"I want to go home too," he admitted, his tone much less guarded and even than usual. Perhaps his father had been right, making sure he was raised around other Vulcan children rather than Humans. He'd been in her presence less than a day and already he could feel his minimal control over his emotions starting to chip away. With a steadying breath, he tried to get his thoughts back on the logical track so he could suggest what they might do next. Yet when he opened his mouth, something else entirely came out.
"I'm the one who should apologize. I should never have criticized what you said." His breath caught, eyes widening ever so slightly as he realized that he'd not only used a contraction - something that was rarely if ever done on Vulcan - but had also apologized even though logically speaking he should have criticized her. That was the only way to get someone to think their best, after all.
Or maybe that was only true with Vulcans. Because now that he really thought about it, Spock realized that someone criticizing his mother tended to have the opposite effect on her. Just as it had with Nyota, although far less severe of course.