Letty's POV
"So you're really not coming in?" I asked in a huff as I walked towards the car. My mother was out of the car now, leaning against its side with a scowl on her face.
"Nope."
"Real mature." I snap. For the first fifteen minutes into our trip I had been forced to listen about how she thought Dom wasn't good enough and he shouldn't be coming today. I had snapped pretty fast and told her she could turn the car around and I'd drive myself if she didn't quit it. It had been a silent trip after that but I wasn't in the mood for any more of her shit.
"You promised to be civil. That is one of the reasons I agreed to bring you." I pleaded.
"I will be civil."
"Then come in with me and say hi to everyone." I pleaded. I got nothing, absolute silence.
"Fine." I muttered angrily before I turned and stormed back into the garage. Leon and Mia were standing at the garage door watching, both raised a hand in greeting towards my mother, I turned slightly and watched as she shifted, completely ignoring them.
"Well I'll be the bigger person and go say hi." Dom spoke up as he suddenly appeared by my side.
"Um okay." I said as I rubbed my lower belly.
"Okay?" Dom asked as his eyes tracked my movement.
"Kicking." I smiled as he relaxed.
"Ease up on mama bub." He chuckled as his hand curled around my waist to rub the same spot.
"I definitely don't miss the hurtful kicks." Mia smiled and Letty chuckled.
"Well only five and a half months to go."
"It'll fly. The last one did." Leon joked as all five of us headed out towards Maria.
"Hello Maria." I spoke when we got close enough.
"You're looking well." Mia smiled at the older woman.
"Mama." Letty hissed and I gently rubbed circles on her back.
"Hello Mia, Leon… Dominic." She muttered towards the end.
"How's James?" Leon asked first trying to break the silence.
"He's good, getting close to retiring."
"That should be nice. Any travel plans?" Mia asked curiously.
"We're not sure yet."
"So this is the new garage." She spoke as she stared up at the garage.
"Yeah, just opened. The diner's a little behind but should be opened next month." I spoke up quietly.
"Um well it's nice to see you again Maria. Next time you're in town we'll have to have you over for a family barbeque, and James of course. We'll introduce to all the family, it's grown a lot over the years." Mia spoke up after a pregnant pause.
"So I've heard. You're a mother yourself now and married."
"She keeps me busy, so does this one." Mia smiled as she pecked Ava on the cheek.
"Auny Mi." Ava giggled as she held her hands out to my sister.
"I get hugs? Oh I've missed you pretty girl. Why don't we go see what your uncles are up to hmm?"
"Cars." Ava clapped excitedly and I couldn't help but laugh along with everyone, even Maria cracked a small smile.
"Yep and the cars." Mia laughed.
"Come on princess we'll see mama, daddy and grandma later. Say bye." Leon spoke as Ava turned to us and waved happily.
"Bye."
"Bye baby. You have fun with everyone okay." I smiled as I kissed her chubby cheek, Letty following straight after.
"Bye Maria."
"It was good seeing you again." Leon and Mia said their goodbyes before leaving us alone.
"She's not coming?" Maria asked Letty after they disappeared inside.
"No, they were always looking after her. She'd get too bored." Letty answered.
"I could look after her." Maria spoke up.
"I know you could but she's missed them all and she wants to stay."
"Letty-"
"Mama I'm her mother and I said she's staying." Awkward silence fell over the three of us and I struggled to find anything to say to ease it.
"Are you looking forward to today?" I asked after another large gap of silence.
"For the most part."
"I just need to finish my water and then we'll head off." Letty spoke as she started to turn and head back into the garage.
"I'll wait in the car." Maria spoke up so Letty could hear her.
"No need. We'll meet you there. I'm riding with Dom."
"Okay." Maria growled and shot me a glare as she climbed into her car.
"Think it's safe to say I am definitely number one on your mother's shit list." I sighed as I trailed behind Letty.
"She'll get over it. She's just… I don't know."
"I get it. Don't worry about baby." I smiled as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on her head.
"Dom?" She spoke before we entered the garage.
"Yeah?" I asked as I looked down at her.
"She wants me and Ava to move in with her and James." She spoke softly and I tensed as my heart hammered.
"Uh… shit Letty." I groaned as I rubbed my face. We had stopped a couple of meters away from the door and I made sure to keep my voice low.
"I'm not gunna lie, I hate that idea. I fucking hate that idea but I'm not going to tell you that you can't. It's…. fuck. It's gunna kill me but if that's what you want then…" I trailed off as I continued to rub at my face.
"I don't. I told her no, I just wanted to see your reaction." Letty spoke and I looked up at her quickly, taking in her teasing smile before I let out a shaky breath.
"Oh thank fuck. Come here." I spoke as I took her hand and crushed her to me.
"I want a relationship with my mother, and I want Ava to have a relationship with her grandparents but I want to be with you. Right here, like we planned. My time away hasn't changed that." She spoke softly and I sighed in relief.
"I love you." I mumbled.
