Feels Like Home

Part Seven

Letty's POV

Saturday night saw me sprawled on the floor with Jack playing with his toys. He giggled as I made his bear dance and he pushed his toy car around on the carpet. He was fairly mobile and could crawl around when he was bothered. He was usually too lazy, instead preferring Mia to carry him around and attend to him as the little angel everyone cherished.

"Bed time Jack," Mia sang, just after seven.

Jack rubbed his eyes and sat up. Immediately he put his arms out to be lifted. Mow lifted him and cuddled him tight. It wasn't even dark out but he was ready for bed. Mia turned him towards me to give me a kiss goodnight. As usual I was left with slobbers all over my cheek but I didn't care. I loved Jack.

Dom was sat in his chair, pretending to watch tv. I'd known he had been watching me play with Jack.

"Night buddy," Dom murmured to Jack.

Jack babbled a reply. It wasn't clear English or language really.

Mia took him upstairs. Dom stretched and I got into the armchair that I had claimed as my chair.
I got distracted by a picture which sat on the mantelpiece and rose to examine it.

"Is this everyone?" I asked Dom gently as I lifted the heavy gold photo frame. I held the photo frame carefully as I looked at a picture of us, probably taken when I was in my late teens.

"Yeh, that's everyone," Dom agreed and he stood behind me. One of his arms snaked around my waist and his chin rested on top of my head. It was hard to deny how I felt about him when he was this close to me. I let myself fit up against him perfectly before pursuing my train of thought.

"So where are they all at now?" I asked pointing at a scrawny chested blonde haired guy. Between his lips he held a cigarette. He wasn't very tall and looked like the baby of the group, maybe a year or two younger than me. Jesse I think Dom had told me his name was before.

Dom cleared his throat. "Jesse. Jesse was shot by Tran and his guys a few years back. See Jesse raced Tran for slips and when Jesse lost the race he fled and well they caught up to him out the front of the house. Poor kid was hit before he knew it was coming." Dom's voice shook slightly as he spoke. He clearly cared a lot for Jesse.

"And Leon?" I asked pointing at a guy with brown hair, slightly on the scrawny side too. He looked as though he was confident with the way he leant against the wall. An easy smile, clearly a winner with the ladies was spread across his face.

"That's Leon. Leon's now living it up in Magaluf with his girlfriend Marie. Sounds like it's fun over there. Nice and warm weather for him and an easy life. He loves it there. He's happy."

"That's Vince," Dom said without me having to ask. "He's dead too. Was shot down in Rio."
Subject closed with the finality of Dom's tone. "He was like a brother to me."

"Man, I'm sorry you've had so much loss in your life," I murmured, wracking around in my brain for something nice to say, "It's like I read in a book one time, to live in the hearts of those we leave behind is not to die."

"That's true Let."

I stared at the photo for a moment longer. Dom had his arm slung around my shoulders and I had my arm wrapped around his waist. He was wearing the necklace he'd given to me in London, the glittering silver cross was just visible in the photo. He must have given it to me. Beside me stood Mia, her brown eyes creased at the corners with laughter. Vince stood to the other side of Dom and next to him Leon and Jesse. As oddly mismatched a group I'd ever seen, something about us was weirdly charming.