“I take that back, he’s an absolute monster. I hope you reported him to the neighborhood watch.”

Mom swirled the pot, keeping an eye as the kernels started popping. She was silent a moment. “It’s a screwed-up reaction, isn’t it? A man takes me out on a nice date—he was articulate, charming, kind, and there was no pressure to do anything except enjoy the evening. He knew I’d never been to the opera, so he asked me at intermission if I was enjoying it, making it clear that we could leave if I wasn’t.” She made a face. “And he meant it.”

She quickly poured some of the popcorn into the bowl, putting the lid back in place before any jumped out onto the counter. “I go out on a date with a kind, handsome man, and my first reaction is to run for the hills.” She shook her head. “I’m glad Ami found a good partner so you at least have one solid example of what a healthy relationship looks like.”

My poor mom. She did her best with what she had and she never felt like it was enough. “Okay, first of all, I’m glad too, but come on, Mom. You’ve given me plenty of good examples.”

She shook her head again. “Not of that.” She poured the rest of the popcorn into the bowl and shut off the burner. “I’m not whining, baby. I really am grateful that Ami has a man worthy of her, and that between us we filled out each other’s weak spots. She taught you how to make a study schedule. I taught you and Bay how to change a tire and ride a bike. Between us we did good.” She poured a little salt into her hand, measuring it before dumping it onto the popcorn. “I just wish this was one of the things I was better at.”

I grabbed a beer out of the fridge, handing one to her. “I don’t know, I think you still managed to set a good example. You both taught me that I deserved to be loved, to set expectations, and trust my instincts. That counts for something.” I fished a bottle opener out of the drawer to open our beers. I left it out in case Declan wanted one. “So were you just not into the guy? Hated the opera? What?”

Mom let out a breath. “No, there’s definitely chemistry. I didn’t think I would like the opera, but it was actually kind of fun? There were some things I didn’t get, but he didn’t make me feel stupid for asking questions. We had a great time, actually.” She fiddled with the label on her beer. “I told him that for the second date, we’re going to a destruction derby.”

I thought I knew what the problem was now, but I wanted to make sure. “Did he turn his nose up at that?”

She took a pull of her beer and let out another deep exhale. “No, he said it sounded fun. He’s never been.”