This story is in relation to little mundo. I have nothing against the characters and I love them equally. Their characteristics and actions in this story are purely fiction. Enjoy!
In a parallel universe where a daughter lays in bed and the mother tucks her in, a father reads a Shakespearean sonnet; one that irks the mind and heart of the same father who lost his wife and child in a different universe.
O! never say that I was false of heart,
Though absence seem'd my flame to qualify,
As easy might I from my self depart
As from my soul which in thy breast doth lie:
That is my home of love: if I have ranged,
Like him that travels, I return again;
Just to the time, not with the time exchanged,
So that myself bring water for my stain.
Never believe though in my nature reigned,
All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood,
That it could so preposterously be stained,
To leave for nothing all thy sum of good;
For nothing this wide universe I call,
Save thou, my rose, in it thou art my all.
***
Two years.
She left him after he learned the truth.
Six years.
He left her after learning his ex was with his child.
Two years.
Mourning and crying and raging and killing. Killing himself with the guilt of leaving his ex-wife and daughter.
Six years.
Mourning and crying and raging and killing. Killing herself with the guilt of not protecting her daughter from the world.
Funny, how the tables have turned. Fate brings out the irony in life.
***
Pulling over the Mond-Bullet Estate, or should the locals of Los Santos call it, the Lost and Forgotten Estate, Taco got out of the car and grabbed the plastic bag with food from Burger Shot. It has become a routine for Taco; bring him food, make sure he is still there, and let him mourn in his way.
Taking in the state of the ruined house that a once happy couple once called home, Taco couldn't help but feel pain. Ray was happy when she purchased the property with her hard-earned market.
"I am going to live in this house that I purchased and built for myself and hopefully live with my future husband and kids here! Aah! I can't wait to have my own family!"
Without bothering to ring the doorbell, he opened the double doors that lead to a catastrophe; wrappers of take-out scattered on the floor, a clutter of vodka bottles in one corner of the living room, and unwashed plates, pots, and pans piled up on the kitchen counters. In simple terms, it looked like a mess.
Taco sighed deeply, placed the plastic bag on a clean side table, and cleaned up the mess. Did that fucker fire his cleaners? This is the sixth time this month.
Continuously mumbling and grumbling, Taco made sure that every part of the mess was cleaned up; he scrubbed the plates, pots, and pans clean, he had bags of trash brought out to be collected and arranged everything in order just like how Ray would have wanted it to be.
Already having a hunch of where Randy would be, He walked upstairs and went to the door that was left ajar, soft and mellow music was escaping through the gap. Opening the door wider with caution, Taco finds a passed-out Randy, sitting against a light blue crib.
Taco wanted to punch the wall beside the door, the music playing was from a music box he gave Ray and Randy as a wedding gift. He said that it is for the kids to come in their family and unbeknownst to anyone, Randy and Ray would open the music box and would waltz around the baby room, hoping that their love for one another would be embedded into the walls of the room for their child to feel their love.
Taking in the state of the room, you would think it is from a different place. Everything fits into perfection; baby clothes are piled in drawers and cabinets, toys are in one corner of the room, and baby necessities are all on top of one of the cabinets. Even before Ray knew she was pregnant, she had the baby room prepared. She bought all the gender-neutral things she could buy and already had plans in her mind for what she would get if she had either of the genders. The room was left the way Ray left it.
You would think Randy would use it with his child with Violet but no. Randy would have the room locked up and only he can enter and clean the room up, even after his divorce from Ray. But now, he spends most of his time, drunk and passed out, in the room; reminded of the mistake he made.
Pissed at the messed up situation his friend is in, he went downstairs and grabbed an ice-cold glass of water which he dumped on Randy's face to wake him up. Randy jerked at the touch of cold liquid running down his face. Blinking a million times, he finally saw Taco's figure in front of him. Looking behind him, he saw that the crib was slightly drenched.
"What the fuck, you dumb fuck?! You got Reyna's crib wet! I just changed this a day ago!" He yelled while he frantically opened a drawer filled with sheets for the crib. "You come to my house and just dump water all over me. What a brother you are."
