Jai puts a plate of food on the table in front of me. "Brunch is served. This is one of the breakfasts that Mom taught me to cook."

I look at the stack of pancakes on the plate and my stomach begins to rumble. Jai sits across from me with two plates. He shares the pancakes evenly between the two plates.

On the table, he has strawberries, honey, and jam. I put jam on the pancakes and then I fold it.

Jai looks at me and laughs. "Do you really eat pancakes like that?" I nod. "You do know that the jam drips off the pancakes that way.

Smiling, I say. "I do, but I'm not going to change the way I eat my pancakes because you prefer strawberries, honey and using a knife and fork."

He looks at me. "Mom taught me to be a man. She also told me that woman aren't objects that you use and discard. They deserve to be loved and cherished." Jai smiles. "Dad is still like that with Mom to this day."

She sounds like a great woman. I'm looking forward to meeting her.

"You admire him don't you?"

"I do. It's thanks to him that I decided to run and open seclusive bars around Los Angeles. He had contacts out here and they helped find places for the club. The first bar I opened was close to the Hollywood walk of Fame. I let a close friend of mine manage that bar. I still make a lot of money from that bar, but they also let anyone walk in off the streets. With the one, you found it's not that easy to get in." He shakes his head. "I wasn't impressed that the back door was left open in the club, but I'm glad it lead you to me."

"Me, too. When's the family barbecue at your parents?"

Jai's face pales. "I forgot about that." He rubs the back of his head. "The party is this weekend. I have to tell my parents that I can't make it."

Touching his hand. "We'll be there, Jai. If we have to we'll take my brother and sister. That's if Aleysa is released during the week. Nate is right that she can't stay in the hospital forever."

He moves over to me and pulls me into his lap. "My family are going to love your siblings especially Aleysa."

"I don't want them to know that she's got cancer. Can we keep that to ourselves?"

"We'll tell them anything you like." He whispers. "Have you finished yet?"

I nod. "Can we go shopping now?"

"Sure," he takes my hand and we walk out of the house. He opens the car door for me and I climb in. He waits for me to sit before closing the door. He rounds the car and climbs into the driver's seat.

At the supermarket, Jai parks the car and we climb out. He holds my hand as we walk through the door. He looks at me. "How are you feeling?"

I sigh. "I feel a bit dizzy, but I'll be able to get the necessities now."

Jai takes the paper from me and he quickly looks at it. "You get the things on this half and I'll get the things on this half and we'll meet here in fifteen minutes?"

"Sure,"

Jai and I go our own way in the supermarket and I put all the things I need into the trolley.

Before the fifteen minutes is up I stop in the feminine products aisle. I pick up my usual brand of pads and throw it in the trolley.

Jai stops next to me and he looks at all the products. "Bloody hell. They have so much stuff for..." He trails off and picks up a box of pads. "Super, medium, light, overnight." He drops the box and shakes his head. "How do you manage to know which one to pick?"

"If you've been using the right brand forever you're going to keep using it."

He walks over to the magnum condoms and pulls a box off the shelf.

Crossing my arms. "Just because you're getting a box of them doesn't mean that you're using them on me."

He laughs. "I will hold onto them until that day. Your brother told me before he left for school he wanted a box. He's nearly finished with his."

I brought him a box a month ago. How can they nearly be gone?

Looking at Jai. "Can you please talk to him? He's not going to listen to a word I say about this topic. He needs a man to do that."

Jai laughs. "I'll try my best with the sex talk, but if it goes badly don't blame me."

We wheel the trolleys to the checkout. I place the things from my trolley on the conveyer belt.

The girl scans our items and then we pay her before leaving the store.

Jai opens the car door for and I climb inside.

Nate walks through the front door at 4:30 pm, he looks at Jai. "Thanks for taking care of her today. I can take it from here."

Looking at him. "Nate, Jai's going to stay here with us for a bit. Is that alright with you?"

He shrugs. "If he keeps you out of my way that's fine."

Stepping toward him. "Nate, why are there two condoms left in the packet I brought you last month?"

He crosses his arms. "Why are you searching through my things?"

"I'm worried about you. Now, tell me."

He moves over to the lounge and sits down. "I gave them to my friends. Their parents won't buy them condoms, so, I give them my stuff."

Jai picks up a plastic bag off the table and he walks over to my brother. He takes two boxes out and places them in front of him.

I notice the boxes as my pill and pads.

Nate looks at them and then at Jai.

Jai points to the boxes. "Do you know what they are?"

Nate nods. "That's for when my sister has her period and the box is the pill." He frowns. "Why are you showing me those?"

That's what I want to know. This is going to be interesting.

Walking over to the couch I get comfy and listen to what Jai's about to tell my brother.

Jai pulls out a third box and places it on the table. "I know you've heard about the birds and the bees. How to put a condom on a banana. You've probably heard about the STI's and STD's through high school."

Nate nods. "Yeah, we listen to our teacher's drone on about that all the time."

Jai touches the pads box. "This is something your sister uses when she has her period, but the time you need to worry about these lying around the house is when that time of month should have been due. Girls get there period every month and they have a three-week gap before their next period. If you know the cycle of the girl you're sleeping with you will know whether or not she's pregnant, but one slip up and she can be. So, before having sex; think about if you want to be a father at an early age or if you want to carry a disease and share it from person to person."

Nate leans his head against the lounge. "I don't want to be a father."

Good, he needs to travel the world before starting a family.

Jai shows him the pill next. "Do you know what this does?" Nate shakes his head. "This is the pill. It's something that woman take so they don't fall pregnant and they can have sex without using protection, but I will tell you, Nate always wears a rubber. A woman that takes these can fall pregnant too. These are a few things that can help you out while you're sexually active. I would also suggest every six months to get a check-up. Both you and your partner need to know that everything is good before having unprotected sex."

Nate looks at me. "Are you planning on starting a family soon, Chloe?"

I shake my head.

"Good," he looks between Jai and I. "I'm going to my room. I hope you didn't call my friends parents."

I did call them when I got back from shopping. They are going through the same torture as you.

Nate walks to his room. "Call me when dinner is ready."