Out Of The Dust

25

It had taken a few months, but Daizee finally felt settled. She had unpacked all of her boxes from the garage, and set up her parents house. She made it look more like the home she had grown up in. Felipe had come over to help repaint some of the rooms, and let her borrow his truck to bring over things from storage. Miguel had volun-told some of his men to come help Daizee unpack. Even Juice helped with cleaning up the house, before Redwood had to return back to Charming. 

"Where is this one going?" Nestor asked, holding a painting of a calavera in his hands.

"Oh," Daizee said with a smile on her face. She reached out and grabbed a hold of the painting. She remembered her mother having Daizee pose for hours in her quince dress as she painted this.

"It looks like you."

"It is me. Mom had me pose for hours in my quince dress as she painted. Me, SJ and Maria were her inspiration for everything." Daizee said running her hands over her mother's signature, "Put it in my room, please. Above my bed."

"Anything for you." Nestor said and hurried upstairs to hang it.

Daizee smiled and went back to the box she was looking through. It was labeled documents, and she was looking for the deed to the house. But all she found was a bunch of bank statements and files of documents for her and her siblings.

"Ugh, i know it's in here. I fucking put it in here!" Daizee said to herself.  She groaned and put the box down, and grabbed another one. Her breath caught in her throat as she held up the sonogram at the top of the box. She hadn't seen the picture since she had buried her little girl years ago. 

"Daze. . .?" Nestor said coming down the stairs. The girl stood with her back to him, so he couldn't see the tears that rolled down her face. Nestor put his hand on her shoulder, and the girl jumped in surprise, "That her?"

"Marisol, yeah, it is. This was the 12 week appointment, when we figured out it was a girl." Daizee said running her fingertips over the small white blob in the middle, "She would've been 8, born on EZ's birthday. Sometimes, I know it's fucked, but I feel like God made the right decision by taking her so early. I didn't want her to grow up in a chaotic life with an unstable mother."

"Daizee, no." Nestor said and grabbed Daizee's hands in his,"Yes, you're life at that point was hectic and you were trying to figure things out, but that little girl would've loved you for who you are. You would've done all you could to care for her." 

"I wish it was enough to keep her here." Daizee cried, and Nestor brought the girl in for a tight hug. He hated to see her so broken, but he knew he couldn't change the past. They both knew, what happened, happened for a reason. 

Angel parked his bike and took his gloves off. He looked up at the house before heading inside. He smiled seeing her with a book curled up on the couch. So many times, he'd come home to a sight like this, and he loved it. She wasn't covered in blood, or running for her life from stray bullets. She was peaceful, and rereading her favorite book. 

"Boys South Of the Mason-Dixon. How many times you gonna read that?" He asked her. 

"Until my cowboy comes and picks me up and drives his lifted pickup into the Alabama sunset." She responded looking up at Angel with those captivating green eyes. Angel smiled and kissed her lips gently before taking his cut off. 

"Bishop didn't need you today?" 

"Counted supply this morning." Daizee said closing her book, and setting it on the coffee table, "Dinner's in the fridge. I already took some over to your father, and brother."