The line "took her hands off him, pressed them together and began to pray" suggests that the relationship between Shawn and his mother changed after he turned 18. The act of his mother pressing her hands together and praying may indicate that she is letting go of her son and entrusting him to a higher power or fate. This suggests that there may have been a strong dependence or protectiveness in their relationship before, and that the mother may have been struggling to come to terms with her son's increasing independence as he entered adulthood. Overall, the line implies a shift in the dynamics of their relationship and a sense of uncertainty or anxiety about the future.