Hammer and Nail

Chapter 12

"This is little Leo's favourite dish." My mother explains as she begins to chop up an onion.

We have been home for a few hours now and my mother has insisted on making us Shepherds pie instead of having Xander's chef cook for us. So Xander sent him home with pay which the chef seemed quite happy about.

I am so excited for this shepherd pie! My mother makes the best ever! My mother was not wrong, I am in love with this dish. I have to say it's my favourite food. However, tacos, pizza, and macaroni and cheese are a close second.

We just came to the kitchen and Xander pulled me out a bar stool for me to sit at while he and my mother prepped dinner. Xander was peeling and cutting the potatoes while my mother talked his ear off. He didn't look like he minded however as she filled his head with facts about me and my childhood. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself. His smile has not disappeared from his face once this whole afternoon and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere any time soon.

"Oh! I must come up with the baby and childhood photos!" My mother chirps happily, "Leo was such a gangly and awkward child."

"Not much has changed." Xander responds, his eyes coming up from the potatoes and finding mine. He blows me a kiss and I 'catch it' and place it on my lips with a giggle. He winks at me as my mother continues talking about my life with her.

Once the prep work is all done my mother tells Xander to sit and she will take care of the rest. "Would you like a glass of wine?" Xander asks my mother.

"Ooo yes please!" She says as she sauté the onions and garlic. Xander gets out two whine glasses and grabs a bottle of red wine from his wine fridge under the island in the kitchen. He skillfully pours out the wine into each glass making the glasses about a third full each.

"Madam." He says and she happily takes the glass before coming to me at the bar which overlooks the kitchen. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"What do you have?" I ask and he smiles going to the fridge.

"Well little Leo," he takes my nickname from my mother, "we have milk, apple juice, mango juice, and it looks like we also have a carton of chocolate milk."

"Chocolate milk!" I clap my hands happily. I love love love chocolate milk!

He takes the milk out of the fridge and pauses placing the carton out of the fridge, "please excuse me for a minute."

Xander leaves and my mother turns around for a second, "Xander seems like a nice man and he seems to really like you."

"Yea, I like him too." I mumble thinking about Xander.

My mother grabs the ground beef off the counter before turning back to the wok which is sizzling. "Are you thinking about being with him?"

"Yea ... I think we are actually." I tell her and she hums.

"You think?"

"Well not in the conventional way. Like he wants to be a sort of... I don't know how to explain it." I pout not sure if I should tell my mother. I tell her everything, usually. She's like my best friend.

"What is it darling?" She turns around with a concerned look and I shrug.

"Never mind." I tell her and she nods going back to cooking.

Xander enters the kitchen with two black bags from the BDSM store and I go wide eyed. "Xander no." I whisper scold.

"I won't be showing her what we bought." He rolls his eyes whispering to me, "I just bought those bottles and sippy cups. I want you to use them."