"Mommy you're wrong! There is nothing wrong with the kitty! When his isolation is over I'm going to give him a name and he will be part of our family!" Louisa shouted furiously. "Louisa, you shouldn't get your hopes up. I don't have the results back and if you two are talking to each other...." Xiomara started to say as her gaze shifted to Charlie and she openly stared with a mixture of anxiety and pity.
"No! He's a normal kitty! We just bonded! He's a baby and you always tell me I'm a baby so we learned our own language! There is nothing wrong with that! It's like what daddy said! Children have sponges for brains, they can absorb knowledge at a faster rate then anyone else." Louisa declared.
"Louisa you can't-?!" Xiomara started to shout back but she froze. She looked back and felt her blood run cold. Louisa sensed something off and immediately took action. She grabbed a blanket and threw it on top of the cube and then grabbed it. "Xiomara you home?" A female voice called out. Louisa hugged the enclosure and looked at her mother for guidance. Xiomara turned and mouthed the word "Go." to Louisa.
Louisa nodded her head and tip toed her way to the living room. "Giselle! Honey how have you been!" Xiomara shouted cheerfully as she made loud stomping noises towards the back door. "Oh you know girl! I've been good!" Giselle called back. Xiomara looked back and saw that Louisa had already hidden the enclosure and pulled out a pad of paper and crayons. With a giant smile on her face, Xiomara turned towards the door and opened it without further hesitation. "What took you so long!" Giselle laughed as she slapped Xiomara's shoulder.
"What are you taking about. I would never make an important lady like yourself wait." Xiomara said brightly as she stepped aside. "Come in, come in. What can I get you? A cup of coffee or maybe a tea?" Xiomara said as she waited for Giselle to walk in. "Oh you don't have to do that! I was just making my usual rounds around the houses. You know making sure that everything is going okay. Everything is okay right?" Giselle said as she poked her head in and scanned the kitchen before looking at Xiomara.
"Oh that's so kind of you. Yes everything is fine, Louisa and I are having a heated debate about her work." Xiomara said as she glanced back. "You don't say!" Giselle replied as she touched Xiomara's shoulder and pushed her back slightly. "Louisa what work have you been up too? Is your mommy teaching you the basics of your people?" Giselle said in a happy tone.
"The basics?" Louisa asked as she tilted her head. "Why yes, you know your heritage. There are so few of you Mexicans around these years that it's a miracle that our current homes are so clean. Especially our bathrooms." Giselle said with a small laugh. "Oh... But I thought your husband regarded that as wife's work?" Louisa said innocently as she batted her eyelashes. Giselle's face paled. "Why yes darling but you know a good wife knows when to hire some help to clean the rooms that need a Mexican's touch. Well, cleaning touch not regular touch. Ugh, you know the saying. Hide your valuables if you want to keep them." Giselle said as she beamed at Louisa.
"You know Giselle it's getting late and I really need to get Louisa's dinner started." Xiomara said politely but Louisa could see her mother's fist trembling at her side. "Right! How could I keep you from cooking you free-whole-ays and tort-till-as. Must be hard not getting your basic ingredients for your meals. You know, if you come down to the manor I could give you some of your basic needs if, you know, scrub my toilet. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge." Giselle laughed whole heartedly.
"Thank you for the offer but I'm one of the hunters for team crimson. I really don't have the time." Xiomara said as she tried to close the door but Giselle held her hand up and placed her foot in the doorway. "Oh honey I know that already. You're too valuable to leave your work. I meant for Louisa. Don't your people make the young ones work early in life?" Giselle asked as she batted her extra long lashes.
"Sorry but Louisa is too much trouble for you maybe another time. Okay by-e." Xiomara said as she practically shoved Giselle away. "Okay, that's okay. Nice seeing you and remember my offer will always be on the table." Giselle said before she turned around and left. Xiomara moved the curtain slightly and looked to make sure Giselle left. "I don't know who's worse! That blond bimbo or her over bearing husband!" Xiomara shouted as she let go of the curtain and looked back at Louisa.
Louisa had already left the table and got back the enclosure. "She's really mean. We're not Mexicans." Louisa said as she gently placed the enclosure back on to the table. "I know honey but people like her won't change. Not for a long time. It's only been 15 years since the apocalypse. I don't think racial discrimination will disappear quite yet." Xiomara said with a heavy sigh.
"Race?" Charlie meowed as Louisa pulled off the blanket. "My mommy is Latin American. Her parents are from El Salvador, a place in Central America. My daddy is French Canadian." Louisa explained. "So Latin Americans are good at cleaning?" Charlie meowed. "No. My mommy is terrible at house work. It was always daddy who cooked and cleaned." Louisa explained. "Then why?" Charlie meowed.
"Louisa you've really bonded with this little one huh?" Louisa said as she approached the two. "Yes mommy." Louisa replied. "He's going to be a lot of work after he passes the test." Xiomara said as she tapped on the wall of the enclosure. "He's my baby to take care of." Louisa said with conviction.
"Well, I'm glad. You need something good if you're going to live happily in this world. So what is his name going to be?" Xiomara asked as she looked at Louisa with a bittersweet smile. "Apollo." Louisa said as her chest puffed up with pride. "Apollo? Pffft. A tuxedo cat will become the sun God of this world? Why not." Xiomara said with a wide grin.