[ A week later ]
Over the week, their text exchange have exponentially increased. And tonight isn't any different.
Alex lays on her bed in pyjama, consisting of a black skimpy short with a blue large t-shirt. Her generous but still growing breasts mashed against the mattress as her feet dangle in the air.
"You ever wonder if your physics teacher is actually a lizard in a human suit?" Jake sends her.
"..what??" Alex answers in a few seconds.
"No seriously. He blinks sideways, I swear. Today during the lab he did it. Like a snake.
I'm scared, Alex." Jake answers back.
"Please go to sleep. You're obviously hallucinating again." Alex text back.
"I'm just saying if he unzips his face one day, I called it. You'll owe me a drink and emotional support." She rolls her eyes at his message and types a response.
"Fine. One soda. No emotional support."
"Cold. Ruthless. I like it." Her phone buzz again.
"You still up because you're doing calculus or because your brain refuses to shut up?" Jake asks her as it's past midnight.
"Both. You?" She responds, not saying that she's still up because of him.
"Working. And thinking too much. About school. About you." Jake text makes her smile and curious.
"Working??" Alex sends her text and she starts biting her nails as Jake takes longer to answer.
Suddenly her phone buzz again, a picture slowly being downloaded as Jake appears. It's a selfie of him, shirtless showing his abs while his laptop is beside him, showing graphs and status.
Alex stares at her screen. Her brain halts. She drops her phone, eyes wide. Her face is hot. She lets out a breath, staring at the ceiling like it might give her advice.
"Come on you owe me one of back!" Jake sends a second after.
Alex hesitates, for a long minute. Then when she finally decides it takes her at least two more to take a pic she finds satisfying. She try to not overthink and just sends it.
The selfie shows her on her bed, smiling, her feet in the air behind her and round butt in her short slightly visible in the selfie.
"Love it!" Alex reads Jake's text after he receives her picture and she beams stupidly at her phone.
"Goodnight Alex, see you tomorrow :p" She rises back her phone to read the new text, her eyes quickly going back to the picture and these damn abs.
"Goodnight!" She text back before turning on her bed.
She puts her phone down on her nightstand, but her heart's still racing. And sleep doesn't come for a while.
[ The next day ]
[ Morning before school ]
Jake pushes the bar, doing his last set of bench press as James, the quarterback of the high school's team is assuring.
"Seriously man. I don't know what you see in that girl Jake, let me tell you, you could be clapping Jennifer's cheeks right now." James says, still perplexed by his new friend interest in Alex Dunphy.
Jake gives his all as he finishes his rep and rack the bar with James help. His pecs burning.
"It's not just about taping ass James. That girl is a keeper, yeah, I could already be fucking some hot girl but Alex.. She's a rough diamond man, you don't see it because you lack experience compared to me." Jake answers, teasing his friend as he goes behind the bar to assist James after taking of some weights of it.
"Ahh shut up. Now come on let's work!" James says, rolling his eyes then pulling down the bar and raising it.
After finishing their workout session a'd showering, Jake and James find themselves walking out of the gym to Jake's car.
"Thanks again for my Facebook. I was fucking scared man." James says as he gets in the passenger seat.
"Just don't put a shitty password like qwerty123 again if you don't want to be hacked." Jake answers, holding back a laugh.
"Yeah, yeah.. So when are you planing to tame you're girl uh? Gonna play Romeo for longer?" James asks as Jake drives them to school, exceeding speed limit as the radio is blaring a new pop song.
"I told you, she's a keeper. She needs a softer approach." Jake retorts rolling his eyes at James words.
"Anyway, I've got a party on Saturday in two weeks. You're coming right?" James asks and smile as Jake nods positively. "You could bring her with you." He adds.
[ Later that day ]
Jake walks with his tray towards her table, sitting in front of her.
"Hey." Jake says, smiling at the blushing Alex who doesn't knows what to say.
"So, you wanna go out with me, there's a new movie coming out tomorrow?" Jake asks her.
"L-like a date?" Alex asks, unsure.
"Yes Alex. A date. I'm asking you out so don't let me hanging here." Jake answers playfully.
"Yes, I'd like that." Alex says, blushing slightly as she tries to avoid Jake's deep blue eyes.
"Alright then, tomorrow. What's your curfew?" He asks her.
