[HarleyD]

If I said, "Your mother may perhaps give you a piece of apple pie.", what would you take that to mean? Wouldn't it mean that she may or may not? Wouldn't it be her decision to give you a piece of apple pie? What exactly is the meaning of perhaps if it not "may or may not"?

If I took that comment and paraphrase it by saying, "Your mother must decide whether to give you a piece of apple pie."; then how is that different that what is above. Your mother still must decide whether to give you a piece of apple pie or not.

There is nothing loading the text. With all due respect, you're not even making grammatical sense.

[Petronski]

And if on another occasion she had told me she made the pie for me and all I needed to do come and have some of it, the rest of your tortured logic collapses in a heap.