stay ➵ OSCAR DIAZ [1]

chapter three.

IT WAS CUTE, ACTUALLY — THE WAY OSCAR INSISTED ON MELINA TAKING TIME FOR HERSELF.

Since the day he's been released, Oscar has had one goal: keep his girl happy. Sure, she's ecstatic that he's back and will cling to him like a limpet when he's home, but he feels like he isn't doing his best in taking care of her or making sure she's good.

Being a parent (or guardian) is hard, Melina knows that very well. Oscar knows, too, but he wasn't the one taking care of two kids on his own for four years. He caught glimpses of their life with him away during calls, visitations, and letters. It's always been hard on her, but if you ask her about it, she'll lie through her teeth and say it wasn't. All he wants to do is make it easier on her, show her he appreciates her for holding it down, and since he's back home, he has no reason not to.

Melina spent most of the day out and about — no kids, no boyfriend. At first, she was a little wary of leaving Oscar and Junior alone together, mainly because of Oscar's business duties that could come up at any time. However, he managed to assure her that she had nothing to worry about.

Melina made it back just after dark. Oscar kept his word and didn't leave at all, spending all day with his son until Cesar got home and Junior became his shadow.

The house was quiet at that time of night, the only sounds being some game on the TV and the low rumble of the washer. Oscar was slumped against the couch, beer in hand. Melina smiled at him when she entered, setting down the shopping bags by the front door except for one.

She guided herself on to Oscar's lap, greeting him with a much more feverish kiss than usual, "Hi."

He nodded at the array of purchases on the floor and let his hand find a home in her back pocket, "You have fun by yourself, mama?"

"It was cool," Melina answered, gently scratching the stubble on his cheek, "did more walking than buying. I got you some bigger shirts, though. Your old ones look like they're about to split down the middle."

Oscar let out a deep laugh, nudging his beer bottle against the plastic bag in her lap. "Yeah? They in here?"

Melina looked down at the bag and back at him, deciding to just rip the bandage off. She let out a nervous laugh before slowly undoing the plastic knot, bracing herself for his reaction. He watched her with curiosity as she pulled out a dark purple and black flannel.

Oscar eyed the material carefully before nodding once. "It's nice."

"But do you like it?" Melina kept her eyes on his, biting down on her lip as she stared at him with a hopeful look.

He furrowed his sharp brows and tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I said it's nice."

A grin found its way on to Melina's face and she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Good, so then just hear me out.." she explained before reaching in to the bag and pulling out the other item: a tiny version of the same flannel.

Oscar stopped the beer bottle right before it made contact with his lips. He eyed the small shirt for a moment before erupting in to laughter. "I don't think that's gonna fit you."

Melina let out a sarcastic ha ha and smacked his bicep. "Ah, callate, it's for Junior. I was thinking...maybe tomorrow we can go back to that one mall over in Inglewood and take those pictures-"

"No."

Melina frowned, "What? Why?"

"Not my thing."

"But Os-"

"Goddamn, Melina, I said no," he grumbled. "I got things to do and I don't have time to go and take pictures for that weird suburban family shit you got in your head."

Melina clenched on to the flannel and slid herself off his lap, rising to her feet and looking down at him. "So...you can do all these things that can get you your third strike, but you don't have an hour at most for your family?"

"What the hell does that have to do with any of this?"

"Everything!" Melina snapped. "The only picture we have as a family is the one we took at the prison after Junior was born. It's not fair to him that the only picture he has with his dad is him in the Corcoran uniform."

Oscar bit his tongue and was white knuckling the bottle now. He pursed his lips, dimple popping out on his cheek before throwing his head back and downing the rest of his beer.

Melina deadpanned him with crossed arms. After a silent and cold staring game that she was starting to lose, Melina sighed, muttering a "fine" before grabbing her things and disappearing to their bedroom.

. . .

Two uneventful hours had passed since the argument. Melina was laying in bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling and absentmindedly drumming her fingers against her stomach. Oscar was gone, she heard his car startup and the screech of the tires after she crawled in to bed. Junior and Cesar were sound asleep, either completely oblivious to what happened earlier or keeping their distance.

But even then, with the end result of yet another argument on her mind, she would be lying if she said she wasn't waiting up for Oscar. No matter how many fights they have, how many disagreements arise, they make up eventually. He's still the man she falls asleep with every night and wakes up every morning with. She doesn't want it any other way.

The familiar sound of Oscar's car coming up the driveway had her burrow deeper in the covers. She waited for what felt like forever for him to come in, wanting to get the awkward encounter over with. Finally, the bedroom door opened halfway and Oscar's tall figure slipped in to the dark room.

She heard him pace around a bit before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Melina felt a dip near her legs and turned on her side so her back was to him.

"You up?"

She debated on pretending to be asleep, but she knew he would be able to see right through the act since she wasn't so subtle in her movements. "Yeah."

"You still mad at me?"

The silence answered back for her.

Oscar stared at the blob underneath the cover that was Melina. He hung his head low, knowing very well he was the reason for this. She asked for one simple thing and he shut her down before she could even finish. She had every right to be upset, especially given the circumstances.

"You really wanna do the pictures that bad, Meli?"

Melina turned to face him for the first time and nodded. With the moon and streetlights spilling in through the thin curtain and illuminating the side of her face, Oscar felt a pang of guilt at her swollen eyes.

It was then he decided to swallow his pride.

"Okay."

Melina sat up, crawling over to him and looking like he just told her she had the winning lottery ticket. "Really?"

Oscar lifted a hand to cup the side of her face, a small chuckle escaping his lips at her sudden 180. He used the pad of his thumb to trace circles on her cheek. "Aye, you already know I'd do anything for your needy ass."

And that was true. No one can get to his soft spot like Melina could (not that he wore it on his sleeve, anyway). While he can be very stubborn and hotheaded, he'd do anything for her. For his family.

Her lips curved in to a smile as she nuzzled in to his palm. Oscar looked at her with pure adoration, an equally big smile on his face as well.