Stella stepped off of the plane into the sunlight as she shielded her eyes. She quickly pulled down the sunglasses that were on top of her head and began walking into the airport. It was silent. Almost too silent. She sighed as she looked behind her at the two people who exited the plane with her. It had been three years since she lived in California. It had just been two since her dad passed away. The time to heal was taking longer than she expected but she also didn't expect to be back in the place she once loved. She was nineteen and still living in Florida with a group she now called family. We'll get to that though. She moved through the opened doors and walked right into the empty airport. He stood taller than the rest. His shoulders were broader as the tight shirt clung to his body. His head was completely bald with not a hint of hair to be seen. She pushed the sunglasses back on top of her head and walked straight into his arms. "Dom." She whispered squeezing her eyes closed. She felt his grip tighten around her body as she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in. "It's good to see you, Stel." He released her as she moved from person to person hugging them. "Mia." She threw her arms around her sisters neck and smiled. "Stel, you looked so different from the last time I saw you." Mia laughed. She was right. Stella did look different. She was blonde now. She had had a meltdown two weeks after her dad passed away which caused her to cut her own hair. It didn't go over very well. She was taken to her hair stylist who decided to give her a change. Stella didn't care but it turned out great. It was short and it was different. It didn't remind her every day she looked exactly like Tony Toretto. She needed that. She needed for him to disappear for just a moment. She wasn't here when it happened. She had decided to stay in Florida because her Uncle let her do what she wanted. She wasn't bound to the house. She could live her life. She chose freedom over coming home to her family. But she remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered right down to the smells that filled the garage that night. It was late. The sun had just gone down in California but the sun had been down for hours in Florida. The breeze was cool so she left the doors open…
The breeze blew through the garage as Stella leaned down on the floor and began spreading the decal. She had to be careful. It had to look even. She pursed her lips together and blew up trying to get her hair out of her face. It was two am and she always found herself there. There was always something to work on. It wasn't like she was bored, she just enjoyed designing the decals for the cars. It was like California there. It was family central during the day but at night…the cars came out. Everything you could imagine showed up. The testosterone levels went up and every girl that had a pair of tits and a nice ass came to visit. She was part of the crew down there that held the races. What can she say? It was in her blood. She heard the phone in the office go off as she looked up. Who would be calling at this hour? She ignored it as she brushed her hair back again. She had to finish this up. The car had been sitting in the garage for two days now. She pressed down harder on the end of the decal before standing up to look at her work. She had to admit, she was damn good. The phone began to ring again as she turned towards the office again. She sighed as she walked over and grabbing the phone. "Yes?" She spat into the phone. "Mia?" She was shocked. It was eleven o'clock where she was.
"Mia, are you okay?" Stella looked out into the garage as Jamison walked in. There was too much noise is the background for Stella to understand anything. She held her finger up to Jamison. He was waiting on her. He didn't like her working so late in the night especially in that neighborhood. She sighed as she hung up the phone knowing she wasn't going to be able to talk to her sister. "You ready to go? He walked into the office. "It's getting super late."
"Yeah, let me just wait…" She looked back down at the phone. "Have you ever felt like something bad is happening but you don't know what it is?"
"Stel…" The phone rang again. She looked up at him as her hands shook. "Just answer it." She reached for the phone again and put it to her ear.
"Hello?" Her voice broke. "Dom? What's going on?" She listened to him as his voice was hard. Almost as if he was trying to hold it together. She listened as he explained what happened. They were at the track. It was the last race of the season. Tony and Kenny Lendor were racing when Lendor clipped Tony of the side, sending him spinning out….she couldn't hear anymore. She couldn't recall what was said after that. The phone fell from her hands as she covered her mouth with her hands.
