Nikko's mother lived in Jefferson City, but he never told her the extent of why she moved there. Family was something neither of them talked about. She knew he was an only child, and his mother's brother was the only father figure in his life. All he knew about her was that she had two children and came from a blended family with siblings on both sides from her parents.

But this was not about meeting a sibling or a child, this was his mother.

"She's the Assistant State Attorney." He told her this later that night while they were sorting out their plans for Easter weekend.

"Whoa!"

That was big.

She knew exactly who she was knowing that. She remembered hearing her name, Cassandra Vasquez, on a big case a few years back while she was in St. Louis. As assistant state attorney, she was a big deal.

"Yes, she wanted me to major in law, like her."

Parents that pushed their hopes and dreams on their children, it happened so much. Never while raising her daughter and son did she press them to become a housewife like her, or into accounting like their father. It was their life, their choice. Even with all the wrongs she had done while young, her parents let her lead her own life.

"I can imagine she loves Amorica."

"Treats her like a daughter she wishes she had."

In the meantime, she did all the research she could on this woman. Assistant State Attorney for the past ten years, before that she worked in the law offices of the City Attorney General. His mother was well-known and beloved. She was half Black, half Puerto Rican so she was hated in some parts of middle Missouri simply for that.

The woman was gorgeous and did not look her age. In all the images she found of her she looked like an actor in Hollywood not a legal eagle lawyer in country Missouri. She looked nothing like her son either, not in the pictures. She went to undergraduate school at UMKC and then earned her J.D. from Mizzou.

Never married but had Nikko at age thirty-four and worked her way up as a single mother. That had to be tough. She had not worked for over twenty years while this woman was fighting crime and raising a child by herself. She immediately had so much respect for her.

At least work was getting a little easier for her and after her interview for the new position, she had positive feedback. She wondered if the Director of Communications would have words with Steve about her. Would he say good things and help her get the promotion? There were a few more applicants they were interviewing so she had to wait but she was hoping for the best.

She wanted to get her hair professionally done for this important meeting with Nikko's mother. She scheduled a hair appointment for the Friday before Easter and was lucky there was a slot for her. She was getting braids installed in hopes she looked way younger and his mother would not question her age.

Pipe dream, she knew that, but she did not want that subject to come up. She would show this woman how much she loved her son and that was all that was needed.

"You look great." Nikko picked her up from her apartment after her hair was done. Now she had braids down to her butt and she would not have to worry about doing her hair for at least six weeks or longer.

They were staying at his place Friday night, then he was driving them to Jefferson City. They were going to visit his mother but get a hotel room, upon her suggestion. There was no way she would want them sleeping together in her house. So she booked them a hotel.

"Guess who is going to be there?" he said to her.

"I have no idea."

"Amorica and Leah are coming. Like I said, my mother loves her. And guess what?"

She gave Nikko a look like how would she ever guess. She did not know these people well enough to know.

"Well, Leah is going to propose to Amorica. She confided in me so I could help with the proposal. My mom is going to flip."

"Aaw, that's sweet."

They left midday on Saturday and it was not a long drive to get there. It gave them a lot of time to think. Nikko discussed his childhood, and how his mother groomed him to be a lawyer like her, and that's what he was going to study in college. Two years in he lost interest in pleasing his mother and that was when the turmoil began. They were close as peas in a pod before the whole mix-up with college and his decision to not pursue what she wanted him to.

So she kicked him out and he was on his own at twenty. Luckily, he had friends and then a girlfriend he could crash at their place. He took whatever job he could to have money because she would not support him at all. That had to be rough.

Once he got a job at the post office, they began to mend their relationship, but she still was on him about giving up his art and focusing on what she called a sustainable career.

Sounded like a lot. This worried her.

They made it to his mother's home before they checked into the hotel which had a check-in time of four p.m. It was a nice looking place, and huge. Did she make a lot at her state job? She should have looked that up because she would have had access to it at SLMCG but it was not her business to pry.

Did Nikko grow up with lots of money?

"You ready?"

"No," she stated and took his hand. "But hey, I ain't scared."

Nikko laughed at that. She lied, she was scared, but it was what it was.

Nikko rang the doorbell and she was surprised when his mother opened the door. The woman's pictures posted online did nothing for her. There were no filters on her in person and she was absolutely glowing.

"My son!" She grabbed Nikko in a hug, kissing his cheeks like she used to kiss her son when he had a boo-boo. "Why does it take so long for me to ever see you."

