VIPER ♱ b. o'conner

interlude part one

one year later

July of 2006 - Miami, Florida

The sun beamed down on Lala's back as she leaned further into the engine of her new baby, a sleek black 2003 Acura NSX. She used part of her savings to purchase it as a gift for Letty but her sister insisted that she keep it as she was traveling looking for Dom. Lala felt for her sister, she'd do the same if the roles were her and Brian's to fill instead. 

She tightened the nut before standing straight and wiping the sweat from her forehead. A soft tug at the rag in her pocket made the woman look down next to her. 

"Momma! Look! Bug!" Her little Letty held up her chunky little hand where a blue butterfly sat on top of it. She smiled at the little girl and kneeled in front of her. 

"She's beautiful, Leticia. Did you name her?" She asked her daughter with a smile while putting her hand under her own. 

The child giggled, "Letty." 

Lala smiled and kissed her head. Letty had been in touch a lot more recently, only over phone calls, which her daughter loved since she's finally getting to know more of her family members. Emilio, her older brother, had stayed with them for a year so he was a bigger part of her life now, too. 

"Naptime, baby." She picked her up and carried her inside the house.  

Soon enough she had her settled in bed and her butterfly in the little home they made that morning. Lala fixed up two plates of food and set them on the table. She checked the time with a groan. "Where is he?" She asked herself under her breath but the question was answered for her when the sound of tires on the gravel hit her ears. 

Seconds later, Brian came rushing in while loosening the tie he had around his neck. "Hey, Lita." He beamed at his now wife, earning a cheeky grin back.

"Hey baby, I made parmesan chicken and potatoes." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "How did it go?" 

Brian shrugged off his blazer and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. "I got the job if I want it but there's a catch." 

She watched as he dried his hands on the towel in a deep thought. Her mind immediately went back to that dreary fall morning where he left her heartbroken and alone. They had moved on from that point in their lives but certain triggers still brought it back. 

"The position they want to give me is in LA." He leaned against the counter with a smug smile. The smile turned into a laugh when he heard her excited giggles.

"We're going home?" She asked with her eyes lighting up. They put it off for longer than she wanted. 

Brian pulled her to him, "we're going home." 

December of 2006 - Los Angeles, California

"Can I have that one?" Rome asked, pointing to the blue 1994 Integra LS sedan that was parked near the back of the garage. He was currently pestering Lala in her new garage that she bought in Los Angeles. 

"You have to take that up with her." Lala motioned towards the work bench nearby where Mia was currently playing with Leticia. "That's her prized possession, she got it at a car meet in 2000."

Rome made an impressed expression then walked over to Brian's Supra that he'd given to Dom years ago. "This was your boys' whip?" 

"This is the car he let Dominic get away in. We put a lot of work in this baby right here." She watched as Rome ran a hand across the hood of the car. "When he got away, he swapped for my car and also left me his Mazda. He needed something that wasn't attached to his name."