"Uh-" His question brings Alex to a halt as she realizes she's never had to ask her parents how late she could come home.
"23h."She ends up saying, thinking that's reasonable enough.
"Good, we'll explore the city a bit before eating then going to the cinema." Jake says stealing one of her fries.
[ After school ]
[ Dunphy's house ]
"Mom! Alex is smiling, she's scaring me!" Luke, Alex younger brother shouts as soon as they reaches home. Her dad who drive them home squints at Alex like she's a scientific anomaly.
"He's right Claire! I think our daughter is sick. She smiled willingly. We may need to quarantine her before the worst happens." Phil follows Luke.
"I hate you." Alex grumbles, though her lips are definitely betraying her. She hurries up the stairs, clutching her bag like a shield.
"Let her be!" Claire says from the kitchen, though there's obvious amusement in her voice. "Maybe she just had a good day."
[ Saturday morning ]
Alex stares at the closet like it personally insulted her. Piles of practical jeans and sweatshirts blink back at her in judgment.
She tries on a plaid shirt. Takes it off. Puts it back on. Takes it off again. A frustrated sigh escapes her lips as she sits on her bed, clutching her phone.
With the weight of a thousand suns crashing on her pride, she opens her door, walks down the hall, and knocks on Haley's door, her older sister.
"If this is about stealing my shampoo again, I swear-" Haley starts before looking up from her bed.
"Okay.. this is either the apocalypse or you need something. Which is it?" Haley says, looking at Alex standing at her doorway. Alex crosses her arms, not meeting her sister's eyes.
"I need.. your advice." The words taste like vinegar as Alex pronounce them.
"I'm sorry, come again? I think my brain just blue-screened." Haley teases her.
"Don't make me say it twice." Alex mutters.
Haley sits up slowly, like she's witnessing a once-in-a-life cosmic event. "Is this... about a boy?" She asks.
Alex closes her eyes. "Not technically. But.. yes." Haley gasps.
"Who are you and what have done to my sister!" Haley says, standing up dramatically. "Who is he?!" She asks curiously.
"His name is Jake. We're just, he invited me to hang out alright, don't make a scene." Alex says, closing the door behind her, afraid of her mother lurking around.
"I just need help picking clothes," Alex cuts her off quickly, cheeks red. "Nothing too.. much."
"Say no more. I've been waiting my whole life for this." Haley's eyes light up like it's Christmas.
"Please don't go overboard."
"Trust me. You'll still look like you. Just, like.. you, but slightly less allergic to joy." Haley says. Alex sighs, defeated, as Haley jumps off her bed and flings open the closet with gusto.
"Alright dear nerdy sister, let's make some magic." Haley says.
Alex stands in front of the mirror, motionless.
She's wearing a simple, light denim jacket over a soft wine red top one of Haley's paired with black jeans that actually fit well and her black sneakers. Her hair's a bit more relaxed than usual, thanks to Haley's light touch and a quick brush-through with something that smells like flowers and overpriced regret.
"Ahhh so unfair..." Haley says behind her, staring at her top stretching over her younger sister bigger boobs.
"So?" Haley asks, arms crossed, a smirk threatening to break into something real.
"I look like I'm trying too hard." Alex frowns at the mirror.
"You're literally wearing jeans and a shirt. If that's too hard, I weep for humanity."
"it's not me." Alex retorts.
"It is you. Just you, making an effort. And that's okay. You know even scientists can look cute once in a while." Haley steps closer, serious now.
"I don't want him to think I'm pretending to be something I'm not." Alex turns, still unsure.
"Guys like your Jake if he's even halfway smart they notice how a girl thinks before they care about what she's wearing." Haley says, reassuring her sister.
"You know, it's okay to care what someone thinks. That doesn't make you weak. Or less smart." Haley adds more gently.
"When did you get all emotionally competent?" Alex says, looking down at her hands.
"I binge-watched a therapy tv show." Haley shrugs, deadpan. "And I am older than you, remember? Sometimes I fake being an idiot just to mess with you." Alex laughs a short, surprised sound that slips out.
"Thanks." Alex says it quietly, meaning it.
"Of course. Now come on, sit down I'm doing your eyeliner before you talk yourself out of this."
"Wait, eyeliner? No, no, Haley-"
"Shh. It's already happening."
Alex groans, but she sits and lets her sister get close, just for a while.
