Page 31 of Kisses Behind The Spotlight 2: Finale

The door beeped, then opened as we went down memory lane. Noah and Maurice came barreling through the door. Maurice’s mom picked them up from school on Wednesdays, and he would stay the night with us since Noah didn’t have practice.

“Ohhhh, the real test is here. Maurice doesn’t play about his Leesi,” my mom commented as Maurice ran towards me, his Paw Patrol backpack bouncing on his back.

“Who’s that?” Maurice slowed his steps when he saw Xain seated next to me.

My mom sipped her wine and watched. “This is my friend, Xain.”

“Friend?” He eyed Xain, his nose wrinkled in disgust. “Since when? I never seen him. You know him, Ms. Carmen?”

“I’m getting to know him. He seems cool so far.”

“Yeah, that’s Xain. He’s cool. He has been helping me work out,” Noah added, leaning in to hug my mom. “Hey, Ms. Carmen. What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to visit. Two weeks for sure. Three weeks if I can get the third week approved for unpaid time off.”

“Wassup, Lil Man?” Xain greeted Maurice, who was still mugging him. “You like Paw Patrol? Does that mean you like dogs?”

“I do.”

“My lil man Van does too. I always watch Paw Patrol when he comes to my house. Which one is your favorite?”

“How you know Van?” Maurice interrogated.

“I used to work for his dad, Vincent,” Xain explained. I knew that won Maurice over. Van and Maurice were two peas in a pod.

“Next time Van comes to your house. I want to come too; I barely see him now that TT Anila is pregnant again. She gets sick a lot. Which Paw Patrol character is your favorite?” Maurice loosened up, took off his backpack, and handed it to Xain to help him answer.

“Xuma. You?”

“Chase, of course. I like that he’s the team leader. I want to be the team leader one day,” Maurice explained, head held high.

“So you want to boss people around like your sister,” Xain laughed.

“Maybe,” Maurice giggled. “Leesi, what you cooking?”

“It was a group effort. We chose gumbo because I know you love it so much.”

“Yessss! Yummy! Can we eat now?”

“Yeah, I’m starving,” Noah chimed in, rubbing his stomach.

“You’re always hungry,” I teased.

When they said teenage boys would eat you out of house and home. They weren’t exaggerating. I don’t know how Noah survived living with his mom and minimal groceries. The boy could eat.

“Everybody, wash your hands. I’ll make plates,” my mom directed.

“Oh yeah,” Maurice rubbed his hands together.

“See, even lil man approves,” Xain beamed when we went into my bathroom to wash our hands in the double sink.

“Shocked me. But Ion know if he would’ve approved if you didn’t bring up Van.”

“Van has told me about his best friend Maurice. I had a cheat code,” Xain gloated, drying his hands.

“See, then that doesn’t count,” I argued, snatching a napkin from the roll in the middle of the sink.

“Everything counts,” he flirted, backing me into the sink. “I’m falling for you, Khaleesi, and your family is cool too. I can do this every day with you.”