I stood in the kitchen, watching my mother flit around the table, rearranging place cards, adjusting napkins, and muttering about color schemes as if the fate of the universe depended on them.<\/p>\n
She looked radiant, practically glowing. Meanwhile, I was still trying to understand how this was happening.<\/p>\n
“Mom, are you serious? You’re seventy-nine years old, and you’re getting married?”<\/p>\n
She glanced up, completely unfazed by my tone, flashing a mischievous smile.<\/p>\n
“Oh, don\u2019t make that face, darling. This isn\u2019t the end of the world. It’s the beginning of a brand-new life!”<\/p>\n
She looked exactly as she had in her twenties, with that same sparkle in her eyes, the same reckless enthusiasm that made arguing with her absolutely pointless.<\/p>\n
“Mom, why? You live perfectly fine on your own!”<\/p>\n
“And who said I want to live alone?”<\/p>\n
My mother had always done exactly what she wanted.<\/p>\n
“I know that after your disaster of a marriage, you’ve stopped believing in love, but I haven\u2019t. Harold is perfect for me. He makes me laugh. And I feel alive again.”<\/p>\n
I sighed, watching her. She was strong-willed, fearless, and hopelessly stubborn. If she had made up her mind, there was no talking her out of it.<\/p>\n
“So, the wedding is already planned?”<\/p>\n
“Guests are invited, the dress is picked, the menu is finalized.”<\/p>\n
“This is insane.”<\/p>\n
“This is life, sweetheart,” she smiled slyly. “And you should start living it again instead of hiding behind your cynicism.”<\/p>\n
I clenched my jaw. My mother had an infuriating way of bringing up my divorce at the worst possible moments.<\/p>\n
I thought back to the day my husband left. I had come home expecting nothing unusual, only to find suitcases lined up by the door. He’d just announced that he was in love with someone younger. Someone fun.<\/p>\n
After that, love had felt like an overpriced scam, a fairy tale sold to naive women who didn\u2019t realize that the prince would eventually get bored and find someone else.<\/p>\n
I had spent years rebuilding myself, brick by brick, convincing myself that I was better off. That I didn\u2019t need love.<\/p>\n
“You know,” my mother\u2019s voice pulled me back, “I\u2019ve planned something fun for my favorite girls at the wedding.”<\/p>\n
“Girls?”<\/p>\n
“You, my dear, and my lovely granddaughters.”<\/p>\n
She beamed at me. There was a twinkle in her eyes that I did not like.<\/p>\n
“Mom.”<\/p>\n
“Trust me,” she waved. “You\u2019re going to love it.”<\/p>\n
I doubted that.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
On the day of the wedding, on the way to the grand estate where the ceremony was being held, life decided to remind me that I was not in control of anything.<\/p>\n
My tire went flat in the middle of nowhere. No gas stations. No passing cars. Just me, a useless phone signal, and my own bad luck.<\/p>\n
I stepped out of the car, cursed under my breath, and was just about to call for roadside assistance when a shiny new pickup pulled over next to me.<\/p>\n
“Got a problem, lady?”<\/p>\n
I rolled my eyes before even turning around.<\/p>\n
The man standing beside the truck was tall, broad-shouldered, dark-haired, and wearing a grin that immediately irritated me.<\/p>\n
“My tire\u2019s flat,” I said dryly.<\/p>\n
“Oh, that\u2019s an easy fix. Give me five minutes, and you\u2019ll be good to go.”<\/p>\n
“Are you a mechanic?”<\/p>\n
“Nope, but you\u2019re not gonna ask for my credentials while I\u2019m fixing your tire, are you?”<\/p>\n
I glared at him. “Listen, Mister\u2026”<\/p>\n
“Nick.”<\/p>\n
“Listen, Nick, I\u2019m not in the mood for jokes.”<\/p>\n
“Sounds like you need a few jokes,” he smirked, kneeling by my car.<\/p>\n
I let out a long breath and turned away, only to hear the car door creak open.<\/p>\n