Claire stands at the counter, organizing takeout menus, when Alex appears.
"Hey, Mom?" Alex says, a little too evenly.
Claire glances up, brow already lifting. "Hmm?"
Alex clears her throat. "Just letting you know I'm going out today. With a friend. We're gonna walk around a bit. Eat outside then catch a movie."
Claire pauses. Slowly puts down the stack of menus.
"A friend."
"Yes."
"A male friend?"
"I didn't say that." Alex says defensively.
"You didn't not say it." Claire smiles slightly. "Honey, come on. I was your age once. Just tell me what's his name?"
"Jake. His name is Jake. He's new. And he's nice." Alex hesitates, then exhales.
Claire studies her daughter for a beat.
She's wearing something different. And most damning she's not carrying textbooks.
"Okay. What time are you planning to be home?" Claire asks, trying to suppress her overbearing mom instincts.
"By 11. I promise."
Claire gives a slow, thoughtful nod.
"Alright. But text me if anything changes. And answer your phone, even if you're in the middle of your 'not-date.'" Claire says.
Claire leans in and tucks a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear something she hasn't done in years.
"You look beautiful, sweetie. Nervous?" She asks Alex.
"Yeah." Alex answers. Claire squeezes her shoulder gently.
"That means it matters. And be yourself that's the girl he wanted to hang out with in the first place." Claire says. Alex nods, heart thudding in her chest.
Ding dong.
Alex freezes. She takes a deep breath, checks her phone and heads for the door.
As she reaches for the door.
"Wait!" Claire appears from the hallway, suddenly materializing.
"Mom."
"I'm just saying hi."
Alex narrows her eyes suspiciously, but opens the door. Jake stands there. One hand his jacket pocket. He smiles when he sees her. And for the briefest moment, he just looks at her. Really looks.
"Hey, Alex."
"Hey." She fidgets slightly. "You're early."
"Couldn't wait." He says with a teasing grin.
Before Alex can respond, her mom manifest herself.
"So you're Jake."
Claire steps forward, inserting herself between them with the ease of a practiced mom interceptor. Jake blinks then straightens slightly.
"Yes, ma'am. Nice to meet you." He offers a polite nod.
From the stairwell, Haley peeks around the corner holding her phone at just the right angle.
"He's taller than I thought," She whispers. "And hot." She adds and next to her, Phil pops into frame.
Claire finally steps back with a reluctant sigh. "Alright. Have fun. And don't do anything-"
"-that would make you want to bury me in the yard. Got it." Alex finishes.
Jake suppresses a grin and offers his hand with mock formality. "Shall we?"
Alex hesitates, then takes it.
They walk off toward his car as the Dunphys peek around corners like a dysfunctional Scooby-Doo gang.
Claire watches her go, arms crossed, eyes a little glassy.
"Phil! Our daughter's going on a date! Should we follow them from a safe distance?!" She asks.
"I'll get the binoculars!" Phil shouts.
[ Inside Jake's car ]
"You're beautiful Alex." Jake says glancing at her, acknowledging her efforts.
"Thanks, you're.. you're handsome Jake." Alex answers, a cheeks reddening a bit.
"So where are we going?" She asks, looking outside.
"There's a park I know, you'll like I'm sure." Alex says.
"So you're family is pretty intense uh?" Jake asks her.
"Sorry... I know they can be special, but they're, well they're pretty awesome when it matters." Alex answers honestly.
"Don't apologize, I like it." Jake says.
"What's your family like?" Alex asks him.
"It's complicated." Jake begins.
"Come on, it's too mysterious."
"I don't really have a family. I've never know my mother or father." Jake says, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "Some kids never get adopted you know, the older you get the less chance it'll happen." He adds.
"I'm sorry Jake. I shouldn't have asked.." Alex says, cursing herself.
"Don't. I wouldn't have answered if I didn't want to. I've come to term with it now anyway, so you're ready for our date? I bet you've been thinking about it since I asked?" Jake says, changing the subject and teasing her a bit.
"You wish!" Alex retorts but he catches her shy smile.
"Alright we're here." Jake says, parking the car.
The car doors shut behind them with soft thuds. The air is cooler now, crisp enough that Alex crosses her arms.
Without a word, he pulls off his light jacket and offers it to her. She hesitates.
