He shrugs one shoulder. “She agreed to go into the house, but then she just sat in the living room, staring out at the lake, rocking back and forth. I left her alone and eventually she just fell asleep in the chair, so I covered her with a blanket, put a footstool under her, and left her there for the night.” He thumbs in the direction of the house. “I went in early this morning, and she’d made her way to her bed and was still sleeping, so I guess whatever she was going through has passed for now.”

I reach out and rub his back. “That sounds awful.”

“Yeah. She’s gotten a lot worse lately. I think I may have to find a care facility for her. And that’s something I never wanted to do.”

“Yes, but you also can’t be expected to run a company and take care of your senile mother.”

He nods, true sorrow suddenly flooding his face. “She’s had such a hard life with my dad and everything, I just never wanted to, you know, abandon her.”

“It’s not abandoning her,” I’m quick to say.

He holds up a hand. “Can we talk about something else? I don’t have much time before I have to go to work, and I don’t want to waste it on such a depressing subject.”

It’s unlike Ezra to shut down like that, and I can’t help but feel a bit hurt by it. I wanted to make him feel better, not more alone, but I smile and nod. “Sure, of course. Just know I’m here for you and we can talk about it again if you need to.”

He gives me a tight smile. “Thanks.”

An awkward silence falls between us, which I can’t help but feel is full of bad history, the one created by my mother and his father. I may be imagining it, but I can almost feel the blame radiating from his body: if it weren’t for my mother, his would not be the way she is now.

“Maybe we could take turns,” I say, in an attempt to move away from the topic of his mom. “You stay with me at Avril Island tonight and then I stay here kind of thing.” He frowns. “Or vice versa. I mean, whatever you want.”

“It’s shitty timing, but I’m away tonight. For work. It’s a big job and has been planned for months, so it’s not like I can even get out of it.”

It’s childish, but I groan out loud. “Are you sure you can’t get out of it?” I whine, not caring how selfish I’m being.

He grabs my hand and gives it a gentle pull. “Just stay here tonight?”

“On my own?”