Chapter 6

"I'll make sure they get home okay," Antonio said to Marco. "I can follow them in my car."

"Thanks, Bro. I owe you one," Marco said as he shook Antonio's hand.

While the guys were chatting, Buffy made her way to her car and placed Julian's gear in the trunk. Julian walked over and opened the car door. "Mom?"

"Hummm?" she asked as she closed the trunk lid and started for the front seat.

"Are you going to go out with Antonio?"

"Yes. We're going to have dinner on Friday night." She slid behind the wheel and buckled her seat belt.

"Well, that's good."

"Why do you say that?" she asked as she started the car.

"He's nice. And if he's a friend of Uncle Marco's, then he can't be all that bad," Julian concluded.

"It's one date, Julian. It's not like I'm going to marry the guy."

"Yet."

"Excuse me?" she asked, incredulous. "Why in the hell would you say that?"

"Mom, I saw the way he looked at you. He likes you. And he's following us home to make sure we get home alright. That's Uncle Marco's job."

"It's not Marco's job. Marco thinks it's his job." She stopped at the traffic light and leaned her head against the headrest. Her child was way too smart for his own good. He knew too much for any nine year old. Somehow, she was going to have to talk to Marco about his conversations about women with his son.

"He's worried about you, Mom."

"I'm fine, Julian. He shouldn't worry."

"You don't get it do you? You're important to him."

"I worry about him too."

"Mom, he's a cop. He can take care of himself."

Buffy pressed the gas pedal. Her son knew entirely too much for his age. "He can. But he still needs to find a nice girl and settle down."

"Mom, you know that isn't going to happen."

"One never knows, Julian. Stranger things have happened."

She pulled the car into the driveway and turned off the engine. Julian practically flew out of the car and into the house. Buffy walked down to where Antonio had parked his car. "Thanks for following us home."

"My pleasure," he said. He noticed her expression. "Are you okay?"

"I just had the weirdest conversation with my son."

"Is that good or bad?"

"I'm not sure, but it's definitely one for the record books. No nine year old should be that smart or that intuitive."

"Sometimes they surprise you."

"Oh, he definitely did that. I made the comment about wishing Marco would find a nice girl and settle down. He told me 'Mom you know that isn't going to happen,'"

Antonio chuckled. "Considering how he has a different woman every night, I think it's safe to say that Julian is right."

"That's what scares me. If he is right on this, he is right on other things too."

Before Antonio could answer her, his phone rang. He checked the screen. "I have to take this," he said gently, wishing he didn't. "I'll see you on Friday night." He gave her cheek a quick kiss before walking toward his car and accepting the call.

Buffy walked up the driveway and into the house. "My life is getting too weird," she announced to the empty hallway.