The Reveal
In the kitchen, I hissed, “What is this? You’re my age. You’re twenty years older than my daughter. And you’re my ex.”
He lifted his hands. “Lena, I swear, I didn’t know she was your daughter at first.”
“At first,” I repeated. “So you figured it out.”
He swallowed. “Yeah. But I love her.”
Emily walked in, arms crossed. “Are you interrogating my boyfriend?”
I explained, “Emily, this is Mark from high school. We dated for over a year.”
Her face went flat. “You never told me that.”
“I didn’t know he was this Mark,” I snapped. “You never told me his last name. Or that he’s my age.”
Mark cleared his throat. “I know it’s strange. But I care about her. I’m not going anywhere.”
Emily moved closer to him, protective. “You’re making this weird, Mom. You don’t get to drag your teenage breakup into my relationship. Mom, I love Mark.”
Dinner was tense. After that, his name turned every conversation into a fight. I’d say, “I’m worried.” She’d reply, “You’re controlling.” I’d mention the age gap and history, and she’d cut me off: “That’s your issue, not mine.”
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