"Well this brother cleaned your shit up so be grateful, you fuck." Taco said dryly. "This dumb fuck is also here to remind you that K called for a meeting."
"I'm not going." He dismissed as he fiddled around the edges of the crib.
"Randy," Taco called out but he was treated like a ghost. "Randy, Regina is asking for you."
At the name of her other daughter, Randy stopped fidgeting around, trying to look busy. "She's not my daughter."
"Yes, she fucking is, Randy." He balled his hands into a fist, trying to contain his anger. "Are you just going to leave her, waiting for her father to visit him after almost 3 years?!"
"SHE IS NOT MY DAUGHTER! THAT BITCH, VIOLET, GOT KNOCKED UP BY SOMEONE ELSE AND JUST CLAIMED THAT IT WAS MINE!" Randy yelled in frustration. "WE NEVER HAD SEX DURING MY BACHELOR PARTY! I KNOW THAT NOW BECAUSE I SAW A RECORDING OF ME PASSING OUT AFTER 52 SHOTS! VIOLET WAS ALSO NEVER THERE!"
Taco just kept silent, waiting for him to release all the pent-up anger within him. Randy's body started to shake and a sob escaped his lips.
"I left Ray." Bits and pieces of sorrow and regret seeped through the words he spoke. "I left her," He points at himself. "Her and my child; OUR CHILD!
"I was not there when she was carrying our daughter for 9 months. I was not there when she gave birth. I was not there to protect her!" Tears were slowly clouding Randy's vision. Memories of the past yet again haunt him.
"I was not there when she was mourning for Reyna's death."
Taco just stood there with a stoic face. His heart could not handle seeing his friend in pain and his conscience is begging him to tell Randy, but no. It was not his story to tell and he made a promise to Ray.
"Be by his side for me, Taco. And maybe one day, just maybe..."
***
"Today is the opening and day one of the first orphanage here in Los Santos City."
People gathered around the new establishment located in a private property in the middle of the woods near the lake. Gangs, nurses, doctors, police, and locals were present; even Randy Bullet, who for once in two years looked presentable.
"Many have been curious and wondering, who has the heart of gold that opened this orphanage? We had an exclusive interview with the owner before the opening which we will be showing after this quick report. I am Ursula Leichenberg, good day everyone."
Mickey S, the current mayor of the city, stood in front of the crowd on a podium. He was to give a short speech before opening the orphanage.
"It is an honor and privilege to see every citizen witness a new beginning here in the city." Mickey started off. "This city, as we know it, never has a dull moment when it comes to chaos. I'm looking at you, gang members."
Everyone laughed but Randy scoffed. He would rather have a bottle of vodka or two in his hand at that moment than to listen to Mickey talking.
"This orphanage," He continues as he points at the pristine and homey cabin mansion behind him. "Started off as a dream by the owner, a dear friend of mine. I remembered that it was a few years ago when they mentioned it, their exact words were 'One day, I will establish the first orphanage here in Los Santos.' and I asked them why. They said 'There are hundreds and thousands of kids out there who don't have homes and don't experience the love of a parent. I want to build a home where they feel safe, loved, and valued. I want them to belong to a family.'"
"Ray, do you ever want kids?"
"Hell no! Childbirth is a nightmare!" She exclaimed. "But I don't mind adopting, it would be nice to have a little child; make a child feel safe, loved, and belong to a family."
She looks up to him with doe eyes. "What about you, Randy?"
"Randy."
Randy snapped out of his thoughts when someone said his name. He started looking for the source of the voice but his eyes widened in shock when he saw a figure. He refused to blink or lose line of sight of them, unsure if the alcohol in his system finally kicked in and played tricks in his mind.
He saw the figure that his heart and soul had been yearning to see. She was crouching down to the level of what looks to be an eight-year-old crying. She uttered words to the child and gave them a motherly hug. Randy did not risk blinking because he was scared that if he blinked, she would be gone again. He walked towards her amidst the sea of people who were still listening to Mickey's speech.
