[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190310/ce3c6929892dc104d1c561a330345abd.png[/img]
[img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/abaa27c74bda4fb33ccf976048876e5e/tumblr_phw9yuMIBg1xjy3s9o1_400.gif[/img] [img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/32d96795c450ce20a969ab90933b7e9b/tumblr_phw9yuMIBg1xjy3s9o2_400.gif[/img]
[color=D11717][i]Cause I'm in too deep, and I'm trying to keep up above in my head instead of going under.[/i][/color]
[img]https://www.cassiehoward.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/divider-cassie.png[/img][/center]
[indent][indent][color=darkgray]The Devil of Crown Heights was in deep shit.

The better part of his Sunday morning was spent with his head hanging over the toilet bowl, throwing up and questioning his poor decision-making. At some point, Santiago had finally mustered up the courage to trudge up from the floor and straight into the shower, vigorously scrubbing away the stench of vomit and regret that had stuck to his skin. When he was satisfied he was back to a halfway functioning human state, the young man had made his way down to the kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of gray basketball shorts.

With it being the lovely Sunday afternoon that it was, Diablo had assumed his parents would take advantage of their day off to enjoy each other’s company: have brunch at some upscale Miami bistro, take a ride on the yacht, play a little tennis… Everything but be home. But, of course, life was having a blast with dealing him all the shitty cards in the pack. No sooner than his feet had reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard his parents’ voices coming from the dining room, laughing and conversing in fast Spanish.

[color=D11717][i]“Puñeta...”[/i][/color] the boy cursed under his breath, shaking his head in frustration. The [i]one[/i] day where he needed his parents to be away was the day they’d chosen to spend some quality time at home. 

[color=FFC0CB]“Hey there, handsome!”[/color] Gabriela called out to her youngest son the second Santiago entered the fray, shooting him a wink and blowing a kiss in his direction. [color=FFC0CB]“How’s my baby doing today?”[/color]

[color=D11717]“I’m fine,”[/color] Diablo said simply, walking over to her to kiss her cheek even though he knew that sweetalking her wouldn’t soften the blow in any way.

[color=F0E68C]“How was last night, champ?”[/color] Manuel asked him, taking a bite of his steak and eggs plate.

[color=D11717]“Fine, it was fine,”[/color] Santiago replied, giving his father a quick hug and taking position in front of both his parents at the table. He could feel the questions about his suspicious demeanor beginning to form, so he decided to just rip off the bandaid and deal with the fallout that would inevitably come from his news. 

[color=D11717]“Look, there’s something I have to tell you guys, and… It’s not something you guys will like very much,”[/color] Diablo began, feeling the nervousness starting to bubble up in his empty stomach.

[color=FFC0CB]“Oh God…”[/color] his mother said, dropping her fork and letting it clatter loudly against the fancy china. Worry was painted all over her face as her hand moved to hold her chest. [color=FFC0CB]“Did something happen? Are you okay?”[/color]

[color=F0E68C]“Is it the Lambo?”[/color] his father asked, grimacing at the mere thought of the high-end vehicle he’d paid an arm and a leg for having suffered a tragic fate because of his son’s recklessness.

[color=D11717]“No, it’s not the Lambo…”[/color] Santiago stammered, mentally kicking himself for even starting this conversation in the first place. The young man cursed in Spanish under his breath, right hand immediately going to rub the back of his neck while his gray eyes darting everywhere except his parents’ faces. 

[color=FFC0CB]“What is it, then?”[/color] Gabriela pressed, her usually warm tone now laced with growing panic.

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Diablo finally muttered in a low voice, [color=D11717]“[i]I got a girl pregnant[/i].”[/color]

At the young man’s words, a tense silence came upon the Fernandez’ dining room. Gabriela’s jaw had dropped with shock, eyes wide and unblinking. Meanwhile, Manuel’s hand had jumped to his face, rubbing it as if it would wipe away the news his son had just shared with them. The silence permeated the air for a good few minutes until, finally, the oldest male decided to break it.

[color=F0E68C]“Who’s the girl?”[/color] Manuel asked his son, blue eyes shut and with his hand still covering his face. 

[color=D11717]“April Foster,”[/color] the boy said in a low voice, looking down at his feet now.

[color=F0E68C]“Ah, shit,”[/color] Manuel muttered, grimacing and shaking his head. [color=F0E68C]“Jamie and I play tennis together sometimes. I bet he’ll have a lot to say about this...”[/color]

Gabriela, however, was not the least bit interested in hearing about her husband’s leisure activities with acquaintances, and wanted answers to the million questions now swimming in her head. The Latina’s shock had now given way to anger, and her death glare had since not moved away from her youngest son. The boy could feel her stare burning him down to his core. 

