My mother dropped everything to raise me. After my father left us, she was always there for me. I wanted to do something nice for her. I figured it wasn’t too late for me to find love on a dating app. What I definitely DIDN’T EXPECT was finding out who I was going to date!
My name is Lucy and I am 23 years old. As I usually do on weekends, this weekend I went to visit my mother, Phoebe.
I am her only daughter, and she has no one else. My father abandoned the family when I was very young, and since then, she has always been alone.
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I was her main priority, and with all the care she gave me, she never had time for her personal life. My mother is 56 years old, and finding a partner at her age is not easy, but I remained optimistic to help her.
We were at his house, and I was standing there with my phone, taking pictures of him and teaching him how to pose.
The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow into the living room. The room was cozy, filled with family photos and memories from my childhood.
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“Mom, stand by the window,” I said, trying to get the best light. “No, not like that, more gracefully, like a kitten.”
“A kitten? At my age?” Mom replied timidly, her cheeks tinted a light pink.
“It’s never too late to feel like a woman. Listen to what I’m telling you. And don’t look at the camera. Pretend you’re staring mysteriously out the window…”
Phoebe hesitated, but obeyed, standing by the window, her head slightly bowed, looking out with a soft, thoughtful expression.
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“Oh… Hold on… I got it!” I exclaimed, taking the photo. I showed it to her with a big smile. “See? You look amazing, Mom.”
She looked at the photo and a small smile appeared on her face. “Do you think so?”
“Of course! It’s perfect for your Tinder profile,” I said, editing the photo a bit before uploading it.
“Honey, are you sure this is a good idea? I’m not young anymore; who would want me to…?” she trailed off, doubt evident in her voice.
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“Mom! Don’t say that about yourself. Life doesn’t end at fifty. Love knows no age,” I said firmly, looking into her eyes to emphasize my words. “You deserve to find it too.”
Together, we worked to add a description to her profile. We laughed as we thought of the right words to describe her warm heart, her love of gardening, and her passion for cooking.
“What do you think of this? ‘Loving mother and avid gardener looking for someone to share laughs and good meals with. Believes love is eternal and life is full of surprises.’ What do you think?” I asked.
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Phoebe laughed softly. “That sounds lovely, Lucy. Thank you for doing this for me.”
“Of course, Mom. You deserve to find someone special,” I said, giving her a hug. “Now, let me show you how to use the app.”
After a quick tutorial on how to swipe left and right, I felt confident that I was ready to dive into the world of online dating.
We had one last laugh at the absurdity of it all before I said goodbye and headed home, hopeful for what the future held for him.
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The next day, I arrived at the office and, as usual, my workday started with coffee and gossip with my office friend, Natalie.
The office kitchen was abuzz with morning chatter as we collected our coffees and settled in at a corner table. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, creating a comforting start to the day.
Natalie immediately leaned in, her eyes shining with excitement. “You won’t believe this, Lucy. Michael, our boss, has been staring at his phone all day and smiling like a child.”
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I raised an eyebrow, surprised.
“Michael? Smiling? What’s wrong with him?”
Natalie smiled, her excitement palpable. “A woman. He must have someone. That’s the only explanation. Michael is always so focused on work and never distracted. But today he was glued to his phone, smiling like a teenager in love.”
The idea that Michael, our workaholic boss, was in love was funny. We had never seen him with a woman, let alone acting like this.
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“We have to find out who it is,” I declared, curious.
At that point, we came up with a plan. Natalie approached Michael, carrying a stack of papers. “Michael, could you take a look? I can’t find last week’s report,” she said, feigning confusion.
Michael sighed and reluctantly put the phone aside. “Natalie, you’ve been working here for years. Let me see,” he replied, taking the documents.
While Michael was distracted by Natalie, I silently picked up his phone from his desk. My heart raced as I opened it, not knowing what to expect. But I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.
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It was my mother! She was texting my mother. They had been talking since last night. My mind raced as I scrolled through the messages.
They had already arranged to meet that night; Mom had invited him to her house for dinner. I panicked. No, no, this can’t be! This can’t be , I thought frantically. How could this be real?
Why him, Mom? I couldn’t imagine how awkward it would be to work with my boss as a future stepfather. No! I couldn’t let it happen. I had to stop it.
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When Natalie and I met again, she immediately started asking: “And who is she? Do you know her?”
I forced a smile and lied, “Oh, just a girl. Nothing special.” Inside, I was panicking. I had to come up with a plan to prevent Michael from going on this date. If he did, everything would be ruined. My mind was racing with possible solutions.
The work day was coming to an end and I saw Michael rushing to finish his work. It was very strange, because my boss was always the last to leave.
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But I knew where he was rushing off to, and it was crucial to make sure he didn’t make it. Seeing Michael packing up, I walked over to him with my laptop.
“Michael, do you have a minute?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite my racing heart.
