❥

Ophelia walked with the laundry basket in her hands. She'd been searching high and low for half her stuff all after noon, finding the majority of it shoved under her bed in need of a wash. Ophelia hummed a small tune she'd heard early that day, rounded the laundry room corner.

She walked in just as Schneider shoved Alex into one of the washing machines. The multiple bottles of empty alcohol on the ground around them, "Dad?"

"Ophie, Ophelia hey." Schneider said as he turned to her quickly, his eyes softening as he saw her.

"Don't hurt him." she said with a sad look, Schneider was quick to let Alex's shirt go.

"No, no, no I wasn't gonna hurt him. Don't worry, don't worry." Schneider repeated over and over as Alex walked over toward Ophelia again.

"You're drinking again? But- you're - but you're eight years sober." Ophelia said, her eyes swelling with tears as she stared at him.

"I can- it's not- just go back to the apartment, okay? Just go on back." he said to her with a forced smile, stumbling slightly.

"Come on." Alex whisper as he pulled Ophelia out of the laundry room.

"He's drinking again. How did I not see that." Ophelia said as she grabbed his arm when they rounded the corner. When Alex turned around to look at her he found her swelling, lip trembling as tears threatened to streamed down her face.

Alex wrapped her in a hug, holding her close to him while kissing the top of her head.

"You did the right thing calling us." Penelope reassured Alex as Schneider now sat on the couch, being sobered up by Lydia and Elena.

"Here, Schneider, I made you sopa de pollo." Lydia said as she set the bowl infront of him.

"And I, uh, got you a wet towel for your head. I don't know if it actually works. They just always do that on Nurse Jackie." Elena said as she laid the towel on Schneider head. The man smiled before he looked over at his daughter in the chair, finding her looking anywhere but him.

"Thanks, guys. They say while you're staying sober, your disease is doing push-ups. Thought I could drink like I use to but but uh, guess i'm out of practice." Schneider tried to joke as he looked down at the small towel in his hands while Lydia rubbed his back.

"We love you. And you're gonna get through this." Elena reassured him, making him smile sadly again before looking at Ophelia.

"You called me Dad for the first time while I was shit faced drunk, I can't forgive myself for that." Schneider explained as Ophelia made eye contact now.

"That's not my fault." she shot back, not meaning to be so angry but was.

"Of course not, I-" he began but was cut off by her standing up.

"Am I not enough? Am I just not enough for you to want to stay sober?I know i'm kinda new around here and we're still getting use to each other but i'd never in my life think about doing what you did. Because I love you, and because you're literally my Dad. Like you're actually my Dad and you're what motivates me to get up in the mornings, why couldn't I be the same for you?" Ophelia asked him, her eyes starting to water again. Alex went to walk toward her but Penelope held him back, knowing they needed this.

"Ophie, you are enough. You're so enough, more than enough. You're my kid, my actual kid. You've got my nose and you've got my terrible vision, you're mine. I wish I could say I'm a good dad, but what kind of Dad puts his own child in a situation like this? I'm so sorry, you deserve better then the father you got." Schneider explained as he slowly stood up and looked down at her. Ophelia sniffled as she wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I know you don't understand and i'm glad you don't."

"You are a good Dad, you have to promise me you won't do it again. Promise me!" Ophelia explained while looking up at him, tears rolling down her face.

"I promise, I promise on my life." he said as Ophelia sobbed and wrapped her arms around him as he held her close. The Alvarez family slowly joined in as well, all holding each other close as they could.

"Alex, I, Uh-" Schneider stumbled over his words when they all pulled away.

"It's all good." Alex waved him off while holding up his fist as Schneider bumped it. Schneider trailed off toward the bathroom as Lydia rocked Ophelia back and forth, singing a spanish song to her as Elena wiped her eyes with the spare tissue.

"Alex, are you in here?" Ophelia asked as she knocked on Alex's door a few days later. The boy threw the door open,  tie in his hand.

"Woah, Ophie. You look so beautiful." Alex said with a smile as he looked at her dressed formally.

"This is the only time you'll see me this way, romeo. Let me help you." Ophelia said as she took the tie from his hands.

"How are things at home? You know i'm not grounded anymore so I can totally swing by whenever." Alex said as Ophelia rolled her eyes slightly.

"Yes, you've said it nearly a million times. And things are good at home, really good actually. Dad and I are doing good, he's doing good. And we took a waffle making class together." Ophelia said as she fixed his tie and smoothed down his tux.

"I'm happy for you guys. But didn't you know the bride is supposed to be the best looking one at the wedding?" Alex asked as Ophelia laughed and linked arms with him.

