When Heather’s five-year-old daughter refuses to draw her father in her paintings, her heart breaks. Heather eventually presses Lily for an answer, and when she does, Lily shares a shocking revelation about a secret her dad has been keeping. Heather is rendered speechless by the news, which reveals a side of their life that she never would have suspected. I listened to the worried voice of Lily’s teacher while sitting on the couch with the phone pressed to my ear.”Heather, how are things going at your house?” Mrs. Thompson enquired politely.
An knot of worry tightened in my gut. I said, “Mrs. Thompson, what’s the deal?” On the other end, she let out a quiet sigh. We asked the children to create portraits of their families today. Lily only drew herself, you, and her older brother Liam. She became silent and clammed up when I asked her where her dad was.My heart fell. I looked over at Lily, who was on the carpet playing with her toys. Her tiny face exuded such innocence and joy. “Oh, I understand,” I said in a firm voice.
Her dad hasn’t been around much these days, though. We’ve been going through some difficult times.Heather, I get it. Simply put, Lily appeared somewhat reticent when I asked her. Perhaps there was more going on, I reasoned.I inhaled deeply as I attempted to collect my thoughts. I appreciate you informing me of this, Mrs. Thompson. I’ll discuss it with Lily. Naturally, Heather. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any assistance. We want to make sure Lily, who is a lovely girl, is doing well.An old woman talking on the phone I said, “Thank you,” with a mixture of concern and thankfulness.
“I will see to it.” I gave Lily another look as I hung up. She held out one of her dolls and grinned at me. “Observe, mother! She’s got on a lovely dress! I feigned a laugh. I said, “She sure is, sweetheart.” A young girl having fun with a doll. I had to figure out how to bring up Lily’s father with her without upsetting her. I inhaled deeply. Why didn’t you draw Daddy when you were in kindergarten, sweetie? Has he done something that has angered you? Trying to sound as nice as possible, I asked. With reluctance in her large eyes, Lily raised her gaze to me. “Mommy, I can’t tell you.”I squatted down next to her. “Why, my dear? Tell your mother everything you want to. She bit her lip with hesitation. At last, she grasped my hand and murmured, “All right, Mommy, I’ll show you.”
She moved some old crates aside and took me to a corner of the garage. She brought an old, dusty scrapbook out from behind them and gave it to me, her expression sad. “Mom, look inside.”A dejected young girl clutching a photo album. With shaky hands, I opened the album. It was crammed with pictures and sketches, a mixture of joyful events and carefree sketches.
But one page stopped me cold. It was a picture of a man who looked strikingly like my husband but with subtle differences. He was standing with a woman and two children, none of whom I recognized. A kid removing photos from a book with an adult sitting beside them. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the photo. “Lily, where did you find this?” She pointed to the back of the garage. “I found it when I was looking for my old toys.” I sat down on an old stool, feeling a wave of confusion and fear wash over me. Could it be true? Could David have a second family? I didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was right in front of me.
“Mommy, are you okay?” Lily asked, her voice small and worried. I pulled her into a hug, trying to hide my anxiety. “I’m okay, sweetheart. Thank you for showing me. We’ll figure this out together, okay?” She nodded, and I held her close, my mind racing with questions and doubts. That night, with my heart heavy and mind swirling, I confronted David in our bedroom.
The scrapbook lay open on the bed, its pages filled with secrets I never imagined. “Care to explain this?” I demanded, my voice shaking as I pointed to the incriminating photos. David’s face went pale. He sighed heavily and sat down, his hands trembling.“I–I’m sorry, Heather,” he said. “I was going to tell you, but I didn’t know how.” “You have another family? How could you do this to us?” I yelled, tears streaming down my face, my anger mixing with overwhelming sorrow. “It’s not what you think,” he said, his voice breaking. “Before I met you, I was married. We had two children, but my wife and one of the kids died in a car accident.
The surviving child, my son, lives with his grandmother. I couldn’t bear to talk about it.”I stood there, stunned. This revelation was more than I could process. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I managed to ask. “I didn’t want to bring the pain into our lives. I wanted to start fresh with you,” he explained, tears welling up in his eyes. His pain was evident, but so was mine. I sat down beside him, trying to absorb his words. The betrayal and the hidden past felt like too much to handle.“You should have trusted me, David,” I said. “We could have faced this together.” He nodded, wiping away a tear. “I know. I’m so sorry, Heather. I just didn’t want to lose you.” I sighed, my anger slowly giving way to empathy. “We’ll need time to work through this, but keeping secrets isn’t the way. We need to be honest with each other.”The next few days were a whirlwind of emotions.
