New Safety
Chapter Seventeen
Pairing: Johnny “Coco” Cruz x OC
Summary: Her niece had been in a fight, that was the voicemail Salacia received from her older sister one day. Little did she know exactly how that one message would change her life. Picking up her niece and meeting the teenager’s friend’s father opened her world backup. / Coco had no idea that picking up Letty and her new friend would lead to meeting the teenager’s aunt, a young single mother who would change his life forever. For the better. / It won’t be easy but they need each other.
In this chapter: It’s Little Mal’s birthday! 🎉 And there’s nothing like a special day for emotions of all kinds.
Trigger/Content Warning(s): massive amounts of fluff, tiny bit of angst, but the fluff is intense
Word Count: 3730
A/N: I’M FUCKING BACK BABY! Got my Masterlist all figured out again. And now it’s time to start posting again. Sorry to keep you all waiting, but here’s the next chapter.
Tags: @staley83 @hodgepodge-musings @ravennaortiz @privatetruths @kateawolf13 @tinyshyteacup
Previous Part(s):
Ch. 16 Series Masterlist Mayans Masterlist
Salacia had been busy all morning getting the house decorated for her son’s fifth birthday. She had tied blue, teal, and green balloons with matching streamers on the fence. She and Persephone had made a banner for his birthday with motorcycle stickers and card stock in matching colors.
She had baked him a small cake to blow the candles out on, as well as some cupcakes so everyone got cake. She had decided to just order pizza for the party, he had asked for a pizza party, she sometimes made homemade mini-pizzas for dinner but she knew that would be far too much work for his party. He liked the local place thankfully.
She called and ordered for a 1 PM delivery time. She had chips and everything for people to snack on. The main thing was keeping Malachai entertained until it was time for cake.
She had a small gift for him before the party in a sparkly teal bag and she was excited to give it to him. She decided to make Migas for breakfast. It had been his father’s favorite breakfast and it was one of his as well. She had just finished cutting the onions, bell peppers, and tortillas when there was a knock on the door.
She walked over and answered it, grinning when she saw it was Coco and Letty who was holding up two gift bags, “You’re right on time for breakfast.” She laughed.
“Ooh, whatcha makin? Where can I put these?” Letty asked and set the bags on the side table in the front room where Salacia pointed to.
“Migas, it’s one of his favorites and I made fresh tortillas last night so, it’s a perfect day for it.” Salacia said.
“You don’t do anything half-assed do you?” Coco teased kissing her temple.
“I don’t mind using shortcuts and eating cheap frozen foods, but since I can afford the ingredients and have the time to make shit fresh...I love it.” She said with a shrug, “Back when Little Mal was first born we didn’t have much...and then when he and I moved in with Taylor we didn’t have much again, she was just starting in her career...so budgeting was important. That was also when I learned to bake bread.”
“When did you learn to make homemade tortillas?” Letty asked, leaning on the counter after greeting Seph who just walked in after a morning shower.
“I was like seventeen...it was about two months after I met Malachai’s abuela…” she said smiling, “She dragged me into the kitchen one day and just told me ‘we’re cooking today’. And I didn’t argue.”
Coco, Seph, and Letty laughed. The teenagers left to go watch TV in the living room while Coco stayed in the kitchen with her. Salacia cracked some eggs and whisked them with a little milk, salt, and pepper. She set it aside and smiled at the man beside her. Taylor came in and made herself a cup of coffee greeting their first guests of the day before going to join the girls, leaving the couple alone in the kitchen again.
“Let me wash my hands and go wake him up. Then I can get this cooked up so we can eat.” She told him.
“Anything I can do to help?” He asked.
“Pull out the plates and some glasses for juice?” She suggested.
“On it.” He said, giving her a playful salute.
Salacia rolled her eyes before she made her way to her son's room. She grabbed the gift back with his first thing in the morning gift before she knocked before just opening the door. Knocking was a habit she developed as Seph got older. She wanted to teach her son to knock by doing so herself.
“Mijo, it’s time to get up, it's birthday breakfast.” She said in a sing song voice as she walked over to sit on the edge of his bed.
Malachai groaned but opened his eyes quickly when his mother ran her fingers through his messy curls. He smiled widely, his brown eyes sparking. He was growing up so fast, she couldn’t believe it.
“I made Migas, baby boy, you better get up before Coco eats all of it up.” She cooed.
“No!” Malachai exclaimed and scrambled to get out of bed and rush from the room, “You made it for me.”
