SEX AND THE BOY ✓

IT IS LOVE, IT IS SEX AND IT IS THE BOY

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT, Mom?" The fork holding a horseshoe-sized cuboid of red velvet stops inches to Leroi's mouth, while he side-eyes the woman washing plates at the sink.

Onika feigns ignorance by blowing moist air on the shining silverware, then wiping it with a napkin a little too much and too long. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What I'm talking about is that you should stop creeping me out. Can you cut it out please?"

"Still clueless."

It's been this way for almost two weeks now. His mothers throwing awkward glances ever so often like sending wordless messages Leroi has never been in the right mood or mind to incorporate, stuffing him fat with his favorite foods and extra checks in his weekly allowance like everyday is his birthday, letting the "dreadful" chores on his hands go and now he overheats his Xbox, Snapchat feeds and Onlyfans subscription.

All in the silent name of asking for forgiveness.

"Okay okay. Enough of this," declares Leroi with bitterness, dropping noisily the fork on the plate he's pushed forward. "See, I wish Mom was here to listen to this but... I'm not mad."

Onika's eyes light up. "You're not?"

"Nope. I'm irated. Incensed. Infuriated. Nettled and wrathed."

"Oh my God, nice vocab," Onika coos, rushing to her son with dripping hands and a delightful smile. "Have you been using that app I--"

The boy's eyes widen, like all these is happening in front of live camera. He pounds his fists on the table, startling the woman. "This is one of it! I want you all to fucking stop all these. News flash; I'm eighteen and will be flying out to the uni in less than five weeks from now. I'm sick and tired of you guys treating me like a baby."

"Well, clearly you aren't from the foul language," she mumbles, "this gigantic frosting cake in front of you and your browser history."

"I didn't just hear that."

"No, you didn't." She flips her pink ponytail.

"Bottom line is." Leroi exhales his heartstrings loose. "I'm just stressed. What you did isn't something pretty enough to pass through my left ear and smoothly glide out of the right. I've long since forgiven you, you should know me by now, but I'm still mad."

Onika sobers up and her eyes turn glassy. It just breaks Leroi's heart seeing her like this. Even the impact of him gaining this new knowledge has lined a crack in their family. His mothers now seem distant to each other. It doesn't help too that Robyn is the sole breadwinner, Onika is a full-time housewife, her "son" is a seed of another multimillionaire and the former is the odd one out in terms of dough.

"I've a request."

"Yes?" Onika sniffs, dabbing her watery eyes. Mascara is running a liquid scar down her temples.

"You. Yes, you and Mom. You both are coming to my school tomorrow."

"For?" The woman's attention is on her mirror already, trying to fix her face.

"Kaolin is playing his final game tomorrow. Probably the most important game of his life, of his future. Scouts are coming and a scholarship is on the line. He would really need the support."

"Oh Leroi. That's so sweet of you."

"It's nothing." Leroi pulls on his t-shirt before whistling for Whiskey.

"But your mom may be busy at work."

"Then you've got your work cut out for you." Leroi hugs her from behind, gently rocking the woman side to side. "Take it as a little family date with your little boy, who will always be your little boy, and that's what nothing, no-damn-body is going to change me from being."