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"Never thought I'd see the day, Puckerman," Santana drawls, extending an arm to pat Puck on the back. She has one of her slow, serene smiles, and this is a rare show of affection from her.
"Yeah, well," Puck says bashfully, casting his gaze anywhere but the Glee clubbers.
He asks for a Glee club photo, and they all crowd him in various shades of pastel.
Rachel watches Quinn watching Beth.
Six years old now, Beth is no longer toddling but walking down the aisle, measuring out petals with practiced grace.
They kept their vow to visit, Quinn taking the train up every three months. They do homework together on Saturday morning with pastries, watching movies in the early afternoon. On a few occasions, Quinn has attended a party with Rachel's school friends.
Rachel's friends always look at her dubiously, like they can't imagine this bombshell blonde taking any particular interest in theatre. But Quinn sits there patiently while they rib each other over classes and roles.
Rachel reaches out now and holds Quinn's left hand where it rests on Quinn's thigh. She moves slowly so as not to startle or distract Quinn. Quinn doesn't even need to look down—she moves her right hand to cover Rachel's fingers, assuring Rachel that the touch is okay.
Rachel used to be hesitant to touch her friend—their sordid history had lasting effects. Quinn does affirming gestures now, to soothe Rachel's apprehension.
Beth finishes her procession, then clambers up into the chair beside Shelby. She looks around wildly for confirmation that she did a good job, and her gaze lands on Quinn for a moment.
Quinn beams softly at her and nods almost imperceptibly. Beth visibly relaxes and leans into her other mother's side, though she looks curiously over at them intermittently.
"She was amazing," Rachel whispers.
Quinn smiles wistfully. "Yeah. She was."
"Mommy?"
"Hmm?" Shelby hums distractedly, taking a moment to look up from her novel.
Beth traces a socked toe against the floorboards. "I have a question."
Shelby bookmarks her page, setting the paperback down beside her. She motions for Beth to come snuggle into her elbow.
"I saw my—um, my…mama Quinn holding hands with Rachel. Why they were doing that?"
"I don't know, baby. Did you feel left-out?"
Beth wrinkles her nose, a signature thinking pose she's picked up. "No."
"Okay. Hmm." Shelby is flummoxed. "Well, friends hold hands sometimes."
"I never saw grown-ups hold hands with their friends before. And not girls."
"Did it bother you?"
"No," Beth says, frustrated.
Shelby turns to look at her daughter fully. "Do you know that girls can be girlfriends with each other? Just like Rachel's daddies are husbands with each other?"
Beth brightens. "Oh. Are Quinn and Rachel girlfriends together?"
Shelby flounders. "I—I don't know, baby."
"Hey," Shelby says when Quinn picks up. "Um, Beth has a question for you."
Quinn moves the phone to her other ear. "Okay, what's up?"
"It's—it might be uncomfortable."
Quinn laughs nervously. "Is it that time already? I thought that would come later."
Shelby sighs. "She has this idea in her head, and I don't—I'm probably partially responsible, I just—."
Quinn hears Beth impatiently harrumphing in the background. "I can handle whatever it is."
Shelby hands the phone over, Beth's voice tinny and bright over the connection. "Quinn mama," Beth says. "Is Rachel your girlfriend?"
"I mean—yes," Quinn says, baffled. "She's my girl friend."
"Oh—okay," Shelby says, sounding relieved in the background. "That's great. I'm happy for you two."
Quinn has a feeling she's misunderstood. "Sorry, was that—was that it?"
"Yeah, that was all. She's already running off," Shelby laughs.
"Can I be the flower girl when you marry Rachel?" Beth asks matter-of-factly while coloring on a printout of Bluey.
Quinn nearly spits out her coffee. "When I…?"
But Beth doesn't give her much time to respond. "I never been to a wedding for two girls before."
Quinn blinks. "Beth…"
"Mommy said she would still love me if I wanted to marry my friend Fiona."
Quinn takes a deep breath, letting go of the misunderstanding for the time being. This will obviously not be a single-sentence clarification. "Of course. She's a good mommy."
"Is Rachel going to come over?"
"I need to tell you something," Quinn blurts.
Rachel puts down her coffee. "Okay?" she says with growing dread. She can't help but think Quinn has a new boyfriend—she's not sure why her stomach bottoms out.
"Beth and Shelby think we're lesbians."
Rachel frowns. Nothing could have prepared her for this information. "Was it something I wore?"
"No—I don't think so."
Rachel chews on her lip. "I mean, it's mostly untrue for me, although I suppose…"
Quinn clears her throat. "What do you mean, mostly?"
"I identify as bisexual, but that could be considered under the same umbrella…"
"Were you going to tell me?" Quinn demands, an edge of irritation in her tone.
"Should I have?"
"It's not—it's not a problem, I just would have liked to know."
"Okay. I'm bisexual."
"Okay," Quinn echoes. "But anyway, Beth and Shelby think we're dating. Each other."
"Did you tell them we aren't?"
"I—tried," Quinn flounders. "Beth kept interrupting me. And now we're invited to brunch."
"Okay, we'll clarify at brunch."
Shelby is pouring orange juice while Rachel sits primly with her hands folded in her lap.
"She's in a gay phase. That sounds awful, let me rephrase. She's in a phase where she is obsessed with learning about gay people."
Beth peels into the room, brandishing a small paperback at Rachel. "We're reading this one in class."
Rachel inspects it. "I remember this one. The series about the girl who helps her parents with their veterinary practice."