“Don’t you want your gift first?” Salacia called after him
He wasn’t listening as he ran into the kitchen to be scooped up by Coco. The Mayan tickled the boy’s ribs with one hand as he held him wrapped in the other arm before depositing him back on the ground. The smile on both of their faces had Salacia stopped in her tracks. That was a scene the likes of which she had never seen before. Her little boy and the man she loves. The smiles on their faces.
She felt tears gathering in her eyes.
She felt someone come up beside her and looked over to see her older sister. Taylor placed a hand on her shoulder. They both watched Coco and Little Mal interact for a moment longer before Salacia walked over. She kissed her man on his cheek before mussing her son’s curls again.
“Go on, go sit.” She nudged him towards the dining room.
“Okay Momma!” He said and ran to his usual chair.
“He’s full of energy even first thing, huh?” Coco laughed.
“That is why I get up an hour early every morning so I have plenty of time for coffee.” Salacia said and kissed his cheek once more, “You go sit too.”
“Yes Ma’am.” Coco joked as she pretended to struggle to push him out of the kitchen.
Salacia smiled as she began to plate up everyone’s breakfast and pour them each a glass of orange juice, ice in hers, Persephone’s, and Taylor’s. She was about to make her first trip carrying plates when a couple teen girls came to help. Seph grabbing some of the juice glasses. And Letty taking a couple plates.
The seventeen year old daughter of her boyfriend smiled at her, “I saw them too…” she murmured, “You’re both good for him.”
“You are too, sweetheart.” Salacia said and leaned over to kiss her temple, “I love you both.”
Letty smiled while she, Persephone, and Salacia served up Malachai’s birthday breakfast.
The birthday boy practically inhaled his food. Salacia scolding him a few times to be careful so he doesn’t choke. After he had finished he pointed to his nearly licked clean plate to Salacia.
“All done Momma!” He declared.
“Good job.” She praises and pokes his nose cutely, “Let everyone finish eating and you can have your morning gift.”
He nodded and finished the rest of his juice, bouncing excitedly in his seat. After everyone was done eating Taylor cleared the dishes up to wash while Salacia grabbed the gift bag. It was tradition that the birthday person got a new outfit to wear that day, which Malachai did, but because he was so young he also got a cheap toy or stuffed animal to make a gift of clothes more exciting.
She had managed to find and order him a white t-shirt with black sleeves that had a red sugar skull on it to go with some black jeans. He was so excited to have a shirt like his dad had. And when it came to the cheap toy he was excited because it was a motorcycle for some of his figurines to ride on. It didn’t match obviously but it was a ‘Harley’, like Coco had.
A bit of the two important men of his life.
He was so excited to show it off to Coco too. Salacia smiled sweetly as Coco indulged how excited the young boy was. It was so sweet to watch them interact.
“Come on, Mallie, need to get you dressed for your party.” Salacia said and he hurried over to her.
—
The club members arrived one by one from noon until 1 PM. Malachai was excited to show off his toy motorcycle to each one. And like Coco had earlier they indulged him.
“It is amazing what a little kid can do to a group of tough bikers.” Taylor murmured to Salacia as they watched the group dropping gifts on the table.
“Turning them into mush, you mean?” Letty commented coming up on the other side of Salacia.
“I like that he’s getting some male influences in his life. Good ones honestly.” Salacia said, “Outlaw or not...they’re good guys.”
Taylor nodded, “Its good for you too.” She said.
“With the way Angel’s been looking at you...I’d say it could be good for you too, Taylor.” Letty joked before going to grab herself another soda.
Salacia laughed at how red her older sisters cheeks had gotten. She checked her phone and saw the text she had been waiting for. She smiled.
“Hey Sephie, would you grab my laptop and set it on the coffee table, I gotta round up the birthday boy.” She said.
“You got it Auntie Sal.” The teenager said and hurried into her aunts room to grab the laptop off of her desk and turning it on and booting it up for her. Pulling up Skype for her as well.
Salacia walked over to her excited child and scooped him into a hug quick hug, “Mijo, time for your birthday call.” She said pecking his cheek.
Malachai grinned and ran over to the couch and plopped down. Salacia looked at the guys and explained that it had been a tradition since they moved out of her hometown. On his birthday and Christmas they did a video call with his father’s uncle and grandmother. Especially since his great-grandmother was getting on in years. She had already been in a nursing home when little Mal was born.
She walked over and let Malachai settle in her lap as she hit the call button. She smiled at how excited her son always was.
