Romance in the Rain (Quinntana)

Ch. 27 Epiphany

A/N: Hi there. Quick life update: I graduated college, went on a vacation, and now trying to find writing time in between full-time adulting. Leave me a comment if you're still reading. Your reviews are always appreciated. Cheers!

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Streets of Chinatown

Time moved slowly but passed quickly.

This epiphany hit Quinn following her hospital discharge three weeks after the accident.

In those three weeks, her friends and family had showered her with care and Santana had been nothing short of attentive and sweet. Quinn found it hard to believe that she had such strong companionship at her side throughout the recovery. Just a year ago, she was dubious of more than half of the visitors frequenting in and out of her hospital room now, namely her father, Sam, Artie, and even Santana.

Though most of her relationships had improved tremendously, she still remembered being at her lowest point and praying to the universe for an opportunity. She was only just discovering what it meant to stand on her own feet and stumbling upon the singing job at Grand McKinley looked to be fated. That shift seemed like ages ago. Looking back at it, she was beyond naive to what would unfold.

During her recovery, she often thought of the paths that led her up to where she was, and she developed an endless appreciation for the people who'd been steadfast throughout the seasons of her life: her mother, Rachel, Mike, and Tina. Their loyalty and patience to put up with her never went unnoticed. Through the years, they made it a point to let her know she was never alone, be it through shared meals, money loans, or other means of help. Though she no longer needed those things, their visits to her hospital room were more valued than ever.

And the person she cherished the most. Santana.

Their clashing opinions were painfully frustrating, but if Quinn learned anything from being without her, was that she would rather go through the lowest of lows with Santana than ever consider the highest of highs with someone else.

Quinn wasn't sure when she started falling for her, but by now, her list of reasons for doing so stretched miles long. Santana was brilliant, thoughtful, funny, and equally strong-willed as she was. She was her match. Santana was her person.

She had spent so long barricading her emotions, the fact that one person had such a hold on her mind and her heart terrified her. Their love terrified her. Yet above everything else, Santana made her feel seen, cared for, and wanted. Santana saw her entirety and still chose to love her despite the obstacles between them. If Quinn was sure of one thing, it was that Santana ignited her and she never wanted their fire to cease.

And along with pondering their future together, an unnerving premonition seeded in the back of Quinn's mind. After her close brush with death, she was also affected in ways unexplainable. She began noticing little things she hadn't before, like how her mother's grey hairs multiplied, or how her father's limp was noticeably worse on rainy days. It startled her dearly that time hadn't been kind to her makers.

What was the purpose of living exactly?

To find someone and build a family? To find success in the forms of money and status?

If that was the purpose of living then hadn't her father found it many times over?

These uncertainties left her reeling at the past year that came and went like a whirlwind. It made her question if she'd been truly living up until this point. Leaving the hospital was a day where she was meant to look forward, but she couldn't help but also look back.