I needed time to process everything. As I sat in my room one evening, staring at the scrapbook, a thought struck me. If Lily found this, could there be more secrets hidden in our home? Determined, I began searching the house. I went through drawers, old boxes, and forgotten corners, looking for anything that might reveal more of David’s past. In the attic, I found a hidden stack of letters and documents. My heart pounded as I sifted through them. One letter, in particular, stood out. It was from a law firm, detailing a large inheritance left to my husband by his late wife. The money was in a trust, and he had never mentioned it to me. I sat down on the attic floor, the letter trembling in my hands. The betrayal cut deep. Why hadn’t he told me about this? What else was he hiding? My mind raced with questions, and a new wave of anger and hurt washed over me. I had to confront him again, but this time, I needed answers.
That evening in the kitchen, the air was thick with tension. I placed the inheritance letter on the table in front of David as he sat down. Lily was in the living room, playing quietly. “You kept this inheritance a secret. Why? I thought we’d promised each other not to keep secrets.” He looked down, avoiding my gaze. “I feared it would change things between us, Heather. I thought if you knew, it would complicate everything.”How could you think hiding something so important would help us? It’s about trust, David. And right now, that trust is shattered!” He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry, Heather. I really am. I never meant to hurt you. I just didn’t know how to handle it.” “We can’t go on like this, with secrets and lies.
We need transparency for our sake and for Lily’s,” I said, my voice softening slightly. “Can you promise me that?”David looked up, tears in his eyes. “Yes, I promise. No more secrets.” Just then, the phone rang. I picked it up, and an unfamiliar voice spoke. “Hello, Heather. This is Eleanor, David’s late wife’s mother. I’d like to meet Lily and Liam.” I was taken aback. I put the phone on speaker mode. “Eleanor, I didn’t expect this call. Why now?”“I think it’s time the half-siblings met. They deserve to know each other,” she replied gently. “Got your number from David long ago. Couldn’t find the courage to call you before today.” I glanced at David, who looked equally surprised. “We’ll arrange something soon,” I said, feeling a mixture of apprehension and hope. As I hung up the phone, I turned to David. “Eleanor wants Lily and Liam to meet their half-brother.”David nodded, his expression serious. “It’s about time. We need to bring our families together.” I hoped this was the beginning of a new chapter, one where honesty and healing could finally take root.
The next weekend, we arrived at Eleanor’s house, a warm and inviting place filled with memories. Photos of David’s past adorned the walls, a silent reminder of the life he had before us. Eleanor greeted us at the door.“Hello, Heather. I’m glad you came,” she said, giving me a gentle hug. “Come in, everyone.” We stepped inside, and I immediately felt the warmth of her home. Ethan, David’s surviving son, stood by the fireplace, looking nervous. Lily and Liam clung to my sides, their eyes wide with curiosity. “Ethan, these are your half-siblings, Lily and Liam,” Eleanor said, introducing them. Ethan smiled shyly. “Hi, Lily. Hi, Liam.” Lily took a step forward, her natural curiosity taking over. “Hi, Ethan. Do you like dinosaurs?” Ethan’s face lit up. “I love dinosaurs! Do you want to see my collection?”Lily nodded eagerly, and the two of them ran off to Ethan’s room, leaving us adults to talk.
I watched them go, feeling a sense of relief. Eleanor led us to the living room, where we sat down and began to talk. The conversation was emotional, filled with tears and apologies. David and Eleanor shared stories of the past, and I could see the pain and love in their eyes. A smiling elderly woman | Source: Pexels “Forgiveness and understanding can help us rebuild. We’re a family, and we need each other,” Eleanor said. I nodded, knowing she was right. Our family was fractured, but I could see a path to healing. It wouldn’t be easy, but together, we could rebuild stronger.
I Created a Tinder Profile for My Lonely Mother, but Regretted It When I Saw Who Was Messaging Her — Story of the Day
My mom gave up everything to raise me. After my dad bailed, she was always there for me, the only one. All I wanted was to do something nice for her. So, I figured it wasn’t too late for her to find love on a dating app. But Lord, what I definitely DIDN’T EXPECT was finding out who she was going on a date with!
