A/N- From here on out, I'm going to have to jump ahead a bit. Sorry if it feels like I'm in fast forward mode. P.S. Don't torture yourselves trying to do the math to make the time lines jive. Let's just say it's a good thing I'm not an accountant.
Being a Torretto, there was never any question that Mia would make the cross country team. Like her father and brother before her, she was born to race. She didn't start off as the fastest girl on the team, but by the middle of the season she was winning nearly every meet she entered. I have to admit that I was proud of her, though it still irritated the shit out of me that I had to take her place in the store every day after school. Tony was doing pretty well in his races so money we hired extra help, both at the garage, and at the store. Since they had a lunch counter, Tony ended up hiring my grandmother of all people to come in during the days and on weekends. We'd both apologized for what we'd said that night early in the summer, so working with her was pretty cool. I would rather have been at the garage, but this way I had time to do my homework while I made money.
Down at the garage, Vince and Dom brought this guy Leon in to help and it wasn't long before the three of them – and Jesse of course- were making grand plans for world domination. Luckily for us the only world they were interested in conquering was the racing world.
As for Dom and I, well things were going pretty well. We still hadn't had sex, but Dom had taught me a hell of a lot of other ways we could make each other feel good. Very, very, very good. We still went out on Wednesdays, but now he also came running with me in the mornings as well. When I asked him why he decided to join me, he joked that it was the only legal way he knew for me to help him burn off his morning wood. More often than not we kept it clean. We'd run the five miles and just talk. Occasionally we'd go to the garage to fool around instead, but we kept those excursions to a minimum after Tony almost caught us in a compromising position.
Around the middle of November my dad started to take a turn for the worse. I'd been visiting him every Sunday morning since we'd put him in the home, but somehow I hadn't expected him to actually die. I spent every day Thanksgiving week by his side with my mother and grandmother. We talked to him, read to him, did everything we could just to try to keep him with us.
During the times that my mom absolutely had to be at work, Dom would come down and sit with me. It took a lot out of him because it reminded him of his mother, but he came. Sometimes he brought sandwiches, which I wouldn't eat, or coffee, which I drank only so I could stay awake longer. We'd share a chair and Dom would rub my shoulders while I read my father parts of the last book my father had given me, "A Prayer For Owen Meany."
If either my mother or my grandmother knew why Dominic came down, and not Mia, they never said anything. Maybe they knew it wasn't the time, or maybe they were really okay with it, I'm not sure. What I do know is that they both heard what Dom said to my father on that last day.
Dom and I had spent the night in Papa's room, and my mother and grandmother were just arriving. I'd gone into the hall to talk with them and get some more coffee, leaving Dom asleep in the big chair at my father's side. When we opened the door to walk back in, we heard Dominic's voice, soft and steady. For some reason all three of us stopped, realizing that we were intruding on a private moment between the two of them that we weren't supposed to be a part of.
"What I'm saying is that I really love her Mr. Coronado. I know I'm not who you would have chosen for her if you could have really been here with her. I'm not as book smart or as wealthy as that Suarez kid she was seeing before me, but I swear I'm just as driven. I'll make a good life for us, I will.
"Do you remember the day she chose me over him? It was the day after that you'd remember. She still doesn't know I came to see you that day, to ask your permission. I could tell you were worried about her, thinking I'd get her into trouble. I can't say I blame you, before Letty I did some pretty stupid things and made some bad choices. But I promised you then, and I'll promise you now that I'll always do the right thing by her. I'll take care of her and let her take care of me. You smiled when I told you that, do you remember? Like you knew that half of what would make Letty happy in life was to feel needed. She's not like Mia, or your wife, or Letty's grandma in the way she needs to be needed, but deep inside, she wants to feel… necessary. I don't need a lot of things in this world, but Letty's a pretty big necessity for me. I know you're one of the things she needs, so if you can hold on, I'd appreciate it. If you can't do that, I'll make you a deal. I'll be here for her, and tell her how much you loved her and how proud of her you are, if… if you'll tell my mom how much I love her, and tell her I still miss her. And if you could tell her I'm trying to be the man she wanted me to be, that'd be good too." Clearing his throat, Dom wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then continued. "Since you were always one to speak your mind, I'm going to assume you have no objections to our deal Mr. C. You take care of my mom and I'll take care of Letty." Laughing a little, Dom wiped his eyes one last time. "Just ah, don't take too good care of my mom, you got that? I'd hate to get all the way to heaven and then get thrown out for having to kick your ass."
When we were sure Dom was done talking, we entered the room, forcing ourselves to act like we hadn't heard what he'd said. We put the flowers my grandmother had brought into a vase by the bed and opened the curtains to try to make the room brighter. Despite Dom's pep talk, we all knew that today was going to be the last day. Mia and Tony stopped in to say goodbye, as did a few of the other mechanics that my dad had worked with. We called his family in the Dominican Republic so that they could say goodbye to him too. We tried to keep things light, but it was hard. Anytime one of us had to cry, we'd go into the bathroom, just in case my father could hear us. It seemed like someone was always in there.
