Life without You...

Part 14 - Celebrating

Letty's POV

We walked home, hand in hand, that night. I could almost feel Dom's excitement at returning to home that night. He was practically dragging me along.

"You know, Mia can't wait to see you," I told him.

He laughed at me. "I can't wait to see her either. It'll be nice for her not to see me in that jumpsuit."

If I hadn't been studying him closely, I never would have noticed how his lips tightened when he mentioned prison or how his eyes grew narrow. If I'd only been listening I'd have assumed he'd been joking from the cheery tone of his voice but because I'd been watching him I saw how it killed him that he'd missed so much time with Mia.

"It's probably best for everyone," I said, what would Mia say? "Orange ain't really your colour?"

He shook his head and grinned. I could tell he knew it wasn't something I'd ever said before because the words had awkwardly fallen out of my mouth.

Back at the house Mia had a BBQ going. She and Vince, an old friend of Dom's, were cooking chicken and ribs. Obviously we were pigging out. I bit my lip, we didn't have enough money to be doing this. What was she thinking? The cooler of Coronas sat at the back door. Dom's grin got even bigger as he looked at the scene before him. He was definitely happy with this. Deciding to push my worries into a box, just for tonight, I tried to relax.

The table practically groaned as the weight of the food rested upon it. I dug in quickly. All of us ate eagerly and listened to Dom and Vince catch up.

After one I headed up to bed with my eyes stinging. I set my alarm for six thirty to be up at at it for half seven. If I worked flat out for a few more days, I would be able to take it easier.

Getting up the next morning to the still and empty house was irritating. At ten past seven as I was ready to leave I heard Mia getting up. She pattered around the house in her bare feet and always emerged downstairs before I left with sleep blurred eyes and half dressed. She appeared with jeans on and an old hoodie.

"You look exhausted Letty," Mia told me. We always talked for a few minutes in the morning before I left.

"I'm okay Mia," I lied.

"Dom's home so you don't need to go as early now. He's here to help."

"It's okay Mia. I can't work him to the bone on his first week home, he's got the rest of his life for that."

Mia chuckled and shook her head.

"Right I'll see you later on Mia," I said as I threw my hair up into a messy ponytail.

"See you later Let."

"Be good at school," I teased like I did every other morning. My goal was to get Mia to finish school and go to college and get a degree and make something of herself. She needed to be more than I'd ever be. She deserved it more than any other person I knew.

I hurried on to the garage. My day dragged by. I was too tired to do this. I didn't understand why I was actually feeling this today. Part of me must have been hoping that Dom would take over immediately from me even though I knew I couldn't expect it of him. I was feeling every bit of labour. My muscles burned and my eyes ached. At four I packed it in and headed home.

My bed beckoned me from the second I walked in the door. I vaguely recalled making it up the stairs but getting into bed was a mystery to me when I awoke at eight to Mia shaking me.

"Let, I've made you dinner," Mia murmured gently.

"I'll eat in the morning, I just need to sleep."