She hadn't heard the words yet. She couldn't even say them, not even two years later. Jamison had grabbed the phone and talked to Dom as she remained on the ground with her hands covering her head. Tony had hit the wall as the car was engulfed into flames. He died instantly. Stella could still remember the screams that escaped her mouth as Jamison put her in his arms. She wasn't there. She didn't want to be there. She looked behind her a Jamison held tightly to their bags. Harry was behind him. "Where are we going?" Stella asked.
"Home." Dom smiled softly. "Is anyone else coming with you?"
"I have two more people who plan on coming next week. We thought about looking for a house together. I mean…there are just so many people living in that one house, I just…"
"I understand." Dom replied patting on the shoulder. "Would you mind riding with me though? I just want us to be together for the ride." She nodded her head looking back at the two boys. "You'll follow us?"
"Of course." Harry replied with a smirk. She nodded her head as she looked over at Jamison who had his back to her. She took a deep breath in. They all picked up their lives. They moved back to California. She hadn't asked them to. They volunteered. She secretly wanted it to happen but how do you ask people to move across the United States to come live with you because you miss your family? She sighed as she climbed into the front seat of Dom's red, Mazda RX. She bit the inside of her cheek as she looked over at Dom. "You look good." She replied. "When did you get out?"
"Two week ago." He sighed. "I know you are angry with me. It just happened. I saw him and I just...I don't even remember doing what I did until I lifted my hand and his face was covered in blood."
"I was angry at everything, Dom. I was..." She shook her head. "I wasn't here. I didn't want to be here. I was alone..." Tears filled up her eyes. "
"I was selfish. I was pissed off that I had to come live in Florida with Uncle Sal. Then…I fell in love with it. It was so different. It wasn't over crowded, I mean…it was but it…it wasn't the same. I loved my job. I loved just being able to do what I wanted because Sal didn't care. As long as I was safe, he didn't care what I did. Then…I was seventeen, Dom. What was I supposed to do?"
"You need to talk about it."
"I don't want to talk about it."
The plane ride back to California was a blur as Stella straightened herself up in the seat. She sighed as she looked out the window at the beautiful, August morning. She hadn't been home in a year and she felt like she was walking into an unknown place, she had never been. She grabbed her bags from the overhead compartment and moved forward. Everyone decided to come to California that day. She didn't want to be there. Especially for what was waiting for her at home. It had been three days since she found about her father. Sal bought her a ticket home. Jamison volunteered to go but she didn't want to bother anyone. She wanted to be alone. She took a deep breath in as she looked around the airport. She hadn't told them she was coming. The reunion wasn't going to be joyful. She didn't want to hug anyone. She didn't want to look at anyone. She wanted crawl into his bed and never wake up until someone told her it was just a horrible nightmare. She moved through the crowd to the sliding doors and stepped outside. It was different. She hurried over to the yellow cabs that were waiting on people to hop in. She knocked on the window as the man pointed to the backseat. She pushed her bag in first before climbing in herself. "1327 N. East Kensington Road. Los Angeles." She closed the door and took in a deep breath. She watched as familiar sightings caught her eye as she looked at them as if she was a stranger. The car ride wasn't long enough as she came upon the familiar rode and like that she was in front of the house. She sat there for a moment as her breath quickened. She reached for the money from her purse and handed it to the man. Tears immediately began to fall down her face as she grabbed her bag and climbed out of the cab. The house looked the same. The grass looked as if it were dying but that could have just been her mind playing tricks on her. "Stella?" A boy who had to be the same age as her was standing next to his white Jetta with a rag in his hand. "Stella?
"Yes." She replied. "Jesse right?" He nodded his head. "Are they up there?"
"Yes." He moved forward. "We weren't expecting you to be here so soon. They are still…"
"Stella!" Dom was standing on the porch with his hands in his pockets as he hurried down the stairs picking her up into his arms. She held her breath as he held her tightly in his arms. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't feel anything. She didn't want to feel anything at that moment. "What are you doing here? Sal just called to see if you arrived."
"I don't know." She replied softly as her feet finally touched the sidewalk. She shook her head. "I just felt like I should be here."
