Mom & Son Behind The Bushes

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" Rachel asked, her voice a soft caress in the early evening air as they strolled along the winding path.

"Mad? Nah, I'm good," James replied, trying to keep his tone casual despite the turmoil churning in his stomach.

They had agreed to go for a walk together to clear the air after their latest argument. Rachel, a 41-year-old single mother, had been feeling the weight of her responsibilities lately, and her temper had been shorter than usual. Her son, James, a 19-year-old college student home for the summer, had borne the brunt of it. He hadn't meant to stay out so late with his friends, but when he stumbled in just after midnight, Rachel had been waiting up, arms crossed and eyes blazing.

Their neighborhood was unusually quiet that evening, the kind of quiet ...