♡Daddy Life/Oscar diaz/omb♡

♡Chapter 72: Shock♡

Cesar POV

Abby's small voice cuts through the heavy silence, trembling with a child's fragile hope.
"Daddy, is it true that grandma and grandpa and Abuelita gone?"

I feel her little body shudder in my arms, Anne clutching my shirt too, seeking the safety only I can try to give. Lucero lies beside us, sedated but restless—her breathing uneven. My throat tightens as I nod, forcing my voice to stay steady, though inside I'm breaking.
"Yes, sweetheart... it's true."

The words taste like ash. How do you explain that someone so big, so important, is suddenly just... gone?

Abby presses her tear-streaked face into my shoulder, whispering,
"Is mommy going to be okay?"

Anne reaches out, her tiny hand resting lightly on Lucero's shoulder. "Mommy okay?"

Lucero stirs, her eyes glazed with medicine but sharp with motherly resolve. She pulls Anne close and rubs Abby's back with a softness I've never seen before, like trying to hold the cracks of a breaking heart together.
"Mommy will be okay, babies. We all have to take it one day at a time."

Her voice is fragile but fierce—like a promise she's desperately trying to believe herself.

I kiss their heads, trying to breathe through the tightness that threatens to choke me. I try to remind them—and myself—of happier times:
"You know, when I first met your grandpa, he hated Tío."

Abby sniffs, nodding, her small face thoughtful.
"Tío told me that grandpa didn't talk to Auntie Lola for almost five years... until Daddy called them, and Abuelita almost beat him up."

I squeeze Lucero's hand, trying to channel strength through my touch.
"That's when I met mommy. Not long after, we started dating."

Inside, I'm screaming. I want to fix this. I want to make it all right. But all I have is this moment—this broken, raw moment.

Flaca POV

I try to steady my hands as I rub Amber's and Logan's backs, feeling the weight of their quiet grief pressing down on the room. Their small faces, eager to help but unsure how, remind me of how lost we all are.

"Mommy, we want to do something for Auntie," Amber says, voice hopeful but uncertain.

Esmy curls against my leg, tears soaking into my lap. Antonito's silent tears burn behind his brave face.

I swallow hard, the lump in my throat heavy and stubborn. How do I tell them it's okay to hurt? That it's okay to break?

I want to protect them from this sorrow, but I know it's a part of us now. I give a shaky smile, my heart aching,
"We'll find a way together. We're all here, and that's what matters."

Oscar POV

The kitchen buzzes with activity, but my mind is somewhere else entirely. I see Jamal, his jaw clenched tight, trying to hold back grief that mirrors my own.

"Jamal, go home," I say softly. "I know how close you were with Abuelita."

He nods, eyes dark with memories.
"How's the family?"

I glance around, looking for steady ground.
"We're taking it day by day. The kids... Lucero... they're struggling the most. Fernando and I didn't always see eye to eye, but I wish... I wish it hadn't ended like this."

Dwayne steps in, his voice quiet but resolute.
"The diner's closing early tomorrow, and the rest of the week. Abuelita was our heart. We want to honor her."

I nod, a soft smile breaking through the heaviness.
"She always said she was your first customer."

Dwayne points to her photo on the wall—a smile that could fill a room and a fierceness that demanded respect."She carried that picture everywhere... so everyone would know who not to mess with."

I chuckle, the warmth of that memory battling the cold grip of loss. She was unstoppable. And now... we have to find a way to keep going without her.