My name is Lucy, and I’m 23 years old. Like I usually do on weekends, I went to visit my mother, Phoebe, one weekend.
I am her only daughter, and she has no one else. My father left the family when I was very young, and since then, my mother has always been alone.
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, and finding a partner at her age is not easy, but I stayed optimistic about helping her.
We were at her house, and I was standing there with my phone, taking pictures of her and showing her how to pose.
The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow in the living room. The room was cozy, filled with family photos and mementos of my childhood.
“Mom, stand by the window,” I instructed, trying to capture the best light. “No, not like that, more gracefully, like a cat.”
“A cat? Lucy, at my age?” Mom replied shyly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink.
“It’s never too late to feel like a woman. Listen to what I say. And don’t look at the camera. Pretend you’re gazing mysteriously out the window…”
Phoebe hesitated but complied, standing by the window with a slight tilt to her head, looking out with a soft, pensive expression.
“Oh… Hold still… Got it!” I exclaimed, snapping the picture. I showed it to her with a big smile. “See? You look amazing, Mom!”
She looked at the photo, and a small smile crept onto her face. “You think so?”
“Absolutely! This is perfect for your Tinder profile,” I said, editing the photo a bit before uploading it.
“Sweetheart, are you sure this is a good idea? I’m not young anymore; who would want me there…” she trailed off, doubt evident in her voice.
“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 happiness too.”
Together, we worked on adding a description for her profile. We laughed as we brainstormed the right words to describe her warm heart, love for gardening, and passion for cooking.
“How about this: ‘Loving mother and avid gardener looking for someone to share laughs and good meals with. Believes love is timeless and life is full of surprises.’ What do you think?” I asked.
Phoebe chuckled softly. “It 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 swiping left and right, I felt confident that she was ready to dive into the world of online dating.
We shared one last laugh over the absurdity of it all before I said goodbye and headed back home, feeling hopeful about what the future might hold for her.
The next day, I arrived at the office, and as usual, my workday began with coffee and gossip with my office friend, Natalie.
The office kitchen buzzed with early morning chatter as we grabbed our coffees and settled at a table in the corner. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, creating a comforting start to the day.
Natalie immediately leaned in, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “You won’t believe this, Lucy. Michael, our boss, has been looking at his phone all day and smiling like a kid.”
I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Michael? Smiling? What’s going on with him?”
Natalie grinned, her excitement palpable. “A woman. I’m sure he has someone. I mean, it’s the only explanation. Michael is always so focused on work and never distracted. But today, he’s been glued to his phone, smiling like a teenager in love.”
The thought of Michael, our workaholic boss, being smitten was amusing. We had never seen him with a woman, let alone acting like this.
“We have to find out who it is!” I declared, my curiosity piqued.
At that moment, we devised a plan. Natalie approached Michael, carrying a stack of documents. “Michael, could you take a look? I can’t seem to find last week’s report,” she said, feigning confusion.
Michael sighed, setting his phone aside reluctantly. “Natalie, you’ve worked here for years. Let me see,” he replied, taking the documents from her.
While Michael was distracted by Natalie, I quietly took his phone from the desk. My heart raced as I opened it, not knowing what to expect. But I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.
It was my mother! He was messaging my mom! Their conversation had been going on since last night. My mind raced as I scrolled through the messages.
They had already arranged a date for that evening; Mom had invited him to dinner at her place. Panic set in. “No, no, this can’t be! Not this,” 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 my future stepfather. No! I couldn’t let it happen. I had to stop it.
When Natalie and I reconvened, she immediately began asking, “So, who is it? Do you know her?”
I forced a smile and lied, “Oh, just some girl. Nothing special.” Inside, I was panicking. I needed to come up with a plan to prevent Michael from going on that date. If he went, it would ruin everything. My mind raced with possible solutions.
The workday was coming to an end, and I saw Michael hurrying to finish his work. It was so unusual because Michael was always the last to leave.
But I knew where he was rushing to, and it was crucial to ensure he didn’t make it. Seeing Michael packing up, I approached him with my laptop.
“Michael, do you have a minute?” I asked, trying to sound casual despite my racing heart.
