I swallow thickly. “I just meant that I’m dating her, and I like her, and I hope you’ll be welcoming. That’s—” I clear my throat, squeezing my eyes shut a few times to get rid of the sting. “That’s all I meant.” “Oh,” my mother says, and her voice softens. “Of course, sweetheart. Of course we will. Although”—now her words turn stern—“we should discuss how you’re living in sin.” I can’t help it; I smile. She’s truly the greatest mother in the world.
