PROMISE ME (OSCAR DIAZ x OC)

Chapter Forty-Nine (Oscar)

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Oscar

Christmas Eve

"Geny, we do not need all these to-go boxes. You do realize I am very much capable of cooking for my fiancé and daughter?" I count the four boxes of food that Geny has packed up and put on the dining table for me to bring home after Midnight Mass.

She smacks my hand away when I go to look inside one of them. "Not for you!" She says in a hiss. "Yours is on the bottom. Mia's in the middle and the top two are for Alana."

"She'll never eat that."

"She has to if she wants my grandbaby to grow strong and healthy." She looks at me with joy. "She told me I get a grandson from you both. I am so happy, mijo. You are such a great father and just look at my little Mia," Her voice raises as she says my daughter's name. "Clearly you make beautiful children."

As the front door opens I see my future wife sauntering in. Already stripping her jacket off to hang it up on the coat rack and making her way toward me. Her hair effortlessly flowing behind her and even though I know she's felt shitty for a few days now I can't help but admire the way she glows.

"Yeah, you make beautiful kids too." I say with my eyes locked on Alana. She comes into my arms and looks at the boxes of the food.

"That smells good." She says softly. "Would have been better if I didn't just load up on gummy worms over at Jasmine's house."

My eyes flicker down at her. "How did that go?"

She smiles at me and I know everything is as it should be. "Miscommunication on both myself and Monse. We're good... How did everything go here after I left?"

Geny rolls her eyes and leans close to Alana. "That little brat... Mija, she's trouble. And nothing but! I am going to make her get baptized along with that demon baby inside of her!"

Alana chokes out a laugh and then picks up Mia who's pulling at her leg. It's already late but Alana's family is very strict on making sure we all go to Midnight Mass. Especially this year, Abuelita has been pushing for it.

She even tailored suits for us and had Alana do most of the work so she could add that to her resume as well. She even taught Alana the proper way to tie a tie so that she can charge for that at prom season and wedding season.

"And to think you all thought my baby was the demonic one." Alana rolls her eyes. "Bet you all feel stupid now."

"Mia threw a candy cane at Ruby's head while you were gone. It snapped instantly, that girl's got a good arm." I tell my wife as I hold back at giggle at the memory as it replays in my head. To be fair, Ruby absolutely deserved that candy cane to the skull.

"And then she threw the cake pop at Vero's face." Geny adds. "If you mouth the blue from Mario's cake was bad, just know this blue was worse. Vero is having a fit in the bathroom trying to wash it off before church."

"Maybe holy water will take it off." Alana suggests with laughter but it quickly subsides. She places Mia back down and clears her throat. "Vero better move out of that bathroom quickly."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes." Alana darts down the hallway and whips the bathroom door open.

Vero shouts and the door slams shut. The muffle sound of Alana retching into the toilet while Happy Xmas by John Lennon is playing over the speakers making this truly a remarkable moment. One that I will certainly talk about for all the years to come, even if Alana wants to kill me for it.

Ruby comes into the dining room and just stands there blankly.

"My sister threw up a rainbow of worms."

I nod. "Yeah. That happens."

"Vero doesn't do that." He's standing there like he's seen a fucking ghost.

Ruby has shot and killed people. Ruby has jumped kids younger than him into the gang. Ruby has done unforgivable things and yet this is what he is traumatized by?

The kid himself was fucking shot three years ago.

"Mm," I hum in response. "You get used to it."

Ruby shakes his head. "That was unnatural. Does she even chew them? Or did she just inhale them?"

Alana comes out of the bathroom and smacks Ruby in the back of the head. He grunts at her and she flips him off. "No one asked you to stare at my vomit, shit for brains."

"I was stunned." Ruby argues. "If you do that in church Father might actually baptize you right then and there."

"If anyone's getting baptized it's your baby mama." Alana taunts him. Here we fucking go. It's never a peaceful night. Ever.

Cesar gets up from the couch and walks over slowly. "You know, I was thinking. Maybe I should take Mia home-"

"No!" Abuelita argues. "We are taking a family picture at church and Mia needs to be in it. I want to hold her in the picture."

"We've never done that before." Ruby says. "Why now?"

Abuelita pauses. "Because... Our family is growing and we need to do it. Don't question these things, mijo. I'm a great-grandmother now."

Alana sighs. "If I throw up at church-"

"Bring a barf bag." Abuelita says. "Wouldn't be the first time we had something crazy happen at church."

Ruby and Alana share a glance and sudden the two start laughing hysterically. Then turn to look at their sister, Luisa, who gives them a dirty look.

"What are you two laughing about?"

"When Mami dunked your into holy water because you flipped off Oscar in the middle of church." Alana starts laughing. "Do you remember that?"

"I do." Luis says while playing on his phone. "Everyone got kicked out. Except Oscar, me, and Papi."

"I had to get a shot for the rabies." Abuelita adds. "She bit me in the parking lot!"

Geny claps her hands together and in perfect timing as Vero comes out of the room. She's pissed off and tries to sneak her way into Ruby's arms but Ruby is too busy laughing with Alana for the first time in a long time.

It melts my heart to see it. The two have never had a perfect relationship. Or even a good one at that. So moments like this? Any one of us knows not to interfere with it. All of us know that except Vero who is clearly jealous that Ruby's attention is one someone who isn't her. Someone who she's been jealous of since day one.

"Let's go over some rules for tonight.. No flipping anyone off in church." She glares at Luisa who rolls her eyes. She's like a mini Alana at this point and it's funny to see it. "Let's make sure there's barf bags for Alana. And uh... No biting Abuelita. Last thing she needs is to go and get another rabies shot. Even though I'm still not sure why she assumed she needed it to begin with."

"Have you seen that girl?" Abuelita points to Luisa. "Rabies."

"Must run in the family." Vero scoffs and I turn around to glare at her. She shrinks down instantly. One thing about myself that I'm proud of is that I can bring myself back to the Spooky look really quickly.

Alana hates it. She sees that look in my eyes and she does whatever she can to make it go away. Except right now. Right now? I get her licking her lips at me. Fuck.. Why do we have to go to church right now? I'd rather take her home.