"How was your first day sweetie?" She placed her back on the ground.

"You have to talk to my teacher remember?" Beth said ignoring the question.

"Ah yes...ice cream." Quinn walked into the now empty classroom. "Miss Young?"

"Yes, hello." Beth's very attractive teacher turned around to meet Quinn's eyes.

"Um, hi. Quinn Fabray." She stuck her hand out which Miss Young took.

"Nice to meet you. What can I do for you Quinn Fabray?" Her smile was dazzling but it was her eyes that made Quinn look away. They were the iciest green eyes she had ever seen, and they looked perfect against her caramel skin. It seemed like every woman she came across lately sent her thoughts to an impure place. Quinn looked down at Beth.

"I was just wondering how this one was today, she can be a bit of a trouble maker." She winked as Beth scrunched her face up.

"Mommy..." Beth whined.

"I find that hard to believe, she was a perfect angel today." Miss Young ran her hand over Beth's wild curls.

"Oh, playing nice for your teacher huh? She's a terror at home."

"Mommy stop teasing me!" Quinn and Miss Young shared a laugh.

"Okay okay, I'll stop. I think I got a good one."

"I think so too." The adults shared a look as Beth tugged impatiently on her mom.

"Mommy...ice cream." She felt the need to remind.

"Duty calls. Pleasure to have met you Miss Young." Quinn shook her hand again.

"The pleasure is all mine Miss Fabray, see you tomorrow Beth."

In the car Beth bounced excitedly in her seat chanting ice cream over and over.

She stopped her cheer and was quiet for a few beats. "Mommy?"

"Yeah kiddo?"

"Why is my last name Puckerman and your's Fabray?"

Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat. Pain tugged at every nerve in her body in response to her daughter's innocent question. "Uh, because mommy never legally changed her name when she married daddy. You have...uh...you have your dad's last name." She choked out. "So tell me about your day."

"Not until we get ice cream." Quinn drove them straight down city line avenue to Baskin Robbins.

"Kid?"

"Yes mommy?" Beth said around a mouthful of chocolate chip ice cream.

"I was wondering if we could do this every year. On the first and last day of school, just you and me get some ice cream, what do you say?"

"I say that's an awesome idea mommy." Quinn couldn't wipe the smile off her face, Beth brought her so much joy. "Great. Now remember, if a person doesn't have their word..." She left the sentence for her daughter to finish.

"Then they don't have anything at all. I know."

"I know you're only five but imma hold you to this ice cream agreement."

"Mommy, why would I ever pass on ice cream?" She shoved another spoonful in her mouth.

"Because kiddo, one day you're going to be an insufferable teenager who I'll want to throw out of a moving vehicle occasionally, and you won't wanna hang with your old mom."

Beth gaped at her. "What's a vehicle?"

"A car."

"That's what I thought! You would throw me out your car?"

"While it's moving. Yeah." Quinn laughed.

"Mommy that's mean. I could get a really big boo boo."

"I really should record our conversations. Kid, when you're sixteen..." Quinn shook her head and silently hoped they'd always be close.

"I'll always wanna hang with you." Beth said quietly.

Quinn snorted and shook her head. "Just agree to ice cream on the first and last day off school until you don't have any more school left."

"Agreed."

"So tell me about your day."

"Oh!" Beth forgot all about their previous conversation. "It was great!"

"Lower your voice kid."

"Opps, sorry." The blush on her cheeks made Quinn pinch them.

"What made your day so great?"

"Well I made a new best friend."

"Did you now?"

"Uh huh. Her name is Santana and she has really long curly hair, just like mine but it's dark and she's really snarky."

Quinn's brow furrowed immediately. "Who taught you that word?"

"Marley."

Figures. "What makes Santana snarky?"

"I don't know. Uh, she says whatever, to whoever. She uh..." She was at a lost for words.

"Speaks her mind?"

"Yeah, but she says the funniest things. She asked me to be her best friend and I said yes. We share a cubby."

"You do?"

"Yep. Mommy can we have a play date? Pleeeeeeeease."

"I'd have to talk to her mommy first."

"Okay. So that's a yes?"

"We'll see kiddo."

After reading the gingerbread man to Beth, for perhaps the four thousandth time, Quinn laid on her bed with her feet at the head and her head at the bottom. She stared at her ceiling as she swam in a sea of boredom. I should paint. The thought alone gave Quinn anxiety. She hadn't pick up a paintbrush since her affair with Marley. Thirteen years is a long time to let something go. But as soon as the thought entered her mind, it stayed there like an uninvited guest, lounging around her brain. She got up and went into the unused bedroom in their three bedroom apartment. After Noah's death, Quinn didn't want to live in the house they brought to raise their kids in alone, so she sold the house and they moved to an upscale apartment building. All her art materials were boxed up in the spare room. She began to sort through the box until she found a brush set, some acrylic paint, her easel, and a canvas. The mop bucket that sat in the corner collecting dust was quickly rinsed out and filled with water. She sat in on a table by her easel and sorted out her colors and brushes. She took a piece of black chalk and outlined her subject. When the outline was complete, she stepped back and stared at her deceased husband. After taking a breath, she dipped her brush into her paint and placed the first stroke on the canvas.