"Come on ma, cool it with that." He moved away from his mother fawning all over him, but she could tell he loved it. "Stop embarrassing me in front of my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" His mother stopped and looked at her. "Well hello."

"Mom, don't act shocked, I told you I was bringing her. Mom, this is Jakinda Harris."

"Oh, well, I guess Ms. Harris it's nice to meet you." She took her arm and pulled her away. "I want to know all the nitty gritty. How long have you been dating my son? How did you two meet? Is he treating you right? Because I tried my best to teach him to be a gentleman, but you know, sometimes boys will be boys."

That made her smile because she understood how hard it was to raise kids and have them turn out as upstanding citizens.

"Ms. Vasquez, I wanted to meet you and personally thank you for raising a true gentleman, a good person, and just an awesome man. For that I am sure you are responsible for that, so again thank you."

"Oh, I like her." She hugged her close. "And please call me Cassie. No formal stuff here. It's nice to hear all my work on him has paid off. He listens...sometimes."

"Mom, don't start."

"Come on, get comfortable, and let's talk. Nikki, get us something to drink...and not talking water."

"I got you mom. And you too babe."

It still felt weird sitting with his mother, but she made her nice and comfortable.

"So, tell me about yourself. Where do you work?"

"It's a regional government agency called St. Louis Metro Council of Government and I-"

She gasped. "I know exactly the place. Small world. Do you know Les Dobkin or Harry Williams?"

"Of course. The Executive Director and Director of Communications." That was the department she was trying to get into. "I've only been there for about four years but I love what they do there. I am working with the lead abatement program there and now helping out with some Earth Day programming we are doing this year."

"Good to hear. I have worked with them for years when I was back home. Part of the council many, many years back. I'm still in touch with the Mayor and County Manager of course. SLMCG when I needed resources for some cases. So, what was your major, what did you go to college?"

Now she was going to feel some kind of way about her being a college dropout like her son.

"Mom, why are you-" Nikko started to interrupt but she held her hand out to let him know she had this.

"Sorry Cassie, I wish I would have finished college, but unfortunately I did not. I started at UMSL, met my ex-husband, got pregnant, and then had to drop out after a year. We married and I kind of just did the mother/housewife thing."

"Oh," she simply said. "You have kids."

Now they were down to the nitty gritty. She braced herself.

"Yes, I have two. I became pregnant at nineteen and had my daughter, then we married. Had my son three years later. Because my husband had a job making decent money we agreed for me to be a stay-at-home mom, which I loved doing, but once I saw the marriage wasn't working I needed to find a way out. That's when I found a job at SLMCG and soon filed for divorce. It's been a little over two years of being divorced."

"Oh wow."

"And let's get this out of the way," she went on. "I'm forty-four, so fifteen years older than your son. And yes, it seems like a lot. When I first met Nikko, I thought it couldn't possibly work because I have gone through so much in my years, marriage, divorce, kids, just life, but he's made me see that age is nothing but a number."

Nikko squeezed her hand and she relaxed a bit.

"I could tell when I met you that you were a lot older than my child, but I also knew you had a good heart. And care for my son. That's all that matters, stop being so defensive," Cassie chuckled. "I would have never guessed you were forty-four, ten years younger than me coming in here looking like a teenager almost."

She laughed at that. "I do not look that young...although I did get the braids to look younger so you would not think I was robbing the cradle."

"Girl!" Cassie laughed. "Come on now, I know how it is out here in the streets. Sometimes you need a young tenderoni."

"Mom!" Nikko groaned and slumped down in his seat.

"No, come on now. Listen...your old momma here is not all business. I have a life and...I'm seeing someone."

Nikko dropped her hand. This was a turn of events. Here she was thinking this woman was going to kick her out for sexually taking over her child's mind or something. Now here she was talking about how she met a man. A younger man?

"Mom! So you're telling me you have a boyfriend?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying I'm seeing someone. A few someone's."

Nikko stood up. "How many someone's?"

"Boy, sit yo lil ass down," she said. "I mean, I'm dating. I'm all here alone don't you think I deserve someone?"

"No. I mean...dating? Who?"

"I never ask you about your love life I didn't think I had to tell you." She gave a snicker. "But since you asked, Jeremy will be here for dinner tomorrow and you can meet him."

"Jeremy? How old is he?"

"Thirty."

Well damn. That made their age gap wider than theirs. Cassie was fifty-four so that meant she was twenty-four years older. Sheesh. This was some drama she was not expecting but she was here for it.