"Ray." He softly called out to her.
"Randy, do you think I would be a good mother?"
"Ray."
"Randy! I am not putting on that stupid carrot onesie!"
"Ray!"
"Randy!"
Someone called out to him as they held his arm, preventing him from moving forward.
He lost vision of Ray as he turned around to see Violet holding him back. Pissed at her, he looked back to where he saw Ray and tugged his arm away from Violet's grip.
Violet, not wanting to let him go, held her grip tighter. "Randy, we need to talk."
Randy looked back to where he saw Ray but was disappointed when he saw nothing. Maybe the alcohol was getting to him. He groaned in frustration but remembered that Violet was there, wanting to 'talk'.
"Please, Randy."
"Talk? You want to talk?" It was now Randy's turn to hold Violet's arm.
Fear was clouding Violet's mind. "Randy, you're hurting me." She shakingly said.
"Let's talk, Violet. Because you have some shit to explain." He dragged her by the arm, not minding the glares from the Angels. Chang Gang saw this but did nothing. They learned from the past not to meddle with Randy's business after what he did when he learned that Ray left.
"Randy, let me go!" Violet tried thrashing when they were away from the crowd's range of hearing. "Randy, you're hurting me! Please, let go!"
Randy released her arm in the process of pushing her to a tree. He did not care if she was physically hurt; the pain she embedded into him was far from physical, she shattered his soul and sanity.
"Talk."
The tone he used made Violet violently shake in fear. It was void of any emotions. He felt numb.
"I don't have the energy to waste my time with you, Violet. You either talk or I'm leaving."
Violet was quiet, the only thing that they heard was the rustling of the leaves against the wind, and her shaky breath. She took a deep breath before saying anything. "She isn't my daughter."
Randy scoffed. "Tell me something I don't already know." He turned around and was about to walk away when he stopped after hearing her next words.
"She's not my daughter but she is yours."
He turned back to where Violet was standing, he was furious. Was she saying this in hopes it would make him feel better? If she was, it didn't work.
"You are not making it any better, Violet." Randy clenched his fists, trying to contain his anger. "This bullshit ends here and now."
"Sign the divorce paper I sent you."
Violet expected this but still feared for it. She did the worst to Randy; deceived him, stole his child from him, and broke him away from his day one. Even if it hurts, this is the least she could do to earn his forgiveness.
"Okay, I will. But please, Randy," She cried out to him. "Believe me that Regina is your daughter." She looked up to him with teary eyes only to see him turned away from her with clenched fists.
Defeated in this battle, Violet wiped away her tears and walked past Randy. "At least take a DNA test. Doing that won't hurt you."
Randy was left all alone in the woods; lost and hurt.
***
It has been a few weeks since the orphanage opened and the city seemed to have revived into a colorful city.
Randy thought about doing a DNA test as Violet told him but the shame and guilt in him prevented him from doing so. How would you feel if your possible biological father who left you alone for years asked you for your DNA just to check if you really are his daughter?
Like the coward that he is, he asked Taco to do it for him. It was painful for Taco to see his brother look so ashamed but it was even more painful to see Regina, a mere 8 year old, always in high hopes for her father to visit her.
To prove that Violet wasn't lying, she also gave her sample. The results were out after a week and Randy did not have the courage to see if she was his daughter. He was scared; if she was his daughter, he failed her as a father.
But Randy had to be the man he was supposed to be and finally approach his problems instead of running away from them. He grabbed the envelope and took out the piece of paper that was waiting for him. With shaky hands, he slowly read the contents of the results.
The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child. Based on testing results obtained from analyses of the DNA loci listed, the probability of paternity is 99.9998%.
The alleged mother is excluded as the biological father of the tested child. Based on testing results obtained from analyses of the DNA loci listed, the probability of maternity is 0.0012 %.
Violet wasn't lying.
Regina Vivian Bullet is his daughter.
Randy felt a thorn plucked off his side. He felt never have been more happy to know that she was his real daughter. He was excited to see his daughter so he took a bath and made the effort to choose a decent outfit to wear. After years, he finally looked decent; he looked like the man who greeted his daughter after she spent time with her best friend who was also his best friend.
