HAMPTON RENAISSANCE
I Love Movies & Takis and Tacos
by Xavier Hawkins
I Love Movies
“Did y’all kids manage to get along?” Makai asked upon returning to the group.
“Tye and Nia have been talking about whether you love her...Do you?” said Kiera, Tye’s
girlfriend. Makai looked at Tye with disappointed eyes, then shifted his glare to Nia.
“Yeah. I do. I thought this was understood.”
“And what’s understood don’t need to be said,” Tye added.
Turning to Kiera, Nia said, “I bet Tye says, ‘I love you’ all the time.”
“Actually, he doesn’t. However, he did clean our apartment this morning before surprising
me with my favorite lavender eucalyptus candles. I like when he tells me how he feels, but it
wouldn’t mean much if he never showed me.”
Nia heard Kiera, but she felt how she felt. Her body language made those feelings palpable.
“Nia, I love you,” said Makai.
“And I love movies. Are we still going to the theater?” asked Tye.
Takis and Tacos
​
As she exits the shower, Kiera says, “I like how you handled today. You joked a lot, but
most of your feelings are hidden in humor. You don’t have to do that by the way. I hear what you
mean, and you’re doing a good job. Your feelings are valid. I appreciate you. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Tye smiles as he exits the room. Two minutes later, he returns with a bottle
of chardonnay and a big bag of Takis. “Pick a movie,” he says.
“Where’d your clothes go?”
“I feel like you could use a back massage.”
