The day my son brought his girlfriend home for the first time was supposed to be a happy one. A milestone.
The house was quiet that night, the kind of stillness that only settled after a long day. I was in the kitchen, wiping down the counters for the third time, trying to shake off the nervous energy building inside me.
I heard footsteps behind me.
“Mom,” Ryan’s voice was soft, hesitant. “You still up? Why?”
I turned to find him leaning against the doorway, barefoot, hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatpants. His damp hair stuck up in messy tufts—the same careless way he had dried it since he was a kid.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I admitted, setting the dish towel down. “So, I thought I’d clean the kitchen. What about you?”
“Same.” He let out a small, nervous laugh. “But I wasn’t about to clean. I took a shower, thinking it might help.”
I gestured toward the fridge. “Ice cream?”
His lips twitched. “We still have the good kind?”
“Excuse me, sir? Do you even have to ask?” I teased, grabbing the tub of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. I held it up. “Good enough for you, kid?”
He grinned, reaching for two spoons.
We settled at the kitchen table, passing the tub back and forth.
“She’s really special, Mom,” Ryan said after a moment, his voice quieter. “The girl I’m dating, I mean. I just got off a call with her.”
“I can tell,” I smiled. “You’ve been buzzing lately. I’m glad you’re happy. It’s hard to find your person so young.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t know what it is… but it’s different with Sophie. I care about her. Not just in a dating way, but like… I want her to be part of my world, you know?”
My heart ached in the best way. “She’s lucky to have you,” I said, squeezing his hand. “When am I going to meet her?”
“Tomorrow?” he said hopefully. “But no sappy stuff, okay?”
I laughed, tossing a napkin at him. “Fine, fine. But I’m excited to meet her.”
“You’ll love her,” he grinned. “The only weird thing about her is she loves Brussels sprouts. With bacon.”
And in that moment, he looked so young. So sure.
I didn’t know that by this time tomorrow, our entire world would shatter.
The next afternoon, I spent hours preparing dinner. I made all of Ryan’s favorites and even added Brussels sprouts to the menu for Sophie. I wanted everything to be perfect because I knew how much this meant to him.
From the moment Sophie walked in, she was lovely. Sweet, polite, and maybe a little shy. She helped me set the table, complimented the house, played with our dog, and even laughed when I pulled out Ryan’s baby pictures to embarrass him.
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 together. Ryan, my husband Thomas, and me. It had been taken last year on vacation, a rare moment when Thomas wasn’t working or traveling.
Sophie’s entire face changed.
Her smile vanished. Her hands trembled as she placed her fork down.
“Sweetheart, are you okay? Did you eat something you shouldn’t have?” I asked.
Sophie swallowed hard, glancing between Ryan and me like she was debating something.
Then, she took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry… but I need to tell you something.”
A cold feeling settled in my chest.
Sophie turned to Ryan, her fingers gripping the edge of the table.
“This man…” she pointed to Thomas in the photo, her voice shaking. “I know him.”
Ryan let out a confused laugh. “Yeah, that’s my dad. He’s always working, though. That’s why you haven’t met him.”
Sophie’s eyes filled with tears. “No, you don’t understand. Ryan…”
I felt my stomach drop. “What, Sophie? What’s going on?”
Her voice broke. “He’s been having an affair with my mother. For the past four years.”
The room spun.
“No,” I whispered. “That… that’s not possible.”
“I swear to you, Laura,” Sophie said. “I didn’t know. I don’t think my mom knows he’s married either. She would never… she’s not that kind of person.”
My pulse roared in my ears.
“He lives with us,” she added. “He comes and goes, but my mom… she thinks they’re building a life together. She thinks he’s going to marry her.”
The air vanished from the room.
Then she said something else. Something that shattered me completely.
“And… Mom is pregnant.”
Silence. A thick, unbearable silence.
Ryan shot up from his chair, his face twisted in horror. “What the hell are you talking about, Sophie?”
I grabbed my coat. “Where do you live, sweetheart?”
Sophie hesitated. “You… you want to go to my house?”
“Yes,” I said. “I need to see it for myself.”
Ryan’s face darkened. “I’m coming with you.”
Sophie nodded. “Me too.”
The drive was surreal. Sophie sat beside me, giving directions in a shaky voice. Ryan was in the back, his knee bouncing restlessly. My knuckles turned white against the steering wheel.
We pulled up to a charming home. A white picket fence. A warm porch light. Cozy. Familiar.
Thomas had built a life here.
I rang the bell.
Footsteps. Then, the door opened.
Thomas stood there, fresh from the shower, a towel slung around his neck. He smiled.
Until he saw me.
His face drained of color. “Laura…”
I crossed my arms. “So, what kind of business trip was this one, Thomas?”
His jaw clenched. “I… I can explain.”
“Perfect,” I said smoothly. “Because we’d love to hear it.”
Behind him, a woman appeared. Attractive. Confused. Pregnant.
“Thomas? Who’s at the door? Is Soph home?”
Sophie’s voice was barely a whisper. “Mom…”
The woman looked between us, confusion turning to horror. “Who are you?”
I smiled coldly. “I’m Laura. Thomas’s wife. Ryan’s mother.”
Her face crumbled.
Thomas opened his mouth to speak.
I held up a hand. “You don’t get to talk.”
Ryan’s voice, broken and raw, cut through the silence.
“You’re dead to me.”
And just like that, Thomas’s world collapsed.
I turned to Sophie’s mother. “You might want to kick him out. Because as of right now? He’s your problem.”
Then, I walked away.
And I never looked back.
