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It’s the end of the school day and Rayane and Jack are parting in the courtyard before Jack heads home with his siblings.. Just before they say goodbye Rayane says “hey my mom wants to meet you..she said to invite you over for dinner. Does tomorrow work?”
“Oh!” Jack replies, “I think that would work..text me your address and I’ll have someone walk me over. See you tomorrow!”
Just then Lizzie and Jordan meet Jack in the courtyard and he tells them Rayane has invited him for dinner. They exchange raised eyebrows.
The next afternoon arrives and with it the drama of Jack choosing what to wear. “Come on!” Jordan says, “who cares what you wear? Rayane has already seen all your clothes! I have someplace to be and we need to leave.” Jack settles on his blue sweatshirt and they head out the door.
*****
Rayne answers the door to Jack and Jordan. They greet one another and Jordan says “Text me when you’re done and I’ll come back and get you.” Rayne replies “I’ll bring him home, it’s no problem.”
Romy watches from the kitchen as Rayane takes Jacks arm and leads him into their home.
“Maman, this is Jack. Jack this is my maman, Romy.”
Jack greets Romy and she tells the boys she’s finishing dinner and she’ll let them know when it’s ready. In the meantime they listen to music and discuss the project they’re working on for school.
Romy calls them to the table and Rayane walks Jack over, pulling out his chair. He joins his mother in the kitchen and starts preparing two plates of food. Rayane is taking extra care with one of the plates. He cuts the chicken into bite sized pieces and makes sure all the other food is in single bite size. He bring the plate to Jack and tells him, “chicken is at 6, potatoes at 2 and green beans at 10. Your fork is to the left, there is bread just above your plate to the left, a glass of water just above your plate to the right. Here is a napkin.”
Jack thanks him. Before Romy sits down Rayane tells her he usually sits on Jack’s right if she wouldn’t mind sitting across from Jack. Romy has been watching Rayane carefully. She has never seen him take such care to meet another person’s needs. She notices how naturally he and Jack move around one another and how Rayane quite casually has made sure Jack feels safe and comfortable since he has entered their home.
They all begin eating and discussing their days, and school, and Romy continues to notice the dance happening between Jack and her son. Rayane keeps a bit of attention always on Jack; when Jack reaches for his glass Rayane places his hand slightly behind it so it doesn’t tip over. A few pieces of food fall off of Jack's fork onto his shirt and the table and Rayne quickly moves them away. Once Jack has only a few bites left, and has more trouble locating them, Rayne gently guides his fork to them. All of this happens without either of them saying a word or stopping chatting with one another or Romy.
Everyone is finishing their meals when Romy comments “It seems like you two are used to eating with one another.” Rayane shrugs and says “yeah, I guess..” while Jack replies “Every day Rayane gets our food from the canteen, makes sure that have what I need and then takes our plates to be cleaned when we are done. He never makes it seem like I am a bother to him…he is a good friend to me. I would offer to help clean up here, but I think I would make too much of a mess!”
Romy laughs and remarks that she can clean up while the boys hang out. They sit on the sofa laughing and chatting while she cleans the dishes. Romy is feeling grateful and unexpectedly emotional. She is glad Rayane has made a friend, and she thinks Jack is a friendly and obviously resilient young man. She is moved by watching her son take such good care of Jack in a casual and nonchalant manner. She knows Rayane’s heart and that he has had trouble showing it since the move and his father’s death. She sees how her son smiles at Jack, how he looks at him and how his eyes light up, how he is so tender with him. She thinks there may be something more here, something more than friendship. Something more like love. She smiles at them across the room.
Rayane walks Jack home later. “Thanks for having me over, it was nice meeting your mom. She’s much nicer than you” Jack jokes when they reach his apartment building. “Very funny” Rayanne replies. He gives Jack a shove with his shoulder and says “see you at school” before he walks back home.