And The Silver Spoon
"...Look, kiddo, I say this with a whole lotta love...but this kinda stuff will get you made fun of."
Theo's face drops. He sits up until he's sitting criss-cross, tilting his head at you.
"What?"
"I had the same obsession you have now when I was your age. It was social suicide. I never had any friends, I never got any dates, I never went out...it isolated me like nothing else."
"...I only got into this stuff because of my friends at school," Theo says back, his brow furrowed and his words defensive.
You feel regret. Your words clearly cut deep.
"I'm just looking after you, Theo. I don't want you to get bullied at school. I'm telling you, you need to take this stuff down."
"Get out."
Your heart drops. You stand.
"Theo, kid, I-"
"Please leave me alone."
You shift your weight nervously, watching as Theo goes back to laying on his stomach and working on his project. His head is hung low. You fear for a moment he is shielding his face from you to cry.
Shit.
Maybe you're not as good at this parenting thing as you thought.
With Theo's mother Mary's ghost haunting your every move, you hang your head, but nod. When in doubt as a parent--at least for you--remove yourself from the equation. It's what Mary would probably want for her son.
You quietly sulk to his bedroom door and close him in, respecting his wishes.