"And I love you."
"So you're really not coming in?" I asked in a huff as I walked towards the car. My mother was out of the car now, leaning against its side with a scowl on her face.
"Nope."
"Real mature." I snap. For the first fifteen minutes into our trip I had been forced to listen about how she thought Dom wasn't good enough and he shouldn't be coming today. I had snapped pretty fast and told her she could turn the car around and I'd drive myself if she didn't quit it. It had been a silent trip after that but I wasn't in the mood for any more of her shit.
"You promised to be civil. That is one of the reasons I agreed to bring you." I pleaded.
"I will be civil."
"Then come in with me and say hi to everyone." I pleaded. I got nothing, absolute silence.
"Fine." I muttered angrily before I turned and stormed back into the garage. Leon and Mia were standing at the garage door watching, both raised a hand in greeting towards my mother, I turned slightly and watched as she shifted, completely ignoring them.
"Well I'll be the bigger person and go say hi." Dom spoke up as he suddenly appeared by my side.
"Um okay." I said as I rubbed my lower belly.
"Okay?" Dom asked as his eyes tracked my movement.
"Kicking." I smiled as he relaxed.
"Ease up on mama bub." He chuckled as his hand curled around my waist to rub the same spot.
"I definitely don't miss the hurtful kicks." Mia smiled and Letty chuckled.
"Well only five and a half months to go."
"It'll fly. The last one did." Leon joked as all five of us headed out towards Maria.
"Hello Maria." I spoke when we got close enough.
"You're looking well." Mia smiled at the older woman.
"Mama." Letty hissed and I gently rubbed circles on her back.
"Hello Mia, Leon… Dominic." She muttered towards the end.
"How's James?" Leon asked first trying to break the silence.
"He's good, getting close to retiring."
"That should be nice. Any travel plans?" Mia asked curiously.
"We're not sure yet."
"So this is the new garage." She spoke as she stared up at the garage.
"Yeah, just opened. The diner's a little behind but should be opened next month." I spoke up quietly.
"Um well it's nice to see you again Maria. Next time you're in town we'll have to have you over for a family barbeque, and James of course. We'll introduce to all the family, it's grown a lot over the years." Mia spoke up after a pregnant pause.
"So I've heard. You're a mother yourself now and married."
"She keeps me busy, so does this one." Mia smiled as she pecked Ava on the cheek.
"Auny Mi." Ava giggled as she held her hands out to my sister.
"I get hugs? Oh I've missed you pretty girl. Why don't we go see what your uncles are up to hmm?"
"Cars." Ava clapped excitedly and I couldn't help but laugh along with everyone, even Maria cracked a small smile.
"Yep and the cars." Mia laughed.
"Come on princess we'll see mama, daddy and grandma later. Say bye." Leon spoke as Ava turned to us and waved happily.
"Bye."
"Bye baby. You have fun with everyone okay." I smiled as I kissed her chubby cheek, Letty following straight after.
"Bye Maria."
"It was good seeing you again." Leon and Mia said their goodbyes before leaving us alone.
"She's not coming?" Maria asked Letty after they disappeared inside.
"No, they were always looking after her. She'd get too bored." Letty answered.
"I could look after her." Maria spoke up.
"I know you could but she's missed them all and she wants to stay."
"Letty-"
"Mama I'm her mother and I said she's staying." Awkward silence fell over the three of us and I struggled to find anything to say to ease it.
"Are you looking forward to today?" I asked after another large gap of silence.
"For the most part."
"I just need to finish my water and then we'll head off." Letty spoke as she started to turn and head back into the garage.
"I'll wait in the car." Maria spoke up so Letty could hear her.
"No need. We'll meet you there. I'm riding with Dom."
"Okay." Maria growled and shot me a glare as she climbed into her car.
"Think it's safe to say I am definitely number one on your mother's shit list." I sighed as I trailed behind Letty.
"She'll get over it. She's just… I don't know."
"I get it. Don't worry about baby." I smiled as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on her head.
"Dom?" She spoke before we entered the garage.
"Yeah?" I asked as I looked down at her.
"She wants me and Ava to move in with her and James." She spoke softly and I tensed as my heart hammered.
"Uh… shit Letty." I groaned as I rubbed my face. We had stopped a couple of meters away from the door and I made sure to keep my voice low.
"I'm not gunna lie, I hate that idea. I fucking hate that idea but I'm not going to tell you that you can't. It's…. fuck. It's gunna kill me but if that's what you want then…" I trailed off as I continued to rub at my face.
"I don't. I told her no, I just wanted to see your reaction." Letty spoke and I looked up at her quickly, taking in her teasing smile before I let out a shaky breath.
"Oh thank fuck. Come here." I spoke as I took her hand and crushed her to me.
"I want a relationship with my mother, and I want Ava to have a relationship with her grandparents but I want to be with you. Right here, like we planned. My time away hasn't changed that." She spoke softly and I sighed in relief.
"I love you." I mumbled.
"And I love you."