The rest of the week came and went and each day, with Beth at school, Quinn would paint. She was so consumed with the ideas flowing from her fingertips and spilling on canvases, that she would forget to eat. She had to set multiple alarms to remind herself to nourish her body. The alarm that always put a smile on her face was the one signaling it was time to go pick up Beth. Just yesterday Beth informed her that Santana's mommy wanted to meet her too. She wasn't surprised because all week long all Quinn heard about were the umpteen stories she had of her new found best friend. Beth would go on and on about something Santana did or something hilarious she said. So when Thursday came, both Beth and her new best friend thought it was time for their mommies to meet the following day so they could have a playdate on Saturday.

Miss Young was bent over her desk giving Quinn the perfect view when she walked in the class. She quickly averted her eyes to the other side of the classroom to see her daughter helping another little girl poke a hole in her juice box. Anxiety filled Quinn when she saw how Beth was looking at the other girl. If it was one thing Quinn was sure of, it was that her feelings for other girls started at a very young age, she just couldn't decipher them. Beth handed her friend the juice box and they smiled at each other. Quinn shook off whatever may happen in regards to Beth's sexuality. That was a bridge that she was years away from crossing so there was no need to fret about it now. Miss Young waved and smiled and Quinn returned both gestures hoping her smile wasn't too suggestive. The irritation at her daughter's teacher's attractiveness crept into her mind. She shook it off and continued her stride towards her daughter.

"Hey kiddo."

"Hey mommy!" Beth's hugs were always enthusiastic, and Quinn held onto her tightly, trying to memorize these moments knowing that one day Beth won't hug her as tight. "This is Santana."

"Hello Santana, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Beth's mommy. You're just as pretty as Beth. You look like twins!"

Quinn smiled brightly seeing very clearly why her daughter had taking a liking to the girl. "Well aren't you sweet. You're very pretty too. Do you look like your mommy?"

"Sure do. You should see our baby pictures. Mommy has them hanging side by side. It looks like the same baby. Maybe you'll see it when you come over Saturday." The little girl was just as outspoken as Beth describe, and very confident. Quinn's smiled brighter.

"Well we'll have to see what your mommy says about that. Who knows she might not like me." She said playfully. The two little girl's giggled before Santana spoke up again.

"Trust me, she'll like you. She loves pretty blonde women."

Quinn had to admit her curiosity was peaked, but before she had a chance to question what she meant the little girl ran past her and into a woman's arms. Quinn buttoned up Beth's jean jacket and took her book bag from her and placed it on her own shoulder. Beth took her hand to lead her to Santana and her mom. The woman sat Santana down and fixed her jacket, she stood back up and she and Quinn made eye contact for the first time. This woman was a thief. She stole Quinn's breath from her the instant she smiled. She was the most stunning woman Quinn had ever laid eyes on. She had a mess of long black curls that cascaded down her back. Her big eyes were the most delicious shade of chocolate. The set of lips that Quinn's eyes lingered on, were pink, plump, and looked soft enough to kiss for days without rest. Her cheekbones were high and perfect. She was perfect. Beth's new friend's mom was the sexiest woman she'd ever seen and she couldn't stop staring. After only faintly registering the hand that was stretched out in front of her, she extended her own. The electricity that shot through her entire body was almost too much to bear. She closed her eyes briefly to try to regulated her breathing that was slowing getting out of control.

"Hi, so nice to meet you. I'm Santana. Lopez."

"Nice to...meet you too."

"Shall we?" Santana pointed to the door and waved at Miss Young, Quinn barely did the same. Once in the hallway, Quinn had composed herself a little. They made it to the parking lot before either of them spoke. "Wanna go to the playground?"

Quinn followed Santana's line of sight to the children on the playground that was built on the school grounds. "Sure." Beth and little Santana let go of their mom's hands to link their own and skipped slightly ahead, excited to go play.

"So your house or mine because I'm sure neither one of us is gong to be able to tell them they can't hang out tomorrow afternoon." She smiled and Quinn turned her attention to the girls in front of her.

"Yours is fine."

"Great." They walked over to a bench and took off their daughter's back packs.

"You named her after yourself?" Quinn asked disbelievingly.

"My wife had no clue what she wanted to name her and neither did I. So one day I was watching a rerun of Gilmore girls and Lorelai said "Men name their son's after themselves so I thought, why can't I?" And I turned to my wife and said, "we're naming her Santana Diabla Lopez the second". She didn't object, so that's what we named her." Santana stared lovingly at her daughter push Beth on the swing. Then Beth hopped off and little Santana got on and Beth pushed. "They are so adorable." She gushed. "Look, there is only one swing available so they're taking turns. Aww."

"They are quite taken with one another." Quinn observed.

"Tell me about it. "Bethany this and Bethany that, and I'm the only one who gets to call her that. And if someone else tries I'll beat them up." That kid. I swear, she's a whole lotta woman to be just five."

Quinn chuckled. "So what do you call her? Doesn't it get confusing?"

"Oh no, everyone calls her Ana."