The man who was responsible for raising his Malachai into the great man he had been appeared on the screen sitting beside the woman who taught her so many of the recipes she loved to make. They both gushed over how big Mal had gotten. She smiled as he began to tell them about his kindergarten class and the friends he was making.
About his new favorite movies. And Seph’s new best friend. Then he mentioned Coco. They thought he was talking about the movie until he explained.
“Not Coco the movie, Coco Momma’s boyfriend.” He said, as though that was the simplest thing to explain.
Her cheeks heated up, these two were her late exes family. How would either of them really take that she is moving on with another man. She was so young when he died, she couldn’t sit in mourning forever. And everyone knew that.
She quickly explained that it was obviously a nickname, before letting Malachai finish telling them whatever he wanted to talk about.
It didn’t take long before he was wanting to go outside to play. She let him go and after exchanging a quick update with Jaime and his mother she assured them that she was doing well. She ended the call and had Seph taking the laptop back to her room for her. She shook her head, that kind of blabber mouth was such a five year old thing to do.
Shortly after the call ended the pizza arrived. Coco and Angel went to the door to grab it for her as she went to get drinks for herself, her son, Letty, and Coco. Everyone sat down around the house, dining room and living room to eat.
She knew the gift exchange would be where things would get truly interesting and exhausting.
—
Malachai was curled up on the couch fast asleep from a long and exciting day. Most of the guys from the club left shortly after he had dozed off. But Angel, Bishop, and EZ had decided to stick around and share a beer with Salacia and Taylor on the back porch.
“How do you handle that much energy every day?” EZ asked.
“Coffee.” Salacia laughed, “Plus I am actually getting out of the house more now.” She looked a Coco with a smile.
After their talk where she told him the story of her past they had indeed developed a deeper understanding. He wasn’t as afraid of how much he wanted her. How much he needed her. How close they were.
It was easier to try when she had bared her soul raw to him and let him do the same. She leaned back into his embrace.
“So that was the woman who taught you how to cook real Mexican food, huh?” Coco asked.
“Yeah, she still has Jaime send me emails with the recipes she never got to teach me in person.” She laughed.
The guys started to ask what she knew how to make and she grinned as she started to list the foods and meals she had been taught by the woman. She loved to cook and feed people and she was glad that she knew so many different things to make. While she listed what she made regularly she tended to add on who liked what most.
Being the one who cooked the most it was second nature to know who liked what. She sometimes found herself almost saying something the thad been Malachai Sr.’s favorite or that he liked it as well.
It was hard when so many of those dishes were loved by her son as well and it reminded her exactly how alike they were. He was his father’s son. She was certain in the good ways and bad.
“Now I wanna have some of your cooking.” Bishop commented.
“When I have a day off I could bring lunch or something up to the clubhouse.” She suggested.
Feeding people was a major way she had developed to express her love. Coco chuckled to himself, he didn’t know how he got so lucky to find a woman who was so willing to ingrain herself into the club world. She smiled and blushed softly feeling his lips press against the back of her neck. He was more open with his affection when it was a more private, at home moment like this, even when some of his boys were there. She relished in those affections.
The conversation stayed on food for a moment, hee asking what they would think they’d like her to bring. She didn’t know when she would have the day off to bring food by, but she wanted to have an idea of what they would like.
As their conversation shifted to random bits of their day to day lives, the two teens who had been watching a movie while Little Mal napped walked out, “Hey auntie Sal, why are your old scrapbooks down from the shelf?” Persephone asked, holding up the large faux leather covered book that she knew contained some of her most important and special memories.
“Shit…I was looking for a few old photos yesterday…” she mumbled.
She took the book from Seph’s hands, “I started keeping a scrapbook when I was sixteen. I took photography in high school so I had so many photos to save…this was just a fun way to do it.” She opened it, “Oh my god…this is at the local rodeo carnival with Dez for her birthday…I forgot that was the first thing I put in here…” she laughed, “Hey, do you two wanna see your cousin in a cowboy hat and boots?” She laughed and put the book on the table for Angel and EZ to gawk at the photos.
She flipped through a few pages, smiling at the memories. She shared those that were asked about or that made her smile wider. She paused on a page, she hadn’t seen the photo in years. It was taken at night outside of the local movie theater, in front of the poster for the movie the two people in the photo had seen that night. It was a horror movie she remembered nothing about.
“Whose he?” Letty asked, “He’s kinda cute.”
Her reaction told Coco exactly who that was but her answer confirmed it, “That was Malachai…this was our first real date…god…i was Seph’s age when this photo was taken…”
“Oh I can see it now…Little Mal does look just like him, huh?” Letty laughed.
