The smile was gone.
- I know.
“And you left all these fights between me and her.
He lowered his gaze.
- Yes.
Why?
I didn’t want to get caught up with you.
“So you let me be the bad person.
Don’t answer it.
That was the answer.
- It doesn’t work anymore.
You are right.
That night we set clear rules together.
No smoking in the house.
No smoking in the car.
No children sent to bring cigarettes, lighters or ashtrays.
And, above all, no secrets required of children towards parents.
The last rule was important.
The next day, Mike scheduled a medical consultation for his mother.
Not because there was a miraculous method by which someone who smoked for decades could stop everything overnight.
It’s for Martha to talk to a professional about the right options for her and a realistic plan to quit.
The trial wasn’t perfect.
There were good days.
