My Husband Gave Me A Train Ticket For Our Honeymoon While He Flew, But When He Reached The Airport..

A Blind Date and a New Beginning

Hi, I’m Emily. I’ve always been good at understanding people, which is probably why I became a psychologist. I had my own practice and spent most of my time helping others with their problems. It’s kind of funny considering what happened to me later.

Anyway, as I was getting close to my late 40s, it hit me out of nowhere: I wanted to start a family. It’s strange how that feeling creeps up on you. My best friend Carol must have sensed how I was feeling because she suggested setting me up with her second cousin.

“Come on, Emily,” she said while we were having coffee one day. “He’s a great guy, smart, funny, and he has a good job. What do you have to lose?”

I sighed and stirred my latte without much enthusiasm. “I don’t know, Carol. Blind dates aren’t really my thing.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not a blind date if I show you his picture first. Plus, you two can chat online before meeting in person. It’s the perfect setup.”

That’s how I ended up sending Ryan a friend request on social media. Even to my surprise, we hit it off immediately. Ryan was 40, just a year older than me, and he seemed genuinely interested in everything I had to say.

Meeting Ryan

Our conversations flowed easily with no awkward silences. We chatted for weeks before finally deciding to meet in person. I was incredibly nervous when the day came. My palms were sweating as I waited for him at the coffee shop we’d chosen for our first date.

When Ryan walked in, I felt my breath catch. He was tall, had kind eyes, and a warm smile. He saw me right away and waved as he approached my table.

“Emily?” he asked, extending his hand.

I smiled and nodded. “That’s me. It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Ryan.”

He sat down across from me and, just like that, my nerves disappeared. We talked for hours, completely losing track of time until the barista gently reminded us that the shop was closing. As we walked outside into the cool evening, Ryan turned to me.

“I had a great time, Emily. Would you like to do this again sometime?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. “I’d love to.”

The Third Wheel

From there, I fell head over heels into a relationship with Ryan. We started seeing each other regularly, going out for dinner, taking walks in the park, and even enjoying a few weekend getaways. But as our relationship grew, I started noticing something strange about Ryan.

His phone was always buzzing with messages. At first, I didn’t think much of it; we all have busy lives, right? But the constant buzzing was odd, even for someone with a lot of friends.

One night, after a lovely dinner as we lay in bed, his phone lit up for what felt like the hundredth time that day. I couldn’t stop myself. “Busy night, huh?” I asked, trying to keep my tone casual.

Ryan glanced at his phone and gave a shy smile. “Oh, it’s just my mom. She likes to check in.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Your mom? At this time?”

He shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. “Yeah, we’re really close. She raised me alone after my dad died when I was five. I had bad asthma as a kid, and she saved my life more than once.”

Warning Signs

As Ryan opened up about his childhood, it became clear that his mom wasn’t just devoted; she was his whole world. “Sounds like you two have a special bond,” I said, choosing my words carefully.

Ryan nodded eagerly. “We do. I owe her everything.”

As a psychologist, I could feel alarm bells going off in my mind. Their relationship seemed a bit too dependent, but I pushed those thoughts away. I wasn’t his therapist; I was his girlfriend, and it wasn’t my place to analyze it.

Weeks turned into months, and soon we’d been dating for almost a year. Ryan was sweet and attentive, and our relationship felt strong. But that uneasy feeling about his connection with his mom never really went away.

One day, while we were having lunch at my place, Ryan suddenly looked nervous. “Emily,” he began, playing with his napkin. “I’d like you to meet my mom. I think you’ll really like her. She’s excited to meet you too.“