Tortured Souls -Oscar Diaz 2-

Chapter 22

Sofia tried not to be annoying. Truly. She hated annoying Oscar, but he was leaving her in the dark. Cuchillios body had been found, and she had no idea what that meant for any of them.

"Mommy," Ella threw her stuffed elephant on the ground.

"What, love," Sofia asked her nervously. She tried to put on a smile and mask her worries, but it was a struggle.

"Hi."

"Hi," Sofia kissed her nose. "You want to take a bath?" Her eyes brightened. Rather than giving a verbal response, she clapped her hands together. "I'll take that as a yes." Sofia grabbed her daughter and began making her way towards the bathroom. Setting her on the ground, she turned on the water. "You know the drill. Arm's up."

Ella stuck her arms in the air, and Sofia pulled the top over her head. Next were her legs, which were always easy. Once she was able, Sofia set her in the tub. "Thank mama," Ella grabbed her bath toys.

"You're welcome, baby," Sofia grinned.

The tub slowly filled with water, but her mind began to stray back to Oscar. She hoped things were going well with him and Cesar and that they were able to work things out. Cesar was stubborn but incredibly smart. If Oscar could find his way out of Freeridge, then so could he. "Duck," Ella held up a rubber duck.

"Correct," Sofia poked her nose. The young girl scrunched her nose, letting out a bubbly laugh. She grabbed the cup and began pouring water over her head then the conditioner. A silence fell over the two, and Sofia found a rhythm in her movements. She hadn't called Oscar in a few hours, but she feared she was being too much. However, the past issues with Cuchillos were a major problem. She nearly lost Oscar. "You're getting so big," she whispered to herself. "You got to stop growing, baby." It amazed her how big Ella was now. How much she had grown. Sometimes Sofia felt as if she had just learned about her pregnancy. But that was years ago.

The sound of the front door opening caused her heart to race. Oscar was back home, and that meant he was safe. That was all Sofia cared about. Listening to his footsteps, she could tell exactly where in the house he was.

Sofia grabbed the cup again and began rinsing out the soap in her hair. Ella splashed around, but she didn't mind. Seeing her daughter play in the tub was always a comforting sight. Her hair was flat against her head and blocking her eyes. But she didn't seem to mind.

The footsteps grew louder before ceasing altogether. Sofia glanced over her shoulder to see Oscar. He looked exhausted but offered her a smile. "Daddy," Ella screamed in joy.

"Hey," Oscar forced himself off the wall and stalked into the room. He lowered himself onto the ground next to Sofia.

Sofia could tell by his posture that his day didn't go as well as he had planned. "Hey," she moved one arm out of the tub. "How did it go?"

"Not well," he muttered. "Cesar hates me."

"He doesn't hate you." Sofia didn't believe that for a second. "He loves you. He's just a little lost right now." Oscar grumbled something under his breath that she couldn't understand. "Did you see Ruby?"

"I spoke to him on the phone a few times."

Sofia was worried about him. He always tended to stress more than most. "How is he?"

Oscar grabbed her hand. "He's okay."

That seemed hard to believe given Ruby's history. "And you're okay too?"

"He thinks I have the Rollerworld money."

"You don't." Oscar had the money, but they never took it. They left it behind, and Sofia hadn't seen it since. That was the way they both wanted it. "I should have gone with you."

"No," he stopped her. "It was uneventful." There was a pause, "for the most part."

"Most part," Sofia pushed.

He sighed, "bailed Cesar out of jail."

"Cesar got arrested?" Oscar nodded, "for what?"

"Assault, I assume." Sofia glanced at Ella, watching as she continued to play with her toys as if there were no problems in the world. To her, there weren't. Everything was simple for Ella. She had no idea the struggles her parents had faced. "Made me realize how much I love the both of you."

"You're being cheesy," Sofia grinned. "Getting on my good side before we go to bed."

"You know it."

Oscar leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her lips. Sofia kissed him back eagerly, a smile on her face as she raised her hand to his cheek. "Ew," Ella giggled.

Sofia pulled with a laugh, "what do you mean ew?" She put her hand in the water and gently splashed her. Oscar kissed the side of her head before pushing off the ground and walking out of the room. Sofia watched him leave sadly, knowing this situation was starting to bother him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sofia always slept well at night. Her worries had stopped when she and Oscar left Freeridge. He was no longer in the gang, and she stopped fearing every bump in the night. However, she had always been a light sleeper. That was helpful when Ella was born. Oscar had become a sound sleeper and always slept through her cries. That or pretended as if he did in order for Sofia to help her.

Sofia was asleep when the bed shifted suddenly. It was enough to pull her out of dreams, but it wasn't until she heard Oscar's fast breathing that her body fully woke. "Oscar," Sofia glanced at her husband. He was sitting straight up in the bed, chest heaving. "Hey, hey." She sat up and placed a hand on his back. "What happened? Was it a nightmare?"

Oscar took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm his breathing. "I have to save Cesar."

"What?" Sofia gently pulled on his arm. "What are you talking about?"

"I have to-"

"No, I heard you," she said. "It was just a dream."

Oscar stared at her, and Sofia ran her fingers through this curly hair. "Baby-"

"We can try again," she cut him off. "But you have to be careful, okay? I don't want you involved with the Santos again. You promised."

"I know. I know." He kissed the palm of her hand. "I won't."

Sofia believed him. She always believed him. "You okay to sleep?"

"Yeah," Oscar muttered. She leaned back, gently tugging on his shirt.

He pulled her against him, and Sofia smiled. Resting her head on his chest, she listened to the beating of his heart. "We'll go to Freeridge tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Get some sleep, love. You need it." Oscar kissed the top of her head, and Sofia closed her eyes. Falling asleep to the beating of his heart.