My father died that Sunday and we buried him on Tuesday. Dom, Tony, Vince and I were four of the pall-bearers. I was surprised when my mom suggested it, but somehow it just seemed right. After the service we had people over to the house for this huge party like my dad had always talked about having after he died. My fashion mogul aunt came, bringing her boyfriend and his band who played all of Papa's favorites from the old country, along with a bunch of standards from PR that he and Mama used to dance to late at night when I was supposed to be in bed. The Torrettos, Vince, and Jesse came. (Adrian was on off looking at schools, making it that much less tense a situation.) Even some of the New Yoricans came- and I'm happy to say they all had less "bounce" than I remembered, which was good since I hadn't been running in almost two weeks by then.
Dom was by my side the entire day and no one said a word about it. Both he and Vince borrowed suits from Tony. Vince looked awkward in his, but Dom looked down right suave. Jesse had borrowed something from Adrian's closet and refused to eat anything at the party so he couldn't spill his food on it. My grandmother ended up chasing him around the house for ten minutes with a full plate of food until he finally caved in- and promptly dropped a piece of chicken on his dress shirt. Thank God for Dom, Jesse and the rest of the team, because if they hadn't been there to make me laugh, I probably would have spent the whole night in tears.
A few hours into the party I was getting cold so I went upstairs to get a sweatshirt, leaving Dom in the backyard with some of my relatives and the rest of the team. It took me a little while to find one that wouldn't give my mom a heart attack, but when I finally returned Dom was no where to be found. I found him in the kitchen with my mother, having what I assumed was a serious discussion because just as I was about to go in to rescue him, my grandmother stopped me.
"Let her say her peace to him mija," Abuela sighed, pulling me back outdoors. "She's held it this long."
"Is this about what he said to Papa?" I asked, trying to keep my voice down.
"Si. What else would it be about? If there was any doubt about what he meant that day, the two of you made it pretty clear today that you're all but married." My grandmother made me another plate of food, loading it up with all of the things she was no longer allowed to eat.
I took the plate without protest, knowing that my being full would hardly be a feasible excuse. "Is she mad?"
"She's just… concerned. She forgets that she was the same age as you are now when she met your papi. She forgets that his mother was married by your age, or that I was married to your abuelo when I was sixteen." My grandmother looked at me and lifted an eyebrow, reminding me of myself. "You do realize that despite all of this, you don't need to make me a great grandmother anytime soon, don't you?"
Nearly choking on the pastales, I nodded my head, unable to speak with my mouth full. Swallowing, I sputtered, "We're not- it's not like that." I turned red under her stare and conceded just a little. "I mean, we- I want to- but, not yet. Tio Tony doesn't approve, he says I'm too young for Dom and Dom agrees, so don't worry, you're not going to be a great-grandmother for a while yet."
"Is that why the two of you have been creeping around like criminals all summer?" My grandmother asked, stealing a bite of my now abandoned food.
"You knew?" Forget Mama having a heart attack, I was going to be joining Papa soon if this didn't end soon.
"I saw him drop you off the night we fought. And you're not as good at hiding those hickeys as you seem to think, especially the ones you don't know you have." She patted my hip bone and winked. "Don't worry Leticia, your abuela was young and in love once. I didn't say anything to your mother because I knew she would worry, even though you were smart enough to fall for Dominic so she doesn't have anything to worry about."
I smiled and looked down at my plate till the blush died down. "We haven't told anyone about us, not really. Tony was afraid that since Dom has such a reputation, that people would get the wrong idea about me if it didn't work out. I hate lying about it. I haven't even told Mia, and even though Jesse's great, it's kind of hard to talk to him about it and Adrian is definitely out of the picture since Dom freaks out every time I so much as nod at him."
"Suarez and Jesse know?" My grandmother laughed. "And Mia doesn't? Oh mija, this is too complicated for an old lady."
"I didn't really tell Adrian, he just figured it out, and then he told Jesse. Tony specifically told us not to tell Mia, so we haven't. Of course, Tony also told us that we weren't allowed to talk to each other directly till I turned 16, and we've still managed that." I hugged my grandmother once again. "I did want to tell you and Mama. So you're not mad, right?"
"As long as you don't get yourself pregnant, I have no complaints. And even that wouldn't be so bad." She tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. "But you shouldn't keep secrets from Mia. She'll be hurt when she finds out."
I look over at Mia who's dancing with Tony and looking as carefree as one can after a funeral. "I know Grams. But that would be asking her to choose between Dom and Tony. You know that would tear her apart. It's only a few more months till my birthday anyway."
"March 3rd, Girls Day. When Mr. Yamamoto told your father about it, your papa went around telling everyone there was a national holiday celebrating your birthday, even if it was in Japan." She laughed, thinking back on how things used to be. "He loved you so much. When the doctors told Anna that the two of them would never have another baby, do you know what your father said?" When I shook my head no, fascinated by this story I had never heard, she continued. "He just shrugged and said it was probably a good thing because he didn't know how another baby could ever live up to his bonita."