“I’m in a bit of a hurry… But sure, what do you need?” he replied, glancing at the clock.
“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 errors I had planted.
Michael sighed and took the laptop from me. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got,” he said, opening the file and starting to review the report.
As he went through the report, pointing out mistakes and explaining corrections, I couldn’t help but notice his project on his computer screen.
It was a project he had been diligently working on all day to complete before his date. My heart pounded as I realized he would finish in no time.
“Lucy, I didn’t expect these kinds of mistakes from you; you usually do great work. What’s going on?” he asked, looking up at me with concern.
“Sorry, I’m not feeling well,” I mumbled, trying to hide my anxiety.
Michael finished reviewing the report much faster than I had anticipated. “It’s done. Now, please don’t distract me; I need to finish a few things,” he said, quickly pushing my laptop aside and reopening his project file.
Panic surged through me. Fearful he would finish in 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 his laptop.
“No! Lucy, what have you done!?” Michael shouted, grabbing the laptop and trying to save it. But it was too late. The laptop wouldn’t start.
“Oh, I’m so sorry…” I stammered, guilt washing over me.
Michael looked at the laptop in disappointment, then checked the time on his phone and sighed sadly. He typed something on his phone and slowly took off his coat, sitting back at his desk. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay… I’ll have to redo the project on another computer. Don’t worry about it,” he said, clearly frustrated.
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 match. That’s what I told myself to feel better.
Returning to my desk, I felt even worse. I was a terrible daughter, colleague, and person. I called my mom and heard her quiet, sad voice.
“Maybe this isn’t for me, sweetheart. I think I’ll stop using the app; it’s too hard for me,” she said softly.
“Mom, don’t worry, I’ll come over tonight,” I replied, my heart breaking.
I knew I had to fix things. So I went to Michael’s office once more. “Michael, do you have a minute?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
“There is one more thing I want to ask you…” I needed to make things right.
That evening, I knocked on my mom’s door. My heart raced as I waited, knowing I had to come clean. The door opened, and there stood my mother, looking shocked as she saw me standing with Michael.
“Lucy? What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice filled with surprise.
Michael looked equally bewildered. “Why did you bring me here, Lucy?” he asked. He had been kind enough to give me a ride after work, not knowing I had a bigger plan in mind.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Mom, Michael, I need to confess something. I tried to sabotage your date,” I blurted out, feeling a mix of guilt and relief.
Phoebe’s eyes widened in confusion. “What are you talking about, sweetheart?”
Michael frowned, looking between me and my mom. “Lucy, what do you mean?”
I felt the weight of my actions pressing down on me. “Phoebe is my mom. When I found out you were going on a date, I panicked and only thought about myself. I worried about how it would affect me and focused only on my feelings. In my selfishness, I forgot how this would impact you,” I admitted, my voice trembling.
Phoebe’s expression softened as she stepped closer. “Lucy, why would you do that? You know I haven’t dated in so long.”
“I know, Mom. And that’s why I feel so terrible,” I said, my eyes filling with tears. “I was scared and selfish. I didn’t think about how happy this could make you. I was only thinking about myself and how awkward it would be to have my boss as my stepfather.”
Michael looked thoughtful, his initial shock 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 really sorry. Now, I realize that you two might be perfect for each other. Maybe fate brought you together because you’ve both had such a hard time finding someone.”
Phoebe smiled gently. “Sweetheart, I understand why you felt that way. But you need to know that my happiness means the world to me, and if Michael can bring that happiness, then we should give it a chance.”
Michael nodded in agreement. “Lucy, your mom is a wonderful woman. I would be honored to get to know her better.”
I felt a sense of relief wash over me. “Now that you know the truth, I just want to say one thing. No matter what happens, if you’re happy, then I’m happier. I hope I can fix my mistake.”
Phoebe gave me a warm hug. “You already have, sweetheart. Thank you for being honest.”
She then turned to Michael and invited him inside. “Come on in, Michael. Let’s have that dinner.”
Michael smiled and stepped inside. “Thank you, Phoebe.”
My mom looked at me and extended the invitation. “Would you like to join us, Lucy?”
I shook my head with a smile. “No, Mom. This evening should be yours. Enjoy it.”
As the door closed behind them, I felt a surge of joy. I got into my car and drove home, feeling lighter and happier. After all, I was right—love knows no age.
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