When my mother called me from her honeymoon, begging me to save her from her new husband, I thought she was in real danger. Nothing could have prepared me for what she told me or for how I had to intervene to fix it.
I have always been very close to my mother, Diane.
She has been my pillar, my best friend and the person who taught me everything about love and resilience. But after my father’s death 10 years ago, things changed.
She became quiet and withdrawn, like a shadow of the vibrant woman she used to be. She hardly called or texted, and whenever I tried to check in on her, she insisted she was fine.
But I could see that she wasn’t.
One day, I couldn’t take it anymore.
I called her and said, “Mom, why don’t you stay with me for a while? It’ll be fun. We can watch those cooking shows you like so much and eat lots of ice cream.”
At first she resisted, but after I insisted a little, she agreed.
A week later, she moved into my spare room and I set about trying to cheer her up.
I started encouraging her to get out and about, make new friends and attend local events.
“You’re still young, Mom,” I said. ‘You deserve to have fun and meet people. Dad would want that for you.’
To be honest, that wasn’t the easiest thing to do.
She would sigh and roll her eyes every time I suggested going to a book club or joining a gardening group. But eventually she started saying yes.
Little by little, I saw the light return to her eyes. She started laughing more, talking about her new friends, and even taking up some of her old hobbies again.
I was so relieved to see that side of him again.
Then, about a year ago, Mom told me about Greg. One day she invited him over for lunch.
“He’s just a friend,” she said, but the way his cheeks flushed told me otherwise.
Greg was a tall man with gray hair, kind eyes and a soft voice. He seemed sweet, the kind of man who holds doors open and always says please and thank you.
When he left, I couldn’t help but joke with her.
“Mom, is Greg just a friend or is there something more to the story?”
She blushed even more.
“Well… he’s my boyfriend,” she admitted.
“Oh my God, what?” I looked at her with wide eyes. ‘Mom! You’ve never told me about him!”
“I didn’t know how to…’ she said. ‘I mean…”
“I’m so happy for you, Mom!’ I interrupted her and hugged her. ”It’s incredible.”
“But…” she began. ‘Do you think it’s right? I mean, dating someone else after your father… is it right?”
“Mom, of course it’s right,’ I put my hands on her shoulders. ”You deserve to be happy. Think about Dad. He always wanted to see you happy, right? He would want you to move on and do things in life. You can’t put your life on hold forever, can you?
Her eyes lit up as she nodded. “You’re right. I just… hope I’m doing the right thing.”
“You are,” I said firmly. “Greg seems like a great guy. And you can have a second chance at happiness.”
From that moment on, she lived her relationship with Greg to the full. They dated for a while, and when he proposed, she said yes.
Their wedding was a small but beautiful ceremony, full of love and laughter. As I watched my mother walk down the aisle, I thought to myself, “Maybe this is their happily ever after.”
And for a while, everything seemed perfect. But then I got the phone call that sent a chill down my spine.
After the wedding, Mom and Greg went on their honeymoon to the Florida Keys. It was Mom’s dream trip, and she more than deserved it.
I was so happy for her.
My phone rang the day after they arrived and I saw his name on the screen. Naturally, I assumed he was calling to tell me how incredible everything had been.
“Mom!” I replied happily. ”How’s paradise?”
But her trembling voice on the other end told me something was wrong.
“Kayla,” she whispered. ‘Please. Come and save me from him. I’m begging you.”
“Mom, what’s wrong?’ I asked as I sat up. ‘Are you okay?”
“It’s Greg,’ she said. ”He’s not who I thought he was.”
My mind raced through the worst-case scenarios.
“What do you mean? Has he done something? Is he dangerous?“ I was already reaching for the car keys, ready to drive to Florida if I had to.
She took a deep breath.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she said bitterly. “But he’s brought his children, and their children, on our honeymoon. And he expects me to look after them.”
“Wait… what?”
“Yesterday he told me he had a surprise for me,” she explained. ‘I thought it was going to be something romantic, like a sunset dinner or a couples massage. Instead, his adult children showed up with their young children in tow.”
I couldn’t believe Greg was capable of doing something so absurd.
“There are four of them, Kayla. Four,’ Mom shouted. “And now I’m stuck babysitting while Greg spends all his time with his kids.”
“You mean to tell me he brought his whole family on their honeymoon? Without asking you?”
“Yes!” she shouted. ‘And now he says that since I’m ’the new mom’, it’s my job to help. Help! On my honeymoon! What does he think he’s doing?”
I could hear the frustration and exhaustion in her voice.
