Always Protective
In the dark of the night, Mari sat by herself in the dim light of her lounge. Her phone lay in front of her on the coffee table, the message and photo from Joe blaring bright in the low light. Her heart ached as she struggled with conflicting feelings of love, doubt, jealousy, and pride.
She realized her reaction had been over the top, but her emotions had overwhelmed her. She had spent Joe’s entire life ferociously protective of him – now thinking of him starting a life without her had awoken a tornado of feelings. It felt like her only child was abandoning her, and she was horrified.