[3rd person PoV the warehouse.]
The warehouse smells like fresh paint and clear coat, probably because Mia and Letty are hard at work working on Mia's prize from racing a few nights ago.
Out in the back lot, heat's rising in shimmering waves off the cracked asphalt. The sun's low but still throwing sharp light, glinting off chrome and polished metal.
Letty's half under the hood of Mia's now candy apple red Mazda RX-7 that she still can't stop smiling about as she won the car off of a snobby prick that had a hard time understanding that she was taken.
Letty pulls herself out from underneath the hood, grease smudged across her face, and Mia hands her a cold but sweating beer.
Mia is currently perched on the fender, bare legs swinging, a matching bottle dangling from her fingers. She can't stop looking at the car, smiling in that quiet, satisfied way.
"You're still staring at it," Letty smirks, before draining her beer.
"Damn right I am," Mia fires back, taking a long pull of beer. "I earned this one."
They share a laugh, the kind that feels more predatory than friendly, but the sound of crunching gravel cuts through their relaxed atmosphere.
Both women glance toward the open door at the same time. As a Regal Blue armored Rolls Royce slides into view.
The driver's door swings open, and Sophia steps out.
Her heels click against the pavement as she crosses toward them, sunglasses hiding her eyes but not the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
She looks…radiant doesn't even come close to a proper descriptive word.
There's a subtle change about Sophia that Mia and Letty can't quite name but it's something primal that puts them on edge and draws all eyes in the vicinity to Sophia at the same time.
Not that Sophia didn't draw a lot of looks before but now it's something more than just sex appeal.
Letty glances at Mia. "That's new."
Mia nods slowly in agreement going from looking at the car to watching Sophia. "She didn't have that last time." Mia mutters and she means more than just the Rolls whose deep blue paint job gleams under the sun as Sophia closes the door with a muted thud.
Even dressed in the loose fitted, understated elegantly made dress, unlike her usual fair of tight fitting and revealing clothing choices.
When Sophia stops in front of them, the quiet confidence she's always had feels… amplified.
"Nice ride…" Letty says, leaning her hip and bum against the Mazda's front bumper. "You could have called and we would have come to pick you up…expecting trouble?"
Sophia's smile sharpens just slightly. "Expecting to avoid it."
Mia tilts her head, studying her…for a moment, "Is that one armored too, or is it just for normal cruising around?"
Sophia's hand brushes her side unconsciously, a subtle motion that makes both women's eyes narrow, tracking the gesture. And then they see it…a curve beneath the fabric, small but undeniable.
Mia's mouth parts, a soft gasp slipping out before she can stop it. Letty blinks, her smirking smile faltering.
Sophia's expression warms instantly, like the sun breaking through. "Surprise." she says softly, almost shyly.
There's a beat of silence, and then Letty lets out a low whistle. "Holy shit."
Mia recovers faster, sliding off the fender and stepping closer. "You're…You're pregnant!"
Sophia nods once, her smile deepening. "Yes."
Mia squeals in excitement, "EEE, WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!"
Letty's grin comes back, sharper now, though there's something flickering behind it, a mix of genuine happiness and the kind of envy that settles low in the gut and causes resentment if not handled properly.
Though Letty can't help it…neither can Mia, who's biting her lip like she's holding back from shouting a dozen different thoughts at once.
They don't say them. Not yet.
Instead, Letty steps forward and wraps Sophia in a hug, careful but warm.
Mia follows, looping her arms around both women. For a moment, it's just the three of them…an unspoken bond, even if it's tangled with complicated feelings.
A few hours later the sound of a familiar engine drifts in from the street.
Mia, Letty and Sophia pull apart just as Brian's Skyline slides into the lot, the paint catching the sun in streaks of silver-blue. He parks and kills the engine, stepping out with a relaxed stride that just screams he's at home.
And then Brian sees her…she's positively glowing, radiating…exuding something he can't quite place but it makes something thrum deep inside of himself with pride.
Sophia doesn't move at first, just watches him cross the warehouse towards her. His eyes flick over her once, twice, and you can see that he notices something different about her.
Sophia presses her palms against her abdomen giving Brian an not so subtle hint it takes a second and then it clicks in his head.
Brian's breath catches it's a subtle thing but noticeable for the three women that know him so well.
He closes the distance fast, pulling her into his arms before the words even come.
"Careful." Sophia murmurs, her voice low enough only he can hear.
He eases his hold instantly, like she's made of glass. His hands linger at her sides, hesitant, as if unsure where he's allowed to touch now.
Sophia takes his hand without a word, guiding it down, pressing his palm gently against the small swell of her stomach.
Her eyes lock on his, and she whispers, soft Cuban Spanish, each word carrying a weight that hits him square in the chest.
"Conoce a tu bebé, Papi." Sophia murmurs "Meet your baby, Papi."
"Does this mean you'll be staying in Miami more often?" Brian asks softly his hand tracing soft circles over Sophia's little bump.
"No Papi, I have a business to run my girls need me, I will try to visit more often." Sophia murmurs back the question to his answer a slight tremble of nervousness entering her voice worried that Brian wouldn't be okay with her denying his question.
"Okay." Brian nods but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell that he's disappointed by that answer.
(Is the third person better? I figured I'd try it and see since I've pretty much always typed first person, present or paste tense.)