The moment I walked in, I didn’t see Aaron.
Instead, there was a woman sitting elegantly on the sofa, exuding grace with a kind warmth in her expression.
One look at her features, and I could already guess who she was.
“You must be Claire,” she said with a smile that lit up her whole face. “Honestly, Aaron is just impossible. He’s been dating you all this time and still hasn’t brought you home to meet me.”
I stiffly perched on the edge of the sofa, forcing a polite smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Ford. Uh–no, I mean… Ma’am?
“There’s no need to be so formal. I just wanted to come by and meet you myself.”
She pulled out an exquisite box from her bag and set it on the table in front of me.
“This bracelet was a gift from Aaron’s grandfather when I got married. It’s not worth much, but it’s been passed down for three generations. To me, it’s more precious than any jewel.”
Panic shot through me. This was not how I’d pictured this at all. Where was the classic “here’s a check, now leave my son” confrontation?
“Mrs. Ford, this is far too valuable…”
She smiled and shook her head.
“Claire, I know my son well. Aaron doesn’t fall in love easily. If he’s serious about someone, it means he sees a future with her–someone he wants by his side for life. This bracelet will be yours sooner or later. I’d rather give it to you now as a token of our first meeting.”
With trembling hands, I accepted the box, my mind spinning in utter chaos.
“Aaron, what on earth have you done? How could you let your mother believe this?” I thought. “A lifetime together? Oh, Ma’am, you have no idea… This is all pretend!”
Before I could think of a way to escape this disaster, the door creaked open.
Aaron walked in, his suit jacket slung over his arm, shirt sleeves rolled up, glasses tucked into his pocket, and his tie loosened. His steps slowed the moment he saw who was sitting inside. Surprise flashed in his eyes.
“Mom? What are you doing here?”
“I came to meet Claire, of course,” she said, giving him a mildly scolding look. “Honestly, Aaron, when were you planning to bring her home to meet me? We only found out about your relationship because of the news online! Do you even remember you have a mother?”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
