22nd May- LA, United States
Toretto house
Letty’s POV
“GAMA!” Ava squealed as she ran towards my mother. I sagged in relief as I leant back further in my chair.
“My Ava, I missed you.” She spoke peppering kisses all over Ava’s face.
“Our kids are gunna be spoiled.” Dom whispered as he placed a kiss on my cheek before stepping forward towards my mother.
“Yep.” I said to myself shaking my head with a smile.
“Maria, it’s nice to see you again.” Mia spoke as she stepped towards my mother. Despite knowing everything would be fine I still tensed as I watched, only slightly relaxing as she stepped forward and hugged Mia.
“You’ve grown up so much.” I heard her whisper.
“You’re a high strung ball of tension.” Lotty commented as she sat down beside me.
“I’m nervous.”
“It will be fine. Trust her.”
“I’m trying.”
“Let.” Dom called and I waved from my spot, no energy to move. Dom seemed to get the hint and had my mother and James come to me.
“Everything okay?” My mother asked worried but I waved her off.
“I’m exhausted, your grandkids are a handful.” I joked and she grinned.
“I can’t imagine your kids being anything like that.” She joked and I laughed.
“So this is payback? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” She winked at me but said nothing as everyone started towards us for introductions.
“Maria, James this is my husband Brian and our little girl Alexis.” Mia started off.
“Hello Brian.” James spoke up shaking his hand before my mother stepped forward and hugged Brian and cooed over Lexi.
“Leon.” My mother smiled embarrassedly but he gave her a smile and stepped forward to hug her and shake James’ hand.
“Maria, James this is my girlfriend Elena.”
“It’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Elena spoke up and I sent her a grateful smile.
“Likewise.”
“This is Rosa, she’s Vince’s wife and their son Nico.”
“Hello, Hello Nico.” Maria spoke.
“Hey Bud.”
“Mama said you knew my daddy.”
“I sure did.”
“Mama said he liked cars just like I do.”
“That he did, your daddy and uncle Dom loved cars.” My mother spoke softly to Nico and I couldn’t help the smile that settled on my face.
“This is Tej and Roman, Brian and these two clowns go way back.” Dom introduced.
“Nice to meet you both.” James smiled as he shook Roman’s hand then Tej’s.
“Tego, Rico and Han, we met them in the DR a few years back, Han’s girlfriend Gisele. Brian and I met her here in states a couple of years back. Then last but not least this is Charlotte.”
“Call me Lotty.” Lot spoke, stepping forward to shake hands.
“We’ve heard so much about all of you.” Mum spoke up as she looked over the group with a small smile.
“It must be overwhelming, why don’t we fire up the grill and get lunch started?” Leon suggested and everyone quickly agreed.
“Here I didn’t know what to bring but I figured cake was always a winner.” My mother offered as she handed over a covered platter.
“With this lot it’s definitely a winner.” Mia laughed as she hurried to take it inside.
“Do you need some help?” James offered Dom.
“Sure you can help us keep an eye on the four clowns over by the grill. They burn everything.” He spoke with a fond smile.
“Hey now that’s not true there was like one time we didn’t burn anything.” Roman spoke up while the rest of us laughed.
“Yeah exactly, only the one time.” Brian. I watched as the boys congregated at the grill leaving us girls alone to talk.
“You used to be a police officer?” My mother asked Elena as they all sat down around me. Mia came bouncing back out of the house with a tray of meat in her hands and handed it to Brian.
“Yes, back in Rio.”
“I’ve always wanted to travel to Rio.”
“It’s beautiful, you and your husband should definitely go and see it some time.”
“Now that we’re both retiring that was our plan to travel the world and sight see.” She agreed.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Where would you see first?” Mia asked as she joined us.
“We were thinking europe to start with. London and end in France or Italy.”
“Sounds amazing.” Lotty spoke with a smile.
“Yeah but we’re not so sure now.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out just make sure you visit us whenever your home.” I smiled at my mother.
Six hours later
“She’s out for the count.” My mother spoke as she laid Ava into bed.
“I’m not surprised she’s been a handful since we told her you were coming to visit. It’s all we’ve heard about.” I spoke quietly.
“I am truly sorry for how I reacted just last week. It wasn’t called for. I’m so ashamed of my behavior, I can’t imagine what they all think of me.” She whispered as she sat on the end of Ava’s bed.