He grabbed his keys from the drawer and coincidentally, a calendar was sitting there and he saw that it was his daughter's 9th birthday. Not wanting to fuck anything even further, he wanted to grab something for her.
Randy decided to get some burgers at Dean's World before buying the gifts for Regina. Catching a glimpse of what the tents were selling, Randy was surprised to see the same flower vendor he met years ago. Carefully approaching the tent filled with flowers, he saw the old woman silently smiling as she watched the people pass by. When she saw Randy, she gave him a knowing smile. "Hello, my child. It has been so long since I have seen you around here."
Randy was surprised that she even remembered him. It was just once that he bought from her tent and she managed to remember him.
"How have you been doing, ma'am?" He politely greeted her.
"Oh, I have been well." She softly said. "What about you, my boy? You look like you have received the blessing of your entire life."
Randy's eyes widened in surprise. Before he could even speak, the old lady spoke again. "When you lived long enough, you can tell, my boy." She stood up and proceeded to pick out some flowers. "It hasn't been long since I saw another familiar face. It brought me joy when I saw the woman again."
Randy had an idea who she was talking about. "Who?" He asked, to confirm his hunch.
"The same woman who asked me for the same bouquet every year." Randy felt hope burning in him. It really was Ray who I saw at that orphanage. She's here, she's back. "She looked happier than she was years ago. She deserves so much better."
"Did she say something? Like staying in the city?" Randy tried out his luck; that maybe Ray might have mentioned about staying in the city.
The elderly woman shook her head. "I'm sorry but she did not." She continued picking pieces of flowers. "Although, I did give her another bouquet; sunflowers and white roses."
"You can look around for now, young man. This one will take some time to make." For once, Randy listened. He ordered the burgers he was originally there for and looked at other tents.
Another tent caught his eyes; one that sells daggers. He couldn't help but remember Ray, she had a thing for swords and daggers. His heart swelled at the idea of being with her again; tell her how much he missed her, tell her how sorry he was for leaving her, and tell her how much he loved — loves her, still.
He grabbed a dagger that had a resin handle with flowers and gold flakes inside. Regina would love this. He bought the dagger and went back to the old woman's tent.
"Ah, finally."
"Now, there we are." She exclaimed after tying the ribbon to the bouquet. "Here you go, child." She hands him the freshly made bouquet. It consisted of blue hyacinth, white tulips, white roses, and lily of valleys. "I'm sure your daughter would appreciate it."
"How much should I pay for this?" Randy started to take out his wallet to pay.
"You don't have to pay me through money, my child." She stops him by holding his hand that holds his wallet. "Make your daughter and wife happy. That is enough payment to me."
***
Taco was at the orphanage. Why? Well, Regina wanted to spend time with the kids there for her birthday. She did not want to stay at the Angels because her sister was there; Takisha grew up to become a huge spoiled brat and continued tormenting her for being Mommy's favorite. Violet surprisingly became civil with her, she did not love her like she was Takisha but at least she was being nice.
Regina was at the playground in the orphanage, playing with the kids when his phone received a call.
He did not bother checking who it was. "Hello."
"Taco, where's my daughter?"
"Randy?" Taco pulled his phone away from his ear to check if it really was Randy. "She's here with me at the orphanage, why?"
"I'm on my way there." And he hung up.
Confused by the situation, Taco just shrugged it off. "Hey kids! Would you mind if I joined you?"
***
Regina was happy. She was with the kids from the orphanage, they were just playing and enjoyed being friends.
While playing on the swing, Regina got a glimpse of a figure on a wheelchair on the wooden dock by the lake. Wanted for everyone to be included in their fun time, she stood up and started walking to the figure when one of the kids called out to her. "Gina! Where are you going?"
"I'm just gonna go to the dock!" She yelled out.
Regina hopped her way towards the dock, she was humming a certain tune she used to sing when she was on a road trip with Ray.
