"Thank you. I needed that."
"Well, I have more of those. Plenty of them." She used the back of her hand to wipe each cheek and smiled. "And to be honest, I needed that too… from you. Come, let's sit."
All the while, they chatted about what was left for her to put away in the living room, Swift stood in the kitchen, drinking his second bottle of Gatorade. He wanted to shower, but once he caught a glimpse of Starlah with his mother, he decided not to interrupt them. It also didn't help that each time he caught a glimpse of her, he was drawn to the sadness in her eyes, wanting to be the one to help her smile.
He looked down as his dick jumped and grunted. "Calm the fuck down."
Each time Swift looked at Star, he couldn't believe she was the same girl who had once been full of life years earlier. She chased dogs, rode horses, even slid underneath the hood of a car, tinkering with the engine with her brother and father. Now, when he saw her, though, his dick jumped… a lot.
"Hungry?" his mother asked. When he realized they might see him in the kitchen, he took a step back and almost tripped over the dog food.
"Swift, baby? Is that you?"
He quickly gained his bearings, silently cursing when his mother entered the kitchen.
"Oh. I should have moved that when I saw it. Figured you'd gotten busy with my glam puppies."
"Glam puppies?" he repeated.
London smirked, causing him to grin.
"Yes. Who knew you'd be so good with them, but you're good at everything."
He blushed at the way his mother made him feel like a little boy.
"Tired?"
"Naw, but I do need to shower." He tossed the empty Gatorade bottles in the trash, then quickly washed his hands. "Don't get that bag. I came in late last night from the shop, then got up early and went for a run."
"I saw. I came to cook breakfast, and off you went with your two little companions. I didn't even know you still ran each morning."
Before Swift could respond, Starlah slowly entered the kitchen. She gulped, taking in his well-defined arms and pecs, his t-shirt saturated with sweat.
"Swift," she softly greeted him, waving her fingers. "Thank you again."
"For?"
"Taking care of Chevy. He's so good with you."
"He makes it easy. Better than Papa. That nigga wanna be the boss, barking at the chickens and cows, then running when they come toward him. I thought they were protectors," he teased when she pulled out a chair and took a seat. "You slept okay?" he asked.
London stood back with crossed arms, her eyes darting back and forth. She wasn't sure what was happening between the two of them, but those goofy grins on both of their faces told it all. They were in "like". She knew she was when her heart leaped at the sight of them.
"I've slept better, but I figured I'd come out into the real world after being cooped up in my room the past two weeks."
A nervous grin followed as Swift stood, almost like a fish out of water, flopping around. When his mother couldn't take it anymore, she clapped her hands once, their heads swiveling in her direction.
"So, since you all have me for another day or so, how about I whip up something? What do you like to eat? The fridge is stocked." London glanced at Starlah, who looked at Swift.
"Oh, please. Don't worry about my son. He eats anything, and I do mean anything."
"Wait." He frowned as Starlah sputtered, covering her mouth. "Mama, come on now."
"Oh, no, honey. I didn't mean?—"
"It's fine," Starlah offered, tucking her lips, fighting hard to suppress the giggle. "If it makes you feel any better, I've been told that before, too. Growing up with nothing but men, you eat what they eat until you learn to cook for yourself. I'm still not that great at it, though," she confessed.
"Oh, sweetie. I can show you a few things, and this is a perfect time."