"It's not a prom dress, Alex. Just take it."
She mumbles a reluctant, "Thanks," as she slips it on. It's warm, smells of his cologne.
They walk along the gravel paths, passing a small fountain where a pair of ducks sleep near the edge.
They walk a little further in silence, their pace natural now. Then Jake nods toward a small outdoor pavilion where a few old wooden tables sit under a canopy. A couple are missing pieces, others are stained with graffiti but one stands intact.
"You play?" Jake asks, nodding to the old chess board carved into the table's surface.
"Do I play?" Alex raises an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Do you want to embarrass yourself in public?"
"Confident." Jake laughs.
They sit down. The wooden pieces are stored beneath the table in a rusted metal box. Jake pulls them out and dusts them off.
"You sure you want to do this?" Alex asks, eyebrows raised as she adjusts her glasses. "I placed third in the regional chess tournament in eighth grade."
"Third?" Jake smirks. "Guess I'll go easy on you then."
That earns him a scoff as Alex takes the Black and let Jake makes the first move without hesitation.
Jake opens with 1. e4, and Alex answers with 1...e5. The game unfolds in classic symmetry 2. Nf3. Then 3. d4. Jake's tempo is precise. By move six, Alex's eyebrows begin to rise.
"Hold on.. this is familiar."
"It should be," Jake says smoothly. "Paris Opera House, 1858."
"You're recreating a grandmaster game from memory."
"Just wait for the queen sacrifice." Jake says.
Sure enough, by move 10, Jake moves his bishop to b5, then soon castles. His pieces swirl into position like dancers on a stage.
Alex looks up from the board, both impressed and mildly rattled. "You've got this memorized?" She asks.
Jake shrugs, but there's a quiet pride in his eyes. "I liked it. It's elegant."
"You like elegance?" Alex asks him.
Jake glances at her, then returns to the board. "Don't you know it." He says.
She goes quiet at that.
Finally, on move 16, Jake the decisive blow comes. She scans the board, sees that any move she makes results in checkmate in two. Her mouth opens slightly.
"You recreated a flawless game. Against two opponents. In a park. On a whim." Alex says looking strangely at him.
"So... dinner's on you, right?" Jake leans back, resting his hands behind his head.
"Okay. I'm impressed." Alex says as she stares at the board.
"That's the proper reaction. Don't worry, you're still better at chemistry."
"So chess grandmaster, mysterious orphan, handsome, what else don't I know about you?" She gives him a long look, her smile creeping in against her will.
"Guess you'll have to keep playing to find out."
After their game, they walk through the tree-lined path toward where Jake parked. Alex feels herself relaxing into the moment as she holds his hand.
After a quick drive they reach the restaurant that is not far from the cinema.
The restaurant isn't fancy. But the smell of warm bread and grilled food makes it inviting. They slide into a booth, Jake on one side, Alex across from him. A waitress drops off menus.
"You've been here before?" Alex asks, eyeing hers.
"A few times. Cheap, fast, and they don't water down the lemonade. That's a win in my book."
"You really live the high life." Alex teases, smirking behind her menu.
"Glamorous and mysterious, that's me." Jake smiles.
"So... what exactly do you do? You said you were 'working' the other night. Is that like, code for something criminal or are you just a very advanced math tutor?" She scans the menu in silence for a beat then asks.
Jake leans back, arms crossed. "Criminal? Wow. Harsh."
"You were the one sending graphs and code at 1am next to your six-pack. That screams cyber-villain origin story."
Jake laughs under his breath at her words.
"Alright, fine. I do freelance stuff online. Mostly website administration, hosting, that kind of thing." He says.
"Hosting? Like.. . blogs?"
"Sometimes. Sometimes full businesses. I've got a few clients who don't know how to manage a server or websites, so I take care of it for them. Charge them a bit more than it costs me to run the infrastructure." Jake explains.
Alex looks almost suspicious. "And they just trust you?"
"Most of them think I'm in college. I speak tech, I reply fast, I fix things when they break. That's all they care about." He answers.
The waitress returns and takes their orders Alex plays it safe with a burger, Jake orders pasta. When they're alone again, she rests her elbows on the table, voice a little softer.
"Do you ever.. I don't know, wish you didn't have to do this? Just be a normal high school chad?" She asks him. Jake looks at her for a moment, considering.