“Nothing. They don’t think any different of you. We’ve all made our mistakes.” I spoke truthfully.
Today had gone amazingly well and I couldn’t have hoped for anything better. I watched as my mother struggled with what to say.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. It’s just watching you all today I realized you’ve never been truly alone like I thought. You’ve always had a family. When you were telling me everything that had happened I knew Lotty and Leon where there for you but I just didn’t see it the way I do now. They were your family. Every one of them dotes of those two little girls and little boy.”
“Yes they do. How the hell it all works I have no clue but it does and I wouldn’t change it for anything.” I said as I sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room.
“We’ve all had our differences to work out, especially Dom, Elena, Leon and I but we overcame it all and we are a family. All those values you and Tony taught us stayed with us. I know we’ve made some terrible mistakes and we’ve done a lot of things to hurt people but we’ve only always done it for family.”
“I see that now.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I still need my mother.” I said out loud and she smiled, tears welling in her eyes.
“No I know it doesn’t. It just means our family’s gotten bigger.” I smiled and nodded.
“You’ll be back for Lexi’s birthday and again when the baby’s born right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. We’ve decided on to travel, a least not yet.”
“What will you do for now?”
“Well James and I have been talking and with three grandbabies and another on the way we want to be closer.” She started looking at me for a reaction.
“We’ve been tossing the idea around to put the house on the market and buy down here, we want to be closer and be able to see you kids and the babies all the time.”
“You’re moving here?” I asked shocked.
“Well we’d like to but if that’s not something you’d want then-“
“No, we’d love that. All of us.”
“Really?” She asked hopefully.
“Yes.” I smiled.
“You know despite the mistakes you’ve made and everything else that’s happened over the years I still believe Tony would be proud of you all. You’ve all grown up into fine adults and wonderful parents. That’s all we ever wanted for you kids.”
“I hope so.”
“Have you looked at any more houses?”
“One, two days ago we looked at a house. It beautiful. It’s about ten minutes away, close enough to the garage, the diner, Leon, the preschool and the school. We put an offer in we’re hoping to hear back soon.”
“Could I see it?”
“Yeah, we’ll ring the agent in the morning. I know Dom and Brian want to show you both the garage and diner tomorrow as well.”
“We’d love that.”
Toretto house
Letty’s POV
“GAMA!” Ava squealed as she ran towards my mother. I sagged in relief as I leant back further in my chair.
“My Ava, I missed you.” She spoke peppering kisses all over Ava’s face.
“Our kids are gunna be spoiled.” Dom whispered as he placed a kiss on my cheek before stepping forward towards my mother.
“Yep.” I said to myself shaking my head with a smile.
“Maria, it’s nice to see you again.” Mia spoke as she stepped towards my mother. Despite knowing everything would be fine I still tensed as I watched, only slightly relaxing as she stepped forward and hugged Mia.
“You’ve grown up so much.” I heard her whisper.
“You’re a high strung ball of tension.” Lotty commented as she sat down beside me.
“I’m nervous.”
“It will be fine. Trust her.”
“I’m trying.”
“Let.” Dom called and I waved from my spot, no energy to move. Dom seemed to get the hint and had my mother and James come to me.
“Everything okay?” My mother asked worried but I waved her off.
“I’m exhausted, your grandkids are a handful.” I joked and she grinned.
“I can’t imagine your kids being anything like that.” She joked and I laughed.
“So this is payback? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?” She winked at me but said nothing as everyone started towards us for introductions.
“Maria, James this is my husband Brian and our little girl Alexis.” Mia started off.
“Hello Brian.” James spoke up shaking his hand before my mother stepped forward and hugged Brian and cooed over Lexi.
“Leon.” My mother smiled embarrassedly but he gave her a smile and stepped forward to hug her and shake James’ hand.
“Maria, James this is my girlfriend Elena.”
“It’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Elena spoke up and I sent her a grateful smile.
“Likewise.”
“This is Rosa, she’s Vince’s wife and their son Nico.”
“Hello, Hello Nico.” Maria spoke.
“Hey Bud.”
“Mama said you knew my daddy.”
“I sure did.”
“Mama said he liked cars just like I do.”
“That he did, your daddy and uncle Dom loved cars.” My mother spoke softly to Nico and I couldn’t help the smile that settled on my face.
“This is Tej and Roman, Brian and these two clowns go way back.” Dom introduced.
“Nice to meet you both.” James smiled as he shook Roman’s hand then Tej’s.