Oh how she missed her bestest friend. Just like her father, she wished and hoped for the day when Ray returns. She missed the days when she and Ray would go on random road trips, sneaking in during April's recording, the midnight talks whenever Regina joins the CG babes during girls' night. Sometimes, Regina wishes that she could go back to those days.
When she reached the dock, she lightly and quietly walked towards what seems to be a girl her age. She was reading a book written by a classic author. Not wanting to give a shock to the girl, she cleared her throat.
"Hi."
Despite the prior sound cue for her not to be surprised, the girl jumped from her position. She slowly turned around to see who greeted her.
Regina was startled to see the appearance of the girl. Half of her was burned, yet Regina could pinpoint that she looked familiar.
The girl felt self-conscious when Regina was just looking at her. She started feeling fidgety and looked down back to her book. Regina, realizing that she has been staring, snapped out of her awe to the girl. "I'm sorry for staring. You just look..."
"...hideous?" The girl whispered silently.
Regina's eyes widened in surprise. "No!" She yelled and overly shook her head which gave her a headache. "I was going to say you look very pretty." She shyly said. "Your eyes are... really really pretty."
"...thank you." Her voice was barely a whisper.
Regina not wanting for the conversation to finish, she started to think about something to talk about. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she sat down near the edge of the dock. She got comfortable and saw that there were a bunch of pebbles clumped up to the side.
The mysterious girl looked at Regina in astonishment. The girl was skipping rocks and had an occasional pout on her lips when the skip skipped less than four times.
"I was reading." The mysterious girl replied with sass.
Regina raised her eyebrows in surprise, the timid quiet girl had some fire in her. Noticing Regina's reaction, the girl dropped her head down again and muttered an apology.
Regina smiled softly. "It's okay." She laughed a little. "I guess it was my fault. What I really wanted to ask was why are you not with the other kids? You know, playing?"
"...I can't." She said in shame. "The kids think I'm weird."
Regina looked over her shoulder. Why would she think she's weird? "No you're not." She dropped the pebble she was holding and sat across the girl. "Did the kids say that?"
"...no."
Regina looked at her and read her expression that she didn't want to talk about the kids so she switched topics. "What are you reading?"
"...Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." She replied. She looked up through her eyelashes to catch a glimpse of the other. "Do you read?"
"Hell nah!" Regina exclaimed. "Books are boring."
"Oh." The girl was sad to hear that Regina thought books were boring. The only person she could talk about books with were her mother, adoptive mother.
"But," Regina added. "If you could recommend a nice book, I might like reading."
The girl's brown eyes shone brightly in excitement. "Of course!"
Regina laughed at how adorable she was acting. "I'm Regina by the way. Regina Vivian Bullet." She extended her hand towards her for a handshake.
The mysterious girl was apprehensive whether she should shake hands. She might think my charred hand is weird. She mentally shook her head and decided to shoot her shot in making friends.
"My mother calls me Amirah, Amirah Eleanor."
***
Randy fixed his clothes and brushed away the non-existent dust to look presentable. He held the bag of gifts and flowers in one hand while using the other to ring the doorbell.
He was nervous; what if Regina doesn't want to see him? Many scenarios were playing in Randy's head which ended when a sweet old lady opened the door. He was surprised to see the familiar face; the lady who sold flowers.
"Ma'am?" Randy was flabbergasted. "You also work here at the orphanage?"
The old lady was confused. "Oh young man, you are mistaking me for someone." She gently and slightly shook her head.
Embarrassed, Randy cleared his throat to recollect himself. "I'm sorry. You just looked very similar to this old lady who sells flowers in the city."
"You might be referring to my twin sister, Valda. I'm Zelda."
"Oh, that explains it." He felt awkward.
The old lady lightly laughed. "Please come in." She opened the door wider to let him inside. "Is there anyone you are looking for, sweetheart?"
"Um, yes." Randy said while slightly admiring the interior of the place. It was home-y, the interior was similar to the one at the estate but he thought that it was a common design. "Was there perhaps a little girl around the age of 8 that came here earlier?"