"I used to. Not anymore. Anyway, I've got plans. This is just the groundwork." He shrugs.
"That's actually really of cool." Alex watches him, curious, maybe a little awed.
"You expected something cooler, didn't you?"
"No. I expected less." She says it honestly, without malice.
"Well, that's fair." He sips his lemonade, then adds. "You're not so bad yourself. When you're not trying to decipher my motives."
"I'm a suspicious person. It's my default mode." Alex quips back, growing more and more confortable with him.
"And yet you're here, on a date with a guy who could be running a ransomware empire."
"Not sure if it says more about me or you." She says.
Their meals arrive Jake's pasta steaming, Alex's burger stacked high.
"This burger looks like it was built to collapse under pressure." Alex says, staring at her burger.
Jake laughs mid-bite. "Don't worry, I won't judge your disassembly technique."
"I'll have you know I've studied molecular gastronomy. I am highly qualified to take this thing apart." She says and raises an eyebrow. Jake watches her pick the burger apart with surgical precision.
"You're kind of adorable when you're all serious about food." Jake says and Alex nearly drops a pickle.
"Don't say things like that." She mutters, trying to sound unaffected.
"Why not?" Jake teases, leaning forward slightly.
"Because, because I don't know what I'm supposed to do with that information," She mumbles. "Besides smile like an idiot." She adds, quieter. Jake grins, but doesn't press further.
"Can I tell you something kind of weird?" Alex asks hesitantly.
Jake leans forward, genuinely curious. "Always."
"Everyone thinks they already know me. Teachers, classmates, my family. I'm the smart one. The straight-A girl. The one who corrects grammar for fun. And they're not wrong, I mean, I do correct grammar for fun but that's not all I am. And sometimes it feels like that's the only version of me people are willing to see." Alex reveals, showing a vulnerable side.
"I get good grades, I crush exams, I pretend like I have a plan, but sometimes I feel like I'm just checking boxes for a future I haven't even decided I want yet." She adds.
She glances up at him, like she's not sure why she's saying all this. But something about the way he's looking at her makes it easier.
"I want to do something that matters. I used to think that meant becoming a surgeon, or a scientist, or working for NASA." She pauses, her voice a little quieter. "I think I just want to build something. Something mine. Something that changes people, even a little." Alex adds. Jake doesn't speak right away. He nods once, slowly, like he's processing it.
"That's brave. Most people don't even ask themselves what they really want. They just copy-paste someone else's dream." He says finally. Alex gives a short laugh, almost embarrassed.
"Thanks for listening. I don't say this kind of stuff to people. Not even my family."
Jake leans back, arms crossed. "I don't think you say anything to people unless it's backed up by two peer-reviewed sources."
"True. But, you're easy to talk to." Alex says, smirking.
"Careful, Alex. You're starting to sound like you like me." Jake says playfully. Alex rolls her eyes but doesn't deny it.
After paying, Jake and Alex leaves the restaurant and walks towards the cinema their fingers interlocking.
They get some popcorn and soda, Jake already having the tickets on his phone. The theater is dim, quiet, just the low hum of pre-show trailers and the rustle of popcorn bags.Taking a her place besides him, Alex looks at Jake as they are in the last row, empty beside them.
Jake's arm brushes hers as he leans slightly toward her. "You good?" He asks. She nods, biting back a nervous smile.
Jake grins, then quiets as the lights dim further. A movie trailer blares across the screen, but neither of them are paying it much attention.
A moment later, their hands find each other again, Jake's slowly tracing circle on her hand. She glances sideways at him, and this time she doesn't look away immediately. His jaw is lit faintly by the screen. As the opening credits roll, Alex lets herself lean back into the seat, her hand still in his.
The movie flickers on, but neither Jake nor Alex is really watching. Jake glances at her again, Alex is chewing a piece of popcorn like she's trying not to look nervous then glances at him.
Jake leans in, slow enough that she could pull away. Their lips meet, Alex presses her tender lips against his. He realize how unpracticed and sloppy her kiss is, he finds it oddly endearing. Smirking against her mouth, kissing her back properly, teaching her with slow, sure movements.
Taking the chance, Jake slips his tongue forward, gently probing between her lips, and she answers back sweetly, shyly offering her own tongue, brushing against his with a timid flick that makes his heart thud harder. Alex's movements are soft, testing, almost innocent, like a girl trying to piece together the new, thrilling feelings building inside her chest.