"I see. So you're married?" She looked at Santana's left hand and quirked an eyebrow at the noticeably bare ring finger.

"I was when we were discussing names. Then I wasn't." Santana tears her eyes away from her little girl to look at Quinn. Once again the woman steals her breath straight from her lungs. "We had a bitter battle over when to start a family and she was adamant that she had the first one. When we went through all the hops that is in vitro, we found out she couldn't carry. I really wasn't ready but I wanted to give her what she wanted. We had been married for almost ten years at that point so I let her put a baby in me." She chuckled then paused. "We were together since high school, almost fourteen years at that point. I guess we just grew apart and she must have thought having a baby would solve all our problems. I don't know...I think we got married too young. We were twenty. By thirty, when we had Ana, we realized nothing could really save us. We stuck it out for the first year of her life, then one day, out the blue, I come home and she's sitting at the dining room table with a glass of wine and some blue papers. Fifteen years down the toilet. I was thirty-one and a single mom, and had only been in one relationship my whole life. Talk about fish out of water." Her laugh was humorless.

"Wow." Was all Quinn could manage.

"I'm sorry. I don't normally talk about all this stuff. I just say I'm divorced and leave it at that. I'm not sure why but I just feel comfortable talking to you."

Quinn hoped the burning in her cheeks was because of the bright September sun. "They say it's easier to talk to strangers, sometimes more than someone you've known your whole life."

"They do say that don't they? But I'm not sure that's it. I feel like an open book with you...I'm not sure why." She smiled again and Quinn was sure she needed to admit herself to the hospital because her heart was beating so rapidly.

"Wait a minute. Santana Lopez, as in "The Human Condition" Santana Lopez?"

"The one and only." Now it was Santana's turn to blush.

"Your books are sensational." Quinn exclaimed. "I've read all five and each one is better than the last. You're so good..." It wasn't meant to sound they way it did so Quinn stopped her sentence before she could further embarrass herself.

"You're too kind Quinn." She was breathtakingly beautiful, talented, successful, smart, and humble. Quinn wondered how anyone could possible be married to her and not want it forever. "I just have a bunch of stuff in my head and I write it down. No big deal."

"No big deal? You were on Oprah's book thingy."

"Thingy?" Her smile grew impossibly wide.

"Yeah, I saw the sticker on your last book." They smiled at each other and Quinn was sure that time had decided to stand still, just for them. "Yeah well she doesn't pick the books and she told me she doesn't read them either. She has one of her flunkies give her cliff notes about all the good parts."

"She...told you?"

"Yeah. I guess you don't watch Oprah?"

"Here and there."

"Oh well I was on there. It was a few years ago."

"Impressive. Was she nice?"

"Very. She was charming and pleasant and very polite. I had a good time."

"Mommy?" Ana interrupts.

"Si mija?"

"Bethany says that her mommy took her for ice cream on her first day of school because she was a good girl and we were both good girls today and I was wondering if we could go get some pleeeeeeese?" Ana strung together all her words in one breath and managed the most adorable pout to accompany her begging.

"It's not an everyday thing sweety." Quinn tells Ana, trying to help her mom out. Santana just shrugs.

"It's okay Quinn, if it's okay with you that is."

"Pleeeeeeease?" Both girls whine.

"Alright."

"Yes!" They high five and hug each other.

"Can we go now mommy?" Beth asks.

"Let's go. Do you know where Baskin Robbins is?" Quinn looks at Santana.

"Yeah, down on 76th right?"

"Yeah." They both get up and look at each other, neither moving. "So I'll see you there?"

"But mommy why can't we go together?" Ana complained. "I wanna ride with Bethany."

"Santanita." Santana said in a warning tone.

"I have an idea." Quinn chimes. "Why don't I drop my car off at home and we ride there together? It's directly on the way. We live in the Mansions at Bala."

"Oh that's right on city ave. Okay we can do that. I'll just follow you out." Santana suggests.

"Okay. Come on Bethany." Ana glared at Quinn and she doubled over in laughter after getting the reaction she was seeking.

"You never call me by my name!" Beth squealed.

"I know kiddo, I was just messing with Ana."

"Beth's mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Can she ride with us?" Ana tightened her grip on Beth's hand and the anxiety she forgot about snuck up on her again. She looked at their joined hands and thought about the conversation she'd have to have with her daughter, much earlier than she expected. The look in Ana's eyes, the way she held Beth's hand, the way both she and Beth talked about each other. It was all too obvious that their affection ran deeper than either of their five-year old minds could comprehend.

"If it's okay with your mommy."

"Sure is."

"Kiddo, help me get your booster seat out my car."

"Okay." Beth skipped over to Quinn and grabbed her hand.

"You really like Ana huh?"

"She's the best."

Quinn buckled her in and Beth grabbed Ana's hand once she was secure. "See you in a bit kid. I'll miss you."

"Mommy, we'll be right behind you. Right Santana's mommy?"

Both Quinn and Santana laughed. "Right Beth."

"Drive carefully, there's some precious cargo back here." Quinn looked in the front seat at Santana.

"Always." With one more lingering look, Quinn closed the car door and walked over to hers.