My Son’s Secret Plan Led Me to Love

My hurt leg meant I had to move in with my son, Andrew, and his wife, Kate. It was supposed to be temporary, but it quickly became awkward. Kate wasn’t happy about me being there. She was always a bit cold towards me, and my attempts to help were usually met with a sharp word or a dismissive wave of her hand. The house felt tense and uncomfortable. Then, something surprising happened. Our quiet neighbor, Mr. Davis, invited me to dinner.

I didn’t know Mr. Davis very well. He seemed like a quiet, serious man. But that night, we discovered we both loved jazz music. We talked about our favorite songs and musicians, and then, he asked me to dance. As we danced slowly in his living room, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Over the next few weeks, Mr. Davis and I got closer. We spent time together, talking and laughing. I learned that he was kind and thoughtful, not at all like I first thought. I started to like him a lot.

Then, Thanksgiving came. The house smelled delicious, but I wasn’t feeling very thankful. I overheard Andrew and Kate talking. What they said shocked me. They had set me up with Mr. Davis! They had given him a record player to “help” him ask me out. They thought it would make me happy, and Kate was stressed about the baby and having me there.

I was so angry and hurt. I felt tricked. I confronted them, and Andrew admitted it. He said they thought it was the right thing to do. Then, Mr. Davis, whose first name was Peter, spoke up. He said it was true, they had made a deal. But, he added, his feelings for me were real. He said he had fallen in love with me, not because of the record player.

Even though I was still upset, I knew I felt the same way about Peter. What we had was real, even if it started in a strange way. It was a mix of hurt and happy feelings.

It took some time, but we worked things out. From that Thanksgiving on, Peter and I were together. We spent future Thanksgivings with music and love. It was a strange beginning, but it turned into something wonderful.