The Longer Engagement

67: Interview

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Sam's POV

"So, that little girl of yours. How old is she now?" Ellen asked. I grinned.

"She turned five months old Sunday." I answered.

"You sound like you're happy."

"I am, despite the fact that I'm tired." I said, chuckling."No, I stay up with her at night to let Brenda sleep, but she calls me stubborn as hell for it."

"Doesn't she breastfeed?" Ellen asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, but she uses the breast pump thing so I can feed her too."

"Well, she's very adorable. What's her name?"

"Brooklyn." I said.

"Where did you guys come up with that?"

"To be honest? I don't even know." She laughed." Because if I remember correctly, I suggested her full name to Brenda after she was born and she was like 'I was thinking the same thing!'"I said, mocking her voice."I think one of our friends suggested it to begin with, but we love the name. I've only said her actual name like...five times since she was born, either calling her Brooky, Brook, Baby Girl, stuff like that." Ellen smiled.

"That's sweet. What about those three kids that you adopted? Why did you choose to adopt them?" She asked.

"Well...we knew their mom, Kelly, since we were young. I mean, Brenda and I were at a Wal-mart in Ohio one day and there was this little girl, the oldest Kelsey, standing all by herself. We helped her find her mom and boom, instant friendship. We hadn't really spoken to her in a while because of us being busy, but she ended up having a set of twins, Janessa and Justin, they'll be one in November. She came to us one day in April. I was kind of pissed off at Chord because he was being an ass, though I can't blame him. I mean, he thought that he was going to lose Mercedes and the twins, but thankfully, he didn't. Anyway, I went back home and Brenda and I talked for a while, and she came to our house with Kelsey and the twins. She told us about how when her boyfriend found out she was having twins, left her, and now he's dead. How, I don't know. She kept going on and on about how we were the only people she trusted with her kids, and then she just...told us she had cancer. It ws stage four breast cancer. Brenda was kind of skeptical about it, because Brooklyn wasn't even three months old yet. I told her to put herself in Kelly's shoes, and I convinced her. It's not that she didn't want to do it, she loves those kids with all of her heart, and so do I." I said, Ellen nodding, showing that she was listening, with a smile on her face."So we told her that we'd adopt them if something happened to her, but I prayed so mush that nothing would, because who wants to lose their parents? I don't know the feeling, and I dread the day when I do, but Brenda knows. She lost her dad when she was just 15. And Kelsey barely knew her dad, and the twins had never met him. We let them move in with us, two weeks later, Kelly was put in the hospital, and a week later, her doctor called me and told me she died in her sleep. I had to tell Kelsey and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"Wow, I know that must have been hard on you guys. How are the kids doing?" She asked.

"The twins call us 'mama' and 'daddy'. They started that with no hesitation." I said, laughing slightly."The adoption was final in June, and now they're ours legally." I said.

"What does Kelsey call you two?" She asked.

"Uh, she was hesitant at first, but one day, she asked Brenda to talk privately, and asked her, and I quote 'Can I call you mama? Or would that be weird since you only 15 years older than me?'. When Brenda told me, she was trying not to cry, happy tears, and I started laughing. Then she told me that Kelsey wanted to talk to me upstairs in her room. I went upstairs and she was sitting on the floor, making bracelets and necklaces with those little beads and strings." Ellen nodded."She asked me if I would make bracelets with her. Of course I said yes, even though I was just like 'Okay then.' I sat with her and we made bracelets and all, then she asked me if she could call me 'daddy' and when she did, I probably had the biggest smile ever, other than when Brenda and I got married and she told me she was pregnant. I stayed with her and made bracelets and Finn, Puck, and Mike ended up coming upstairs to see what we were doing, and Puck thought it was so hilarious. They asked me what I was doing and I said 'Making bracelets with my daughter. What's it look like?'. She thought it was the neatest thing. She asked if they wanted to make them too, and they did. And eventually, every single of my friends, the dudes, and their kids were upstairs in her room, making bracelets for either our daughters or wives. The girls were downstairs clueless and I even got my mom and sister to buy some more boxes of beads and string and they brought it to our house." I said, laughing as everyone in the audience started cracking up along with Ellen."And the girls came upstairs and me, Santiago, and Kelsey were sitting on her bed, Santiago pointing at random beads. I made a necklace out of it, which I'm wearing now."I said, taking it off and showing it to her.

"Why are you wearing it today?"

"Because he's my son. I gave it to him and he put it on his head, showed Santana, then gave it back to me saying 'Yours dada'." I said, smiling."Kelsey made me a bracelet out of those little tiny rubber bands." I took it off my wrist. It was camouflage.

"That's so cool. And she made that?" Ellen asked. I nodded.

"I didn't even know that's what they were for. Stacy had them when she was little but she just made those simple ones. Kelsey even made a mini guitar out of them, but I think she watched a YouTube tutorial or something, but it's awesome. Gave it to me for Father's day."

"That's sweet, how old is she?"

"11. She'll be 12 in January." I answered.

"Wow. Going back to your son, this is just a random question that you don't have to answer. Do you love his mom like you love Brenda?"

"No. Not like I love Brenda. I mean, I love Santana. I love Brittany. I love all of my friends. They're like family to me." I said."Hell, I dated Santana, Brittany, Quinn, Mercedes and almost Rachel back in high school before I met Brenda." I said."Yeah, she's Santiago's mom, but that doesn't mean I'm in love wit her, you know?"

"I understand. But you really dated Mercedes and Rachel Berry?"

"I almost dated Rachel, which I shouldn't have said on TV because Finn didn't know. Oops. Anyway, yeah, I dated Mercedes too. I know, it's weird how she broke up with me but ended up with my twin brother who acts just like me." I said. Ellen laughed." There's no hard feelings though. I'm happy they have each other and I'm happy I have Brenda."

"So, sorry to change the subject,"

"You're fine."

"Is there any new music in your future? Or Brenda's for that matter? And do you have anything to say about your ex-manager?"

"We're working on some stuff, and no, not anything good about him." I said.

"Why's that?"

"I don't want to talk about all of that. It was just a lot of drama while Brenda was pregnant and he wanted me to go on tour in Europe for a year and I didn't do it." I said. She nodded.

"Do you have any details about your upcoming music?"

"Let's just say we both have newer songs now, and older songs that we were never allowed to record with Matthew." I answered. She nodded." We've been signed to a new record label, and we were good friends, at least, Brenda is, with our new manager. And damn, I like her a lot more than Matthew. Just...not in that way." Ellen laughed.

"So, you're going to be on 'Dancing With The Stars' with Brittany S. Pierce-Lopez in September?" I grinned.

"Yeah. We are partners, of course, but I'm really looking forward to it."

"Some people think that's totally unfair because you two are pretty much professional dancers." I started shaking my head.

"No, I'm not. I used to be a horrible dancer when I was a lot younger. Because according to my mom, my arms and legs were all lanky and long and I hadn't grown into them yet." I laughed."When it comes to ball dancing like that, it's all Brittany. She can do all kinds of choreography, whereas I can just dance to good, moving music." I said." Like that pop and lock junk that the girls do."

"Can you twerk?" Ellen asked. I laughed, but blushed.

"Uh, yeah. But I'm not doing it, so don't ask." I said, causing her to laugh."I prefer the body rolls."

"I think everyone does."