Author's Notes: Look guys, another chapter! I actually have a few written out so hopefully I can be posting regularly. I swear I'm working on my other one too, but I am still in process with the current chapter on that one. Keep watch for updates.
This chapter just follows some of what Letty deals with while Dom is in prison. 10 showed us that Dom and Mia have a grandma, so it's possible she came out to help when Dom was in prison, but I decided to write it that they just kind of had to manage on their own, as I felt that would be more true to character. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 23
It turned out that keeping things going in Dom's absence was hard. Letty had to drop out of school because they couldn't afford to hire another full time mechanic. Mia did the books on the weekends and worked in the store afternoons.
Mr. Toretto had some life insurance, but it only covered last expenses of the funeral and arrangements as well as paying off some of the large debts it turned out he had.
They were behind on the rent payments at the shop and there was a second mortgage taken out on the house. All of it made Letty's head spin, but she sat down with Mia every night to work on the numbers and make sure they paid the bills.
She had made calls to everyone to ask for some leeway on behind accounts. Luckily Mr. Toretto had been well-loved in the community and their vendors let things slide. Neighbors helped out by keeping an eye on the house and bringing them meals.
To Letty it felt like she practically lived in the shop. She and Vince had to work overtime every day to keep up with the work load. At night she'd go home, eat whatever leftovers were in the fridge and pass out face down in Dom's bed. Sometimes she slept on the couch at the shop instead.
She felt like she was slowly drowning and she didn't know what to do. She didn't know where to go for help. And she didn't know how to begin to ask for it.
She had just gotten out of the shower past 10 pm when the phone rang.
It was Dom on the other end. He tried to call when he could, but usually he just spoke to Mia. Letty was too busy with work to be home during regular call hours, and this was late. Maybe he'd gotten special permission.
"Hey," he said softly. "I keep missing you."
"Yeah," she said, lying back on the bed with a yawn. "Things have just been busy… that's all."
"Mia mentioned. She said you're not going to school anymore."
She could hear the censure in his voice and rolled her eyes. She'd still had half of senior year left, but there was no way she could have maintained grades and done all the things that needed to get done. It was more important that Mia go.
"Yeah, I'll go for my GED when I can find the time to study or whatever. But I don't have time, Dom. Vince and I are under the gun at the shop."
"You need more help there."
"We can't afford it. Trust me, we've looked. A good mechanic doesn't come cheap."
"What about hiring a clerk for the store and at least bringing Mia back to the shop in the afternoons to help with the filing and calls and orders?" He suggested. "She knows enough about cars to help out on basic things too."
It was a good idea, and Letty considered it. "Might be worth a try… I'll ask her." She sighed softly. She wished she could just hold him. "How you holding up?"
"It sucks," he admitted. She knew he hated it there. He'd said as much last time she'd gone to see him. It had been a couple weeks ago now. It felt like forever.
"Your lawyer said you might get out sooner than the sentence."
"Yeah they shorten for good behavior, whatever that means. I guess no fights and no trouble."
"Can I come see you this weekend?" she asked. Dom really didn't like for her or Mia to visit him in prison, but she hated not being able to see him at all.
"Sunday," he said. "If you can get away from the shop."
"We'll close. Vince has been asking for a day off anyway." They'd have to work later on Saturday to make it work, but she would do it so she could see Dom.
"Letty…" Dom began. "I think that you should.." he trailed off then, and there was a voice in the background and he sighed. "I gotta go, okay? I'll see you Sunday."
"Yeah, see you then," she agreed, looking at the phone for a moment after he hung up. Something felt off about him. But then, he was in prison, so of course something was off. She put the phone back and rolled onto her side in the too-big bed, trying to grasp ahold of the exhaustion that seemed to weigh on her daily. She was tired, but her mind wouldn't settle.
Finally, eventually she pushed herself out of bed and slipped on a pair of shoes. She grabbed her keys and her wallet and went downstairs and out to the Chevelle parked in the drive. She got in and the sound of the engine starting up was soothing.
She didn't have a destination in mind, she just drove. When she was in the car she didn't have to think or worry. She just had to drive. There was something peaceful about that.
She missed riding shotgun with Dom down to the beach, or watching him race. She missed sleeping next to him every night and eating big loud family dinners with the Torettos. The Sunday barbecues were a thing of the past. Everything had changed when Mr. Toretto died. She knew they wouldn't ever be the same.
But today and tomorrow and the next day, they just had to find the will to keep on going.