Straighter than Parallel Parking

≈ t h i r t y - s i x ≈

A/N: Huge thanks to the amazing @-wallflowerheart- for the wonderful edits of Spanish in this novel. Now that it's both summer for us and I plan on updating more, here's to another chapter! It's also 6k (idk how) to make up for lost time.

{ Chapter Thirty-Six: Bringing the Devil Back to Hell }

KARLO STRUGGLES ENOUGH WITH HIS TIE that Alejandro takes pity on him, his nimble fingers tying the knot so quickly it's almost insulting.

"How do you do this so fast?" Karlo mutters, his head pulled back so his neck was in easy reach.

"I'm great with my hands," Alejandro replies, "and for all the ladies man you are, you're as graceful as Ferdinand the bull."

"Callate," Karlo snips, poking his younger brother in the stomach.

"There. Now it looks halfway decent." Stepping back, Alejandro appreciates his own work. He then turns towards the staircase, frowning. "Where's Janice?"

Still messing with his collar, Karlo shrugs. "I don't know about her, but Aaron's been subjected to the worst sort of punishment by being in charge of Maria's children. I mean, bless their hearts and all that sappy shit, but they're demons. I think it's a family thing."

"Don't worry, I know," Alejandro says drily, already plucking at the button up tucked into his dress pants. "And Janice is probably trying to get mentally prepared for the torture known as our extended family." Pausing to take a glance at the living room clock, he continues, "They're coming in half an hour, so don't expect to see her any time after that."

The eldest Diablo member sighs. "I don't understand why we even have these toxic people over in the first place."

"I mean, they're our grandparents? Raised our dad?"

Rolling his eyes, Karlo sulks. "They don't give us anything on Christmas, so I don't count them. Granpapa and Nana gave me a hoverboard, bro... and, well, yeah, which I might have broken in retrospect but! I could've fixed it if dad's parents gave me money to do so."

Alejandro is about to answer before he caught sight of familiar brown hair and kept his mouth shut. "Bro, chill out."

Already on a furious rant, his brother ignores the warning (and Alejandro doesn't warn him again because frankly, he isn't wrong). "But what do the Diablo family say? 'Sorry, you're too old for that now', and I'm asking, the last thing I remember getting from them was a stale ass mint. Los viejos don't even bother to sending us socks."

A warm voice responds, "Sounds accurate."

Karlo's face goes pale with realization. "Dad! Father! Do you know I absolutely adore you for giving us socks on Christmas—"

"Stop kissing up to me unless you want to hang out with Aaron today," Marco threatens, insincerely.

His tall stature is emphasized by his black dress pants and matching polo shirt. His eyes flash mirthfully, like the two gold wedding bands on his left finger. "Besides, don't worry, Maria and I both know our parents are cheapskates, and our sisters and brothers are no better."

"I mean, you use like five coupons whenever we go to Costco," Karlo coughs in between his words, getting a smack to the head.

Marco hits his son's arm again just for his personal pleasure. "Hey! At least I don't use my children to get free baby formula!"

"Marco, I will force feed you baby formula for two entire meals if you don't watch what you say, bocaza," says Maria, who has turned the corner. She braided her hair into a twist, a soft baby blue oversized dress that bunched where she held her youngest to her hip.