Tortured Souls -Oscar Diaz 2-

Chapter 18

TWO YEARS LATER

Sofia stepped out of her vehicle and grabbed the two brown paper bags full of groceries. She kicked the door closed and began heading up the steps of her house. The small yellow home stuck out between the two blue houses next to it. The front yard was full of rose bushes. Plants they had planted a year ago, right after they moved in. The front door was brown, with a small window at the top.

Grabbing her keys she unlocked the door and pushed it open. Shuffling inside, she slammed the door closed with her foot yet again. Slipping off her shoes at the shoe rack, she walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. The TV was playing in the living room. The sound was muffled, but she was sure it was the Land Before Time. That recently had become a favorite, playing almost nightly.

Sofia set the groceries down on the counter and smoothed out her ruffled dress. The red dress swayed at her knees. "Here that," Oscar's voice was faint from the other room. "Mama's home."

She smiled at his words, deciding to leave the kitchen groceries behind for a moment. Walking into the next room, she noticed the two. Oscar was sitting on the floor as their daughter stood in front of him. She clapped her hands together. "Mama," she spoke.

"Hi, Ella," Sofia walked into the room. Bending down, she quickly picked up the growing child. "How are you?"

"Tired," was her response. Ella only knew a handful of words. Tired and hungry were her favorites. Oscar had taught her those quickly, and she grasped them when she realized they worked.

Sofia glanced at the clock and noticed it was nearly eight P.M. It was nearly her bedtime. Tonight was a Tuesday, which meant she had her night class. Luckily, the professor let them out an hour early, meaning she made it back for bedtime. Tuesdays were harder on Sofia because she hated not being at home. Her classes were coming to an end. She had done full semesters, summer classes, and even the odd 6-week winter courses they offered. "Let's get you to bed, baby."

Oscar pushed up from the group, pulling down his sweatpants. "You got her?"

"Yeah," she assured him. "I picked up a pizza. Would you be willing to turn the stove on?"

"Yeah." Oscar kissed the side of her head as he headed into the kitchen. Sofia held Ella close as she walked down a separate hallway where her bedroom was. The room was painted green. Ruby insisted that the baby be raised without the influence of gender colors. Sofia agreed with him and chose the green color. Only two of the walls were painted. The others were full of pictures and books. In the back of the room was Ella's bed. A small wooden bed with rails.

"Did Papa change your diaper?" Ella nodded. Sofia made a mental note to thank him later. Ella was seventeen months, and they were starting the introduction of using the big girl bathroom. She wasn't a fan, and for now, that was okay. Sofia set the girl down on the bed and pulled out her pajamas. Ella placed her arms in the air, causing the older woman to chuckle. As she did most nights, Sofia began putting her pajamas on.

It was an easy job now. Ella was amazingly level-headed. Although recently, she had been growing into her personality. She was showing signs of Oscar every day, and he feared it. However, Sofia loved seeing her daughter's personality reflect her father's. Once the young girl was changed, Sofia pulled the blankets back. The young girl jumped underneath. "Goodnight, love." She grabbed the girl's stuffed elephant, a gift from Jasmine. It was Ella's favorite toy in the entire world. "Sleep well." Ella smiled and pulled her covers closer. Sofia kissed the top of her head, pushing her curly hair out of her face. A lot of Ella's features resembled more of her own, but not her hair. That was all Oscar. As Ella closed her eyes, Sofia stood back up. Walking towards the dressers, she turned on the fish light.