My mom found a boyfriend. I was so happy for her, and her Aaron seemed like a good man. But there was one little issue… I had NEVER met him before. Not even seen a photo! My mother’s happiness mattered most, so I stayed out of their private life.
Until ONE DAY… we finally arranged to meet. I was excited and wanted everything to be perfect! My hands were trembling as I rang the doorbell.
“OH MY GOD, YOU’RE HERE!” my mom shouted, rushing to open the door. But the moment I saw her man, I froze…

…because standing in front of me was my former college professor. Professor Aaron Matthews. The man who gave me sleepless nights not because of grades or exams—but because I had been completely, hopelessly infatuated with him during my junior year.

He had barely changed. Same intense green eyes, same salt-and-pepper beard, the same calm, deep voice that used to turn my insides to jelly. My mom hugged me tight, oblivious to the wave of panic tightening around my chest.

“Aaron, meet my daughter, Lily!” she beamed.

He extended his hand. “Lily,” he said, smiling gently. “It’s…really good to finally meet you.”

His voice faltered just slightly, and I saw the flicker of recognition in his eyes. He remembered me.

I shook his hand like a robot, heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. “Hi. Yeah, nice to meet you too.”

Nice? Nice?

I was screaming internally. My mom led us into the cozy living room, chattering about lunch and the garden and how nervous she’d been about today. I sat, numb, on the edge of the couch while she bustled into the kitchen to finish the food.

Aaron sat across from me. He leaned forward a bit, his eyes scanning mine.

“I didn’t know,” he whispered. “When your mom showed me your photo last week, I recognized you, but… I wasn’t sure how to say anything.”

“You’re dating my mom,” I whispered back, eyes wide with disbelief.

He raised his hands slightly. “I know. Believe me, I was shocked too.”

“I had a crush on you,” I blurted. Then immediately regretted it.

His eyebrows rose slightly, then softened. “You weren’t the only one with feelings, Lily.”

Time stopped.

“What?” I asked, blinking at him.

“I never acted on it,” he said quickly. “I was your professor. It was completely inappropriate. But after you graduated… I thought about you. More than I should have.”

I stared at him. My mom’s voice rang out from the kitchen. “You two okay out there?”

“Fine!” we both answered, too quickly.

He sat back, running a hand through his hair. “When I met your mom… I didn’t know who she was. I met her at the bookstore. We started talking about poetry. She reminded me of someone.”

I let out a shaky laugh. “Me.”

He smiled. “Yeah.”

The awkward silence between us felt like it could swallow the house whole. I couldn’t stop staring at him. My mom’s boyfriend. My former professor. The man who almost admitted he had feelings for me.

Lunch was a blur. My mom was glowing, thrilled that we were finally all together. She kept telling stories, laughing, passing plates. Aaron played his part flawlessly. But every time our eyes met across the table, something unspoken flickered between us.

After dessert, my mom insisted on showing me the flowers she’d planted in the backyard. Aaron stayed behind to clear the dishes. As she knelt beside a hydrangea bush, I tried to focus on her joy. She was in love. She looked ten years younger.

“He’s changed my life,” she said, brushing dirt from her hands. “After your father passed, I didn’t think I’d feel this way again. But with Aaron… it’s like I have a partner. A real one. He listens. He’s kind. He reads me poetry every night.”

My stomach twisted. Poetry. That was our thing. Mine and Aaron’s.

“That’s great, Mom,” I forced a smile.

That evening, as I gathered my things to leave, Aaron walked me to the door. My mom stayed inside, humming while she made tea.

“I shouldn’t have said anything earlier,” he whispered, standing close.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” I said quietly. “But you did.”

He looked at me, troubled. “I care about your mom. Deeply. This… whatever we had or could have had… it never happened.”

“I know.”

“But it could have,” he added. And something in his eyes shattered my balance.

I stepped outside, cool air hitting my skin like a slap. He didn’t follow.

Over the next few weeks, I tried to avoid visits. When I did come over, I made excuses to leave early. Aaron was always there. Always perfectly attentive, affectionate toward my mom, always watching me from the corner of his eye.

Then came the night of her birthday.

She had a small party at the house, just a few friends, some cousins, and us. She wore a red dress, laughing like a girl. Aaron toasted to her health, his voice full of emotion. I couldn’t tell what was worse—his sincerity, or the way I couldn’t stop wanting him.

After the guests left, we sat by the firepit outside, just the three of us. My mom went inside to get blankets. Aaron and I were alone in the flickering light.

“I can’t keep doing this,” I said suddenly, voice shaking. “Seeing you with her. Knowing what you said to me.”

“I meant every word,” he murmured.

“Then why are you with her?”

“Because she came into my life when I was drowning,” he said. “Because I didn’t know you would ever…”

“I wouldn’t,” I said. “Not then. But now…”

He looked at me with eyes full of storm. “Do you want me to leave her?”

The question landed like thunder between us.

“No,” I whispered. “I want you to not want to leave her.”

His jaw clenched. “That’s not the same thing.”

I stood, shaking. “She’s my mother. She loves you.”

“I know,” he said, rising to stand with me. “And I love her. But not the way I—”

I held up my hand. “Don’t finish that sentence. Please.”

We didn’t speak again that night. I left before dawn, heart hollow and confused.

I didn’t hear from them for two weeks. Then, one morning, my mom called me crying.

“He left me,” she sobbed. “No warning. Just a letter.”

My heart stopped. “A letter?”

“He said he wasn’t who I thought he was. That he was sorry. That he needed time.”

I couldn’t believe it. He really left.

“Do you want me to come over?” I asked gently.

“No, sweetheart,” she said through tears. “I just needed you to know.”

I hung up and sat there, stunned. A few hours later, my phone buzzed with a message.

From Aaron: I had to. For both of you. Meet me, please. One last time. Our spot.

Our spot? He meant the little lake behind the university, where I used to study under the trees. The place where he once sat next to me and recited Yeats just because I looked like I needed cheering up.

I didn’t reply. I just went.

He was there, sitting on the bench, looking older than I remembered. Tired. But when he saw me, his face lit up.

“Thank you for coming.”

“I didn’t come for you,” I said. “I came for answers.”

“I couldn’t keep lying to her,” he said. “Or to myself.”

“You broke her heart.”

“I was breaking yours too,” he said softly. “Every time I looked at you and pretended you were just her daughter. Every time I ignored what I felt.”

I closed my eyes. “This is all wrong. It’s a mess.”

He reached out, but didn’t touch me. “It doesn’t have to be.”

“I can’t do this to her,” I said. “Even if I wanted to. I couldn’t live with it.”

He nodded slowly. “I know.”

A long silence fell. The wind whispered through the trees. Somewhere, ducks splashed near the water’s edge.

“I think we were meant to meet,” he said at last. “But not like this. Not now.”

I looked at him, tears threatening. “So what now?”

“I disappear,” he said. “For real this time. I’m going out of state. I got a job offer. Fresh start.”

“And you’re not telling her where?”

“No. She deserves better than a man who broke her trust.”

“And what about me?”

He gave me a sad smile. “You’ll be fine. You were always stronger than you knew.”

I hated him in that moment. And I loved him. And I let him go.

Three months later, my mom is smiling again. She started painting, joined a book club, even adopted a dog. She never mentions Aaron anymore. Maybe she doesn’t want to remember, or maybe she’s finally healing.

As for me, I walk by the lake sometimes. I sit on the bench and breathe.

And though I don’t know where Aaron is, or what he’s doing, a part of me hopes he found peace.

But I know this much for sure: love doesn’t always come in the right shape, or at the right time. And sometimes, the bravest thing you can do… is to walk away.