Reply 39#39 bala's post
Re: Drew going to his Mom, I think because she had already approached him and was concerned that there was something going on, he knew he could go to her. Also, since it was after the abortion, he probably had a lot of mixed feelings and was clearly upset, so I think going to his mother was natural. I know a lot of young men (especially from single parent families) who would go to their mothers in such a situation.
As for Asperger's, there is such a wide variance on the spectrum of how it affects people, and Max seems on the high end, so I think he will eventually have feelings for girls. I do know that he will have a harder time understanding them, and also coping with any rejection he might face when that time comes. I agree though that anything that changes a child's life from what is perceived as "normal" often saddens parents because they don't want their children to get hurt.
I understand that someone might feel they aren't up to the task when things don't go smoothly in an adoption, but this is a child. It's not like you can return them like you would a pet that is too hard to handle. I think Joel is handling it better, and I REALLY liked when he talked to Victor and told him that Julia was his wife, and was not to be disrespected. I remember one of my Uncle's telling me that my Grandpa told his sons the same thing if they started to get disrespectful to my Grandmother, and they were his biological children. It shows children that the parents support one another and also provides a sense of security in the home, because when a marriage is strong, a split is unlikely.