PROMISE ME (OSCAR DIAZ x OC)

Chapter Fifty-Three (Oscar)

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Oscar

ONE WEEK LATER

The Funeral

I knew that Ruby was well loved throughout the community but I never imagined that he would create a line that wraps down the entire block, all people waiting to say their final goodbye to him and give their condolences to the family.

To my family.

Alana is emotionless as she stands in the lineup with her immediate family. Mia in her arms as she fidgets all over the place, not wanting to stay still at all. Abuelita sitting in a chair but rising for those who are worthy of it.

Which isn't many.

My father, Ray, finally makes his way through the mile long line of people. And the line still wraps down the block when I look out the windows of the funeral home. He shakes Ruben's hand but when he reaches Geny? He hugs onto her in a way I've never seen him hug anyone.

Mario is on the side of Alana and doesn't even look toward the casket where Ruby is. Geny and Alana demanded to the funeral home that his facial tattoos be covered completely. They wanted him to look the way he should have always looked.

Twice he was shot in his lifetime. He beat death the first time and unfortunately lost his life the second time. All within a few short years. He will never get to meet his son that is due soon and he will never graduate high school. Ruby wanted to be better. He wanted to fix himself for Vero and his kid but that was stolen from him.

I catch a glimpse of the way Ray pushes Geny's hair back from her face. Looking deeply into her tear filled eyes and using his knuckles to clear those tears from her flushes cheeks. I know that look on both of them.

Fuck, Alana and I look at each other like that. I swallow hard and I see that Alana's face hasn't changed. She doesn't show a single flicker of emotion until after Ray hugs Abuelita, who does in fact rise for him but he seats her back down almost instantly, shakes Mario's hand, and then.. Gets to my fiancé. He kisses Mia but when he looks at Alana, all those emotions flood from her.

"I know, mija... I know..." Ray says as she cries into his chest.

She hasn't broke like this with me. Only when Cesar and I came home and she realized we were back in. We were going to get whoever did this to Ruby and we don't plan on stopping until we do. It hasn't been good between us since then.

With one swoop, I take Mia from her arms and she completely loses it, hugging onto Ray and he just stands there, holding her and holding up the line. To the point we just started directing people to move around her and carry on. Mario moved a few chairs out of the way so they could continue down the line.

"Stay here with me?" Alana asked Ray, meaning I had to inch over a little bit to let him in the line. I looked to Cesar who was on the other side of me.

"That's her person, Oscar." Cesar said when he read the look on my face. "You know that."

"She won't cry to me." I whisper to him. "I just don't want her to cage herself off from me."

Cesar shrugs. "I told you to let me handle the shit. I have nothing to lose... You have everything to lose. Sad Eyez and I both told you that and you went against us and you went against her. You went against Mia. You went against your unborn son..."

I swallow what feels like a rock stuck in my throat. "I know."

"That's on you, Spooky."

I yank my gaze away from my little brother. I know he's right and that's what hurts me more than anything. He and Jose both had warned me that the only thing more dangerous than getting back involved fully with the Santos was the wrath of Alana.

She's done the most petty of things to show for it too. She knows I hate the spearmint toothpaste and only like winter mint and she went and bought all spearmint toothpaste. Like I said, fucking petty. I don't like Tide brand detergent so she started washing only my clothes in that instead of Gain. Tide smells like nursing home to me and she knows that.

Worst of all? She moves he kitchen cabinets around every day. Only the ones I use though. So my coffee mugs? I've had to search for them every single morning, making me just cut it getting to work on time. When I get home? They're back where they're meant to be. She's the queen of being petty.

I watch as she carefully runs her hand over her growing bump. Our son that will never meet his uncle. I like Nico. I think that's the name you should go with. Maybe you should give him Ruben for a middle name. Ruby's words ring in my head as I look at my future wife, how she caresses the child inside of her for some sort of comfort. Not wanting to bring too much attention to herself though.

Vero walked in but she had been in the line the entire time. Waiting her turn as if she's just a visitor. Alana was the only one to break from our family line up and go right to her at Ruby's casket. Holding the shaking and crying Vero in her arms.

Alana had agreed but not promised to take care of Vero. Huge difference between agreement and a promise. She's made that known. What kills me is that the rest of the family basically put their nose up at Vero. As if they somehow blame her for the loss of Ruby.

I don't blame her. I feel sorry for her. Yeah, she wasn't the nicest girl and she didn't beg for Ruby to change the way Alana begged for me to change. But when Ruby got robbed? Vero shrunk down and became the young girl she's supposed to be. The innocence came back to her eyes that should be in every girl her age.

"Come stand with me. Please." Alana says to Vero as she looks down at Ruby.

Vero presses a kiss to Ruby's forehead and holds his hold and stiff hand under her palm. Tears flooding down her cheeks and Alana is the only one who gives a fuck. "How could someone look at him and pull the trigger on him? How could someone want to hurt him? He was sweet! He was innocent!" Vero said through sobs and my chest tightened and my stomach twisted. "Look at him.. He's so beautiful. Whoever did this to him... They're monsters."

"I know, Vero.. I know." Alana took her under her arm and brought her over, pushing me down the line further.

Putting more of a space between us. Alana used a tissue from her pocket because the only time I heard her excited this past week was when she bought the dress for the funeral and invited Rose over and bragged about how the dress has pockets.

Because all dresses should have pockets! Women need them way more than men! She's always proclaimed that and when she makes dresses, she always adds hidden pockets. Something I love about her and yet she won't even look at me right now.

"Hi Vero." I say softly.

"Spooky." Vero says with zero emotion. "Nice suit."

"Alana made it." I flash a smile at Alana who turns her entire gaze away from me. "She's talented, you know."

"I know she is." Vero replies. "She made Monse's dress. I saw Monse outside."

"Why did you wait in line? You're family." I ask, this question draws Alana attention back to me. Her face softening and finally...

"Oscar's right, Vero. You're family. You should have been up here with us the entire time. Why the hell would you wait outside?"

Vero clears her throat. "Geny and Ruben said it wouldn't be a good idea for me to be up here-"

Darkness fills Alana's eyes and she snaps her head toward her mother and father. Glaring at them before turning back to Vero. "I'm going to speak with them after. You are to tell me from now on if they treat you any sort of way, do you understand me? You're family no matter what. You lost Ruby just as much as we did."

Vero shakes her head though. "He died in love with Olivia. Not me. It's obvious."

Alana kissed Vero's temple. "No, mija. He loved her. But he loves you."