The short walk didn't give Naomi the peace she'd hoped for. Dark clouds kept swirling around in her mind. How could she get Foss to just drop the subject?

There was no way he'd fall for some random distraction. She'd have to come up with something big. Like someone on their deathbed. And even then, he wouldn't let it go for long before bringing it up again.

Maybe she could play on his emotions. Hint that it was just too painful to talk about. Too hard.

But even that, she figured, wouldn't work this time.

So she was stunned when Foss handed her the perfect, temporary solution himself. He needed space. Time to sort things out.

"I'm going to stay with Nash for a while," he muttered, not looking at her. "It's just... you know, a lot. The whole... murder thing."

It hit her hard. She'd never wanted to burden her son with this. Biting her lip, she searched for words. "I get it." If only she could tell him she didn't have a choice. That she'd been forced into this.

But she couldn't risk it. Foss had a huge protective streak when it came to his loved ones. He got that from her, sure, but also from his father. Both of them would go to any lengths to protect the people they cared about.

Foss would try to personally end the forced relationship between her and Hana, without thinking through the consequences. Even if she told him everything, down to her most shameful secrets, she couldn't convince him to stay out of it. And that was too dangerous. Way too dangerous.

"I get it," she said, looking down. She tried hard not to show how convenient this was for her. If they didn't see each other for a few weeks, there'd be nothing for him to question, and she could just get the job done. Afterward, they could take things from there. At least by then, Happy would be out of the picture, and no one else would be in danger. No more than usual, anyway. She forced herself to focus on the conversation; she didn't want things left tense between them while they were apart.

"You've handled all of this way better than I ever expected." She glanced over at Nash. "Both of you. I get it if you need time to... think things over."

That way, she gave Foss the option to turn her in, though she was certain he never would. Still, she didn't want to make him feel trapped.

"It's easier to pretend you're a normal mom when I don't have to see the opposite all the time," Foss replied. "I don't want to doubt you. I want to believe you're doing this because those men really deserve to die. Because no one else is going to make sure those assholes keep their hands to themselves."

He might as well have stabbed her in the gut. She was terrified he'd turn away from her the moment he found out she didn't know what those men had done. That she'd destroyed hundreds of lives just to protect one.

"I know my moral compass is different from most people's," she managed to say with a calm she didn't feel. "But I do what I believe is right, and I'm sure I'm sparing a lot of suffering this way."

Foss looked her right in the eye. Her heart pounded as she held his gaze. Don't look away. Don't look away. But she couldn't let this turn into a staring contest, so she finally went to the kitchen, unsure what more to say. She pulled the toaster out of the cupboard.

"When are you leaving?" she asked as the silence dragged on.

"I'll pack my stuff now."

Naomi pressed her lips together. "Just let me know when you want to come back."

Maybe he'd end up liking being away from her. It had been a long time coming anyway. She dreaded an empty house, though. Not being able to reassure herself every moment that he was alright. She already knew the restlessness would eat her alive. But she had no choice. She'd kept him as close as she could for twenty-five years, shielding him from the misery that had marked her own youth.

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

When he was no longer within reach, she couldn't afford any mistakes.

I'm sorry, Happy. I hope you're still enough of the boy I once knew to take a bullet without hesitation for your own kid.