My mom found a boyfriend

are clear.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I didn’t want to take your happiness away.”

“You didn’t. You protected it.”

We sit on the bench, her hand holding mine. Neither of us speaks for a while.

“I feel like a fool,” she finally says.

“You’re not,” I reply. “You’re human. You wanted to be loved.”

She nods. “I just didn’t realize I already was.”

Tears sting continue reading …