[ WP ] After the death of her son , a distant mother tries to find out more about who he was by talking to his shy and secretive high school friend .

Carol had always tried her hardest to be the best mother she could be. It was n't easy though. Her son's father, Chuck, had committed suicide just a few short years ago. Since then, she has noticed that her son has become increasingly distant. 
 
 Raymond was your typical average student. Average grades. Not particularly good at any sports. He had friends but did n't hang out with them that often. After Chuck has passed away, Carol knew she needed to up her efforts a little bit. Though, whenever she thought she was making progress, Raymond became even more distant. It got to the point where Ray would not even talk to his own mother. 
 
 One evening, while riding home from school with some friends, Raymond died in a car accident. Only one of the teens survived. His name is Derek. 
 
 After another lengthy period of grief, Carol decided to take the next step. She called up Ray's friend Derek. They offered each other condolences and pleasantries. Then she asked Derek how Ray had been, emotionally, before the accident. At first Derek did not know how to respond to such a straightforward question. But he was honest. He said that Ray had been behaving normally, given his circumstances. They chatted some more and then Carol thanked him for his time and asked him if she could call again. 
 
 Over time, Carol and Derek formed a sort of friendship. They would chat over the phone about Raymond. Occasionally, Derek would stop over to visit with Carol. Carol appreciated Derek's visits but she was still emotionally scarred. She knew she needed to talk to a professional. Before she called the shrink, she decided have one more visit with Derek. 
 
 Derek stopped by her house and sat down with Carol. She put her head in her hands and really opened up. She told him that she was going to seek professional help. As she held back her tears, it was at that point that she knew that it was not her son, but rather herself, that was distant. As she went to apologize to Derek, she took a deep breath and looked up. No one else was there. It was just her. All alone.
