As I drove away from Sophia's apartment, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Sophia had seemed happy and carefree when I dropped her off, but I had noticed her mother watching us from the window.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but as I found out later, Sophia's mother had been seething with anger and disapproval.
As soon as Sophia walked into the house, her mother confronted her. "How could you be so reckless and stupid?" she yelled, her face red with rage.
Sophia was taken aback by her mother's outburst. "What are you talking about, Mom?" she asked, trying to stay calm.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," her mother spat. "I saw you with that girl, Emily. I saw you kissing her and holding hands."
Sophia's mother was furious, and Sophia could see the disgust in her eyes. "You're a disgrace," her mother said, her voice dripping with venom. "You're a disappointment."
Sophia felt a sting from her mother's words, but she refused to back down. "I'm not ashamed of who I am," she said, standing up straight.
But her mother was unmoved. "You're grounded," she said, her voice firm. "And I'm taking away your phone."
Sophia felt a pang of frustration and anger, but she knew that she had to stay calm. She knew that her mother would come around eventually.
But for now, Sophia was trapped in a war with her mother, a war that seemed impossible to win.