[color=FFC0CB]“How long has this been going on, Santiago?”[/color] she questioned in a demanding tone, bringing the attention back to the bombshell that had just been dropped in her lap.

[color=D11717]“Three years,”[/color] he mumbled with a shrug.

[color=FFC0CB]“[i]Three years[/i]?!”[/color] the woman repeated in disbelief, suddenly standing from her chair and rising to her full height in front of her son. And although Santiago had a few good inches on her, the young man now looked more like a scared puppy than the alpha male that swaggered around the vicinity of Crown Heights. [color=FFC0CB]“You’ve been seeing this girl for three years, yet we’re just now hearing about her? How does that work, exactly?”[/color]

[color=D11717]“It’s not that serious, Ma-”[/color] he began to protest, but was quickly cut off by his very upset mother.

[color=FFC0CB]“Are you hearing yourself right now, Santiago?!”[/color] Gabriela cried out, eyes wide with frustration at her son’s stupidity. [color=FFC0CB]“You have the nerve to stand here telling me that things between you and this girl ‘aren’t that serious’, but you’ve been sleeping around with her for three years [i]and[/i] she’s pregnant with your kid?! How is that not serious to you?!”[/color]

[color=D11717]“I don’t know, Ma!”[/color] Diablo whined, running his hands through his hair. [color=D11717]“We were just messing around all the time. I never thought-”[/color]

[color=FFC0CB]“That’s exactly what you weren’t doing: thinking,”[/color] Gabriela interrupted, letting out a sarcastic scoff.

[color=D11717]“I never thought I’d get her pregnant,”[/color] Santiago finished, shoulders slumped in defeat.

After glaring at her son for a few more seconds, Gabriela fell silent, and began pacing back and forth. Both Diablo and Manuel knew the wheels in her mind were turning, frantically looking for a solution for the mess the boy had done. It had always been like that with the Fernandez’: Diablo screwed up, he confessed to his parents in a bout of guilt, his mother chewed him out but eventually found a way to clean up after him. But judging from the serious expression in her face, both men were beginning to think that Diablo had finally gone too far.

[color=FFC0CB]“You have to marry her, Santiago,”[/color] his mother finally said, stopping her frantic pacing to stand face to face with her son again. 

[i][color=D11717]“Wh[/color][color=F0E68C]at?!”[/color][/i] Santiago and Manuel exclaimed in unison, staring at Gabriela like she’d lost her mind.

The men’s reaction only served to infuriate the Latina further, because her already raised voice now turned into vicious shouting. [color=FFC0CB]“What do you mean, ‘what’?! You fucking heard me! You already knocked the poor girl up, so the least you can do is make an honest woman out of her! You think you can get away with getting the milk for free but not buying the damn cow?! Not under my watch!”[/color]

[color=D11717]“Ma, this isn’t the 1900’s. I’m not about to marry some chick-”[/color]

The crisp sound of an open palm hitting flesh echoed across the walls of the Fernandez household. [color=FFC0CB]“That [i]‘chick’[/i] you’re speaking about is the mother of your child now, Santiago Emmanuel. You better show the girl some fucking respect,”[/color] Gabriela spat, glaring at her son as if he’d personally insulted her.

The young man just stood there, cheek stinging and red with the clear imprint of his mother’s hand. He didn’t dare say a word, resigning himself to listening to whatever she had left to say. 

Meanwhile, Gabriela’s brown eyes now swam in unshed tears of anger, disappointment and -dare she say it?- shame. Her son’s actions were certainly not a reflection of the values she’d taught them at home, and yet she still felt like she’d failed as a mother. Had she been to lenient on him? Had she given him too much freedom, too much trust, and too little time? Whatever it was, it certainly was too late now. The damage was done, and because of her parenting fails, she was going to be a grandmother.

Finally, after wiping away the tears that escaped her eyes, Gabriela spoke again. [color=FFC0CB]“I don’t know how you’re going to do it, Santiago, but you’re going to cut the bullshit, you’re going to grow a pair and you’re going to make this shit [i]right[/i]! I don’t care what it takes, but you [i]will[/i] take responsibility for this mess! And not just for your selfish ass, but for that poor girl and that poor baby, who has no fault of your goddamn stupidity!”[/color]

And with those words still hanging in the air, Santiago’s mother stormed out of the dining room, leaving the two men alone with their thoughts.[/color][/indent][/indent]