Dom's mind was brought back to the present when he heard his cell phone go off. He made a quick turn onto an off ramp and pulled into a gas station and parked, flipped the volume off and picked up his phone. "Mia?" He asked in a deep voice seeing her number flashing on the small screen. "She never calls this late." Pressing the small green button in the shape of a phone, he received the call without protest.
"Mia what's wrong?"
For a moment all he could hear was his sister's ragged breath, then in a raspy voice she finally answered, "Dom.. Oh god you need to get home.." Was all she could mutter before an onslaught of tears began to overflow her vision.
A knot formed in the pit of his stomach, twisting in a strange tangle of fear, anxiety, and curiosity. "Calm down Hon, tell me what's going on." His voice had softened dramatically as his brotherly instinct kicked in.
"No Dom.. You need to come home.. It's.. Letty." Mia begged him without telling him the truth. If she had she couldn't bare the thought of something happening to him on the way home. "Just get here and I'll tell you.." Her voice was a bit more collected but Dom knew what she was doing.
"Alright Mia I'll be home in a few." He hung up and revved his engine and sped off toward home…
Little did he know how bad the news really was..
-20 minutes later-
He could feel that knot swarm with a pulsing as he ran up the porch and flew into the house, only to find his beautiful sister in a ball on the kitchen floor. Her hair was in a messy pony tail, while her face was stained with what seemed like old tears… Something was terribly wrong… In a flash Dom was kneeling in front of her, his expression filled with uncertainty.
"Mia, what happened?" The tender concern in his usually intense voice brought her blood shot eyes to his, and what they told him made the knot rip at his stomach.
Mia trembled and crawled into his arms that gladly welcomed her in a protective embrace. "Letty's gone Dom… She's gone.." Choked sobs echoed passed her lips as she struggled to speak, trying desperately to push back the horror her mind kept replaying as she was the last person to hear Letty's dying words..
"Gone? Mia?" Dom knew in his heart what Mia was talking about, but it wouldn't register, he had to hear her say it… He needed to hear the words..
Mia brought her face up to look into his eyes, "Leticia is dead Dominic!" She was pouring everything out all at once, shaking uncontrollably as the pain overwhelmed her system. "Do you understand? She's gone.."
Dom grabbed Mia and pulled her close in a tight hug as the knot deep within unwound in an explosion of feelings, unloading a dangerous amount of emotion to sweep over his composure. Nothing could stop the flood of tears as they escaped his wide eyes that were bleeding in disbelief.
"No.. Not Letty.. NO!"
His pleading howl echoed out onto the street as Jesse and Leon fled from their cars and bolted into the house. They had just gotten the news from Vince, who was uncharacteristically crying on the phone. They both came to a halt at the sight of brother and sister sobbing into each others arms on the kitchen floor.
Dom and Mia looked up briefly between sobs as Jesse ran over to join in the embrace, Leon followed shortly after. It took Vince a minute to come into the house and see the team in a group hug and stumbled over, collapsing into the arms of his family.
There was no need for words, just sadness.. They had lost their sister, their best friend, their teammate.. Dom had lost the only woman he had ever loved… And she was gone…
Racers and friends from all around appeared at Letty's funeral. Standing around a fire red casket with custom racing stripes painted beautifully on the sides. Something Letty herself would have loved if she saw it.
No words were spoken, the only thing that caressed the ears of those that paid their respects was one of her favorite songs playing on a loud speaker… Sang by Boyz II Men….
It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday…
How do I say goodbye to what we had?
The good times that made us laugh
Outweighed the bad.
I thought we'd get to see forever
But forever's gone away
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
I don't know where this road
Is going to lead.
All I know is where we've been
And what we've been through
If we get to see tomorrow
I hope it's worth the wait
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
And I'll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
And I'll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday…
The team stood quietly before Letty's casket, each face held in a solemn expression of bitter remorse. But the one who stood out among a field of quiet eyes was that of Dominic Toretto. Never once had he thought that this day would come, not like this.
As much as Letty got on his last nerve, it never changed the way he felt about her. Sure she was one of the only women he knew with an attitude that could match his own plus a nasty right hook. But there was more to Letty then most realized.
She was intelligent, funny, beautiful, creative and had a way about her that always kept Dom on his toes. She was this fire that burned through the darkness and brought light into the world. The life at the house was always Letty, even if no one had noticed, she was the one who held everyone together.
And after everything that was said that night, Dom felt as though he had failed. He hadn't gone after her like he should have. He never had the chance to tell her she was the only love of his life… Nothing would ever change that…
"My dear sweet Letty, I'm so sorry.." A gentle voice whispered against the breeze as a lone figure stood off in the distance. Cloaked in deep shadows, as still as breath itself, keeping a focused eye on the small group of people who had not left Letty's grave.
She observed the crowds spill away leaving 5 young souls under a setting sun. The scent of autumn was thick in her senses as she embraced the coming of night. Not one soul except for those of long passed had sensed her silent presence. It was better that way, it was how she was meant to be, unknown.
But Letty.. Her dearest Letty, gave her life protecting her… This was never meant to happen, Erik should have never crossed that line… She owed her life to Letty, to her team.. To Dom.
After endless sleepless nights of hiding within the shadows, running from humanity.
It was time…
End Chapter Three