Around 5:30

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The only sound in the kitchen was the constant chopping of the purple onion on the kitchen island. A shaky breath was inhaled and the chopping halted for a moment. Now the muffled, giddy and childish voices of brothers playing basketball outside filled her ears.

She sighed, wondering how he was able to not let this get to him. Of course he didn't have attention phobia and he was probably use to all of this. She broke the sliced onion into rings and tossed them into the salad mixer. The back of her wrist ran across her cheeks trying to get rid of the wetness there, caused by the onion. No, caused by the events of the day.

It kept replaying in her mind. The night before had been beautiful, magical. Today had been hell.

She hated herself for thinking this, but she had been all day. -Why did I have to fall in love with him? - Of all people, she had to go for the one that could screw up her life in a matter of seconds.

She knew the risk. She had taken it. And now she was faced with the consequences. She just hoped she could put up with it, to be strong, and in the end get his love still, unconditionally.

Her thoughts had carried her away, and like a rocket blast the door bust open and two sweaty guys came in yelling. "YOU CHEATED!" And "I BEAT YOU!"

"Now, boys. If you aren't going to be nice, I won't let you play." Alex's head shot up at the sound of Lynn's voice. She hadn't even heard her car drive up.

Lynn made her feel...weird. She knew Lynn could read her son well, and she wondered if she would pick up on what had happened the night before. Knowing Lynn, Alexandria knew she'd be asking questions. ESPECAILLY with what had happened today.

"Hey, Lex. What are you cookin?" Lynn asked.

Alex sniffed, blinked a few times and looked up at the 3 of them staring at her eagerly. "Umm, salad and pasta. What else do I know how to cook?" She managed a chuckle.

The three of them looked at her concerned. "What? Ohh, its the onion. Pretty strong." Her voice cracked.

Lynn and Jon smiled and nodded. Justin stared at her and gently shook his head. Her eyes locked onto his and his face frowned. He knew it wasn't the onion. He knew very well it wasn't the onion.

"Well, Paul called. He is going to be late tonight, so it's just us. How was yall's day?" Lynn asked.

"Mommy, I drew a picture and the teacher like it so much she put it on the bulletin board." Jon said proudly.

"Good for you. What was it of?" Lynn squatted down and ruffled his hair.

He grinned. "Me beating Justin in basketball." Justin maturely stuck his tongue out at his sibling. "IT WAS! It was me dunking on him." Jon giggled and ran off to somewhere in the house.

Lynn shook her head and stood up. "What about you two how was your day? Ohh yeah, how was your date? I haven't had the chance to talk to either of you." She sat down in at the kitchen table, sorting through the mail but waiting for them to answer.

"Uh, mom. Today was...strange. Last night was great. But because, umm, of last night, today was stressful." Justin stuttered and sat down beside his mother.

"What do you mean?" She dropped the mail on the table and stared at him, hard.

"Umm, well. See last night, some reporters somehow followed us back to Alex's apartment."

"Oh no." She whispered. "Did they get pictures? Tell me what happened?"

Justin glanced at Alex who was busying herself with washing the salad and fixing the noodles. He turned back shyly at his mom.

"Well, uhh, so...man, how do I tell you this?" He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. He was close to his mom, but he wasnt sure he wanted to test the boundaries of how close they were. "Ok, so this morning one of Alex's neighbors came over and told us he saw all these reporters outside. We had to call Mike and Dre to get us out without them getting pictures and then we got lectured by Johnny and then we came here."

"Oh ok. But, what do you mean? This morning?" Her curiosity triggered and she looked at her son with wide-begging eyes.

He sighed; knowing there was no way out of this. "Mom, I didn't go home last night. I stayed at Lexia's." He mumbled the last part.

Her forward position on the table slouched back. She stared at her eldest son. He bowed his curly head and watched as his fingers fiddled with the drawstring on his basketball shorts.

Alex tried everything in her power to stay out of the conversation and busy herself with cooking. The silence was knawing at her. She stole a quick glance at the kitchen table. Lynn was staring at Justin so hard. Like she was trying to get inside his head.

Alexandria knew, Lynn knew.

Justin slightly lifted his head and turned his eyes to his mother. She mouthed and in a barely audible voice, whispered. "Did you sleep with her?"

