“Avoid them…” She scoffed. “You sat your butt down in that man’s car without a second of hesitation. You are far beyond them only being your mechanics.” Her eyes narrowed. “Sweet Jesus, please don’t tell me you’re sleeping with one of them.”

Mom didn’t used to be like this, but things had changed as I’d gotten older. When I was little, I was her perfect little “Jessie Sunshine,” a doll she could dress up in sparkly dresses and big bows. I was a chronic high achiever who couldn’t fail to make her proud, and when I did, it was devastating.

But a teenager wasn’t a cute little doll you could play dress-up with. Once I started gaining independence and making my own decisions, Mom lost her perfect toy and had to start finding other ways to remain in control. Shame, guilt, relentless nagging…

The years I’d spent away at college hadn’t made her loosen her chokehold. She was only squeezing tighter, as if she knew how fragile her control was.

She’d taught me to accept nothing less than perfection, to be bold no matter what. Why did it surprise her when I used those same traits to make my own decisions?

“Mom, you need to stop.” I tried to keep my voice as reasonable as possible. The screaming matches we’d have when I was a teenager had been completely unhinged, and I didn’t want to hit that level again. But it seemed as if the calmer I was, the more upset she got. Like she wasn’t getting the reaction she wanted.

“Oh, I see.” The sarcasm dripped thickly into her words. “I’m the bad guy now. I’m the villain for looking out for my daughter’s safety. Well, I’ll tell you one thing, Jessica Marie Martin.” She leaned forward in her chair, manicured fingernails spread on the table. “I will not have them coming to my house. If they show up here again, I’ll call the police.”

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. “No, you won’t. You’re not going to call the cops on them just for showing up on a public street. That’s ludicrous.”

“Excuse me? What did you say to me?”

Abruptly, I got up from the couch. This argument was never going to end if I didn’t get out of here. “You’re not going to call the police, and you’re not going to dictate who I spend time with. I’m done with this.”

“Well, I’m not done, Jessica. Don’t walk away from me!”