Jake abruptly pulls her onto his lap, surprising her. In a swift motion, she settles herself over his thighs, her knees tucked beside his hips, straddling him. Without hesitation, Alex leansin, her slender arms looping around his neck.
Her small hands clenches tighter around his neck, her lips parting eagerly, following his lead with blind trust.
His starving lips crashes against Alexs own fuller, softer pair, their tongues covered in their slick salivas tangling together in a messy embrace, wrestling for dominance with the taste and warmth of each other's breath. Jake greedily sucking on the tip of her tongue.
Acting entirely on impulse, one of her hands shoots to the back of Jake's head, grasping it firmly in a vice grip and pushing their slanted lips together, a determined, solicitous gaze in her starry eyes, her lithe and mobile tongue seeming to have a life of its own after meeting his, darting and challenging. Her tongue rolling and swirling around his, falling prey to his surprisingly skilled tongue techniques.
If Jake break off their latching lips and separate themselves, if he don't they might stay stuck together like glue forever one thing is for certain, Alex wouldn't have been the one to peel herself away from this delicious, salivating kiss. There's a visible trail of saliva linking their lips, catching a glimpse of it which inevitably put a deep blush on her face.
Resuming their kiss, his hands becomes even more daring, wandering from her slim shoulders down to rubbing her small back, grazing teasingly along the curvy sides and handling her tight, tapered waist as if it is delicate. They're so closely pressed together that Alex can feel his rapid heartbeat, and vice-versa. They spend the rest of the movie in their own quiet orbit, kissing endlessly.
[ Later ]
Alex eyes can't help but stares at Jake's lips as he drives her home. Her mind replaying their makeout session in the cinema.
She didn't even follow the movie, she completely miss the start, the middle and the ending, too engrossed in playing with Jake as her body tensed and her heart rate and breathing glt faster. Her breasts may have become fuller but her nipples certainly hardened and she knows Jake felt it.
"Wanna do it again?" Jake asks as they almost reach her neighborhood.
"Yes." Alex answers, not sure if he's talking about the kiss or the date. However in both case it's a yes.
Jake pulls the car to a quiet stop along the curb in front of Alex's house. The street is dark, porch lights casting a soft glow.
Alex glances at the clock on the dash: 22:56. She's technically on time.
Jake leans slightly across the console, not touching her yet. "So... about what I said. Wanna do it again?"
"The date or the kissing?" Alex says shyly but also playful.
Jake grins. "Both."
"Yes." She rolls her eyes, but her smile betrays her. He reaches out, brushes his fingers against hers.
"I'll text you?" He says.
"You better." She replies, already unbuckling her seatbelt. Alex steps out of the car and Jake follows.
He walks her to the porch then pulls her to him, laying a gentle kiss on her lips. A lot more chaste that the one they shared earlier.
Jake's lips are barely off hers when the porch light floods them in a harsh glow as the front door swings open.
Claire Dunphy stands there, arms folded, one eyebrow arched so high it might lift off her forehead. Alex practically jumps back like she'd touched an electric fence.
"Hi, Mom." She blurts, voice too high, eyes wide. Jake straightens up, hands retreating respectfully to his sides.
"Good evening, Mrs. Dunphy." His voice is calm, polite.
Claire's eyes flick between them from Jake's handsome face to Alex's flushed cheeks.
"Evening," She echoes, coolly. "Didn't realize the movie came with bonus features."
"Mom." Alex groans quietly, covering her face. Claire steps back from the door.
"It's 23:02, just saying." She says as she moves inside. Jake clears his throat, trying not to smile too much.
"Guess I should go. " He says gently.
Alex nods, glancing back inside where Claire has definitely paused in the hallway, half-spying.
"Sleep well." Jake leans in, lowering his voice just for her.
"Text me when you're home?" She whispers.
With that, Jake walks down the steps and heads back to his car. Alex watches him go.
She steps inside and closes the door behind her only to find her mom standing there, arms still crossed.
"So... Jake. " Claire begins.
"Please don't. " Alex says, marching past.
"I didn't say anything!" Claire calls after her, grinning now. "Just breathing. Like a mother who saw her daughter being kissed on the porch by a boy."