It was difficult, but somehow I managed not to break down into tears. It probably helped that both my mother and Dominic walked out of the kitchen and joined us in the back yard just then. Dom looked somewhat grim, but my mother smiled at me, so I knew it couldn't be all that bad. When I gave him a questioning look, Dom looked away somewhat guiltily. Uh oh.
"Don't get mad Letty, I didn't mean to tell her, I swear I didn't, but she's the one who taught you the look, and you know I can't resist the look." Dominic started talking so fast I knew he whatever he told her was something he wasn't supposed to.
"Oh Dominic, what did you do?" I looked from him to my mother in horror, fearing the absolute worst, that he'd told her some private detail of our personal lives.
"Now Leticia, it isn't as bad as that. He just told me about the scholarship offer from the Art Academy. I'm going to call them tomorrow and see if you can transfer in the spring." My mother was still smiling, but I realized that her eyes had this familiar glint of determination. It was the same glint that I would get sometimes.
I reached out and smacked Dom in the back of the head and gave him a look that told him that he was in for more later. "Mama, we can't afford it, not even with the scholarship."
"We most certainly can now. Your father may not have had a very good long term care policy, but he did have a decent life insurance policy, and we don't have to pay for the home anymore. We'll have enough for school, maybe even college if you want to go." Turning to my grandmother, she began speaking rapidly in Spanish, making plans for the upcoming year and talking about quitting her second job.
I stared at Dom in shock. "What just happened here?"
"I don't really know, but I get the feeling you're going to be at the Academy come spring term." Dom rubbed the back of his head for moment, then grinned. "You know if you need anyone to pose for you, I bet I could mana- Oooww!" Without warning my mother had slapped him in the same spot I just had.
Not waiting for Dom to quiet down, Mama started scolding him immediately. "Don't even think about it Dominic Antonio Torretto! I may not have changed your diapers, but that doesn't mean I haven't known you long enough to give you a paddling. You will not make inappropriate suggestions to my little girl while in my presence. My husband and I may have given you our blessing, but there are some limits a Catholic mother must make!"
I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing, both at Dom's shocked face and my mother's speech. "Mama, it would probably be more effective if you lectured at him in English. He may be a master mechanic, but the boy barely passed Spanish Two last year."
"I caught enough to know I should formally withdraw my offer," Dom said dryly, rubbing his head and wincing. "Watch, Mia's going to slap me now for getting you transferred. I better tell her while she's far away so I don't get a concussion or something."
"Why would I smack you Dom?" Mia asked, drawn over by the excitement.
"Dom told my mom about the Art Academy." I sighed and shook my head. "So now it looks like I'm transferring. And apparently I have to think about college or something now too. I don't want to go to college, I want to work in the shop."
"You know the Rhode Island School of Design is connected to Brown, that school that Adrian is looking at right now. Maybe you could follow him out there?" Mia suggested enthusiastically.
"She's not following him anywhere! They're not going out anymore, remember?" Dominic spat out, barely able to control his temper.
"Well she can't wait around for you forever Dom, and all Adrian does is talk about her all the time, just ask Jesse." Mia smirked, obviously enjoying Dom's discomfort.
"Drop it Mia, I mean it." Dom turned nearly purple and glowered at her, then at me when I started laughing at him. "This isn't funny Leticia."
"Aww, Dommy, don't get mad. I didn't get mad at you, did I? Calm down before you blow a gasket or something." I reached out and pulled him to me, giving him a big hug and rubbing his back. He gave me a big squeeze and sighed, burrowing his face into my neck. I could tell he was close to trembling, something he never does in public. Glancing over, I saw Tony watching us, making it my turn to sigh. "You know I love you oh so well," I said softly, before releasing him and continuing in a louder voice for Mia's benefit. "You're such a big over-protective baby sometimes Dominic. If I go to college it will be somewhere close by so you and your pops can give me a nice phat pay check to help pay for books and stuff."
Trying to compose himself, Dom straitened up and cracked his neck, then walked over to Vince who was manning the grill. Mia nudged me and gave me a knowing look, "Nothing going on my ass." I turned to her, my mouth open ready to make some glib denial, but one look at her face made it pretty clear she knew I had been checking out her brother's ass as he walked away. I snapped my mouth shut and turned bright red. I swear, before all this with Dom started, I never blushed. "Good choice, not trying to lie and cover it up again. Unlike my idiot brother, yo hablo Espanol."
"The yo there is redundant chicka," I said, trying to hide my embarrassment. She shot me a look that said she knew exactly what I was doing. "Anyways, your dad would kill us Mia, so lay off, okay? It's hard enough as it is."
"He's only looking out for you both," Mia said softly as she slid her arm around me and gave me a squeeze. "Just try to hold out for what, four more months?"
"You talked about it with him?" I looked at her in surprised.
"Not really. But I know he loves you both, and with Dom's track record… well if and when you do become official, just be careful, alright?" Mia took a sip of the lemonade she'd brought with her.
"You know I won't take any shit from anyone, least of all Dominic," I said trying now to reassure the youngest Torretto. "Maybe he's the one who should be careful. I do have that wicked right upper cut and left cross combo." I grinned and gave my best friend a squeeze. Times like these, when the future's uncertain, it's nice to know people are looking out for you.