“Are you serious, Nick?” came a sharp, annoyed female voice.<\/p>\n
I turned to see a tall, blonde, clearly annoyed woman, leaning out from the passenger seat.<\/p>\n
“Just a minute, Julie,” he called over his shoulder.<\/p>\n
She shot me a glance, her expression instantly going from irritated to downright hostile. Then, with a tight-lipped sigh, she sat back in the car.<\/p>\n
I pursed my lips. Typical man. With his typical love story. I didn\u2019t care. I just wanted to get to the wedding and be done with that day.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The wedding was extravagant. My mother looked thrilled. Harold seemed overjoyed. The guests were laughing, dancing, and having the time of their lives. And then my mother stepped up to the microphone.<\/p>\n
“Ladies and gentlemen, it\u2019s time for the bouquet toss!”<\/p>\n
The crowd cheered. My nieces moved closer, already preparing to fight for it.<\/p>\n
“And whoever catches it will receive my cherished sapphire ring!”<\/p>\n
Another murmur of excitement.<\/p>\n
“But there\u2019s one condition,” she continued, raising a finger. “The winner must go on a date with someone of my choosing!”<\/p>\n
“Oh, no,” I muttered, stepping back.<\/p>\n
Then, my mother turned around, and right before she threw the bouquet, I swear she winked at me. She adjusted her stance, aimed…<\/p>\n
And launched it. Directly. At. Me. I couldn\u2019t move in time. The bouquet landed right in my hands. Silence. Then… cheers exploded around me.<\/p>\n
I stood there frozen while my mother beamed. “Congratulations!”<\/p>\n
“This is a joke,” I whispered.<\/p>\n
“A deal is a deal, sweetheart,” she grinned.<\/p>\n
“Who\u2026 exactly is my date?”<\/p>\n
Her grin widened. “Nick, dear, come on up!”<\/p>\n
My head whipped around. The same damn Nick was striding forward, looking entirely too amused. He raised a brow at me. “Well, well. Looks like fate wants us to have dinner.”<\/p>\n
Behind him, Julie scoffed loudly in pure outrage.<\/p>\n
I turned back to my mother. “Absolutely not.”<\/p>\n
She placed a hand on my arm and whispered, “Please, sweetheart. Just this once. Do it for me. As a wedding gift.”<\/p>\n
Before I could refuse, she waved Nick over and disappeared into the dancing crowd. Nick smirked, leaning in.<\/p>\n
“So, when\u2019s our big date?”<\/p>\n
“Let\u2019s just get this over with. I\u2019ll do it, but only so I don\u2019t ruin my mother\u2019s wedding. One date. That\u2019s it.”<\/p>\n
“Perfect. Name the time and place, and I\u2019ll be there.”<\/p>\n
“Saturday. 7 p.m. That Italian place downtown. Vincenzo\u2019s.”<\/p>\n
“Fancy,” he teased. “I\u2019m honored.”<\/p>\n
“Now, if you\u2019ll excuse me, I need to pretend this never happened for the rest of the evening.”<\/p>\n
As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of Nick out of the corner of my eye. He had already spun around and was making his way straight toward Julie.<\/p>\n
She was already fuming but Nick just grinned at her, said something in a voice low enough that I couldn\u2019t hear, and then, to
\nI had seen enough.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even wait for the wedding cake. Without saying another word, I grabbed my purse and left, heading straight home with only one thought repeating in my head…<\/p>\n
Why on earth is my mother doing this to me?<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The date evening came. I was sitting in a quiet caf\u00e9, drumming my fingers against the table. I had arrived ten minutes early because I wanted to get that over with.<\/p>\n
And then, right on time, Nick walked in.<\/p>\n
Dressed in a crisp button-down and dark jeans, he looked\u2026 annoyingly put-together. He spotted me immediately and smiled.<\/p>\n
