It had been a mistake to let herself trust a man who was perfect on paper but not in reality. That was all she would admit to because the rest of it had led to Andrew. Her son was the best part of her.

The very best part.

And now he was tainted by her past when she’d worked so hard to be everything for him. It felt as though all of that effort had been turned to nothing with a few callous, cruel words.

“I knew kids like this Johnny,” Gabe continued, filling the void when she still couldn’t speak. “He’s going to grow out of his meanness or not, but picking on you is about his problems. You are a great kid. You’re smart and clever and persistent to the point of being annoying.”

Angi sucked in a breath, which Gabe must have recognized as the admonishment it was because he ran a hand through his hair and said, “I mean that as a compliment. You’re not afraid to go after what you want, buddy. You don’t do it by tearing people down. You get to work and make things better. That’s a skill that a dumb fu—”

He shook his head. “A fool like this Johnny can never understand. Trust me. One thing I learned in the army was how to read people. I can tell you within thirty seconds of meeting a person all I need to know about their character. You have incredible character.”

“What’s a bastard?” Andrew asked, another knife driven into Angi’s already bleeding heart.

“It means a person whose parents weren’t married when he was born.” All the fury Angi felt was written across Gabe’s face. “It doesn’t mean anything about you, kid. That’s on the guy who was stupid enough to let your mom walk away.”

While she appreciated his valiant effort to put a positive spin on this for both of them, she had to fight her own battles. So she swallowed back her anger and guilt at what her son had experienced, dashed a hand across her cheeks and turned.

“Gabe is right,” she told Andrew with as much reassurance as she could muster. “And trust me, I don’t say that lightly. I’m not sure where this Johnny character learned that word or why he’s chosen to taunt you with it. But it’s mean and ugly, Andrew.”

“It’s true though.” Her son’s sweet rosebud mouth had turned into a prickly pout.

“You are loved,” she said, instead of responding directly. She wouldn’t lie to him, but she needed to focus on what was essential at this moment. “You know I love you. And Nonna does, too. You were so loved by your papa, and your uncles think the sun rises and sets by you.”

“I’m partial to you despite my best efforts,” Gabe added.

To Angi’s great surprise, that revelation was the one that made Andrew’s stiff shoulders relax the tiniest fraction.

“Your...” Angi hesitated, her breath catching in her chest. She didn’t even want to give her ex the honor of using the word father. To her, that was earned not by a few minutes of pleasure but by showing up in a child’s life. Something that man had not done even once. “He’s the one who’s missing out, sweetheart. He has no idea how much, and I doubt he ever will. But that’s on him. Not you.”