Maybe, Maybe Not

27. Fright Night

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?"