He could say no. But he knew his mom already knew the truth. There was no point in lying. He turned and looked at Alex who was reaching in the cabinets for the plates and bowls. He smiled.

-Who cares if my mom knows? I'm in LOVE with her. -

He turned back to Lynn and confidently looked into her eyes and nodded softly. She took in a sharp deep breath and turned her gaze outside as her son stared at her.

"I'm going to go get Jon. Dinner is almost ready." If it were any softer Alex's voice would have been a whisper.

Lynn turned, smiled and said, "All right."

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Dinner was silent.

Except for Jon. As always, he had a ton of things to say and ask. So dinner wasn't TOO awkward.

Finally, Lynn looked up and directed her gaze straight to Alex. "So, is it ok to go back to your apartment tonight?"

Alex gulped down her food and shook her head no. "Umm, I'm uhh, staying at Justin's tonight. I'm going to have to get my clothes and stuff that I have here though, because I cant go back to my apartment just yet, and uhh, I don't have anything with me." She looked at Lynn, turned to Justin who tried to smile and then looked down at her plate of barely eaten food.

"Oh ok." That was Lynn's only response.

"MOMMY! Can Justin and Lexy spend the night??" Jon asked rather loudly.

Lynn looked up at Justin and Alex and then back at Jon. "Umm, I don't think so honey. They are going to Justin's."

"No, mom. That's a great idea. I can sleep on the couch and Alex can take my old room. That's fine. What do you say Lexia?" Justin looked at her encouraging her with his smile and eyes.

She looked horrified. "Um, whatever."

"YEAH!!!" Jon cheered and tried desperately to get the pasta on his fork, without it sliding off.

Justin winked at Alex. What was he trying to do? Make her life as awkward and embarrassing as possible.

She doubted that, but it sure seemed that way.

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A bit before 9 that night.
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"LEXY!!!!!"

Alex groaned at the familiar voice. She loved the kid, but today was not a day that she really wanted to be worrying about him. As bad as that sounded. She just wanted to curl up in her bed and cry, as hard as she could.

"What Jon?" She peeked her head in his room to see him sitting on his bed, in his pjs, waving a book in the air.

"Will you read to me?" She couldn't help but smile at his sugar coated voice.

"Sure. But I gotta get a shower ok? I'll read to you after. I won't be long." She smiled and turned back to Justin's old room that she had claimed as her own for the night. Lynn had laid out her a towel and Alex had got her toiletries bag and pjs from where she kept her spare stuff. She sighed, picked it up and turned to walk to the bathroom that was outside in the hall. Her eyes scanned his old room.

It was blue, of course. Very boyish, very bare. She wondered what he had been like a few years ago. Was he still the suave romantic guy she had fell in love with, or was he a shy awkward boy that girls steered clear of?

She giggled to herself; one of the only times she had all day and made her way to the bathroom. She knocked to make sure, hugging all her stuff to her chest. She was about to open the door when it cracked open for her.

She saw that curly head look out and smile; he then opened the door further. "Come on in."

She just stared there for a moment. Alex couldn't believe how he could still leave her breathless. She had seen all of him. But right now, she couldn't think of anything better than how he looked right then. A white towel securely hung on his waist and the rest of him was bare and a bit wet. His hair was slightly damp, half his face was full of shaving cream, and the other just had streaks of it. A razor was dangling from his right fingers.

"I'll be out in a minute." He smiled smugly and raised his chin and ran the razor up over his skin. She meekly walked in and set her stuff on the toilet seat and looked up at him as he shaved.

"I know you are thinking that its pointless for me to have shaved at 9 at night, but mom will DEFIENTATLY want to talk to me tonight, and the more babyish I seem, the better off I am. Aww, bye bye goatee." He pouted but chuckle as he looked at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye.

"Ohh, you know mom knows right?"

"Uhh, I guess." She whispered. He sighed and turned to look at her. His eyes bore into hers, trying to figure her out. She cleared her throat, ignored him and busied herself with putting some of her toiletries in the shower. She heard the sink run and water splash. She guessed across his face. As Alex was leaning over in the shower two hands grabbed her waist and pulled her against a strong chest. She was dragged over until she was looking at herself in a mirror with Justin behind her, holding on.

