Mayans, MC Collection

GUMMY BEARS Manny Lopez (1/1)

A description
manny is looking for his wife in the supermarket
*short and sweet domestic oneshot

christian serratos as
STELLA LOPEZ

manny montana as
MANNY LOPEZ

The supermarket was crowded for just an average Tuesday. Stella needed to pick up a few things to drop off at her mother's house, so they'd swung by the one closest to her house. Lucia, their daughter, was babbling up at Manny him from her seat in the shopping cart, an unopened package of gummy bears clutched in her chubby fist. Since the beginning of time, Manny's job was to push the cart while Stella flitted about picking up this and that. Now that Lucia was a part of the equation, occasionally he lost track of his wife.

Stella was no where to be found as Manny pushed the cart up and down the aisles searching for any sign of her. Lucia proceeded to bang the candy against his arm. "Ten paciencia, mi amor, tenemos que encontrar a tu mamá," he said softly to Lucia. "Gotta find mama, then candy." An elderly woman walking past smiled warmly at the two of them.

Manny was used to the looks he received when he walked into a completely ordinary establishment. People saw the colors he wore on his back, the tattoos on his hands and neck that showed even when he was in long sleeves, and they instantly passed judgement. But he would never tire of the surprise that spread when they heard him speak to his daughter. He'd always been soft with her, and tried his hardest to never raise his voice. His father had been strict, sometimes cruel, and Manny would be damned if he'd treat Lucia the same way.

They found Stella in the produce department picking out lemons from an enormous display of yellow. Manny smirked because lemons meant she was planning to make his favorite dessert—homemade lemon tart. She looked the part of the perfect housewife today in a long sundress that she'd thrown on over her bathing suit before they left the house, her hair braided down her back. In this completely ordinary moment, Manny felt like the luckiest guy alive.

He pushed the cart forward only to find that she was speaking to someone. Across the way a young kid with shaggy blonde hair was flashing her a cheesy smile and heart eyes, and Manny rolled his own. There were many circumstances that made his possessive nature rear it's ugly head, but this wasn't one of them. He knew who his wife was when he married her, and Stella had never met a stranger. She could strike up a conversation with anyone, and if he raged every time a man made eyes at his wife, he'd spend his life throwing punches.

"Been lookin' all over for you, mama," Manny said as he came up behind her. The kid glanced up, and his eyed widened a little at the patches on his cut.

"Sorry, I wanted to surprise you," Stella said, holding up a few lemons. "I thought I could sneak them in without you noticing." Manny slid his hand along the small of her back as he came to rest at her side. That was all the convincing the blonde kid needed to go off about his business, and that made Manny laugh under his breath.

"You're better than I deserve," he said. "La princesa quiere dulces."

Stella looked to her daughter and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, your papi told you you could have candy, huh?"

Lucia giggled and held up the bag of gummy bears in front of her face like a shield. Stella sighed and tossed the lemons into the cart before pointing a finger at him. "You can watch her when she's bouncing off the walls tonight and wants to go swimming instead of going to bed."

Manny pursed his lips and blew her a quick kiss. "Te amo."

"I love you, too," Stella said with a laugh of her own. "Now, let's go before I change my mind about the lemon tart."

Manny pressed a hand to his chest like he was in pain. "Don't break my heart, mama."

Stella gave him a playful shove on her way by, nearly knocking him off balance. Manny just shook his head and followed along after her.