“Mom, Mom,” he said, calling after her. He caught her up and grabbed her arm. “I'm sorry. I…it just came out.”
She spun around and looked at him. Saw the bare contrition on his contorted face, and said, “You need to think about things before you shoot your mouth off. And you know what: what I do and don't do in my personal life is my business and I won't have you or anyone else judging me. Like I said, Andy's my friend and he's been there for me when I needed him.” She paused. “Like it or not, I'm your mother, and I worry about you. It's my job. It comes with the territory, and it doesn't end just because you're a grown man.”
“I know, I know,” he said, looking down and scuffing his feet on the sand.
“Then what? Talk to me. What's going on? You don't have to hide what happened from me. I
