The day my son introduced his girlfriend to me was supposed to be a joyful milestone. It was meant to be one of those heartwarming moments a mother cherishes forever.
But I never expected it to end in heartbreak and betrayal.
Late that night, the house was silent except for the occasional ticking of the kitchen clock. I stood by the counter, wiping the surface for the third time. Restlessness had settled in my bones, and cleaning was my only distraction.
“Mom?” Ryan’s voice came from behind me, soft but curious. “You still up? Why?”
I turned to see him leaning against the doorway. His damp hair stuck up in tufts, a reminder of how he had always dried it carelessly as a child. Hands shoved into his sweatpants’ pockets, he looked both exhausted and nervous.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I admitted, tossing the rag into the sink. “Figured I’d clean. What about you?”
Ryan sighed. “Same. I took a shower, hoping it would help, but… nope.”
I nudged the fridge door open. “Ice cream?”
A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “Do we still have the good kind?”
I gasped dramatically. “Do you even have to ask? Who do you think I am?”
I held up the tub of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. “Good enough for you, kid?”
He chuckled, grabbing two spoons. “More than good.”
We settled at the kitchen table, sharing the ice cream in comfortable silence. After a few spoonfuls, Ryan hesitated before speaking.
“Mom, I really like this girl. Sophie. She’s… different.”
“Different?” I raised an eyebrow. “Good different or weird different?”
“Good different,” he laughed. “She’s special. I want her to be part of my world.”
Ryan had never been one to talk about feelings easily. Seeing him like this—vulnerable, open—warmed my heart.
“She’s lucky to have you,” I said, squeezing his hand. “When do I get to meet her?”
“Tomorrow, if that’s okay?” he asked. “Just don’t embarrass me.”
“No promises,” I teased. “But I’m excited to meet her.”
Ryan grinned. “Only weird thing about her? She loves Brussels sprouts. With bacon.”
I gasped. “Monstrous! Are you sure she’s human?”
He laughed, shaking his head. In that moment, he looked so young, so full of hope.
I had no idea that by this time tomorrow, everything would fall apart.
The next afternoon, I prepared a feast, making sure to include Brussels sprouts for Sophie. Ryan hovered, nervous but excited. “Mom, you don’t have to go all out.”
“Nonsense,” I said, adjusting the table setting. “She’s special to you. That means she’s special to me.”
And then, Sophie arrived.
She was lovely—polite, sweet, and maybe a little shy. She helped set the table, complimented the décor, and even laughed at my stories about Ryan as a baby.
For thirty minutes, everything was perfect.
Then she saw the photo.
It was just a framed picture on the shelf—one of the few I had of all three of us: Ryan, my husband Thomas, and me. It had been taken last year on vacation, a rare moment when Thomas wasn’t buried in work.
Sophie’s entire face changed. Her posture stiffened, her smile vanishing in an instant. She set her fork down with shaking fingers.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?” I asked.
Sophie swallowed hard, glancing between me and Ryan. “I need to tell you something.”
A cold chill ran through me.
She turned to Ryan, gripping the table. “This man… I know him.”
Ryan laughed. “Yeah, that’s my dad! You haven’t met him yet, but—”
Sophie shook her head, eyes welling with tears. “No, Ryan. You don’t understand. He’s been having an affair… with my mother. For the past four years.”
The world tilted.
I gripped the table, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
“That’s not possible,” I whispered.
Sophie bit her lip. “I swear, I didn’t know. My mom doesn’t know he’s married either. He told her he was single.”
My stomach twisted. The business trips. The late nights. The different shampoo scent.
Sophie’s voice trembled. “He lives with us, Laura. He goes away on trips, but he always comes back.”
Ryan shot up from his chair. “What the hell are you saying, Sophie?”
“Ryan,” I warned.
Sophie’s next words shattered me completely.
“My mom… she’s pregnant.”
Silence.
The candle between us flickered. Ryan’s chair scraped against the floor as he backed away, horror twisting his face.
“Mom,” he begged. “Say something.”
I stared at the picture on the wall, my vision blurring.
Twenty years of marriage. Twenty years of lies.
Slowly, I inhaled and stood. “Where do you live, Sophie?”
“You… you want to go there?” she stammered.
“Yes.” I grabbed my coat. “I need to see it myself.”
Ryan’s jaw clenched. “I’m coming with you.”
“Me too,” Sophie whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
We pulled up to the house, a charming home with a white picket fence. Thomas had built a whole life here.
I rang the doorbell.
Footsteps.
Then, Thomas stood before me, fresh from a shower, a towel around his neck. He smiled—until he saw me.
“Laura,” he choked out.
I folded my arms. “What business trip was this, Thomas?”
His face paled. “I… I can explain.”
“Good,” I said coldly. “Because Sophie recognized you. She says you live here. And her mother is pregnant.”
A woman’s voice came from the hallway. “Thomas? Who’s at the door?”
A pregnant woman stepped into view, her face confused, then horrified.
“Mom,” Sophie whispered.
Her mother looked at Thomas. “Who is she?”
I met her eyes. “I’m Laura. Thomas’s wife. Ryan’s mother.”
Her mother gasped, clutching her stomach. “No. No, that’s not possible. He told me he was never married!”
“Well, he’s good at pretending,” I said.
Sophie’s voice broke. “You lied to us. To me. To my mom.”
Thomas turned to me. “Laura, please—”
“Don’t,” I cut him off. “You’re dead to me.”
I turned to Sophie’s mother. “I suggest you kick him out. As of now, he’s your problem.”
Then, I looked at Thomas one last time. “I’ll be filing for divorce. And you better return my grandfather’s ring. You don’t deserve it.”
I walked away.
Sophie followed. “Can I stay with you for a bit? I don’t want to be there for the argument.”
I nodded. “I still have dessert waiting.”
Back home, we sat in silence, eating cake and ice cream. Ryan sighed. “I never showed you a picture of him because he was never really there.”
Sophie nodded. “I always wished my real dad would come back home.”
They sat side by side, silent but understanding each other in a way words never could.
And I sat across from them, grieving everything we had lost.
