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She looks at me defensively "She can’t tell me what to do, Will I’m an adult"

I calh school You live under her roof I shouldn’t have brought you here, I’ht" I lean in and kiss her briefly to calm her, then I take her shirt and help her pull it over her head

"Oh,right here!"

What the hell a?

I release the shirt and hold my palms up in the air, then back away froetically and whispers, "I’m sorry," then heads toward the door

The door doesn’t even shut before Julia begins yelling at her "You’ve been dating hi that far with him that fast?" The door finally closes and I sink back to the couch, feeling incredibly stupid Incredibly guilty Incredibly pathetic Yetsomehow still incredibly happy

I reach down and aain Julia has a grip on Lake’s ar room, then positions her on the couch across from me

"This can’t wait," Julia says "I don’t even trust that y’all won’t start this back up tonight as soon as I go to bed"

Lake is looking atat her Confused

Julia turns to Lake "Are y’all having sex already?"

Lake groans and covers her face with her hands

"You are?"

"No!" Lake says defensively "We haven’t had sex yet, okay?"

I’ to hell I don’t get involved in it

"Yet?" Julia says "So you’re going to?"

Lake stands and throws her hands up in the air "What do you want hteen! Do you want me to tell you I’ll be celibate forever? Because that would be a lie"

Julia rolls her head back and looks up at the ceiling for several seconds When she looks at me, I dart my eyes to the floor I’m so embarrassed I can’t even look at her

"Where’s your car?" she says flatly

I glance at Lake, then to Julia "At the end of the street," I reluctantly adhtfully so

"Mom, stop This is ridiculous"

Julia turns her attention to Lake "Ridiculous? Really, Lake? What I find ridiculous is the fact that you two parked at the end of the street and snuck over here to have sex less than a hundred yards fro him for teeks! What I also find ridiculous is that you’re acting like you did nothing wrong, when it’s obvious you were trying to hide it by parking at the end of the damn street!"

We’re all quiet for a ainst the back of the couch and closes her eyes "What now, then? If you’re going to groundh She walks over to the couch, taking a seat next to Lake "I’ to eain and drops her face into her hands

Lake rolls her eyes again

I groan

Julia lifts her head from her hands and takes a deep breath "Lake?" she says quietly "I just" She atteet out what she wants to say, but her eyes well up with tears When Lake realizes Julia is crying, she sits up straight

"Mo closer to her She puts her ar her care for her mom despite her frustration with her absolutely melts my heart It makes me love her even more, somehow

Julia separates froh!" she says "This is so hard for me You have to understand that" She turns to Lake and takes her hands "I don’t want to play the sick card, but it’s impossible not to We’re at this transition in our lives where you’re becorown-up Sometime this year, asmy little boy It breaksforced to grow up so fast I’ you to becohteen It’s not fair to you All the other areas of your life like falling in love and enjoying high school and new boyfriends andhaving sex? I just feel like these are the last things you have left before you’re forced to grow up completely I know I can’t slon the inevitable, but I’ you with all of this responsibility Until that ti up Forup so fast"

As soon as she finishes speaking, Lake begins to cry "I’et it, Mom I’m sorry"