The house was full of joy as the family crowded around little Àngelo, cheering him on. He was in one of his grandparent's airy walkways dancing to Celia Cruz's
La Negra Tiene Tumbao. There were at least 25 people there, scattered in the walkway, on the spatious balcony, all throughout the beach house as well downstairs outside in the sandy front yard and they were all related. It wasn't even a holiday or special occasion, the family always gathered in numbers like this and tonight wasn't as packed as it usually is. Every one was having a good time, they all came by to see Àngelo who didn't come around that often due to living in another country with Niña and Tyron. Thanks to the family's connections, Alvaro and Zorra have been able to move back to Cuba and build their dream house with some of the world's most skilled Moorish Revival architects. Alvaro couldn't help but feel as if he was on top of the world. He stood by and watched his grandchild live it up with the biggest smile on his face and the thickest Cuban cigar you've ever seen hanging out of his mouth, thinking of all the houses that have been burned down and shot up, all of the risky licks and near death experiences, all of the enemies that had to be killed and allies that were burried,,, every bad thing that had to happen to get his family to this point. It was all worth it. His bloodline was wealthier than ever and his life was fruitful.
All the joy seemed to stop as soon as Niña pulled up to retrieve her son. She arrived in a 1965 Cadillac Eldorado custom convertible that was bright yellow on the outside and had tiger print on the inside. Yes, the legendary car from Scarface. She knew how much her dad hated the movie but loved the car. Alvaro wiped the smile off of his face and lit his cigar up as he walked from the second floor's open walkway and over to the balcony. The speakers Niña had installed into the vintage car model were way louder than the one's in the house. She blasted Tyron's song,
"Come See Me", one of his old diss tracks about her. She loved it because looking back, it's like he was telling the future.
"And she say that she hate me/But I don't think she hate me as much as she say she hate me/Believe me, Believe me" That part made Niña smirk as she made intense eye contact with her father from so far away. He looked down at her from on top of the balcony with one of his famous death stares.
"WASSUP, OLD MAN?" She yelled, looking up at her father and making sure he could hear her. She was looking good, her casual white shirt and blue jeans fit giving her ethereal beauty a chance to speak for itself. He raised his glass of scotch up at her before throwing his head back and finishing it. "Show some respect." Shouts Benito from the other corner of the balcony. Niña sucked her teeth. "Mann, respect these nuts." She looked around at all the silent family members, dramatically waving her hands at them. "HAYYY Y'ALL!! Damn? Y'all don't know me no more??" All of Niña's nephews, nieces and younger cousins came running over excitedly to give their favorite auntie a hug. They loved her because of how fun she was, always taking the kids out to theme parks and such. The adults quietly waved back. They loved her too but when Alvaro was at odds with someone in the family, the rest tried hard not to get on his bad side by showing too much support.
Danita got up from the chair she was sitting in to walk across the patio towards her cousin. They've been rivals since childhood being one of the few women in the family but Niña had surpassed her long ago. "Oh, wow. Look who remembered they have a family." She said already throwing shade while going in for a hug. Niña dodged the hug and pointed at her. "Hahaha back up, bitch. That's why I still look better than you." She didn't say it loud enough for everyone to hear but just loud enough to make her jealous cousin seethe. "Where's my baby boy?" She asks just as her mother, Zorra walks out of the house with Àngelo on her hip. Zorra was happy to see her daughter, even though Niña currently had mixed feelings about her mother. Zorra smiled brightly at Niña, grabbing her daughter with her free hand and pulling her in for a big hug and a thousand kisses. "Iyyy, I'm so glad to see you Rumi. Have you been well? Listen, Àngelo is a big boy now, you need to start filling him up, he's so
flaaco." Alvaro watches them talk from above and starts to lose patience. "ZORRA!" He growls, doing his best to come across as serious and not unhinged. Everyonee jumps. Both Niña and Zorra frowns as she hands her grandson back over to his mother and heads back in the house.
Niña kisses her son and shakes her head in disbelief. "Goddamn shame."
She pulls Ángelo's carseat out and puts it in the convertible car, strapping him in the best she can. She closed the car door and was getting ready to leave before her favorite cousin Dakota Sanches came running out of the house in her bikini. "NIÑAAAAA!" She shouted as she practically jumped on Niña to give her a hug. "Why are you leaving, you have to stay, you haven't even seen the house!" Dakota was one of Niña's riders right next to Coke. They grew up getting in trouble together and never had problems with each other unlike Niña and Danita. Niña was geniunely happy to see her cousin, hugging and jumping around with Dakota. "Girl, you know I can't stay around the family too long, I'ma start a big mess. Besides, I've seen better. It was great to see you, though." She says, smiling softly and pulling away from her cousin's hug. Dakota never lets go of her hand and pulls Niña right back into her embrace. "
Please." She whispers in Niña's ear. "
You know we can't go on like this. You have to make this right." Niña takes a deep breath. If anyone could talk her into spending time with the family and making amends, it was Dakota. She walks back over to her car and removes Ángelo from his carseat, making more painful eye contact with her father. "Looks like we're staying." She says flatly to Ángelo. Ángelo lights up anyway. "Yay, we stay!"
OOC: Okay now I gotta do a part 3,4 maybe 5 😭