Lisa sat in the living room, listening to her son Artem arguing on the phone. He was speaking loudly with a friend, and Lisa couldn’t help but overhear snippets of the conversation.
«Yes, mom doesn’t understand anything!» he shouted, making Lisa flinch. «She never knew what I really needed.»
Her heart clenched. She couldn’t imagine that her son, for whom she had lived and worked, thought this way about her. When Artem slammed his room door, tears welled up in Lisa’s eyes. She went to his room to say something but stopped at the threshold.
There was a note on his desk that read, «Mom, forgive me for everything…»
Lisa felt a chill run down her spine. What did this mean? She hastily grabbed her phone and started dialing Artem’s number, but she heard the front door’s lock quietly turn.
Lisa rushed into the hallway and caught Artem at the door. His face was tense, but his eyes showed hesitation. He was holding a backpack as if he was about to leave the house.
«Artem, wait,» Lisa said with a trembling voice. «Can you explain to me what’s happening?»
He froze, not looking at his mother, but he didn’t move. Lisa cautiously approached closer.
«I found your note,» she continued. «You can’t imagine how it scared me.»
«Mom, it’s not what you think,» he said softly. «I just… just don’t know how to explain everything to you.»
Lisa noticed how his shoulders drooped, and she realized that something serious was troubling him. She took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly:
«Artem, you can tell me everything. Whatever happened, I’m always on your side.»
He finally looked up, filled with internal struggle.
«I’m tired, Mom,» he exhaled. «Tired of being who you want me to be. I know you want the best for me, but I feel like I’m losing myself.»
These words stunned Lisa. She hadn’t expected such an admission.
«Do you think I want to make you someone else?» she asked quietly.
«Sometimes it seems so,» he replied. «I try to meet your expectations, but it’s too hard.»
Lisa felt her heart squeeze. She realized that all this time, her love and care might have been perceived by her son as pressure.
«Artem,» she said gently. «You are more important to me than any of my expectations. If I made a mistake somewhere, forgive me. I just wanted you to be happy.»
Tears welled up in Artem’s eyes. He dropped his backpack to the floor and hugged his mother.
«I just wanted you to understand me,» he whispered.
«I will try,» Lisa replied, holding him tightly. «We’ll get through this together, Artem.»
This conversation marked the beginning of a new stage for both of them, where they learned to truly listen and understand each other.
