Just as we were enjoying dinner, something strange happened. A sneeze echoed from inside my closet. Theo and I froze, staring at each other in confusion. Then, the unmistakable sound of rustling came from behind the door.
Before I could process what was happening, the closet door slowly creaked open, and out stepped my mother—looking sheepish but holding a piece of paper in her hands.
I was beyond mortified. “Mom, what are you doing in there?” I asked, my voice trembling with a mix of shock and anger.
Her response was almost casual. “I was just making sure you were safe, sweetheart.” She then handed Theo a list titled “Rules for Dating My Daughter.” I could feel the blood draining from my face as I glanced at Theo, whose expression had gone from curiosity to complete bewilderment. The list had everything: curfew times, expectations of respect, and, of course, her very detailed opinion on what kind of person would be acceptable for me.
Theo, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, excused himself politely, muttered something about needing to go, and left without so much as a goodbye.
I stood there, in utter disbelief, my mother smiling as if she had just done me a great favor.
The next few days were awkward, to say the least. I tried to call Theo, to explain the situation, but he didn’t respond to any of my messages. I had no idea how to fix the disaster my mother had caused. I honestly didn’t think I would ever hear from him again.Then, just as I was resigning myself to the idea of another missed chance, Theo showed up at my door with a bouquet of flowers. A glimmer of hope sparked in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, things were going to be okay.
He smiled sheepishly. “I’m really sorry about the… situation with your mom,” he said, handing me the flowers. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
I took the flowers, a small smile escaping despite the humiliation I still felt. Maybe we could laugh this off and move forward. But then, he dropped the bombshell.“I’ve been thinking a lot about that list,” he said, his voice serious. “And I know this might sound a little crazy, but… would it be okay if I asked YOUR MOM out on a date?”I blinked, my mind racing to make sense of his words. “What?” I finally managed to stutter.
“I mean, if she’s already got a list for me, maybe I should get to know her better, right?” he said, half-joking, half-serious.
I stood there, speechless. The idea of my mom, the woman who had never let any guy get close to me, now dating the very man I thought was mine… It was too much to process. A mix of embarrassment, anger, and absurdity flooded through me. This couldn’t be happening.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.I forced a smile, but inside I was a whirlwind of emotions. “I think you’ve got a lot of nerve,” I said, trying to sound playful, though I was anything but amused. “But sure, if you want to go down that road…”
Theo laughed, relieved. “Great! I’ll let her know.”
As he walked away, I stood there, holding the flowers in my hand, feeling like my life had just taken a strange and unexpected turn. The irony was not lost on me—after all these years of my mom driving away every guy I’d dated, here she was, apparently about to date the one I thought was perfect for me.
I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry.
One thing was clear though: my love life was never going to be simple.