"Look at you. Stop this. You haven't eaten all day, you haven't said more than 3 words, you aren't being yourself. Snap out of it ok? This isn't the girl I love. Please, I need my Lexia back." His eyes pleaded hers in the mirror and he bent down to kiss her neck. "Please Lexia, don't let this get to you. We are going to be ok."

Justin turned her in his arms and looked at her. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped. Instead he brought his arms around her waist and leaned over her, crashing his mouth down on hers. His lips expertly moved with hers as his tongue eased his way to hers. She moaned and brought him closer by holding his head tightly to hers. This had been what she needed all day. He had been affectionate, sure. But she needed to KNOW that he still wanted, needed, and loved her.

His hands moved down, cupping her butt and pressing her into him. She had finally lessened the grasp on his face and moved her hands to his bare back. Justin lessened the pressure on her lips and kissed her softly once, then twice. Finally his lips left hers and traveled down the side of her neck. She rested her head on his strong shoulder and hugged him tightly as his lips stopped and remained motionless against her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Justin, I'm so sorry." She whispered, her voice shaky and filled with tears.

"Shhh, baby, don't. It's ok. Don't cry Lexia. Please." He begged. He hugged her as tight as possible and a minute later a soft knock came to the door and it cracked open.

"Uh, guys. Jon is complaining that no one is reading to him." Lynn smiled at them as they pulled apart.

"I'm leaving. Gonna be ok?" He asked Alexandria.

"Yeah. Thanks." She whispered. Lynn looked at both of them and smiled comfortingly. She was shocked at the initial news but she was realizing how hard this was for them with the press that might have gotten.

Justin shut the door behind him and looked at his mother curiously as she began to laugh lightly. "Nice outfit, honey. Go put some clothes on and come downstairs, I wanna talk with you."

He turned up his nose and went into his old room/ Alex's new room to get clothes.

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Justin cautiously sat down by his mother on the couch. She handed him a glass of milk. He had to smile. She knew him, well. Too well at times, but he wouldn't change that for anything.

"So...how is she doin?" Lynn asked carefully.

Justin sighed, slouching down. "Not good. I know why, but then again I don't know why she is acting like this. I hope she doesn't think that it's her fault or anything. Because it couldn't have been prevented or anything. I...nevermind."

His mom reached over and grabbed his hand. "Tell me baby, I already know...everything, kinda." She giggled.

"I hope she doesn't think what we did was a mistake." His face began to burn with red and he looked away.

"Ask her baby. Believe me, it's very strange for me to be giving you advice on this subject. But you're 20 years old, and as much as I hate to admit it you are your own man. You know you will always be my baby though, right?"

He rolled his eyes and moved his position so he was stretched across the couch with his head in her lap. She instinctively ran her fingers through his hair and he sighed, contently. "I know momma. I mean, I don't know what to do. I've never been in this situation before. It was...I don't want to tell you how good it was mom, but ya know? What now? I just wish no one had found out, then I would have been able to talk to her. But now, it's weird."

"Justin, I've told you all my life. Girls are weird. They have strange emotions that get mixed up. I've known Alex, LONGER than you. And maybe I don't know her as well, but I know she's not much for attention. She's a strong girl, stronger than I've ever met, but that's her weakness. Most people wish and hope to be celebrities, to be famous. Alex would hate it. And, I love Alex like she were my own. And I know that she must really love you if she is putting her private life on the line, just to be with you."

Justin smiled at his mom's words, staring off to a bookshelf that had a picture of Jon and Alexandria on it. Lynn continued.

"I know you might not wanna hear this, but I bet she is really doubting her life with you right now. So you need to convince her that you are worth the risk."

He turned his head and looked up at his mom. "But what if I'm not momma, what if I'm not worth the risk?"

"Believe me baby..." She smiled and sat up, causing him to move his head. She took a pillow and gave it to him, he position it under his head. She then took the afghan off the couch and placed it over her son. She kissed his forehead. "...you are worth the risk."

He smiled and got comfortable under his makeshift bed. She walked away. "Get your rest Justin, you got a big day tomorrow."

"Ok."

She turned off the lamp that was left on in the room. "Goodnight baby."

"Thanks. Night momma."