“I’m home,” Maria shouted struggling through the door with grocery bags. Maria stumbled to the kitchen sitting the bags on the counter.

“Mama mama,” LaLa ran and jumped in Maria’s arms.

“Hey my baby,” Maria said kissing her little girl. “How was your day?"

“GGGGreat,” LaLa growled like Tony the Tiger giggling.

“What did you do?"

“We wrote our name and colored. But Ms. Cager fussed at us because she said we wasn’t acting right during reading time. Like I know how to read ma mama” LaLa put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes giving Maria a DUH look.

Maria laughed at how grown her little girl could be sometime. She didn’t have many other kids around and picked up on a lot of her and Liz’s gestures.

“Where’s Alex?"

“He’s sleeping."

“Oooh let’s go wake him,” Maria tickled LaLa putting her down.

They both tip toed into Maria’s bedroom and found Alex knocked out on Maria’s bed. Maria looked at LaLa and put her finger to her lips gesturing to LaLa to be quiet. They both jumped on the bed tickling Alex.

Alex awoke to his two favorite girls in the world laughing and tickling him. He grabbed both of them and returned the tickles until all three of them were rolling on the bed in a fit of giggles.

Maria ended up on top of Alex.

“How was your day my little Waterboy?" Maria teased kissing Alex’s nose.

“You know I hate it when you call me that,” Alex started to tickle Maria again.

They rolled over on the bed and rolled right off and hit the floor with a thud. LaLa was watching cartoons and turned and looked at the lump on the floor and fell out laughing. She ran over to them and jumped on top of them laughing.

LaLa got up and ran over to the TV. “Look ma mama” she shouted. “Jazzland” she said staring at the tv in awe.

Jazzland was the new theme park that just opened earlier in the year and Maria had been promising she would take LaLa. Every time the commercial would come on LaLa would bug her about when they were going.

“I know sweetie, I promised I’d take you. But Mommie has been working extra hard and just hasn’t had the time."

“I know my mama..I know we’re gonna go, I'm so excited I can't wait."

Maria picked up her little girl and kissed her “maybe we’ll go for the haunted house."

“Oooh yea,” LaLa squealed.

Maria put her down in front of the tv. Alex got up and hugged Maria from behind as they walked towards the kitchen.

“So, what are your plans for the evening?" Alex asked kissing her neck and while Maria tried to put up the groceries.

“Well you know we have a few interviews this evening for the apartment. And that’s it, I guess. Why? Did you have anything in mind?" Maria said turning and wrapping her arms around Alex’s neck.

“Well we could always...” Alex kissed Maria’s neck. Maria leaned back to give him further access. Their lips locked in a deep kiss as Alex picked her up and sat her on the counter.

Liz came in the kitchen and slammed her keys on the table interrupting Alex and Maria’s smooching.

“Jeez can you guys take that in the bedroom. God forbid I sit my toast in a little booty juice on the countertop compliments of Alex and Maria."

“Eww that’s gross Liz,” Maria turned around scrunching up her nose at her best friend.

Liz laughed and started fumbling through the mail on the table. “Where’s my sunshine?"

“She’s in my room watching television." Maria disengaged herself from Alex’s embrace much to his disliking and went over to the table and sat down with Liz.

Maria and Liz went through the mail together everyday.

“Bills” Maria tossed the envelope to the table.

“Bills” Liz tossed another envelope down.

“Bills”

“Can you pay bills, can you pay my telephone bills, can you pay my automobile,” Maria and Liz sang getting up from the table in unison dancing around the kitchen.

Alex just yawned and wiped his still sleep-induced eyes and grinned at Maria and Liz. “I see I’m interrupting girls time, so I’ll be on my way,” Alex said making his way to the back door.

“Bye,” Maria cooed and hugged Alex from behind and kissed his neck.

“I’ll call you later,” Alex said making his way out the door.

Maria smiled and closed and locked the door.

“So,” Maria rubbed her hands together making her way over to the table. “What time will our first set of potential tenants be arriving?" she asked.

“Well I only scheduled one set for today. They’ll be here at 7.”