"I'm so glad you are." Her put his arm around her as she looked back at Jesse. "Come inside. I'm sure everyone is ready to see you."
"Dom…" She pulled away. "I just need a minute, okay. I don't…I know you guys want to see me and I want to see you, but this is a lot. I'm not…I'm not okay." She put her hand over her mouth. "He was just here." The tears swelled in her eyes as she bowed her head. "I need to go." She hurried down the sidewalk leaving Dom, her bags, and Jesse just standing there. She didn't bother running away. There were only so many places she could go but she had to get away. The feeling was just too overwhelming. It hurt too bad. The pain was unbearable. Her pops was gone. He left her. But she left him first.
Dom grabbed her hand in his. "I'm here now." She replied. "I'm here and I want to stay here. But I had a different life in Florida. I wish I could take back everything that has happened but I can't. I wish I could bring him back but I can't. I would change it in a heartbeat." She wiped her face. "I'm so sorry, Dom. I'm so sorry that I didn't come back. I am sorry that I just…I was mad at him. I wanted him to feel some kind of pain that he sent me away…and now I can't even say I'm sorry to him. I can't even…" She tried to catch her breath but it wouldn't stop. This was the second time she had broken down. It was easier being away. She could keep herself busy. She could make herself stop thinking about it because she had didn't have the reminders. But here. With him and Mia. It was hard. It was heartbreaking. She was selfish. "I'm so sorry, Dom. I'm so sorry." The sobs escaped her mouth as the car came to a stop in front of the house. Dom quickly got out of the car and swung her door open grabbing her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as she clung tightly to his neck letting the cries escape her mouth not caring who was around to see.
She stopped walking knowing that no one had followed her. The cool breeze blew in the air as she looked up at the old diner she used to work at. It was closed, obviously but she found herself walking up to the door and trying to door handle. "Hey." She quickly turned around as Johnny approached her slowly with his arms stretched out to her. She gave a soft smile as she walked over to him wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm so sorry, Stel." She shook her head as she finally pulled away. "I tried calling at your Uncles but he said you had already left. Then I tried your house…I didn't know where you would go. This was the first place I tried."
"How are you, Johnny? The last time we talked you were talking about getting into the business with your dad. Is that still happening?" Johnny shook his head. "What do you do now, then?"
"I decided to open up my own garage in Little Saigon. It does well."
"Were you there that night?" Johnny shook his head again. "I honestly don't know what to do or think…I just keep replaying the phone call over and over in my head and it just…" His hand was her shoulder as she stopped. "I'm still so angry, Johnny. I am angry that I even left in the first place. I should have fought harder. I should have kicked and screamed." The tears fell down her face. "I wouldn't even talk to them for two weeks after I arrived down there. I didn't want to. Why? Why did I do that?"
"You were angry."
"I should have gotten over it. I should have talked to him and told him every day that I loved him and that he was doing the best he could. And now it's too late."
"It isn't too late. You can still tell him. You can tell him every day because he hasn't left you. He is still here. He is everywhere you want him to be. In this diner, in your garage, even in Florida, you can take him with you. Just because he died, Stel, doesn't mean that you can't carry him around with you." She bowed her head. "Let me take you home. I know your family is worried about you."
"I just want to sit here with him for a little bit longer." She replied softly. "I'll go home in a few."
She sighed as she threw the pillow on to her old bed before walking over to the closet and cutting on the light. Her room was empty besides the old bed, the table, and her desk. But she could still see how she had it all set up. She heard the bed creak as she quickly turned around. "Hey, baby." His smile was soft as she reached up for the light and cut it back off. "Come to bed." She walked over to the bed and slowly climbed in under the sheets. She felt his warm hands come across her body. "Thank you for picking up your life for me." She replied softly.
"You know I would do anything for you, right?"
"I do. And that's why I love you, Harry."
AN: Let me know what you guys think! Do you like the flashbacks? There will be a lot more of them for sure. REVIEW!