I leave for college tomorrow, and so far everything’s a fucking disaster. Daniel’s either been staying at Ron’s, and he’s got Ron lying for him or even worse Bethany. No one’s seen him. Jennifer tried following him in her car and then she lost him, and she hasn’t seen him since.

As for Mom, you could cut the atmosphere in this house with a knife. I think that she’s been doing some extra shifts at the hospital because I never see her. Even when I try to call her, I’m lucky if she picks up.

As for Jennifer, I know that her focus is Daniel. I’m not worried about things going stale between us. That’s not possible; we just need time. Both of us. It’s only natural. I just wish that I didn’t have to go to college right now.

Today, I wasn’t leaving anything to chance, so I got up extra early to go for a run to clear my head. As soon as I open the door, Mom has her gear ready to go to work.

“Mom, I thought that we would talk. I sent you a message about it last night.”

She laughs. “If you want to talk then go and ask your wannabe mommy!”

Mom pushes past me and then starts heading up the drive to the car. I stand by the car preventing her from getting in. Fuck the neighbors, I’m going to college, and we need to figure this out before I leave.

“I leave for college tomorrow.” I sigh as I’m so damn hot and the last thing I wanted to do was have this conversation like this and most of all not for all to see. We’re adults; I just wish that Mom would behave like one. “I’m your only son. You can’t just shut me out like this.”

She laughs. “Really? Watch me!”

That’s when I see Daniel. Shit, he looks a mess, unshaven and I swear that he’s wearing the same clothes from when I last saw him.

“Every corner I turn you’re there,” Daniel blurts out as he approaches.

I don’t know what he means by that statement, but I know that I’m not moving and Mom and I are going to talk.

“When you said that you were in love with another woman. All that time you were talking about my mom?”

I nod my head; I’m about to say something else when I see Jennifer leaving the house to join us on the drive.

Mom shouts out, “When you said that you had a younger man that made you feel alive again. You were talking about Jason?”

Jennifer’s trying to hold back the tears. Thank God, her hair’s not tied up, and she’s not wearing one of her old dresses. She looks as if she’s back to herself with her hair down and jean shorts.

Jennifer whispers as she comes closer, “Yes. He makes me feel better than any man I’ve ever known.”

Mom chokes, “My son?” Jennifer smiles as she wraps her arms around me and I move away from mom’s car door. I want to tell her that I’m sweaty and don’t smell too good from the run. But, I have a feeling that she knows this already and she doesn’t care.

“Mom, what are you upset about really? You think that Jennifer just used me for sex? Do you think that this was all about sex?”

Mom’s about to say something, but then she shakes her head. “No. It’s more than that. You don’t even introduce me to one of your girlfriend’s. Let alone tell me that you’re in love. This is something different.”

Jennifer agrees, “It is, which is why we wanted you to hear it from us. No one else, but from us.”

Mom takes a deep breath. “So, you’re still going to school?”

Jennifer pulls back. “You are going to college?”

I smile. “I’m in love. Not stupid. Of course, I’m going to college.”

Daniel nods. “I’ve never seen my mom so happy. I was kind of curious who was making her feel this way. I hated the way that Dad treated her, but then I felt that she let herself be treated that way. I think I get it, that she didn’t know how to get away from him. She wasn’t strong enough to do it.”

Jennifer cups Daniel’s face and says, “That’s exactly what happened, and I don’t blame Tom for it. I just wasn’t in a good place back then.”

“But you are now? With him?” Daniel points to me.

“Yes.” Jennifer smiles as she wraps her arms around him and they hug.

I look at my mom and wonder if she’s going to do the same thing. She hesitates for a second and then she pulls me down and hugs me. I love her, and we respect and love them both. If they didn’t give us their blessing, then I don’t know what we would have done. But as they say, love conquers all, and I think in this instance, that’s exactly what it has done and we’re all in a better place as a result of it.