“Good, that gives me just enough time to feed LaLa and set in front of the tv for The Cabbage Patch Kids Sing Along."

“Well I’m gonna jump in the shower and change into something a little more comfortable,” Liz said standing up wiggling her hips seductively.

“Ooh I’m guessing our interviewee’s are male?" Maria said smiling.

“Oh yes, it’s Isabel’s brother and his friend. I spoke to her brother and he sounded very sexy.”

“Lizzy you know voices can be very deceiving, you would think you would know that by now,” Maria chuckled.

Liz gave her the finger. Maria just laughed at her friend.

Liz was single and didn’t exactly have the greatest experiences with men. It seemed like she always picked the wrong one’s. The one’s that were too much like herself. And recently she’d met a guy over the phone through a friend. They’d talked on the phone for about a week before meeting. He had one of those smooth pillow talk voices that could talk any woman out of their panties she thought. But when they’d finally met it was a disaster. He was far from attractive, he had missing teeth in the front, a bad hair cut, he talked about himself all night as if he was God’s gift to women, and worst of all he had halitosis, so Liz figured. Liz told Maria his breath smelled like hot garbage. And it was like the funk soaked through the pores of his face, he didn’t even have to open his mouth. Liz had given Maria a dissertation of their date late the same night over a tub of Blue Bell Praline’s & Cream ice cream. That’s how they were, but Liz was in no way jealous of Maria. She knew she’d eventually find her special someone. Alex was good for Maria and he loved LaLa to death.

“Well don’t be long, I guess I could use a shower myself,” Maria said raising her arm and sniffing. “I kind of have a sweaty holding spray aroma."

“Lizzy, Lizzy” LaLa said running into the kitchen hurdling into Liz’s arms.

“How’s my sunshine?” Liz said pinching LaLa's little nose.

LaLa flashed Liz a 100 watt smile she reserved especially for her. “Well I’m off to shower." Liz put LaLa down and she ran over to Maria and leaned on her lap.

Maria smoothed LaLa’s hair and stared into her baby’s sparkling green eyes. When Maria looked into LaLa’s eyes it was like they made a connection. Their eyes had a special twinkle in them when they connected, and Maria knew LaLa felt their connection too when she looked at her mommy. She loved her little girl dearly and prayed to the God’s everyday for blessing her with her angel. She smiled to herself at her beauty and leaned down and rubbed her nose with hers

“So...what do you want for supper ma baby?"

“Mmmm....how bout....ravioli,” LaLa hoorayed and pranced over and sat in her chair at the table.

Maria went to the cabinet and pulled out a can of ravioli. She opened the can and poured it into a bowl and stuck the bowl in the microwave.

“What cha want to drink?"

“Silly billy goo goo ma mama.”

“Oh...my bad...how could I not know,” Maria said.

LaLa was like any other child. There were certain things she liked and disliked. And she was very picky. Her favorite drink was Hawaiian Punch mixed with Orange Juice, her favorite cereal was frosted flakes (which she didn’t eat without bananas), and she loved spicy foods. Maria figured she’d picked that up from her. They went through bottles and bottles of Louisiana hot sauce a week. When Maria or Liz cooked, the food was always extra spicy. And they would all pay for it later on. Maria always joked that they would shit fire after some of their meals.

Maria sat the bowl of ravioli and the bottle of hot sauce down in front of LaLa and went to the fridge to pour her juice. She heard the shower go off and decided to go jump in before their guests arrived.

“Sweetie, Mommy’s gonna go and jump in the shower. Lizzy is in her room so holler for her when you’re finish and she’ll put the Cabbage Patch Kids Sing Along on for you."

“Okey dokey mommy."

Maria kissed LaLa on her forehead and headed to the bathroom. “Lizzie I’m showering, listen for LaLa for me,” Maria shouted towards Liz’s room.

“Ok. Maria should we have some sort of snacks or drinks for them?"

“Yea I guess we could. Look in the cabinet there’s some Captain Morgan’s Coconut Rum and there’s some orange juice and homemade vanilla ice cream in the freezer. Why don’t you whip up some frozen drinks,” Maria shouted over the water.

