“Ready?” Xavier asked Kira as he helped her on with her coat. He really enjoyed seeing her with his family. It surprised him that his mother had taken up with her so completely. It was as if they had known each other their whole lives. He guessed that his mother was just happy that he had finally brought a girl home for them to meet.

“Promise me you’ll come back to visit soon,” his mother said, pulling Kira in for a hug.

A smile spread across Kira's face after she released her. “I will. I promise. But I wish you would have let me help you with the dishes.”

“Not...