In a burst of spontaneous joy, she wraps me in a hug. Surprised, I hug back, feeling an unexpected surge of heat between us that goes beyond excitement. Fuck, why does she always smell so good! Our hug lingers longer than it should, and as we finally pull apart, our eyes lock, silently questioning if we really want to let go.

I clear my throat a bit awkwardly. “You need help packing anything?”

Kerry raises an eyebrow, a mischievous sparkle in her eye. “You wanna see my bedroom, huh?” She teases.

“Uh, no! That’s not what I meant.” I stammer.

Kerry laughs. “I’m just kidding, Mr. Grimes. Lighten up!”

I attempt to regain my composure, shifting slightly to appear more at ease. “Alright, you got me there. But you should lighten up, too. Call me Vic.”

She nods. “Very well then, Vic. I’ll pack a few days’ worth of clothes and gather all my instructional material. Make yourself comfy on my ‘airy’ couch.” She giggles while walking away.

As I settle uneasily on the couch, the sound of keys jingling at the front door interrupts my scattered thoughts. The door abruptly swings open, and a middle-aged couple bursts in. The woman lets out a small yelp while the man loudly yells, “Grace, go grab my gun!”

I shoot up from the couch, my heart pounding as I rush to diffuse the situation. “No, please, there’s no need for that. My name is Victor Grimes. I’m—” I start, but the woman cuts me off with a gasp.

“Our daughter’s boyfriend!” She exclaims.

I mentally kick myself, having forgotten the little white lie Kerry and I concocted.

“Oh yeah...her boyfriend. That’s me,” I say, my voice faltering slightly in the awkward silence that follows. I attempt a recovery, adding a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, I’m extremely nervous. I haven’t met the parents in a long time and definitely never like this.”

The man, sturdy and imposing, extends a hand that’s as firm as his gaze. “Well, ain’t that right. I admit I didn’t appreciate hearing about you before I met you. We don’t get down like that down here, rich boy. My name is James Kind. It’s nice to meet you, Son.”

Mr. Kind and I shake hands, but Kerry’s mom, vibrant and overflowing with energy, pulls me into a warm, enthusiastic hug. “Ooh, you are one handsome man. A cute little Denzel Washington.” She comments with a playful wink.

“Grace!” Mr. James chides, though there’s a hint of amusement in his tone.

“What? Our daughter’s boyfriend is quite the looker,” Grace continues, undeterred. “Now, where’s our girl? Y’all didn’t just do the nasty in our house, did you?”

From the hallway, Kerry’s voice rings out, laden with mortification. “Mom! What the heck?”