“I’m in a bit of a hurry… But of course, what do you need?” he replied, looking at his watch.
“I can’t get this report right. Could you please check if everything is correct?” I handed him my laptop, hoping he wouldn’t notice the deliberate mistakes I had planted.
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Michael sighed and checked the laptop. “Okay, let’s see what you have,” he said, opening the file and starting to look at the report.
As I went through the report, pointing out errors and explaining corrections, I couldn’t help but notice the project on my computer screen.
It was a project I had been working diligently on all day to finish before his appointment. My heart pounded as I realized I would be done in no time.
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“Lucy, I didn’t expect this kind of mistake from you; you normally do a great job. What’s wrong?” she asked, looking at me with concern.
“I’m sorry, I don’t feel well,” I muttered, trying to hide my anxiety.
Michael finished reviewing the report much faster than I had anticipated. “There you go. Now please don’t distract me; I have some things to finish,” he said, quickly pushing my laptop away and reopening his project file.
I panicked. Afraid he would finish on time, I did something horrible. Next to Michael’s laptop was a cup of coffee. I knocked it over, pretending it was an accident, and it spilled all over the keyboard.
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“No, Lucy, what have you done?” Michael screamed, picking up the laptop and trying to save it. But it was too late. The computer wouldn’t boot.
“Oh, I’m so sorry…” I stammered, feeling guilt wash over me.
Michael looked at his laptop in disappointment, then looked at the time on his phone and sighed sadly. He typed something into his phone and slowly took off his coat, sitting back down at his desk. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“No problem… I’ll have to redo the project on another computer. Don’t worry,” he said, clearly frustrated.
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I felt terrible. Until I saw the result of my actions, I hadn’t realized what I had done. But it was done, and nothing could change it. Mom probably wouldn’t be too upset; she would find a better partner. That’s what I told myself to make myself feel better.
As I returned to my desk, I felt even worse. I was a terrible daughter, a colleague, and a terrible person. I called my mother and heard her calm, sad voice.
“Maybe this isn’t for me, honey. I think I’ll stop using the app; it’s too hard for me,” she said softly.
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“Mom, don’t worry, I’ll go tonight,” I replied, heartbroken.
I knew I had to set things right. So I went to Michael’s office once again. “Boss, do you have a minute?” I asked, my voice slightly shaking.
“There’s one more thing I want to ask you…” I needed to sort things out.
That night I knocked on my mother’s door. My heart raced as I waited, knowing I had to confess. The door opened and there stood my mother, shocked to see me with Michael.
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“Lucy? What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice surprised.
Michael seemed equally bewildered. “Why did you bring me here, Lucy?” he asked. He had been kind enough to drive me after work, unaware that I had a bigger plan in mind.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. “Mom, Michael, I have a confession to make. I tried to sabotage your date,” I blurted out, feeling a mix of guilt and relief.
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Phoebe’s eyes widened in confusion. “What are you talking about, honey?”
Michael frowned, looking between my mother and me. “Lucy, what do you mean?”
I felt the weight of my actions pressing down on me. “Phoebe is my mother. When I found out you were going on a date, I panicked and thought only of myself. I worried about how it would affect me and focused only on my feelings. In my selfishness, I forgot how it would affect you,” I admitted, my voice shaking.
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Phoebe’s expression softened as she approached. “Lucy, why did you do that? This was all your idea after all, I thought you’d be happy for me.”
“I know, Mom. And that’s why I feel so bad,” I said, my eyes filling with tears. “I was scared and selfish. I didn’t think about how happy this would make you. I only thought about myself and how awkward it would be to have my boss as a stepfather.”
Michael thought for a moment, his initial surprise giving way to understanding. “Lucy, I had no idea Phoebe was your mother. But I appreciate your honesty. It takes courage to admit you were wrong.”
I nodded, wiping away a tear. “I’m so sorry. I realize now that maybe they’re perfect for each other. Maybe fate brought them together because they both had a hard time finding someone.”
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Phoebe smiled softly. “Honey, I understand why you felt that way. But you have to know that my happiness is important too, and if Michael can bring that happiness, then we should give him a chance.”
Michael nodded. “Lucy, your mother is a wonderful woman. It would be an honor to get to know her better.”
A feeling of relief washed over me. “Now that you know the truth, I just want to tell you one thing. No matter what happens, if you are happy, I am happier. I hope I can fix my mistake.”
Phoebe gave me a warm hug. “You’ve done it, honey. Thanks for being honest.”
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Then he turned to Michael and invited him in. “Come in, Michael. We’re going to have dinner.”
Michael smiled and walked in. “Thanks, Phoebe.”
My mother looked at me and extended the invitation. “Would you like to join us, Lucy?”
I shook my head with a smile. “No, Mom. Tonight is meant to be for you two. Enjoy it.”
When the door closed behind them, I felt a surge of joy. I got into the car and drove home, feeling lighter and happier. After all, she was right: love knows no age.
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