"You love him?" he suggested with a half smile as he swallowed back the bitter pill of jealousy. Wasn't that what you did when your son showed up out of the blue? "You get to know him. You embarrass him horribly in front of his friends. You boss him about until he rolls his eyes at you and says 'Muuuuuum' and then you do it some more."
Footsteps were approaching, probably Lucy with Ernie. "Talk to him. Help him understand. And then you figure it out together."