1 Deep Water: Chapter 10
It was strange being back in the house. Not much had changed, except that someone finally got around to repainting the living room and it was strangely clean.
Letty glanced down at Marisol, observing as her daughter took in her new home. Marisol's bags were clasped firmly in Dom's large hand, and he too was watching his daughter. The three of them had stopped by Letty's mother's place before coming back. Dom had helped Marisol and Letty pack up their belongings and transport everything over to his house.
"It's big," Marisol whispered in awe. Growing up in a tiny, two-bedroom trailer, the house, not supported by wheels, was a vast change for the girl.
"It's home," Dom said, his deep voice filling the space.
"Dom? That you?" Mia called from the back of the house. She came around into the living room, drying her hands on a dishtowel. She smiled when she saw Marisol. "Hey, Marisol."
"Hello, Aunt Mia," Marisol responded politely, but still looking around.
"What's going on?" Mia asked curiously, looking at Dom and Letty.
Letty shrugged nonchalantly. "We're movin' in."
Mia couldn't hide the look of surprise and happiness at the thought. "That's great!" she enthused. "Brian and I are right down the street."
"So I heard," Letty replied coolly. She touched her daughter's shoulder gently. "Why don't we get you settled in upstairs, huh? It's been a long day."
"She can stay in Mia's old room," Dom replied. "You know where it is, right?"
"I haven't forgotten," Letty drawled. "Come on, honey." She took the bags from Dom and led Marisol upstairs.
Dom finally grew sick of Mia staring at him. "What?"
"How'd you talk her into this?" Mia laughed.
"I think she doesn't want to go, but she's unsure if she should stay," he replied casually, sitting on the worn sofa. "Besides, she knows I don't want to be away from Marisol, and I think Marisol likes me as a dad."
Mia laughed again.
"What?" he demanded.
"You. As a dad." Mia shook her head. "I just never saw it happening."
"Yeah, well, neither did I, but I kinda like it," he answered with a grin. He clapped his hands together. "I need to get some boxes from the trunk. You staying for dinner?"
"No," Mia replied, "I'm leaving now. I thought I left my watch here last night. Guess not."
Dom nodded. He hugged Mia and then pulled back, touching her protruding belly. "I can't believe you're gonna be a mother."
Mia smiled. "And you're a father."
"Guess we're both on new territory, huh?" Mia laughed.
"But we'll get through," Dom said with a grin.
Mia gave a quick nod. "We always do."
*~*~*~*
"So we can live here, Mama?" Marisol asked her mother, punctuating the question with a loud yawn.
"Yeah, baby," Letty answered softly, watching as Marisol's eyes slowly drifted shut. "We can stay here."
Letty looked outside at the setting sun. But for how long?
It was strange being back in the house. Not much had changed, except that someone finally got around to repainting the living room and it was strangely clean.
Letty glanced down at Marisol, observing as her daughter took in her new home. Marisol's bags were clasped firmly in Dom's large hand, and he too was watching his daughter. The three of them had stopped by Letty's mother's place before coming back. Dom had helped Marisol and Letty pack up their belongings and transport everything over to his house.
"It's big," Marisol whispered in awe. Growing up in a tiny, two-bedroom trailer, the house, not supported by wheels, was a vast change for the girl.
"It's home," Dom said, his deep voice filling the space.
"Dom? That you?" Mia called from the back of the house. She came around into the living room, drying her hands on a dishtowel. She smiled when she saw Marisol. "Hey, Marisol."
"Hello, Aunt Mia," Marisol responded politely, but still looking around.
"What's going on?" Mia asked curiously, looking at Dom and Letty.
Letty shrugged nonchalantly. "We're movin' in."
Mia couldn't hide the look of surprise and happiness at the thought. "That's great!" she enthused. "Brian and I are right down the street."
"So I heard," Letty replied coolly. She touched her daughter's shoulder gently. "Why don't we get you settled in upstairs, huh? It's been a long day."
"She can stay in Mia's old room," Dom replied. "You know where it is, right?"
"I haven't forgotten," Letty drawled. "Come on, honey." She took the bags from Dom and led Marisol upstairs.
Dom finally grew sick of Mia staring at him. "What?"
"How'd you talk her into this?" Mia laughed.
"I think she doesn't want to go, but she's unsure if she should stay," he replied casually, sitting on the worn sofa. "Besides, she knows I don't want to be away from Marisol, and I think Marisol likes me as a dad."
Mia laughed again.
"What?" he demanded.
"You. As a dad." Mia shook her head. "I just never saw it happening."
"Yeah, well, neither did I, but I kinda like it," he answered with a grin. He clapped his hands together. "I need to get some boxes from the trunk. You staying for dinner?"
"No," Mia replied, "I'm leaving now. I thought I left my watch here last night. Guess not."
Dom nodded. He hugged Mia and then pulled back, touching her protruding belly. "I can't believe you're gonna be a mother."
Mia smiled. "And you're a father."
"Guess we're both on new territory, huh?" Mia laughed.
"But we'll get through," Dom said with a grin.
Mia gave a quick nod. "We always do."
*~*~*~*
"So we can live here, Mama?" Marisol asked her mother, punctuating the question with a loud yawn.
"Yeah, baby," Letty answered softly, watching as Marisol's eyes slowly drifted shut. "We can stay here."
Letty looked outside at the setting sun. But for how long?