“Wow,” he said, sliding into the seat across from me. “You actually showed up. I was half expecting you to leave me a ‘Dear John’ note and vanish.”<\/p>\n
“Trust me, I considered it.”<\/p>\n
“So. Let\u2019s do this properly. How was your day?”<\/p>\n
I studied him. “You mean before or after I regretted agreeing to this date?”<\/p>\n
Nick let out a laugh.<\/p>\n
“Okay, see? That right there is why I like you. You\u2019re brutally honest. Refreshing.”<\/p>\n
I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. “Look, I agreed to this because of my mother. One date. No expectations. No illusions.”<\/p>\n
“Got it. No illusions.”<\/p>\n
For a few moments, it wasn\u2019t so bad. He made light conversation, joked about the wedding, and somehow managed to make me smirk more than once. I hated to admit it, but he was\u2026 charming. In an infuriating way.<\/p>\n
And then his phone rang. He barely glanced at the screen before hitting decline. A minute later, it rang again.<\/p>\n
That time, he sighed, checked the caller ID, and muttered, “Give me a sec.”<\/p>\n
He stood up, stepping a few feet away as he answered. I didn\u2019t mean to eavesdrop, but …<\/p>\n
“Hey, Julie, it\u2019s okay\u2026 yeah, I know. Just… calm down, alright?”<\/p>\n
A pause. Then another sigh.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, I\u2019ll be there soon. Just sit tight.”<\/p>\n
He hung up, ran a hand through his hair, and returned to the table, looking more tense than before.<\/p>\n
“Sorry about that,” he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “I have to go.”<\/p>\n
“Something important?”<\/p>\n
“Yeah, just… something I need to take care of.”<\/p>\n
“Let me guess,” I said flatly. “Julie?”<\/p>\n
“Yeah.”<\/p>\n
“Of course.”<\/p>\n
He stood, throwing a few bills onto the table. “Listen, I\u2019m sorry. I know this is…”<\/p>\n
“Don\u2019t worry about it. Let\u2019s just say we\u2019re done. No need to reschedule.”<\/p>\n
“Come on, you\u2019re just going to write me off like that?”<\/p>\n
I gave him a dry smile. “Nick, if you\u2019re going to run off to another woman in the middle of our first date, at least try to be subtle about it.”<\/p>\n
He opened his mouth to argue but must have decided against it. Instead, he sighed and shook his head.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019ll explain later.”<\/p>\n
Then, with one last glance, he turned and walked out. I stared at my untouched coffee for a long moment before looking down at my reflection in the dark liquid.
\nNick. Julie. Of course.<\/p>\n
I’d known my mother\u2019s matchmaking attempt would be a disaster, but even I hadn\u2019t expected her to set me up with a player. A man who couldn’t even make it through a single date without ditching me for someone else.<\/p>\n
Whatever. He wasn\u2019t my problem anymore. At least, that\u2019s what I thought, having no idea I\u2019d be seeing him again sooner than I expected.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The flowers started arriving the very next morning.<\/p>\n
At first, I thought it was some mistake. A giant bouquet of red roses sat on my office desk when I walked in. The card attached had a message:<\/p>\n
“Hope you\u2019re not allergic. Nick ”<\/p>\n
I groaned out loud, tossing the flowers into the bin.<\/p>\n
“Of course, it was him.”<\/p>\n
“Secret admirer?” one of the coworkers teased when the following bunch was delivered the following day.<\/p>\n
“More like a persistent mistake,” I muttered under my breath, tossing yet another bouquet into the breakroom for anyone to take.<\/p>\n
I had successfully ignored Nick for a full week when my mother called, her voice as cheerful as ever.<\/p>\n
“Dinner, sweetheart. My place. Tonight.”<\/p>\n
“Mom, I\u2019m…”<\/p>\n
“No excuses. I barely got to see you after the wedding. You left so early. Before cake, even! You owe me dinner.”<\/p>\n
