one
Chapter 1 of I’ll Be Back Again To Stay
Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
Pairing: Santiago Garcia x single mom!reader
Word Count: 2.8k
Warnings: parenthood/kids, if that isn’t your thing
Author’s Note: Santiago is quite literally not even mentioned in this chapter… I had to set it up, ok? He’ll be here, don’t worry
The blaring of your phone wakes you up: it seems like no matter which alarm sound you use, it always yanks you aggressively from your slumber. You can feel a chill, even through all of your blankets, and a glance through your curtain gap shows you snow falling, powdery and fat.
Reluctantly, you get out of bed and start your day. It’s earlier than you’d normally wake up, and you’re especially exhausted with how late you had to stay up packing, and then it was practically impossible for you to fall asleep with your brain running through all of the worst case scenarios.
A glance at your weather app tells you the flurries should be stopping within the hour, and you feel like you can breathe a little easier. The last thing you need right now is getting your flight delayed.
You hurry through your morning routine to pack up the rest of your toiletries, and then move on to packing up your carryon, crossing things off your list as you go. As soon as you feel decently prepared, you go wake up Inez.
In her five years of existence, Inez has never been one to wake up before she’s ready. She’d sleep in till noon if she feels like it, and if you wake her up a minute sooner, you’ll be dealing with a grumpy kindergartener. So, you know the only way she’ll get out of bed and ready to go is if you bribe her.
“C’mon, baby, we can’t be late to see Aunt Sydney.” It’s been at least five minutes, and she still has a death grip on her blankets, her head completely covered.
“She can wait.” You really were raising a stubborn little girl.
Most of the time, she was well behaved, but she always had a little bit of sass. During parent-teacher conferences, Inez’s kindergarten teacher had told you she was “a leader”, which really meant that she wouldn’t let the other kids tell her what to do.
Which was fine by you. All that mattered was that she listened to you and her teachers, and always used her manners. You know for a fact that there are other kids in that class that are far bossier than she is.
Now, though, she’s letting all that stubbornness shine through.
“I’ll let you pick out any donut you want at the airport. And watch movies on my phone.”
“Deal,” she responds, springing out of bed, making a grin bloom on your face.
She didn’t know that was your plan all along. Sometimes, she just needed to feel like she was making the rules, and that’s fine by you.
You help her brush her teeth and pick out her outfit, letting her get dressed while you pack up her toiletries, along with the stuffed animals she’s picked out. She can’t sleep without at least three, and when you left her unsupervised with the luggage last night, she had tried to stuff ten of them inside.
You do one last double check of all of your luggage, before bundling Inez up in her winter jacket. Naturally, she complained about it, so you told her she could take it off once you got to the airport. You already had a lighter jacket for her in your carryon, knowing she’d get cold as soon as you got to security and the suitcases were checked.
Still, she was a little pouty, and understandably so. You woke her up early to bustle her off to some place she’s never been. It’s her first time in an airplane, and she’s a little bit nervous, even though she claims she’s not.
But, surprisingly, the terrifying horse outside of the Denver airport seems to cheer her up.
“Momma! Look at that scary horsie!” Her face is all pressed up against the window, but she still has a giant grin on her face.
While Inez was mostly a pleasant kid, wrangling her and two large suitcases was nothing short of a miracle. Lucky for you, there was no line at the check-in desk, and the worker seemed charmed by all that Inez had to share, even giving her a sticker which she immediately stuck to the front of her t-shirt.
Someone out there must be looking out for you, because there was barely any line at security either. So far, the day has been smooth sailing. You just hope that Inez keeps her good mood and high spirits throughout the flight.
After making it through security, finding a donut for Inez, and figuring out where your gate was, you still had plenty of time before your flight. You shoot Sydney a text that says 30 minutes til boarding! and she quickly responds with a bunch of cheering emojis.
When you look up from your phone, you have to stifle a laugh at Inez, who somehow managed to smear frosting up onto her forehead, in addition to the ring around her mouth.
“Will Santa bring me presents at Auntie Syd’s house?” Inez asks you as you do your best to wipe all of the frosting off her face.
“Of course he will.”
“Good, because otherwise we should stay here.”
Inez absolutely adored Sydney, who had been your best friend all throughout college. She’s had your back through everything, all the ups and downs, she was your entire support system most of your pregnancy. She even lived with you for the first few months of Inez’s life, and the two of them continue to have a strong bond, even now that Syd lives in a different state.