Beth starts to prattle at Rachel, so Quinn gets up to help Shelby carry various breakfast items to the table.
Quinn doesn't know what possesses her to say it.
Maybe it's the way that Beth looks at Rachel, eyes brimming with adoration as Rachel teaches her to play a simple tune on the piano. Beth has clambered up beside her on the piano bench.
"You're doing so well. You've only been in lessons for a year?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Do you like to sing, too?"
"Sometimes. Only Taylor Swift."
"They're precious," Shelby whispers.
Quinn jumps, not having realized Shelby was so close. "Yeah, it's really cute."
"Maybe if you ask nicely," Shelby says, audible for everyone now, "you can be the flower girl at Quinn and Rachel's wedding someday." Shelby winks conspiratorially at Quinn.
Beth looks up to Rachel with expert-level puppy dog eyes.
Rachel opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. She looks helplessly to Quinn.
And that's when it comes out. Quinn actually says, "Maybe by the time Rachel and I get married, you'll be old enough to be a bridesmaid."
"Maybe it's, I don't know, important for her!" Quinn stage-whispers. "Like, developmentally. Or something."
"Won't it hurt her more…later? If she finds out we're not dating?" Rachel hisses.
"We can do it gently," Quinn bargains. "Gradually."
"This is not a viable solution," Rachel grumbles.
Because they're in town for summer break—unable to justify the cost of big-city rent without classes—they arrange to see Beth once a week.
They meet Shelby at the park, then supervise an assortment of acrobatics on the jungle gym.
"Are you watching?" Beth calls to Quinn for the millionth time.
"I am," Quinn says for the millionth time.
"How long have you been together?" Shelby asks when Beth darts off with Quinn in tow.
Rachel hesitates, wondering if she and Quinn should have gotten their story straight in advance. "A few…months, maybe?"
That should explain their bumbling uncertainty, the way they cast their glances aside when Shelby comments on their fit as a couple.
"Have you said the three words yet?"
Rachel laughs awkwardly. "I mean, as friends, but not…since."
It's the truth. Quinn has not said I love you since Rachel came out to her as bisexual. Rachel hasn't said it, either, but it's been to avoid any misunderstandings. She wouldn't want Quinn to think she was making…advances.
It wouldn't be a problem, except that it was their sign-off on phone calls. And good night texts. And, well, Rachel is a bit concerned.
"It'll be soon," Shelby assures her in an almost singsong lilt. "She loves how you are with Beth."
Rachel feels her ears go up in flames.
Puck calls that night. "Shelby said you're banging Rachel."
Quinn scowls at her ceiling. "I'm a hundred percent sure she didn't say it like that."
"Yeah, not quite. I'm happy for you, baby mama." There's genuine warmth in his tone.
Quinn's eyes prick. It's probably anxiety from the whole situation. But then, "Do you think…it explains what happened between us?"
She knows it's not real, this farce with Rachel. But Puck doesn't. And if she uses it to process something else…well, what could it hurt?
There's silence on the other end.
She knows that he understands her meaning. The cheating, her rushed and desperate need for validation, the way they couldn't make it work even with another life on the line.
It's the most tender Puck has ever sounded when he says, "Yeah, sweetheart. I think so."
"Daddy?" Rachel says uncertainly, perched on a barstool at the kitchen island.
"Yes, baby?" Leroy asks, scooping a handful of now-diced peppers into a bowl.
"Have you ever been attracted to a friend?"
Leroy laughs outright. "Loads of times."
"What did you do?"
Leroy shrugs. "Amongst gay men, it's not really a big deal. Sometimes, it ended in a hookup and getting it out of our system."
"Okay. That's not an option in my case. She's straight."
Leroy's head snaps up so quickly that he winces and rubs his neck afterward. "Oh, my God. Spill."
Rachel averts her gaze. "No, thank you."
Leroy groans with impatience. "You can't do that to me."
"Can't do what to you?" Hiram asks, wandering into the kitchen and plucking a cucumber slice from the cutting board.
"Not tell me about the girl she's crushing on."
"It's not a crush, I've always found her pretty. And some…people…assumed we were dating, and it became relevant, so I told her I'm bi. And now I'm worried that I made it weird."
"Sounds complicated," Hiram says. "Is she a lesbian?"
"No, she's straight."
"Well, then why did people assume you were dating?"
"I held her hand once."
"And she let you?"
"As friends," Rachel enunciates.
"My straight guy friends don't let me hold their hands."
Leroy cuts in with a snort. "What straight guy friends?"
Hiram hesitates. "Mike and…Mike."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
Rachel clears her throat. "Anyway! So, she's straight."
"Doesn't sound very straight," Hiram mutters, then goes to pour himself a glass of wine.
"Do your parents know?" Shelby asks, and it's directed at Quinn mostly.
"Uh, no," Quinn says, averting her eyes.
"You'll always have a place with us," Shelby says tenderly.
Quinn feels her eyes well up at that. She quickly turns away, busying herself with spare Legos. Shelby unfortunately notices, rubbing her shoulder in a consoling gesture.
Rachel walks in at that moment, toeing her shoes off. She comes over to them, seeming to hesitate before setting her bag down.
"You can kiss your girlfriend hello," Shelby laughs. "I can turn away."
Rachel already has an excuse prepped. "Quinn's not huge on public displays of affection."
"That's not true," Quinn says before she can stop herself, glowering at Rachel.
And so, that's how their first kiss goes. Quinn haughty and misty-eyed, Rachel bewildered and flustered…but leaning down to peck Quinn briefly on the lips.