The need to protect your child never fades. I’m Antoinette, in my 50s, living in a quiet suburb with my husband, Russell. We’ve been married for over 25 years, and our son, Zander, 22, is the center of our world.
He’s nearly done with college, and though he moved out years ago, we stayed close. At least, I thought so until a few weeks ago when Zander shocked us with a phone call. It was a regular Tuesday evening.
Russell and I were in the living room, half-watching TV, half-dozing, when the phone rang. “Mom, Dad, big news!” Zander’s voice boomed. “I met someone.
Her name’s Nova, and she’s amazing. We’ve been together three months, and—” He paused for effect. “I proposed, and she said yes!”
I froze, trying to process it.
A woman? Three months? Engaged?
“Wait, you’re getting married?” I asked, glancing at Russell, whose mouth was hanging open. “Yeah! I wanted to tell you sooner, but Nova’s shy.
She wasn’t ready to meet you until now, but I convinced her. Can we come for dinner this weekend?”
“Of course!” I said, though my mind raced with worry and a bit of excitement. Zander hadn’t mentioned a girlfriend in his four years at college.
No stories, no photos, nothing. Now he was engaged after just a few months! It felt wild.
After we hung up, I turned to Russell as we cleaned the house for the weekend. “What do we know about her?” I asked. “Where’s she from?
What does she do?”
“Sweetheart, you heard what I heard,” Russell said with a grin. “Maybe he’s just head over heels. You know how young love is.”
That didn’t calm my nerves.
I called Zander the next day for more details, but he was vague. “She’s from around here,” he said, smiling through the phone. “She’s incredible, Mom.
Just wait till you meet her. You’ll see!”
I decided to push my worries aside and focus on the future. Russell reminded me of the perks of Zander getting married: grandkids!
So when the big day came, I went all out. I roasted a chicken, baked an apple pie, and set the table with our best dishes. Russell splurged on fancy steaks, too.
“Just in case she prefers beef. First impressions count, right?”
“Absolutely!” I said. “Wait, should I make another dessert in case she doesn’t like apple pie?”
We spent the morning like that.
Russell even mowed the lawn, though I wasn’t sure why. It got us even more excited. When the doorbell rang, we were grinning like fools.
Zander stepped back when we opened the door, probably startled by our enthusiasm. “Welcome!” I said, almost shouting. Zander smiled nervously and introduced us to Nova, who stood shyly beside him, shoulders hunched, with a small smile.
She was petite, with dark hair and big eyes. Beautiful, and she looked good next to my son. But her face… it took only a second for me to recognize her.
I kept smiling as I welcomed them inside, but my heart was pounding for a good reason. A few months ago, my friend Clarice showed me a photo of a woman who had scammed her son. He’d fallen for her, buying an expensive engagement ring and giving her thousands for “wedding costs.”
Then, she vanished.
The story doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page.
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