Sydney had to move to North Carolina for work two years ago, and had always come back to spend the holidays with you and Inez, who Sydney lovingly called Squish, a nickname born only shortly after Inez, because she was such a chunky little baby.
This year, though, Syd had invited you and Inez to spend the holidays with her and her now long-term boyfriend, Will. You’d been hesitant at first, terrified of intruding and making what should be a happy time awkward, but Sydney had insisted and Will promised it would be no trouble at all.
You’d only met Will one time before, when he flew out with Sydney for Inez’s birthday back in May. He was a sweet guy and nothing short of a gentleman, indulging Inez in any game she wanted to play. He arm-wrestled with her and let her win every time, played tag and hide-and-go-seek with her, and let her hang off of him like a little spider monkey, all without complaint.
So you agreed to spend the holidays with them, along with a few extra weeks. It really was a win-win scenario: you were able to work from anywhere, and Inez was only in kindergarten, so she can miss more school without it being completely detrimental to her. And you get to spend time with one of your favorite people ever. So really, a win-win-win.
You don’t have a long time to get settled before they’re calling you for boarding, so you juggle Inez and your backpack and the tickets and make your way onto the plane. Everyone seems enthralled by Inez this morning, and you can’t help but smile at her interaction with the flight attendant that’s helping with boarding.
And she gets to add another airline sticker to her t-shirt.
Lucky for you, it’s not a full flight, so you and Inez get a whole row to yourself. She claims the window seat and demands you sit in the middle, so you oblige her, because her peace of mind is more important to you than how physically comfortable you are.
She looks out at the snow covered ground as the plane takes off, and then promptly forgets about the window for the rest of the flight. You’d been worried about her getting bored, so you packed her coloring books and crayons, picture books, even activity sheets you’d printed out.
But, it seems she had no interest in those or the movies you’d downloaded onto your phone for her. Instead, she cuddled up with Blob the Monkey, and then in some impressive contortionist impression, she practically sits herself in your lap and falls asleep with her head on your chest.
You’re glad you decided to throw your book into your carry-on at the last minute, because Inez is down for the count. You manage to reach it without jostling her around too much, and you thank your lucky stars that she doesn’t wake up.
You spend the rest of the flight reading and rubbing small circles onto Inez’s back, trying to keep her asleep for as long as possible. With waking her up early for a big travel day and the next few weeks being full of excitement, you knew she needed every second of sleep she could get.
Three hours later, the plane finally lands, and Inez wakes up from her nap. You’re amazed at the fact that she doesn’t have a single sore spot in her body from the way she was sleeping, and is more energetic than you’ve ever seen her.
You shoot Sydney a text to let her know that you’ve landed, and that you’ll probably be ready for her to pick you up in 45 minutes. You had told her that it would be just as easy to rent a car, but she had insisted on picking you up. You didn’t mind, because it was less work for you, but Sydney was almost always late.
You exit the plane, hanging onto Inez’s hand as tight as possible while you try to maneuver your way to baggage claim, where Sydney promised to meet you. You can tell Inez is getting antsy with the way she pulls against your hand. She’s so excited she’s practically vibrating.
And, to your surprise, Will and Sydney are waiting for you when you enter the baggage claim area. When she notices, Inez slips out of your hold and sprints over to them, right into Sydney’s arms.
While Sydney squeezes Inez as if she’ll never see her again, you pull Will into a hug of your own. You’d only met him the one other time, but he really was a great guy and you were just counting down the days until the two of them got married.
When they came to visit last time, you’d told them, “Better make it quick, Inez is at prime flower girl age.” You’d been joking, but not really.
Sydney was your family, and Will wouldn’t be a terrible addition.
Once Inez is released from Syd’s grip, you’re the one being pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Even though the two of you talk to each other every day, it’s really not the same as seeing each other in person. You’d take her crushing your ribs over not seeing her any day.
“I’m surprised you were here on time,” you say as the four of you make your way over to the baggage carousel, Inez seated on Will’s shoulders.
“That’s because of him,” Sydney responds, “I was going to keep you waiting.”
“Well, thank god for Will.” That earns you a chuckle from the man in question, who hauls Inez off his shoulders to pull your suitcases from the carousel, despite your insistence that you could do it. You really didn’t mind, you just didn’t want Will to feel like he had to help you.
But, from what Sydney told you, he likes to feel needed, to feel helpful, and if that means he hauls your heavy suitcases and carries around your daughter, you really don’t mind.
There’s a definite chill when you finally step outside to make your way to Sydney’s car, but it’s nowhere near as bad as back home, where it’s been regularly below freezing since Thanksgiving. Here, you definitely need a jacket, but it’s not so cold that you feel like you’ll get frostbite the second you step outside.
