“I’ll see you again soon, I hope?” he asks.
“Definitely,” she promises.
Before I go to bed, I say good-bye to my mom because she has a very early flight, so she’s going to drive herself to the airport and return her sassy red rental before flying home.
“There’s some kind of pumpkin festival in early October,” I say as I hug her. “I know that’s only a month from now, but—”
“Sounds fantastic. I’m back for it.” She grips me tightly. “This trip?”
“I know, Mom. I know.”
Her hands move to rest against my cheek. “Okay. Go take care of your boy.”
“Love you,” I say.
“Love you back, kiddo.” Just after she starts to the bedroom, she turns back. “One last thing? While Danny might not have lost his actual father on the day you lost yours, he lost a father figure. Couple that with his totally neglectful mother? That loss probably hit him as hard as it hit us.”
She’s right, and I shudder as I exhale.
“He’s going to need you, but he’ll also likely try to push you away. Don’t let him. Don’t let him make the same mistakes that I did.”
