Mom sighed. Her body slumped, shoulders sagging, arms resting in her lap. She looked like she had been worked to the bone. Dark circles under her eyes were emerging from under the make-up. She wasn’t smiling, nor frowning either.

“Mom,” I started again, this time in a serious voice. “I don’t think I want to see him. It’s just he, like, knows exactly what to say, you know?”

“Honey. You have no idea! But let me warn you from experience, and MY experience, not your sister’s, that this type of boy wants one thing and thing only. And we’ve had enough of THAT in our family!” She grinned knowingly.

I blushed. I hadn’t had the “talk” with Mom, she was too busy, and she just assumed I had heard it from school or friends and she didn’t have to give it. She was right.

“OK Mom. Besides, taking care of baby Aiden was tough! I don’t want one!”

“Good, now there’s pizza in the fridge you can nuke, and stay away from that boy at school tomorrow!” Mom was stern, but she wrapped an arm around me and squeezed my shoulders.