The drive back to Sydney’s house is relatively short, but still long enough for Inez to sing along to the holiday songs playing on the radio. You haven’t been to her house since you helped her move in two years ago, but it looks just as cozy as you remember it.
It’s two stories, and painted a deep navy on the outside, with a red door that Inez had demanded was included, to match your door back home. Syd, of course, indulged her.
When you enter, bags and Inez in tow, you take in all of the changes Sydney and Will have made since you last visited. It looks different, but it still feels like home.
And, the picture of you and Sydney with newborn Inez is still in the spot of honor on her mantle. If she sees you tear up when you spot it, she doesn’t mention it.
The holidays are always a highly emotional time, both for positive and negative feelings. And spending them alone, or practically alone, only amplifies that. So, you’re eternally grateful to Sydney and Will for inviting you to stay with them.
Logically, you know you aren’t an imposition, and that Syd has been itching to spend more time with you and Inez, but it still feels like they’ve made some sort of huge sacrifice in including you.
Really, it wasn’t as if you had any crazy holiday plans. Christmas Eve was going to be spent with Sydney while Will visits with his buddies, and then Christmas Day has you and Inez relaxing on your own when Syd and Will spend the day with his family.
So really, no sacrifices are being made, except of their guest bedroom.
Since they only have the one room with the one bed, you’re sharing with Inez, which wouldn’t be an issue if she wasn’t a sleep-kicker. You’ve ended up punched in the face more times than you can count.
After a simple lunch, you spend the rest of the afternoon unpacking and settling in, actually putting your clothes away in the closet and dresser, something you wouldn’t have done if you weren’t at your best friend's house and if you weren’t staying for almost a month.
The hours pass by with you and Sydney catching up, making up for all of the times that texting or FaceTime just weren’t enough. Inez and Will have more arm-wrestling matches than you can count. Honestly, you’re amazed at how well he interacts with her, possessing a patience you don’t often see outside of parents.
Following your quick dinner of delivery pizza, Inez is bathed and put to bed early to make up for the time difference and the early start to her day. And, luckily, she practically passes out as soon as her head hits the pillow, barely staying awake for the entirety of her bedtime story.
Now, you find yourself settled on the couch, wrapped in a cocoon of fuzzy blankets and warm lamp light, the cheesy Hallmark movie playing quietly on the TV only adding to the cozy atmosphere.
“So… we have something to ask you,” Sydney starts, breaking the almost silence that had naturally settled over the living room.
“Yes, I will be your maid of honor.” Your comment earns you an eye roll from Syd and a swift but gentle kick to your outstretched leg from Will. You can’t help but to fall into a fit of laughter.
There’s nothing you love more than teasing your best friend.
“Haha, you’re hilarious.” Syd deadpans before continuing, “No, we wanted to talk to you about Christmas.”
“What about it?”
Sydney shifts to sit up, swinging her legs off the couch to turn her body towards you. Will hunches forward, leaning his elbows on his knees and his chin in her hands. Their body language screams we know you won’t like this.
“So, every year, Will and his buddies and his little brother all do this casual Christmas Eve thing, and Frankie’s daughter’s almost the same age as Inez, and we just thought-“
“Syd, slow down,” you cut her off, sitting up from your relaxed position on the couch, “you really aren’t making a lot of sense.”
“Maybe we all go? I think you’d love ‘em, they’re great, really.”
“I’m sure they’re amazing, but I’ve never met them. Wouldn’t it be weird to spend a holiday with a group of guys I’ve never met before?” While it’s not unusual for Sydney to have some out of the box ideas, you truly weren’t expecting whatever this is.
“We could all do something before? And you could get to know them.”
“And if you’re still not comfortable, we won’t push it anymore.” Will, ever the calming presence, adds.
“Fine,” you sigh, even though you aren’t really upset. Sure, you’re a little confused as to why Sydney suddenly thought it was a great idea for you to meet Will’s friends, but you could tell she had some sort of ulterior motive.
Before you call it quits around 10 PM, you spend the rest of your night idly chatting and tuning in and out of the awfully cheesy made-for-TV movie that Will seemed to love. And, as you snuggled up underneath your covers, trying not to wake Inez, you wonder why Syd was so insistent on changing your Christmas Eve plans.
Tags: @disabledameron @itspdameronthings @campingwiththecharmings @loonymagizoologist @stevenngrant @andromeda-dear @welcometostayingawake @outmodead
163 notes
·
View notes