I scrunched my face. “Meaning?”

Mom pressed her lips together in thought. “He’s been single for a long time now, no?”

“We never discussed specifics, but it had been a while since he had a girlfriend. He was pretty set in his ways until I came along.” I’d broken down his defenses somehow, which would have been flattering if I weren’t 100 percent certain he regretted it now.

“Maybe he thinks he can’t fit someone else into his life or balance his girlfriend’s needs with those of his father because he’s never tried. He was ashamed to even tell you about his dad, only to have you witness him at his worst, up close and personal, less than a week into your relationship. He came to you first thing in the morning expecting cuddles and was criticized instead. In his mind, all his fears about what would happen if he got seriously involved with someone came true.”

I sat up, feeling my blood pressure rise. “You think I was too hard on him? What was I supposed to do? Say nothing?”

Mom smoothed her hands along my legs in a calming manner and softened her voice. “Of course not. Why set a precedent for bad behavior? By saying nothing, you’d be acquiescing to the status quo. You would have gotten resentful over time. I think the talk you had was inevitable.”

I lay back down. “That’s what I keep telling myself.” This one time, I was glad she had an answer for everything, since it matched my own. “Where are you going with this, then?”

She gritted her teeth as if anticipating her next words wouldn’t go over well. “Could you have expressed how hurt you were with a little more empathy and understanding? And maybe waited at least a day before confronting him?”

I stilled. I probably could have.

“You need to accept that even great relationships can be complicated. And maybe Finn needs to learn how to be a good son and a good boyfriend simultaneously, but that takes time.”

“I could give him time!”

“Did you tell him that?”

We hadn’t gotten that far. “You still think Finn and I could have a great relationship? Despite everything?”

“I know he cares about you. The stars in his eyes when he looks at you don’t lie.” She removed my legs from her lap. “I also know relationships take work and sometimes a lot of back-and-forth and compromise before you get it right. Love isn’t always easy, but hard doesn’t necessarily equal bad. Take me and your dad, for example. If we ended things after our first breakup, you wouldn’t be here.” She gasped. “Terry! I need to go.”