A lot to process. That was probably an understatement. At the same time, what she felt for the young man was tinged with a slight sense of amusement, until the tears glimmered and she knew, really knew, that nothing she or Madeline could have done would likely have stopped this.

It made it easier to deal with.

"Oh," she said, waving off his gratitude, "it was nothing. Despite what John's told you about me - and I have no doubt it's all true, I do love my son. I want to see him happy. You," she paused, because some of the old doubts flooded back now, in that nice quiet middle class house, with this nice quiet middle class boy, "made him happy." She settled her hands in her lap and hoped she hadn't done a very stupid thing.