"Why yes, Mr. Prince was also here with her." She led him outside through the back door. "They're both at the playground behind the building, they've been playing with the children the whole day."
Randy nodded and kept admiring the vicinity. The orphanage was split into different areas. According to Zelda, the main building was where they receive guests, the west wing is where the kitchen, dining room, library, and offices are, and the children's quarters and the workers' quarters were in the east wing. Outside the orphanage had its own flower garden, a mini farm, and a child friendly parkour course.
"Can I ask some questions?" Randy hesitantly asked.
"Of course, what is it?" She kindly replied.
"Are you the only one who is working in this orphanage?"
"Oh no, my dear. There are some of us here. I'm in charge of the incoming guests and assisting the missus whenever a child is being adopted or arrived."
"May I ask who the—" Before Randy could continue the question, he heard a few squeals and yells of children, a sign that they were close to the playground.
"Ah here, we are." Zelda was observing the kids. "Would it be fine if I leave you here and let you find them on your own? I have some matters to attend to."
"It's fine, thank you for assisting me here."
Zelda nodded and slowly walked back to the main building and Randy was left alone to be swamped with curious eyes from the kids. He tried searching for two familiar faces but Taco and Regina were nowhere on sight.
He felt a tug on his trousers. He looked down and saw a young boy sucking on his fist, no younger than 4 years old. "Miter, who are you?"
Randy can't help but turn back to his fatherly vibe. "Hey little man." He said while crouching to the little kid's eye level. "Do you know Taco?" The little kid cutely nodded. "Well, I am his friend. I'm Randy."
"Andy?"
Randy chuckled. "Close enough." He ruffled the kid's hair.
The kid looked at him with doe eyes and pointed at the gifts and bouquet. "For ommy?"
"Mommy?" The kid nodded again. "No, these are for my daughter. She came here with Taco, do you know where they are?"
The kid did not reply but instead held on Randy's free hand and dragged him deeper to the playground. They passed by the kids playing and walked to a stony path towards the dock where he saw and heard two similar and one unfamiliar silhouettes and laughters. The kid left him at the foot of the dock and ran back to the playground. Odd.
He slowly approached the figures who situated their backs in front of him.
"...how about knives?" He heard his daughter ask.
"I love them!" The stranger exclaimed excitedly. "My mom collects them and she gave me one of her karambits!"
"When we come back tomorrow, we'll bring you some." Regina said with the same enthusiasm and turned to Taco who was skipping pebbles. "Taquito, can you help me sneak inside the Bullet Club? Dad has some extra karambits there, right?"
Randy's eyes widened. Is she trying to steal from me? Her own father?
"Are you trying to steal from me, Regina?"
Regina turned around, eyes widened and her mouth hung open in surprise. Randy could see the tears building up in her eyes and he couldn't help but also tear up. She stood up and ran towards him. Randy opened his arms to embrace his daughter after years. Randy stumbled a bit at the impact but held his ground. They held each other tightly, not wanting to let go of each other.
"I missed you." Regina said against his chest. "I missed you so much, daddy."
***
After the tearful reunion, everyone decided to go back to the building so that the kids could freshen up for dinner. Regina assisted Amirah to her room and stayed there to admire the flowers and the dagger she received from her father.
Taco and Randy were in the living room and talked to themselves. Taco was happy that they got to have a proper conversation. He was happy that he finally had the will to face everything he has been desperately trying to run away from.
Zelda informed the boys that dinner was being prepared. They both offered to help but she rejected. But the boys insisted because she was the only one left since the others were on a day off.
They prepared everything and finally dinner was ready. The kids slowly flooded the dining room and seated themselves to different chairs. Regina rolled in Amirah. They both looked like long lost sisters and spent the entire day catching up.
Everyone seated themselves and proceeded to have their meal. The table was loud since the kids were talking but it was normal.
Randy could not help but realize that the chair on the end was unoccupied so he let his impulsive brain to work. "Why is that chair empty?"
Zelda looked up and looked at where Randy was looking at. "Oh, the missus sits there." Randy wanted to ask where she was but it seemed like Zelda could read him like Valda did years ago. "She went out to handle some personal business. She should be back in half an hour."