“What about snacks?"

“Pour some chips in a bowl and some dip, we not trying to get them full."

“Okay.”

Liz came out of her room and made her way to the kitchen to get the refreshments ready. She’d showered with some kiwi scented shower gel and dabbed some kiwi melon oil on her pulse points. Something she’d picked up from a vendor in the French Market. It was the middle of September and still pissy hot. She wore yellow cut off hip hugger shorts and an off the shoulder mid drift white top with yellow flowers. She touched up the polish on her toes and decided to go bare foot. Her hair was pulled up in a matching yellow scrunchy.

“Hey pumpkin, what cha eating?” Liz walked into the kitchen asking LaLa.

“Ravioli” LaLa said in her high-pitched voice looking like the ravioli bandit.

“Babe look at you, are you sure you’re eating it, looks more like you’re inhaling it,” Liz laughed pulling a baby wipe out of the drawer wiping LaLa’s hands and face.

“Mmmm you smell good Lizzy. I wanna smell like you,” LaLa said sniffing at Liz while she wiped her little hands.

“I’ll tell your mommy to put some on you in the morning when you go to school, how’s that?" Liz said lightly brushing the cloth across LaLa’s nose.

“YAY,” LaLa shouted.

Liz took LaLa in her room and turned on her favorite show for her. “Holler if you need anything sweetie,” Liz smiled at her sunshine and pulled her door.

Liz went back into the kitchen and started preparing the drinks and snacks. She took a canister of frozen orange juice and poured it into the blender adding a splash of cranberry juice. Then she put a few scoops of ice cream and a generous portion of the coconut rum and pressed mix on the blender. While that was blending she pulled out a bag of Ruffles potato chips. She stopped the blender and pulled out the ingredients to whip up some of her famous clam dip.

When everything was finish she sat the chips and dip on the coffee table with glasses for each of them. She left the drinks in the freezer until they arrived. She went back into the kitchen to get some napkins when the doorbell rang.

Liz ran to Maria’s door and peeked her head in “Maria, there here, hurry up."

“Ok ok...let me put on some lip gloss."

Maria had on an ice blue slip summer dress and was also bare foot. She sprayed some apple scented body spray all over her and changed the ball on her tongue ring to match her dress. She grabbed some incense off of her dresser and lit them and made her way out front. She gave Liz the incense and she put them in holders on the fireplace and she slipped one into the air conditioning vent.

“Coming,” Liz called out to the door. “Maria, come on."

“Wait let me stick my head in on LaLa and make sure she’s ok. Go ahead and let them in,” Maria told Liz.

Liz opened the door and immediately her knees locked. Standing before her were two of the most gorgeous elements of the male species she’d ever laid eyes on. One of them the one she noticed had dark hair, deep chocolate brown eyes, a very tanned complexion, wearing simply a wife beater and khaki’s. He smiled at her.

“Hi,” he stuck out his hand.

Liz was staring so hard at him she didn’t even notice his hand. Her voice was lost somewhere in her awe of the god before her.

“Hi,” Maria appeared by Liz’s side. Liz shook her head and snapped out of her trance. She nudged Maria thanking her for rescuing her. Her cheeks turned rosy red with embarrassment.

“You’re?” Maria extended her hand to the brunette that Liz was drooling over.

“Max, I’m Isabel’s brother. And this is.....”

Max looked to Michael to introduce him but Michael took it upon himself and reached his hand out to the beautiful blonde his eyes were glued to the moment she appeared.

“Michael,” he smiled at Maria.

Maria looked at him from head to toe, studying his frame and manliness. She felt a bead of sweat form on her forehead and gulped. All eight palms were sweating as they exchanged handshakes. Max and Liz hands stayed locked together as were their eyes.

Maria pinched Liz’s side once again snapping her out of her stupor.

“Won’t you come in,” Maria said stepping aside and closing the door. “Have a seat."

Liz ran to the kitchen to get the drinks out of the freezer. She stuck her head in the freezer to cool off her now 100 degree body temperature.