"Then I guess Nichole has some massive competition with her step child." she said as Alex flushed.

"Aw, Ophi-" He began but was cut off.

"Elena is definitely gonna be the best looking one there." Ophelia finished her sentence jokingly as Alex's face fell ,making her laugh loudly and press a kiss to his cheek.

"Aw, look at him! Look at him!" Ophelia gushed as she watched Alex and Elena stand behind Victor at the front of the church.

"Shhh, white child. You're so loud." Lydia explained to her.

"This is actually really nice. Look how happy the kids are, i'm glad I came." Penelope nodded her head with a small smile.

"Oh, oh we're standing." Ophelia said as the bridal music began to play.

"See, this is what your wedding will look like in a few years." Lydia said as Ophelia nodded.

"Yeah, is Nichole gonna be wearing Victors teeth? Maybe she can give me some advise on how to rock it." Ophelia said as Lydia gave her a stupid look before looking back at the isle as Nichole walked down it in a beautiful dress, everyone gushing at her as she walked to stand infront of Victor.

The vows were short, but Ophelia didn't pay any attention to them. She focused on Alex, who stood a few feet behind his father. She thought he looked the same as always just in formal clothes, beautiful as usual. She wanted to say so much to him in those moments, all her emotions hitting her at once. But she couldn't, because she didn't know how. After Victor and Nicole kissed everyone cheered loudly for them.

"Hello my beautiful boy!" Ophelia gushed as she attacked Alex after she found him standing near the food.

"Ophie, hi." Alex said with a odd expression as she pulled away and planted a few kisses all over his face.

"You did so good up there. You look so good, so happy, so glowing, I love you! Okay, gotta go." Ophelia said quickly, letting all her emotions fly before she ducked and ran off in the opposite direction, leaving Alex shocked at her words, she loved him.

"And as a wise man once said. Love is the three point shot you should always take. It was me. And congrats on nothing but net, Papi, to you and Nichole." Alex ended his speech for his father as the two hugged each other as everyone cheered for them. Alex began to walk over to sit with Ophelia, who didn't make eye contact, jumping as she felt his hand reach over and take hers while pressing a kiss to her temple quickly.

"When I was little, uh, my Papi would braid my hair and watch Disney movies with me over and over again without complaining. So he's a hero. No, really, people like to throw that word around, but my Dad joined the army out of a selfless need to protect the people that he loved. And he's not only a hero because he gave years of his life to this country or because he knows all of the choreography to High School Musical. My Dad is a hero because, when his life was falling apart, he was able to put it back together, and in doing so found love. And I am so happy for you, Papi. Congrats to you both." Elena spoke in the mic with a forced smile, her face seemed like noting but forced and regret written all over it. Ophelia and Alex shared a look as Elena hugged her father.

"Go after her." Ophelia whispered to Alex as Elena walked off farther into the church.

"I'll be back, don't go anywhere." he said while giving her hand a small squeeze and hurrying off after his sister.

Ophelia didn't listen, to no one surprise. She found to much boredom in listening to everyone speech, standing up and sitting outside of the church in the night. The wind was breezy but not too cold, giving her a breeze without making her feel like she was about to lose her feeling.

"There you are." Alex voice was heard as she turned to see him walk and sit next to her.

"Sorry, speeches can get so boring." Ophelia said as Alex laughed.

"My Moms coming back home, her and her husband got a divorce." Ophelia said suddenly as Alex turned to her quickly.

"What? When?" he asked worried.

"A few days, but not here... Portland." Ophelia said as she watched his face fell.

"You're going back, aren't you?" he asked as she slowly nodded her head.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, to be fair I just found out a few days ago." Ophelia said as she watched him look away with sad eyes.

"I'm gonna really miss you." he explained while looking back at her, his eyes watering and staring to turn red.

"I'll miss you so much more." she explained, voice cracking while hugging him tightly.

"Ophie, you-" Alex began but cut himself off as he looked away, tearing falling from his eyes.

"You changed everything for me. You changed my outlook on so much, you changed my way of words and my way of thinking, you changed me and I know it was for the better." Alex explained as he looked at her, his tears hurting her more then she thought they would.

"I- I didn't know anything about, you know, love or relationship before I knew you. And when we first met, I would have never guessed this is how we'd turn out. So, what I said earlier, I know it was really sudden, but I meant that." Ophelia explained as she sniffled, not bothering to wipe her face because she knew it was no use.

"I hoped you did, because I love you too." Alex said as Ophelia nodded her head and leaned over to kiss him deeply before resting her forehead on his.

"No one else in this world is for me the way you're for me, Alex Alvarez."

❥

now i'm crying and i'm definitely written s4 now....