"Mommy said she was visiting her brother!" One of the kids yelled.
"They call the missus 'mommy'?" Randy asked
"They do. She let them call her that because it makes her happy and the kids love making her happy." She stood up while holding her plate. "You could meet her if you are willing to stay. We have some spare rooms for you."
Regina's ears perked up. "Can you stay daddy?" Her eyes sparkled in anticipation that he would say yes. "Please?"
Randy looked at her with nothing but love. "Of course, it's your birthday so you're the boss for the day."
Regina squealed. "Yay! Can I stay with Amirah? I want to have a slumber party with another girl."
Randy nodded and both girls excitedly squealed. Regina immediately pushed Amirah's wheelchair out of the living room because she claimed that she wanted to start the slumber party early.
The men were left to clean up everything after all of the kids placed their used plates on the sink. They both had small conversations here and there when they heard a car engine in front of the building. A few moments later, the front door opened at the same time as the kitchen door. Regina and Amirah were both similar in pajamas.
"Dad, can you help us make a pillow fort?" Regina fluttered her eyes, knowing Randy could not resist that.
Surprisingly, she got Amirah to also flutter her eyes at Randy. "Please Uncle Randy. It's both our birthdays."
Both men's eyes widened in surprise. It was new information to them.
"Amirah, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get your burns?" Taco carefully asked.
Amirah was still for a moment, it was a topic she didn't really talk about because she was ashamed of her burns but her mommy always told her that she was beautiful no matter what. "Zelda said someone saved me from a fire when I was just a baby and left me in the orphanage."
With great timing of fate, the kitchen door opened.
"Amirah baby! Happy birthday!"
Amirah rolled the wheelchair to face the entrance. She barrelled towards the newcomer. "Mommy!"
She hugged her 'mommy', who peppered her with kisses. "I missed you princess. So, how was your day?"
Randy, Regina, and Taco let both of them do their conversation. The owner of the voice that Amirah was talking to was familiar to the three; it made them be still in their places.
"...and then I made a new friend!"
"Oh? Who is this new friend?"
"Regina! She's the girl you talk about right? The one same age as me?"
The missus or 'mommy' stood up to her height. They finally put a face to the voice and name.
"Ray."
Ray looked at them and smiled. Regina was the first to move and hugged Ray, even more tightly than she did with Randy.
Taco was silently crying behind him while Randy just looked at the two of them embracing each other. Something in his heart twisted.
Why do they look like each other? Randy thought.
Regina was crying as she embraced her 'bestest friend'. "I missed you so much, Ray."
Ray tried not to cry while patting Regina's hair. Her motherly aura was once again showing in front of Randy and something clicked in his mind. Could it be?
Her gaze shifted to Taco and Randy and gave them a light smile. "Hello boys." She greeted them as she pulled away from her and Regina's hug.
Regina walked to Amirah and gave her a 'happy for you' smile. "You knew about me but you never told me?" Amirah shrugged and gave a look saying 'I'll tell you next time'.
"Rachel." Taco said after wiping his tears. "Good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, Taquito." She walked towards him and gave him a gentle hug. "Thank you for keeping your promise. You are the best brother ever."
Taco nodded her head and cried. He was there for her when she needed someone the most; he left her when she needed someone before but he learned from his mistakes.
She let him go and proceeded to stand in front of someone dear to her heart; her day one, her mentor, her partner in crime, her Randymundo.
"Ray," He shakingly whispered to her while reluctantly giving her a hug. "I am so sorry. I just wasn't in my right mind and I left you and this shouldn't have happened if I just had been by your side. I am so—"
Ray cut him off by shushing him while caressing his hair.
"I know." She said with a reassuring smile. She pulled herself away from his embrace and looked him in the eyes.
"Let's start all over again, okay?" She lifted her hand to Randy. "Hi, I'm Ray Mond."
Randy took her hand and shook it.
"Hello. Are you an undercover cop?"
-fin-
What do you guys think?