In "Through the Tunnel" what is the relationship between Jerry and his mother?

We are presented with a very awkward relationship between the
protagonist of this excellent short story and his mother as Jerry is on the threshold of
adulthood and his mother struggles to work out how best to give him limited independence whilst
trying to ensure his safety. Note how we see a conflict between them right at the beginning of
the story when she spots Jerry looking at the "wild beach," and how "contrition" forced him to
follow her to the "safe beach." Perhaps the most revealing paragraph we have that addresses their
relationship comes when the author tells us some background information about the mother and
Jerry:

He was an only
child, eleven years old. She was a widow. She was determined to be neither possessive nor lacking
in devotion. She went worrying off to her
beach.

Thus we can see that the
mother, as a single mother, is desperately trying to raise Jerry well by herself, and wants to
try and get that balance between giving him independence whilst at the same time letting Jerry
know that he is deeply loved. Thus it is that she lets him go to the "wild beach" by
himself.