“Fine,” I relented. “I\u2019ll be there.”<\/p>\n
I should have known she was up to something.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The moment I stepped onto my mother\u2019s back patio, the scent of grilled food filled the air. For a brief moment, I let myself relax. Okay. Just family dinner. Nothing suspicious.<\/p>\n
Then I saw Nick. Standing by the grill. Flipping burgers.<\/p>\n
And then… as if the universe wasn\u2019t already cruel enough, Julie stepped onto the patio right behind him.<\/p>\n
My blood instantly boiled. Unbelievable. Before I could storm out, my mother caught me by the arm and beamed.<\/p>\n
“Oh, sweetheart! You made it!”<\/p>\n
“Mother. What is he doing here?”<\/p>\n
She feigned innocence. “Oh, did I forget to mention? I invited Nick.”<\/p>\n
“Why?”<\/p>\n
“Because, darling. I think you two got off on the wrong foot. And I wanted to give you another chance to get to know each other.”<\/p>\n
“Oh, no. I got to know him just fine. Trust me.”<\/p>\n
“Ah, well, then you won\u2019t mind staying for dinner,” she said sweetly, practically pushing me toward the table.<\/p>\n
Before I could argue, Nick turned and spotted me. “Well, look who finally decided to stop avoiding me.”<\/p>\n
I clenched my jaw.
\nJulie, who had been silent up until now, finally scoffed. “Can we eat already?”<\/p>\n
My mother clapped her hands together. “Of course! But first, Nick has something to say.”<\/p>\n
Nick sighed dramatically, setting down the spatula. “I need to introduce you to someone.”<\/p>\n
“Oh, I know Julie,” I said coldly. “I saw plenty of her at the wedding, hanging off your arm while you…”<\/p>\n
Nick cut me off. “Not like that. Not what you think.”<\/p>\n
He turned to Julie and put a hand on her shoulder. “This is my daughter.”<\/p>\n
“…What?”<\/p>\n
Julie huffed, rolling her eyes.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, yeah. I know I look too old to be his kid, but trust me, I\u2019ve had to live with him for eighteen very long years.”<\/p>\n
My mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. Nick scratched the back of his neck.<\/p>\n
“Yeah, so\u2026 My wife passed when Julie was six. It\u2019s been just the two of us since then. And, well\u2026”<\/p>\n
He shot his daughter a look. “Someone doesn\u2019t like sharing me.”<\/p>\n
“You are annoying.”<\/p>\n
“That\u2019s genetic, kiddo.”<\/p>\n
“So you weren\u2019t\u2026” I gestured vaguely. “You two weren\u2019t\u2026”<\/p>\n
“Dating?” Nick finished for me, laughing. “Hell no. That would be weird.”<\/p>\n
Julie made a gagging sound. “Gross.”<\/p>\n
Then, she sighed dramatically, dropping into the seat across from me.<\/p>\n
“Look, you\u2019re not as bad as I thought,” she admitted. “And honestly, my dad needs to move on already. Anyway. If you can tolerate him, you should go on another date.”<\/p>\n
I glanced at Nick, who was watching me with a smug expression.<\/p>\n
“See? Even my daughter thinks I\u2019m a good choice.”<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, I smiled. Just a little. “Maybe. But first, dinner. I\u2019m starving.”<\/p>\n
“That\u2019s the best thing you\u2019ve said all night.”<\/p>\n
The conversation flowed easily after that. We talked, laughed, and somehow, against all odds, the tension melted away. I was finally ready to open my heart to a man.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I stood in the kitchen, watching my mother flit around the table, rearranging place cards, adjusting napkins, and muttering about color schemes as if the fate of the universe depended on them. She looked radiant, practically glowing. Meanwhile, I was still trying to understand how this was happening. “Mom, are you serious? You’re seventy-nine years […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tales"],"yoast_head":"\n