Page 91 of Wasted Oil

Damn, My girl is a rockstar.

I want to pick up the phone and tell her how proud of her I am. Then do it.

Countless times I’ve hit her name in my phone, typed up a message and deleted it. I never attempted to call. I could only get as far as typing an unsent message.

What does one say after they’ve been given the answer that they’ve torn up their world to get and when they got it, the victory only felt half of a win because it took taking another one's world down.

It took me a month to finally show my family the contents from the letter that Melanie wrote me. When I opened the daunting envelope It was like every question I ever asked was answered in the folder before me. Andres was responsible for our fathers death. He was also responsible for everything that went wrong at the farm. He caused destruction in hopes to bleed us dry to sell to him. What really threw me for a loop was the check at the end and a second note signed by both Xavier and Melanie.

We both herby stand with the Parker’s in how they wish to go forward.

We will not fight any claims or suits filed.

We know you deserve so much more than this but we’d like to make this a start of returning and restoring what is possible.

My family and I talked it through for two months about our thoughts and what or if we wanted to do something with the information given to us. We invited Xavier over for dinner to share that we wanted nothing more. It’s not his fault, or Melanie’s, for the father they had and what he chose to do with his power. We all suffered at the hands of Andres Alvarez and thought it was best to leave all that with him in the grave.

X told us he was planning to rebuild the company into Alvarez Industries from the ground up using insights he found from his grandfather's old files. I offered my help to him working through new leases, employees to work with Alvarez Industries and seeing if he can regain the trust of old one’s that have left when Andres died. Turns out they saw it as a get out of free jail card. I guess they felt captive too.

A solid foundation formed for the company in the span of a couple months.

Throughout those months, I’ve been following everything Melanie has been doing in her new found fame. Not through her brother, but through her socials, and of course, Alex when I see her or when she texts me to watch this or listen to that. I don’t want to take pride in knowing I’m the inspiration of her viral heartbreak song because I’m not the only cause of it. But if it's what got her to her dream I’ll take whatever hits to keep her there and climbing.

Alex’s podcasts have been most informative with the latest. Mel was signed by a record label and is putting on a show she has been planning since the beginning of the year. I wanted to reach out and tell her how proud I was of her but with the farm and helping her brother Xavier time slipped away from me.

Too much time.

I felt it was best to leave it at what it was and cheer for her from afar.

God I miss her.

I’m helping Xavier in his office today, looking over locations of drilling. Headquarters for Alvarez Industries is located just outside of West Hills off the highway heading towards the big city of Dallas, Texas. Every location where oil is being processed throughout all of northern Texas has its own operating facility.

“She misses you, you know?” My eyes snap from the blueprints laid out in front. Stumped by his words, he meets my eyes.

“I’m not exactly sure what happened with you two when she came back, but what I do know is I’ve never seen her so happy while being home then when she was with you.”

I try to swallow the lump in my throat and that same familiar discomfort comes back.

"I can see by the look on your face that you feel the same emptiness I see on hers when I visit,” He adds.

The few trips he’s taken he’s asked me to watch over everything while he was gone.

“Yeah, I miss her. Painfully, if I’m being completely honest.” I confess.

Xavier offered me a job in his financial legal team after our collaboration in the beginning and how well our partnership synced up. Without a thought I accepted. We’ve also forged this new friendship outside of work. He helps out at the farm when we need to deliver orders or just with small maintenance and it’s been really nice.

Johnny decided to move to Albuquerque and we’ve fallen out of touch. We both are busy and on new paths.

Alex kept her store open here with her older sister Marie helping with running it in place of her absence.

Her younger sister Sailor took over her apartment when she got tired of living in the dorms at college. I’m not sure of the details of what all happened but Alex is back home running her store and living with her sister in the apartment above. I’ve checked in on her from time to time but she seems to be doing fine. Her podcast has been blowing up and she’s been helping Mel with her rally.

"You gonna go to the rally at the end of May?” X asks.

I’ve gone back and forth too many times to count on whether I should go or not. It’s right around the corner so the time to make a decision is now.

"If it’s any consolation I think you both have done your fair share in healing.”

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