Life’s been a rollercoaster ride for me, especially these last few years. Losing Miranda, my wife, in that accident… it still makes my chest tighten just thinking about it.

It took me and my family a long time to even start feeling normal again. Some days, I’m not sure we ever really will.

About two years after Miranda passed, my friends and family started encouraging me to date again.

“You’re still young, Aaron,” they’d say. “Miranda would want you to be happy.”

But the thought of dating someone else felt like I was betraying her memory.

My life had become a monotonous blur. Work, home, dinner, sleep. Rinse and repeat. I didn’t even feel like hanging out with friends or family anymore.

A few months later, my well-meaning friends started dragging me out to parties. Thanks to them, I slowly began to feel better.

I met new people and even tried dating, but it wasn’t until I met Ruby that things really began to change.

Ruby… there’s something about her that reminds me of Miranda, though I can’t quite put my finger on it.

We hit it off right away. I remember we were sitting in a cozy coffee shop on our third date when I decided to open up about my past.

“I need to tell you something,” I said, my hands wrapped around my coffee mug for comfort. “I was married before. My wife, Miranda… she passed away in an accident a few years ago. It was, uh, it still is really hard.”

I expected to see that look of pity I’d seen on other dates. Pity mixed with the realization that I was too much baggage. But Ruby surprised me.

“Aaron, I’m so sorry,” she began. “That must have been devastating. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

“It was,” I admitted. “Some days, it still is.”

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” she said softly. “I want you to know that I’m here for you. Whatever you need. Whether it’s to talk about her or just to have someone listen… I’m here.”

Her words and understanding were so comforting. It felt like she knew what it meant to have a disturbing past.

And for the first time since losing Miranda, I felt like I could open my heart again.

As time passed, our relationship grew stronger. After about a year and a half of dating, I decided it was time for Ruby to meet my parents.

My mom, Stella, had been asking to meet her for months. Mind you, Stella’s not your typical mother-in-law. I’d seen how cool and supportive she was with Miranda.

She was over the moon when I told her I’d found someone special.

“Oh, honey, I’m so happy for you,” she’d said over the phone. “Your father and I can’t wait to meet her!”

Dad was thrilled too. I could hear him in the background, asking Mom to put me on speaker so he could congratulate me himself.

Little did any of us know, the girl I’d fallen in love with was someone my mother knew very well.

I booked a table at a fancy restaurant for dinner a few days later.

I still remember how Ruby was so worried about making a good impression.

“What if they don’t like me?” she fretted as we got ready.

“They’re going to love you,” I reassured her. “How could they not?”

Ruby wore a stunning red dress that made her look like a movie star. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as we drove to the restaurant.

We arrived first and got seated at our table. Ruby and I were talking and giggling like teenagers when I saw my parents walk in. Mom was beaming as she approached, but then something strange happened.

Her smile suddenly faded when she looked at Ruby. At the same time, Ruby’s eyes widened in shock.

They didn’t say anything about it, and neither did I, even though I’d definitely noticed. Dad, oblivious to the tension, started chatting away as they sat down.

“So, Ruby,” he said, “Aaron tells us you work in marketing. How did you two meet?”

Ruby smiled, but I could see she was tense.

“We, uh, met through a dating app, actually,” she stammered. “But our first date was at this cute little bookstore café.”

Meanwhile, Mom just kept staring at Ruby. Something was definitely off, but I couldn’t figure out what.

After a while, Mom cleared her throat.

“Ruby, dear, would you like to freshen up with me?” she asked.

Ruby nodded. She looked so relieved to finally escape the table.

As they walked away, I turned to Dad.

“Is it just me, or is something weird going on?” I asked.

“Your mother’s probably just nervous,” he shrugged. “You know how she gets.”

But my gut told me it was more than that.

After a minute, curiosity got the better of me, and I excused myself to follow them. I found them standing under the stairs, speaking in hushed tones.

As I walked closer, I heard Ruby whisper, “Please don’t tell him anything.”

I could feel my heart pound against my chest.

What was going on? I thought. What were they hiding from me?

I couldn’t stay quiet any longer, so I just stepped out from around the corner and confronted them.

“What not to tell? What’s going on between you two?” I demanded.

They looked like they’d seen a ghost.

“Nothing, uh…” Mom began, but Ruby cut her off.

“Okay… This is going to sound insane, but your mom… she’s been my therapist. For two years.”

“Your therapist?” I blurted out. “What?”

Ruby nodded, biting her lip. “Yeah…”

“Wow, this is… crazy!” I said, scratching my head. “I don’t even know what to say.”

That’s when Mom took a deep breath and turned to Ruby.

“Ruby, this is probably the most awkward situation on earth, but listen to me,” she said. “First, I won’t tell anyone anything about you because of confidentiality ethics. Second, unfortunately, now we have to make a choice.”

“What choice?” I asked, afraid she might ask Ruby to part ways with me.

“I can either continue being her therapist, or I can be her future mother-in-law,” Mom said before she turned back to Ruby again. “I can’t ethically consult someone so close to me,” she continued. “But from what I see, you both seem so happy together. I think the choice is clear.”

Ruby shook her head.

“I… I didn’t expect this at all,” she began, looking at me. “Your mom knows things about me that are, uh, too personal. I mean, it’s super embarrassing. She knows me better than you, ten times over.”

I tried to lighten the mood, even though I was still confused. “Well, I’m sure it’s not a competition, but I have to admit, this is beyond strange.”

“It’s just… how do we move forward from this?” Ruby asked in a trembling voice. “What if it changes everything? I didn’t even realize it until today.”

“It doesn’t have to change everything, Ruby,” Mom replied. “You’ve come so far, and clearly, you’ve grown in many ways. I know how important your relationship is to you.”

Ruby nodded.

“What’s important now is the future,” she said. “I can recommend a new therapist for you. Someone who will respect the progress we’ve made. But I believe you and my son have something worth pursuing.”

I reached for Ruby’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“If you’re okay with it, I’d love to make this work,” I said. “You’re not alone in this, Ruby.”

Tears welled up in Ruby’s eyes.

“It’s just… surreal. But you know what? Maybe it’s fate or something ridiculous like that. I don’t want to lose you, or this chance we have together. If that means finding a new therapist, I’ll do it.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Ruby,” Mom smiled at her.

“Yeah,” I intervened. “Now that Mom’s not your therapist, can we go back to our table? Dad must be thinking we left him alone.”

“Oh God,” Ruby laughed. “I wonder why he hasn’t followed us here yet.”

“I guess the food’s too good,” Mom chuckled. “Let’s go back, shall we?”

We returned to the table, where Dad was patiently waiting, completely unaware of the bombshell that had just been dropped. As we sat down, the three of us shared a look of quiet understanding.