We all know the story of Monse and Cesar. We know the backstory of these best friends turned lovers...well, part of it. The tip of the iceberg if you will. What if I told you that the beginning of their full story started way before any quince death...
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Molena wiped the toothpaste off her mouth and adjusted the bonnet on her head. When her night routine was over, she clicked off the light in bathroom and made rounds through the small house, making sure nothing was unlocked, open or on fire.
Lastly, she checked the back door to make sure it was closed. She pulled it lazily, and her eyes popped open when it actually slid open and almost made her fall. She slowly closed it, confused and alert and locked it. Before she could turn back around, there was a creak in the floor behind her. She quickly looked at the reflection in the glass door and saw a figure behind her and in her experience it was better to swing first and ask questions later.
* * *
"Ok but did you really have to hit me that hard? What is with you two today?" Cesar asked as Molena held a frozen steak to his eye
"Did you really have to break into my damn house? You lucky I didn't have monse's bat!" she chuckled as she passed the frozen meat to her sister's hand and let her ice her friend's face. "What're you supposed to be some hard ass cat burglar? If you want to make a career out of breaking and entering you need to know how to sneak... and take a hit" She giggled at her own joke and inspected his eye a little further before noticing both his eyes, and the way they were looking at Monse.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were up and I figured if I knocked the door would get slammed in face." Cesar didn't take his eyes off his friend that was tending to his bruised eye.
Molena looked between the two kids and smiled sadly at the familiar scene.
"Welp, I'm going to bed," She sighed and stretched dramatically, walking towards the hallway. She peaked around the corner. "Don't stay up too late guys."
Molena peeled back the blanket in her dad's bed and settled in. She couldn't help but be distracted by her sister and Cesar downstairs. The way they looked at each other, the way she tended to him. it was way too familiar in an uncomfortable way. She took comfort in the fact that this wasn't the same situation from the past. Cesar was a good kid, wasn't in a gang, and him and Monse were just really good friends. Right?
* * *
The facetime tone rang out again and again. On the third ring it started to connect. The image of Monte's bright smiled graced Monse's screen.
"Hi dad!" Monte smiled wider, hearing the melodious greeting of both his daughters.
"Hi! girls, good morning! Molena, I-I didn't know you were coming home. I would've moved some things around, see if I could take couple day-"
"Dad stop, it's fine I came to drop in and make sure high school started off right for this one," she nudged her sister. "Don't stress yourself out. Everything is copacetic."
Monte looked between his daughters and felt his heart swell. "I have smartest, and most thoughtful children in the word, god help me."
The girls laughed at their dad's dramatic compliment.
"It's because you raised us that way, now go back to work, I know you have to start driving soon. Everything's fine here. Everyone is happy and safe." Monse replied slowly "love you dad!" The girls said.
"Bye girls, happy first day, Monnie."
Molena didn't realize how much she missed her father until he actually hung up. She pouted and looked at her sister.
"How is he doing? Has he been alright?" She knitted her eyebrows together, concerned.
Molena's father had always been her rock. Even after her mom left and he had to fill the role of two parents to two daughters, she never felt neglected or abandoned by her father. Even if he couldn't always physically be there he made sure she had everything she needed. No matter where he was she always felt that they were taken care of.
"I mean he's fine... for the most part" Monse got a little quiet at the end.
She looked up slowly and caught her sister's eye. "I don't know, I feel like he's lonely. I've never seen him with a woman and when I bring it up to him he blows me off! Says he fine with just us. I want him to have someone, Lena."
"I know Mons, I do too." She strokes her sister's hair. "But for now he's right he does have us and even if he won't admit it, we can take care of him too."
* * * After Monse left for school, Molena slept for a couple more hours before deciding that if she didn't get up before noon she probably wouldn't. Ever.
So she huffed and puffed and moaned and groaned and peeled herself out of the bed. She spent about an hour walking aimlessly around the house. Noticing little new things that had changed since she left. It wasn't much of a noticeable difference from when she was a kid, it's not like her father was home all the time to redecorate, but it was her house and she knew where everything was or where it was supposed to be.
Molena shuffled into Monse's room last admiring the pictures on her walls of her and her friends or her and her sister. She smiled to herself as her fingers traced the photos. Her eyes continued to scan the room until they landed on something in the closet.
She opened the door the rest of the way and reached for the shoe box at the top of her sister's closet. Molena took a deep breath and shakily touched the lid, trying to bring herself to open it. When she found the task to be impossible, she hastily shoved it back into the closet and slammed the door. Molena decided staying cooped up in the house all day probably wasn't a good idea either. So just like when she was younger a small escape from her house meant a walk to the Martinez's.
