LÍO

SILVER SPOON

"HE KIDNAPPED THE SPOONS!"

"Who did?" Irene asks, stirring her cup of coffee.

"The boy!"

"Which boy?"

"Our Son!" Mahmoud hisses back. "It most certainly wasn't Zara—"

"—What if she's going through an identity crisis or an experimentation phase?" David adds, munching on a churro.

"She knows better than that." Mahmoud mumbles back, rummaging through the drawers. "Much better."

"Yeah, she seems pretty sensible."

"Compared to a lot of kids her age, she is." Irene agrees as Zara walks in, wearing a long skirt, kitten heels and a crisp, white shirt. Her hair's tied back in a ponytail and her natural features shine through underneath her thick, framed glasses she's chosen to wear for the day. "Going anywhere special?"

"I have a job interview."

Mahmoud's ears perk up. "Where at?"

"Your company."

"Why?"

"They want to find someone to help design the new uniforms. I need to meet with the head of design. They said the eighties called and wanted the current ones back."

Mahmoud nods. "I see—"

"—Mahmoud, you work at PulCo right?"

"Yes, I do."

"Would you both like a ride over? I'm heading that way."

Before he can answer, a small fluffy kitten walks out of Adam's room. Mahmoud lets out a sigh. "Where did this come from?"

"Adam has a pet cat. Simon."

"Pity it had to be that kinda pussy, too." Mahmoud mutters under his breath, before looking up at Irene, who's shaking her head. "What?"

"Is that really appropriate for our guest to hear?"

Mahmoud shrugs. "I'm sure he's mature enough to know what that is. Anyway, David are you good at looking after cats?"

"I'm sure I could manage Simon."

Mahmoud smiles. "Great. You have a new friend."

"Does he have food?"

Irene shakes her head. "I could get him some. He's probably starving."

Mahmoud nods again, trying to find a spoon. He looks in the drawers, cupboards and even the fridge. He can't find anything. "Irene, how am I stirring my coffee?"

Irene sighs and passes him a knife. "Use this. It'll do until I buy some plastic ones later."

She passes the knife to Mahmoud who's trying his hardest not to explode. "If this happens again, I'm going to have to enforce the spoon patrol." He asserts to everyone around the table. "I'll be a spoon cop and I won't let anyone get away with this."

➟ ➟ ➟ ➟ ➟

It's half nine and Adam's beginning to wake up.

The air conditioning slowly lulls him out of his sleep. The smell of coffee, churros, tomatoes, bacon, chocolate dough and pancakes fill the air.

Delighted, he perks up in the white linen sheet, puts on his slippers and makes his way downstairs.

An assortment of glorious food greets him; shakshuka, churros, pastries, toasted khobz, chorizo tortillas, baghrir, fruit, cereal and even a vegetable bake.