“Tego, Rico and Han, we met them in the DR a few years back, Han’s girlfriend Gisele. Brian and I met her here in states a couple of years back. Then last but not least this is Charlotte.”
“Call me Lotty.” Lot spoke, stepping forward to shake hands.
“We’ve heard so much about all of you.” Mum spoke up as she looked over the group with a small smile.
“It must be overwhelming, why don’t we fire up the grill and get lunch started?” Leon suggested and everyone quickly agreed.
“Here I didn’t know what to bring but I figured cake was always a winner.” My mother offered as she handed over a covered platter.
“With this lot it’s definitely a winner.” Mia laughed as she hurried to take it inside.
“Do you need some help?” James offered Dom.
“Sure you can help us keep an eye on the four clowns over by the grill. They burn everything.” He spoke with a fond smile.
“Hey now that’s not true there was like one time we didn’t burn anything.” Roman spoke up while the rest of us laughed.
“Yeah exactly, only the one time.” Brian. I watched as the boys congregated at the grill leaving us girls alone to talk.
“You used to be a police officer?” My mother asked Elena as they all sat down around me. Mia came bouncing back out of the house with a tray of meat in her hands and handed it to Brian.
“Yes, back in Rio.”
“I’ve always wanted to travel to Rio.”
“It’s beautiful, you and your husband should definitely go and see it some time.”
“Now that we’re both retiring that was our plan to travel the world and sight see.” She agreed.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Where would you see first?” Mia asked as she joined us.
“We were thinking europe to start with. London and end in France or Italy.”
“Sounds amazing.” Lotty spoke with a smile.
“Yeah but we’re not so sure now.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out just make sure you visit us whenever your home.” I smiled at my mother.
Six hours later
“She’s out for the count.” My mother spoke as she laid Ava into bed.
“I’m not surprised she’s been a handful since we told her you were coming to visit. It’s all we’ve heard about.” I spoke quietly.
“I am truly sorry for how I reacted just last week. It wasn’t called for. I’m so ashamed of my behavior, I can’t imagine what they all think of me.” She whispered as she sat on the end of Ava’s bed.
“Nothing. They don’t think any different of you. We’ve all made our mistakes.” I spoke truthfully.
Today had gone amazingly well and I couldn’t have hoped for anything better. I watched as my mother struggled with what to say.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. It’s just watching you all today I realized you’ve never been truly alone like I thought. You’ve always had a family. When you were telling me everything that had happened I knew Lotty and Leon where there for you but I just didn’t see it the way I do now. They were your family. Every one of them dotes of those two little girls and little boy.”
“Yes they do. How the hell it all works I have no clue but it does and I wouldn’t change it for anything.” I said as I sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room.
“We’ve all had our differences to work out, especially Dom, Elena, Leon and I but we overcame it all and we are a family. All those values you and Tony taught us stayed with us. I know we’ve made some terrible mistakes and we’ve done a lot of things to hurt people but we’ve only always done it for family.”
“I see that now.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I still need my mother.” I said out loud and she smiled, tears welling in her eyes.
“No I know it doesn’t. It just means our family’s gotten bigger.” I smiled and nodded.
“You’ll be back for Lexi’s birthday and again when the baby’s born right?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. We’ve decided on to travel, a least not yet.”
“What will you do for now?”
“Well James and I have been talking and with three grandbabies and another on the way we want to be closer.” She started looking at me for a reaction.
“We’ve been tossing the idea around to put the house on the market and buy down here, we want to be closer and be able to see you kids and the babies all the time.”
“You’re moving here?” I asked shocked.
“Well we’d like to but if that’s not something you’d want then-“
“No, we’d love that. All of us.”
“Really?” She asked hopefully.
“Yes.” I smiled.
“You know despite the mistakes you’ve made and everything else that’s happened over the years I still believe Tony would be proud of you all. You’ve all grown up into fine adults and wonderful parents. That’s all we ever wanted for you kids.”
“I hope so.”
“Have you looked at any more houses?”
“One, two days ago we looked at a house. It beautiful. It’s about ten minutes away, close enough to the garage, the diner, Leon, the preschool and the school. We put an offer in we’re hoping to hear back soon.”
“Could I see it?”
“Yeah, we’ll ring the agent in the morning. I know Dom and Brian want to show you both the garage and diner tomorrow as well.”
“We’d love that.”