To be fair, she didn’t, either. Except a dramatic eye roll accompanied her sigh. I could clearly see it despite my laggy computer screen.

Actually, I was beginning to suspect I could clearly see it because it was a video call and not in-person. She’d never done anything like that before, but the online aspect seemed to make her feel more comfortable expressing herself.

Albeit in a slightly disrespectful manner.

Since I’d met with her a handful of times, and it was the first time she’d opened up, it was a win in my book.

“Fine,” Everly said, flopping onto the pile of giant stuffed animals I kept in my office—or what used to be my office. “She seems like she doesn’t get it. And she acts like a total… witch.”

Someone’s actions in a singular moment didn’t label them who they were. Or who they would always be. Someone could act like a bitch in heightened moments, but that didn’t make them a bitch.

That said, Everly’s mom really was a total bitch.

I didn’t say that, though.

Instead, I tried to make Everly see things from an empathetic point of view. “Put yourself in her position. She sees her little girl—”

“I’m not a little girl,” Everly snapped.

“I know that. You know that. But she’s your mom. To her, you’ll always be her little girl. And she sees you dating a guy who isn’t always the best for you.”

“Yeah, he is. You and Mom don’t get it. Things were different back in your day,” she said, as if my day were decades ago. “Aaron’s not a bad guy. It’s just how relationships are now. They’re… situation-ships. Nothing is serious, and I just need to not be such a clingy pick-me.”

“No,” I said firmly. “You’re right, Aaron isn’t a bad guy for wanting a casual relationship. No one says people have to be exclusive. But that only works if you are both in agreement and both following the same rules.”

“We are.”

“You’re not. You can’t force yourself to be okay with Aaron dating other people. That doesn’t make you clingy, it just means you want different things.” I braced for her to end the call when I pushed on the crux of the problem and why I’d become involved. “You’ve quit all your extracurricular activities for him. Your grades have slipped. That’s not healthy or fair, Ev.”

“Love isn’t fair, Mac,” she cried, tossing one of the stuffed animals across the room in a fit of teenage angst. “It’s about sacrifices and pain and everything else.”

“Not like that, Ev. And any sacrifices should be equal. He expects you to dedicate all your time and energy to him while he is off doing whatever. You deserve better than that.”