She was stuck between wanting to hug him and obsessively checking on her son after his tale. "Oh,
Anthony
." With a sigh she set her hand on his cheek. "It wasn't your fault you know." she wasn't sure how much that would help. "It's never your fault when things like that happen. Even know. Isn't there something about that in your teachings? Do what you can, let the rest of it all go? None of us can fight all the things that go bump in the night."
She dropped her hand, "it's not your job to fix all the problems. You need to learn that I think. To just reminding yourself that you're human. Old and with weird powers, but in the end human."
She glanced to her son, "And Bernie adores you. He's got his birthfather flaking on him every which way already. He doesn't need that from you either."
She took his hand, "and if you can learn that, and learn that I don't have your time, and that you are going to have to try so very hard this time I'm willing to give you your last chance. But it is your last. I'm not going to come looking for you anymore. You drown in your work again and that's the last of it. I understand you need to do what you can, but no more hiding from the world. Do you understand?"