My mother, the woman who had left everything to raise me after my father’s death, was being treated like a nanny on what was supposed to be the happiest trip of her life.
I felt a wave of anger wash over me.
“This is crazy!” I exclaimed. ‘Who does she think she is? Don’t worry, Mom. I’m coming and we’ll put an end to this nonsense.”
“Kayla, you don’t have to…”
“No, Mom,’ I interrupted, my voice firm. ”I’m not going to let her treat you like that. Pack your bags. I’ll be there in the morning.”
The next morning I arrived at the resort. It was in such a beautiful location, but unfortunately I wasn’t there to relax. I was there to fight. To tell Greg that he couldn’t mistreat my mother.
To make my point, I decided to rely on the absurdity of the situation.
Before heading to the resort, I stopped at a shop and picked up some accessories. A bright pink sun hat for children, a bib and a pacifier.
If Greg wanted to turn my mother into a babysitter, I would show him exactly how ridiculous it was.
When I entered the outdoor lounge of the complex, I saw Greg immediately.
He was lying by the pool with his adult children, completely unaware of what was coming his way.
Mom was nowhere to be seen, and I could only assume that she had stayed behind to babysit.
I adjusted my pink hat, put my pacifier in my mouth, and approached him angrily.
“Dad!” I shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. ”Where’s Mom? I want my juice.”
Greg’s face was priceless.
His laughter disappeared as soon as he saw me.
“Kayla,” he said. ‘What are you doing here?”
“Saving my mother,’ I said as I took the pacifier out of my mouth. ”And getting you in trouble for your nonsense.”
Before he could respond, I turned to his older children, who were now staring at me with wide eyes.
“Hi everyone!” I said, flashing a fake smile. ‘I’m Kayla, Greg’s other daughter, apparently. The one he forgot to mention when he invited the rest of you to my mother’s honeymoon and made her a babysitter.”
One of his daughters stammered, ’We… didn’t mean to…”
“Oh, save it,” I interrupted. ”Let me guess, she told you that my mother would be delighted to look after your children so you could enjoy a nice vacation, right? Did she mention that it was supposed to be her honeymoon? You know, the trip where she was supposed to relax, not change diapers.”
Just then my mother appeared, with a whining child on her hip and a look of not having slept in days on her face.
I approached her and gently took the child out of her arms.
“Here you go,” I said, returning the child to one of Greg’s children. ”I’m sure this one is yours. Try taking care of your own children instead of throwing them at a woman you barely know.”
“Kayla!” Greg shouted. ‘That’s enough. You’re making a scene.”
“Oh, yeah?’ I replied, folding my arms. ”You’ve dragged your whole family on what was supposed to be a romantic getaway with your new wife. And you’ve treated her like a babysitter instead of a partner. What kind of man does that?”
“It’s a family trip!” Greg argued. ‘She’s part of the family now. Helping out is what families do.”
“No,’ I said firmly. ”She’s your wife, not your maid. She didn’t sign up to spend the honeymoon babysitting. And, honestly, the fact that you were OK with it tells me everything I need to know about you.”
It was then that one of Greg’s daughters began to apologize.
“We didn’t want to cause any trouble,” she muttered. ‘Dad said he’d be okay with it…”
“Of course he would,’ I said bitterly. ”Because he didn’t bother to ask her.”
The crowd around the pool was completely silent, watching the scene unfold. Greg seemed to want to disappear, but I wasn’t finished yet.
“Pack your bags, Mom,“ I said. ‘We’re leaving.”
She hesitated, looking at Greg. ’But… what about…?”
“No,” I interrupted. “You don’t owe him anything. He disrespected you and you deserve better.”
Her eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. I took her hand and led her away from the pool area, while Greg muttered excuses.
On the way home, Mom was quiet for a long time. She stared out of the window before finally speaking.
“Thank you, Kayla,” she said softly. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Mom,’ I said, leaning over to squeeze her hand. ”You’ve always been there for me. I’m just returning the favor.”
She gave me a small, tearful smile. “I thought he loved me.”
“Someone who loves you wouldn’t treat you like that,” I said. “You deserve someone who puts you first.”
“You’re right,” she nodded. “I’m finished with Greg.”
When we got home, she blocked his number and started looking for annulments.
Meanwhile, karma turned Greg’s life upside down. His children didn’t like being dragged along on his honeymoon plan, and they stopped talking to him after finding out what he had done.
The last I heard, he was spending his days alone, wondering what he had done wrong.
I can’t explain how relieved I feel after having saved mom from being exploited for her kindness. I thank her for deciding to call me that day instead of quietly taking care of that man’s grandchildren and following his demented logic.