Casual Moths // Angel Reyes

10: fights and families

There's a sizzling in the air as Angel and Callie arrive at the Clubhouse. A crowd of people is gathered together, all clutching various different alcoholic drinks as the bass of some song vibrates through the night. A beautiful female voice sings some melodic Spanish lyrics, just a little too quickly for Callie to properly understand with her limit knowledge of the language.

It's something she needs to work on, wants to work on, living in Santo Padro where the Mexican culture is so alive and vibrant. It's something she wants Daisy to grow up with, especially now that Angel seems to become a more long-term fixture in their lives.

A strong smell of beer and sweat and cigarettes hit Callie's nose and though technically it shouldn't be a pleasant scent, something about it makes her feel almost nostalgic. It's been a long time since she's properly been to a party. The last must've been before she had been pregnant with Daisy. Looking back that all seemed like a whole lifetime ago. The girl then and the girl now are not the same. Maybe though, Callie thinks, she can allow those two to become one and let go and be young and in love for a night until she has to go back to mom duties again tomorrow.

Angel's hand slips into the back pocket of her jeans, there's something possessive about it, something territorial and though with everyone else Callie would've hated it, when Angel does it there's a certain charm to it.

The next few minutes fly by in a blur. People get introduced, names thrown around and forgotten immediately. There are so many people and so many names and Callie tries to keep up but — there's just so much one person can remember.

She's met most of his brothers before, has grown quite fond of both Coco and Gilly and not just because they helped fix up the store. Those two might be a little crazy but their hearts hold the same warmth Angel's does. And they are family to him. They're as loyal as can be and Callie is eternally grateful that Angel gets to have these two in his life.

This life, the one Angel leads, is dangerous. Callie knew that the moment she first stepped foot onto the yard of the clubhouse. It's risky and sometimes scary. But looking around the yard right now, taking in the smiles on people's faces, the laughter and the cheers, the voices as they sing along to the music — out of tune but unbothered — it makes sense to her. It makes sense that Angel would choose this life, this family. It's a community of people who need each other for life has dealt them shitty cards. It's a home.

Callie had expected Angel to be a bit more distant towards her with his brothers around, she knows what men are like and honestly, she would've been okay with it. Angel though, he doesn't do that shit. He has to be touching her in some way. Whether it's an arm around her shoulder, a hand on her waist or a kiss placed softly on her head, he's actively seeking out the physical affection and Callie relishes in it. Her man's a soft one if she's ever seen one.

The boys are laughing along to some silly story Coco recounts when Callie softly places a kiss on Angel's cheek and steps op on her tippy-toes to level her lips with his ear.

" I'm gonna go get another beer, you want something? "

Angel looks at her and there's something in his eyes, so pure, so unfiltered, that it makes her heart beat faster. He looks at her the way every woman wants to be looked at. Like there's nothing in this life and the next that will ever come close to her in his eyes. It's magical almost.

" Nah, still good here, " he says and shakes his beer bottle that's still half full, " be quick though, I don't wanna be alone. "

He's not alone, this is a party with a shit ton of people. One couldn't be alone here if you tried. But it's not what he means and Callie knows, she understands. And quite honestly, Callie doesn't want to be alone either.