Home Is Where the Heart Is (Brittana)

Chapter 32

Brittany's POV

On my first day of working at the dance studio, I was stressed. I hadn't really taught dance before, and while I loved dancing, I knew teaching toddlers would be a learning experience. Plus, I also had to think about getting Everly ready for her first day of class. While she was almost three, she still seemed so young to me.

Santana had taken the afternoon off to come to class with us. She didn't want to miss Everly's first day of dance lessons, and, to be honest, I needed her there. All the kids would have someone there with them on the first day of class, and I needed to actually teach, not just pay attention to Everly.

"Are you excited?" Santana asked Everly as she helped her get dressed for class.

"I'm gonna dance like Mama!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah? Well that sounds super exciting!"

Santana and I both knew that Everly was nervous around new people, but we hoped that her excitement about learning to dance would outweigh that.

I was nervous as Santana drove us to the dance studio. Even though it had been years since I'd been in a dance studio, it felt comfortable for me to be back in one. Since it was my first class, and they hadn't found me an assistant from the older dancers yet, I had another dance teacher with me. We talked a bit as we watched the toddlers arrive.

Everly stuck by Santana's side, but once Santana went to sit down like the other parents, she tried to stick herself to my side.

"E," I whispered. "I love you, and I know you're nervous. Still, I have to help the other kids too, okay? Why don't you try standing three steps away from me?"

Everly pouted, tears filling her eyes for a moment. "But Mama..."

"I know, Sweetheart. Change is hard, but Mama's job is to teach all of the kids, not just you."

When Everly started crying, Santana came to comfort her, like many of the parents had to do with their toddlers on the first day of dance class, but, thankfully, by the end of class, she was enjoying herself with the other kids and not stuck to my side.

Once class was over, and I'd talked with all the parents regarding the class and all the extra details, Santana and I took Everly out for ice cream to celebrate her first dance class going as smooth as it could have gone.

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The traditions that Santana and I had started on our daughter's first birthday were the ones we were still following through with on her third. We took a photo of her asleep at the exact time she was born three years earlier.

Then, we decided that, since her party wasn't the same day as her birthday and we didn't have preparations to do, we would go back to sleep.

"Mami! Mama!" our daughter exclaimed running into our bedroom later in the morning, since we had left the bedroom door open when going back to bed.

"Hey, sweetheart!" I replied.

"Is my birthday today!"

"That it is. Should we make a special breakfast?" Santana asked.

"Yes!"

So, we got out of bed, Santana picking up our daughter and carrying her to the kitchen where we would be making special waffles for our daughter's third birthday.

It was very hard for me to believe that our daughter was already three years old. Hopefully, by our daughter's next birthday, she'd have a little sibling to love and to spend time with. Still, today was about her, and we tried not to think too much about any future babies, no matter how hard it was to do so.

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Santana and I had planned our mini vacation for the weekend after Everly's birthday party, which worked out well for us, since Brittany's sister, Jessica, was a few weeks into her college courses, and she was more than willing to stay at our house with Everly for the weekend.

We were nervous about leaving her for the weekend, but she was in her own home with her aunt and her cat, so we were hoping it wouldn't be too hard for her. Deciding to drive out to a close by hotel had been a good idea, since then we wasted less time on travelling, and we were close by Everly just in case.

We left Friday evening after eating dinner with Everly and Jessica.

"Bye-bye Mama and Mami," Everly said, her voice quiet.

"Bye Evie," I replied. "I love you, and we're going to miss you."

"I love you too, Evie," Santana said. "We'll be home in two days."

Everly kept waving as we went out the door with our suitcases. I wiped a tear away from my eye as we put our suitcases in the car.

"Are you okay?" Santana asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm super excited for this weekend. It's just not easy seeing Evie so sad."

"I know, but she'll be alright. Are we ready to go?"

"Yup." I got into the passenger seat of the car.

During our short drive, Santana and I listened to music but didn't talk much. We were tired from our busy week and saying goodbye to our daughter.

Arriving at the hotel, we checked in and made it to our hotel room. It wasn't late yet.

"Do you want to go in the hot tub?" I asked once we'd been in the room for a bit.

Santana shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Having hardly touched Santana since the miscarriage, it hurt me when Santana turned her back to me to change into her swimsuit. I knew she was struggling, and I'd give her all the time she needed, but I also wanted everything to go back to the way it was.

We didn't spend a lot of time in the hot tub, seeing as the pool area was very busy on a Friday night. So, Santana and I spent the rest of the evening cuddled up on the bed watching a movie until we fell asleep.