He put his arms around his mom and pulled her into a tight, comforting hug. As she let out her pain, he gently rubbed her back and felt her shudder against him.
He felt something deep inside when she showed weakness. It brought back memories he had tried to forget.
He knew exactly how that made him feel, it was the same agonizing frustration he had felt as a child when he couldn't protect his mother from his cruel father.
He was determined to get better and make sure he would never be helpless again because of the scars from those times.
When he saw that his mother was feeling the same way, he felt a strong need to protect her. He hugged her tighter, as if he could take away her pain and make her strong again. "You're not alone, Mom," he whispered softly. "You're everything to me, and we're in this together."
They stood in silence, sharing the burdens they both carried, bound by a shared resilience that had brought them this far.
