“You’re nothing if you’re alone in this world, Mom!” She doesn’t answer. Just sits beside him until he starts to cry. He sobs: “It’s too hard, Mom. You don’t understand how much I… I can’t…” Fatima removes her hands from his. Stands up. Backs away. And says sternly: “I don’t know what you know. But whatever it is, there’s clearly someone out there who’s terrified that you’re going to reveal it. And let me tell you something, my darling boy: I don’t need any men. I don’t need a man to drive me in a big car to the rink each morning, and I don’t need a man to give me a new job that I don’t want.
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