Another Lifetime

Chapter 59:

Monse's POV:
I manage to avoid Ray until Cesar leaves to drop Ky off at school. "We gonna talk about it now?" He asks. "You realize you're a grown man following your son's girlfriend around until she talks to you? It's weird." I remind him. "You're a Prophet, that's weird." He laughs. "Says the Santo." I walk away and get Mona. "You don't look like your dad. Thank God. I never understood how Monty got Selena... she changed her name to Julia, right?" I'm gonna kill Ray. "What do you wanna know? How I picked Cesar over the Prophets and literally lost everyone I grew up with? Or the part where I ran away while I was pregnant 'cause the Prophets were gonna kill me?" I ask and he just stares. "All of it?" He says it like it's a question. "I'll give you the short version. I love Cesar so much and I'm never gonna do anything to hurt him or the Santos." I go back to the kitchen. "Bull shit." He says with a straight face. "Excuse me?" I laugh. "I'm back!" Odessa cuts the conversation short when she runs in the house. "Where were you?" I ask. "Lola needed me for something." She tells me. "For what?" I furrow my brows. Odessa looks at Ray and then back at me. "So he's just not leaving?" She asks me. "My son definitely has a type." Ray points out. "Ew." We say at the same time. I think he still doesn't knows we're sisters. "Was she one?" He asks and I roll my eyes. "Was I what?" Odessa looks worried. "He's asking if you were a Prophet... 'cause he knows I was." I explain. "What? You were a Prophet? I had no idea?" She says sarcastically. "I was definitely not a prophet." She tells him. "Well, I was and you only ended but being a Santo 'cause you were born on this block instead the next one. Everyone's over it." I explain. "Are they?" Odessa doesn't even look up from her phone. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I ask. She takes Mona from me and puts her in the playpen. "Fifty-ish years of beef don't just go away 'cause we got a whole gang arrested." She says. "She's right, you made it worse. They're gonna get out and everything you've worked for goes to shit." Why does Cesar want this bitch around? All he's tried to do since he got here is start fights. "Fuck both of you." I pick Mona back up. "Where are you going?" Odessa asks me when I pick up my keys. "Work." I storm out.

Ok so I didn't think this through. I work at a restaurant, we don't exactly have healthcare. "I'll be right back." I tell one of the girls I work with. "Why'd you take two hours to drop off Ky?" I ask him and he kisses my cheek. "Where's our baby?" He changes the subject. "She's with those middle aged ladies who come here and gossip about you." I tell Cesar. "Can you get her for me? If I go in I'll be here longer than you will." He laughs. "Ray knows." I break the news. "Knows what?" He asks and I just stare until he gets it. "Like he knows?" Cesar pulls me to a table. "Yeah." I nod. "And he didn't kill you?" The Diaz men can be so stupid. "Yeah, he definitely killed me. He's trying to start stuff with the Santos and the other gangs!" I try not to yell. "What? What'd he say to you?" Cesar asks. "He didn't say anything, but I can tell. It didn't matter what I told him, all he wanted to do was start shit! He tried telling me that the shit wasn't actually cool between the Santos and the Prophets-" I stop myself when I see a the same look Odessa had on her face. "You're kidding." I kiss my teeth and roll my eyes. "I didn't say anything." He laughs. "Why does everyone think things haven't changed?" I cross my arms. "Maybe 'cause they haven't. Only difference between a year ago and now is that people hate us from prison instead of next door. Mona and Ky are gonna be running this shit by the time most of the Prophets get out, don't worry." He tries to comfort me. "Mona and Ky?" I ask. "Monse, I really need your help! I literally have no idea how to use the register." One of the girls comes to get me. "I'll get Mona, go help." Cesar smiles.

"And he said our daughter and his son were gonna run the Santos! Like it was always the plan or some shit." I tell the people helping me close. "I mean isn't that always the plan with the gang dads? I kinda thought Spooky had so many kids 'cause most of us die before we can run anything." I freeze. "First of all, you're supposed to be on my side!" I throw a wet dishrag at her. "Anyways, Spooky and Cesar aren't like that. We wanted the kids to have a different life than us." I explain. "He was in jail for five months, things change. Have you talked to him about raising your kids since he got home?" She asks. "We haven't really had time." I shrug. "Right, 'cause his dad lives with you." She tries her best to keep up. I love having friends that get and know me but sometimes having someone who isn't always around is refreshing. "Maybe try thinking about his side. If people rolled up on me all the time, I'd freaked out about who's taking over for me too." She says casually. "Wait, who's rolling up on Cesar?" I ask. "You didn't know." I can tell she feels guilty. "Can you finish closing up for me?" I untie my apron. "Yeah." She nods quickly. "Thank you! I owe you Paula." I run right to my car. "Please don't tell him I said anything!" Paula yells.

Cesar's POV:
I'm helping Ky with his homework and trying to get Mona to stop crying at the same time. "Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me someone tried to kill you?" Monse yells when she gets in the house.