“He really does.” Salacia confirmed.
She flipped a few more pages, holidays, birthday’s, graduation, until she found the three pages she had dedicated to Malachai and his Mamacita and the car shows.
The first page was all about the journey to rebuilding the classic car. “I did my final photography class project on his rebuild.” She said.
The guys were more interested now. Of course, they were into cars like that as well. Salacia smiled softly as she talked about how much fun she had taking photos of the rebuild. She could get such creative shots. Just something so normal, a down to earth blue collar man doing what he loved and rebuilding the car that would become the second love of his life…and eventually the third.
When they saw the photo from when she was eighteen after her graduation when he had fully finished rebuilding Mamacita right after she got her sparkly red paint job.
“That car was his pride and joy…he named her Mamacita.” She grinned, “Gotta admit it was fucking badass to be picked up from graduation in that car.”
Angel whistled, “Damn, I can see why he’d be proud…” he said with a grin.
Salacia flipped the page to the collection of shots from the car shows they’re been to. Not many as he died so young. But still, there were plenty of shots of her with Mamacita and other vintage cars. In various sexy outfits…including those leather pants Coco loved so much.
The man for his part cursed under his breath. She was eighteen, an adult, and fully clothed, but still, this was an entirely different point in her life, one that he wasn’t a part of, when she belonged to another man, body and soul. It felt strange to find her attractive. But he did. The smile on her face, his favorite thing about her, was so bright in these pictures. It was amazing to see.
She flipped through the last few pages she had done in this book, it was her pregnancy journey. She hadn’t seen these photos in a while, it hurt her to go through this book sometimes. To remember what she had lost.
It didn’t hurt as bad now.
And it wasn’t that she didn’t love Malachai then. Or that didn’t still care for him now. It wasn’t that his loss was somehow less painful or traumatic somehow.
It was that life had given her love again. Coco had become her rock in a way. Even before he let her open up to him about her loss. The fact that he wanted her as she was. An emotionally damaged single mother, and he wanted her still.
He accepted her with every flaw. He opened up to her in ways he had always been afraid to. He had been vulnerable with her. Saying ‘I love you’ terrified him. And yet he had said it and held her close. He had said it and not run away. He loved her and let her love him.
So these memories, while plagued with the sting of her loss…didn’t destroy her. She could cope with seeing Malachai’s face in a photo. She could cope seeing how happy they were when she was pregnant. And the picture of him holding his newborn son.
Salacia had loved him so much, and he had loved her. And love didn’t begin to describe the way that he had felt for his child.
It was because of that love she had felt for Malachai that she was able to love Coco now.
He would want her to. He would see a man trying and being there to love and support her and would push her into his arms.
He would want her to live and love again.
And finding Coco felt like truly honoring him in a way. Because in him she finally found her way back to herself.
She closed the book and smiled softly, “I forgot how many nights I stayed up doing this stuff.” She laughed, “Kinda weird for a teenager I guess…but…I’ve always been creative.”
“Better coping mechanism as a teen than I had.” Coco joked.
“I’d have pages dedicated to you too if you let me take a picture every once in a while.” She teased him.
He laughed and shook his head, “I don’t like pictures.” He replied.
“I’m not saying JCPenney portraits I’m talking don’t run when I even mention a camera. I prefer candid shots anyway.” She teased and kissed his cheek.
He rolled his eyes and grumbled. But that wasn’t a no. They both knew Angel would give him shit for being so soft with her later. But he liked to see her smile more than he cared about some ribbing from his buddies.
—
Coco was carrying little Malachai to bed after his long, fun day celebrating his fifth birthday. He really was getting too heavy for his mother to carry easily. And Coco offered.
He laid him in his bed and only then did the boy stir. He gave Coco a sleepy smile and asked where his mom was.
“It’s okay, go back to sleep.” Coco soothes the kid, “She’s cleaning up in the kitchen and didn’t want to wake you with the noise.”
Malachai nodded and yawned snuggling into his bed, “Love you Coco, goodnight.” He said and fell right back to sleep.
Coco stared at the boy for a moment, his words stunning the Mayan to silence. He didn’t realize exactly how much he was growing to mean to not just Salacia but her son. And how much the boy was starting to mean to him as well.
And even though he knew that Malachai was asleep and couldn’t hear him he still replied.
“Love you too, kid.” He said, smoothing Malachai’s hair back before leaving the room and quietly shutting the door.
Next Chapter
