Title: Through Another's Eyes
Rating: T
Ship: Dom/Letty
Description: A background, foreground and future fic surrounding Dom and Letty and the circumstances involved in the movie. Answering a lot of questions the movie left open.
Disclaimer: I wish. The things I could do with Dominic. ;)
Chapter 26
Dom's POV
Letty went into labor at 12:45 on Sunday 18 November, at 9:08pm that same day we had another beautiful little girl. Isabel Lucia. We had to go with a Spanish name this time. Papi was giving us hell about it. Can you believe I'm a father of three now? And an uncle. My sister and Vince. It didn't take as much getting used to as I thought it would.
Mama is still talking about weddings. How beautiful Mia's was and what a beautiful bride Let would make. She would, there's no doubt. But we're not in any hurry to tell her that we've decided to get married. We'd talked about it before, but in the hospital after Isabel was born I asked Lett. Finally, I know, took me long enough. I'd carried around a ring for about a month before. I had to carry it with me; I couldn't take the risk that Letty would find it. Of course, I could have got the nerve up to ask her sooner, but what can you do?
It wasn't very romantic, but we've never gone into the roses and candlelight stuff before. It was about two hours after Isabel let out her first scream announcing herself to the world. We were in her room, and Lett just looked so beautiful. I was holding Isabel in my arms and I could hear Mama outside the room telling Ria and Tony about their little sister and something just clicked. Letty looked up at me and smiled and I blurted out "Marry Me" with about as much finesse as a plumber trying to do ballet. She just smiled softly at me and said "ok". As tired as she was she managed to sit up and reach out for me. I walked over to her and leant down, Isabel still in my arms and kissed her. Then the strangest thing happened. Lett reached into my pants pocket. Two hours after giving birth and I was stunned, I couldn't believe she was actually getting… frisky. Of course, I'm an idiot. She pulled out the little velvet box and put it into my hand.
"You can give me that now." She said it so calmly. She'd known all along. I still don't know how. But she'd known all along. I gently placed Isabel, fast asleep, into her little cot beside Lett and sat down on the edge of the bed. I opened the box and took her hand. As I slid the ring on her finger I heard Letty let out a little happy sigh. It looked like it had been on her hand forever.
That was a year ago now. You know, it's true what they say; blink and you'll miss your life. It feels like only yesterday that Letty and I were making out in the back seat of my car. And yet here we are now. With a beautiful home. Three wonderful, gorgeous kids and a successful business. But we still make out in the back seat of my car every now and then. To the people from the races it must seem so strange. Like we've become domesticated. But the truth is that this is the life we've always known, the life we were supposed to live, and it is far from strange. This is the life that our parents taught us by their example. Loyalty, love, commitment, honor. Family. It's number one. And soon the last piece of our family puzzle will be in place. Ok deep breath. The music is starting. There's Ria, floating down the aisle in her beautiful white dress, scattering rose Petals as she goes. And there's Tony, smiling brightly as he holds his Aunt Mia's hand, Little Isabel perched on her hip. She's smiling at me as she makes her way toward Vince and I. God my children are beautiful. I still can't believe that I made them. That Letty and I brought these beautiful, great, perfect babies into the world. It's amazing.
Oh my god.
She's beautiful. No, that's not enough. She's more than beautiful. There isn't a word good enough. She's got that same smile on her face, the one she had the day Isabel was born and she told me 'ok'. It's hidden slightly by the veil covering her face. But I can see it. I can see the pride in Papi's eyes as he walks beside her, arm in arm. Most of all, there's Letty. Only Letty. And she's beautiful, and ethereal, and magic. And she's walking toward me, about to become my wife. How on earth did I become this lucky?
I never thought this would be my life. Not in a million years, and especially not after Lompoc. But now that it is, I wouldn't change a thing. Not a moment of the last 20 + years since Joey died. We had to lose them. It was beyond our control. Every event in our lives was leading us here. To this moment. Changing just one small thing, could take this away, and I wouldn't want anything about our lives to change.
Life is unexpected. You're thrown into it. And it's up to you whether you sink or swim. I used to say, that I lived my life a quater mile at a time. And in a sense, that's true. Though now, it's more like a diaper at a time. But looking into Issy's tiny little face, holding her in my arms, while Maria and Anthony play on the floor in front of me, is the most amazing thing. Looking at Lett, she glows and is so incredibly beautiful; I fall for her more everyday. I don't think I'll ever get over the novelty of this. Being a father and being with Letty everyday. The kids have turned me into a sap. But that's just fine. Cause they're mine, and I'm theirs.
As many beautiful things that surround me in my life, I'm still haunted by the pain of the past. I know Let is too. I close my eyes and I see the flames. I see the car that ran Joey down. I see the tubes coming out of my Ma; I see the walls at Lompoc. I see Letty's car flipping. I see Vince stuck on that rig. And I see Jesse riddled with bullets. But then through it all, I see Letty, smiling up at me. I see the kids and I see my family. All of them. Living and passed. And I am thankful. Cause I got to have what a lot of people never get. I got to have those people in my life. If only for a moment. For that I'll always be thankful. And as I say 'I do' right now, the pain in my heart eases, the emptiness that has slowly been closing since Lompoc seals itself up. I'm complete, I'm happy, I'm in love, I'm a father, and as of this minute… I'm a husband.
I wasn't prepared for how right this would feel, how amazing it would be. I didn't think I could be happier than I already was, but it's like the icing on the cake or something. Letty is my wife, I am her husband. I get to call her my wife for the rest of my life and it's amazing.
I don't live my life a quarter mile at a time anymore. I simply live it. Surrounded by the people I love.
TBC...
Ok people this was the LAST chapter. There is an epilogue to follow. Which will be up within the week. I'd love to hear from you guys so please, please, please review!!!!!
Thanks,
Ally