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Ito wash my hands and went into the restaurant in search of Lorenzo’s mom She’d propped open an e When I joined her, she looked guilty and said, “Stan hates it when I sh to pretend he doesn’t notice the smell on my clothes when I sneak one” For the first time, I realized she had a faint Spanish accent

“He seeuy”

“He is”

“You knoho else is a great guy? Lorenzo In fact, he’s the kindest, sweetest, andperson I’ve ever met, and he deserves a hell of a lot better than the way you’re treating him”

“I can’t help it,” she insisted, as her hand went to the gold cross she wore on a flashy chain “I was raised to believe what you and he are doing is a sin”

“I’m sorry, Mrs Marquez, but that’s bullshit,” I said, as I let my natural accent return to my speech “I was raised in a redneck town in rural Louisiana Everyone around us was racist, xenophobic, homophobic—you name it, they probably hated it But like my parents before me, I ion as an excuse to hate other people”

“I don’t hate you, or my son”

“Maybe not, but you don’t accept us either, and you know for a fact that’s hurting Lorenzo Don’t you see he’s exactly the same person he’s always been? He didn’t just wake up one day and decide to be bisexual It’s how God , even when he was too afraid to come out You don’t have to like it But you also really don’t have to let it ruin your relationship”

“I’e,” she said

“That’s just an excuse”

I started to leave, and she called, “Will?” When I turned back to her, there was a lot of emotion in her dark eyes “You’ll take care of him for me, won’t you?”

“Every day, for the rest of my life I adore your son, and I plan to marry him one day If that makes you uncomfortable, I actually feel sorry for you”

I went back inside and found Lorenzo right where I’d left hio?” He nodded, and we both said goodbye to Stan before heading to the rental car

Since Lorenzo had been drinking, I got behind the wheel We drove in silence for a few arettes That must mean you talked to my mom”

“I did”