Surely Not
Maison stared at the message repeatedly, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. He had always been close to his mom and never thought she would ever treat him this way.
He wasn’t proud of what had happened but still felt like she was overreacting. He felt trapped now. Being caught between the woman he loved and his own mother was not a place he’d ever imagined finding himself.
A Different World
Maison Vallance was raised in Alma, Michigan. His mother, in particular, had been very strict and always ensured that he understood and practiced good values as a kid.
Unfortunately, this sometimes meant that Maison regularly kept up a “good boy” appearance. Maison didn’t always keep to the rules, so he tried his best to avoid disappointing his mom.
The Big Move
When Maison grew up, his career path took him in a different direction than he intended. Straight out of college, he was offered a great position with a major company.
He was excited and knew he could not pass up the offer. At the same time, he also felt bitter-sweet emotions. As great as the job was, there was a huge catch—the job was in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
His Mom Was Devastated
Maison’s mother loved him dearly. After hearing the news that he would be leaving home soon, Mrs. Vallance could not hold back her tears.
While she supported Maison’s career and was proud of him, she also worried a lot for her boy. When the day arrived, the farewell was an emotional one. When Maison said goodbye to his mom, she asked him to make her a promise.
The Promise
Although Maison was a grown man now, to his mom, he would always be her little boy. Having him live so far away was difficult for her. Mrs. Vallance worried that Maison might be “influenced by the world” and lose his way.
To counter this, she made Maison promise her that he would remember his roots and always be a “good boy.” As Maison traveled to his new home, his mother’s face and words stayed etched in his memory.
His New Life
Maison embarked on his new life and career. The differences between Michigan and Tennessee were stark. At first, it was difficult as he felt a little homesick and found it hard being in a new state.
But things slowly changed, and Maison began to enjoy his new life. Just as he thought things couldn’t get any better, he met a girl.
They Clicked
Meghan Green had lived in Tennessee her entire life. While out with her friends one night, she and Maison met and clicked instantly. The pair continued to hit it off, and a whirlwind romance ensued.
Maison was happy, and the couple took things slow and steady. Over time, as things got more serious, Maison realized it was finally time to break the news to his family.
Telling Mom
Knowing his mom’s overprotective instincts, Maison was a little wary of how she might react to his new girlfriend. Mrs. Vallance had always been the special lady in Maison’s life, and he knew she was a great judge of character.
This meant that if she accepted his relationship, it would indicate that Meghan was the right girl for him. Mason was so infatuated with the new relationship he never thought about how he might feel if his mom didn’t accept Meghan.
It Went Well
Maison was relieved when his mom seemed genuinely happy for him. She asked many questions about Meghan’s background but never gave any indication that she wasn’t happy about their relationship.
Maison was happy that things seemed to be going well so far. After a while, Mrs. Vallance asked Maison to send her some photos of Meghan. Maison was excited to show his mom how beautiful Meghan was but had no idea that the photos would change everything.
He Was Mortified
Among the pictures that Maison sent to his mom, there was one of Meghan in bed using a shirt that Mrs. Vallance had bought for him.
He found it odd that his mother never replied. The next day when he was looking through the photos he sent, Maison was mortified when he realized that one of the photos unknowingly exposed an intimate detail about his and Meghan’s private life.
He Was Very Hurt
The photo's in question showed a red rope left tied to the couple's headboard. Maison and Meghan were an "adventurous" couple. While he wasn't ashamed of his private life, Maison was embarrassed that this had been revealed to his mom.
At worst, Maison expected his mom to be slightly judgemental about the photo. However, days went by without him hearing from his mom. She had stopped speaking to him entirely and wasn't accepting his and Meghan's union. But things were about to go from bad to worse.
We Are In This Together
Before sending the photo, Maison had talked to Meghan about it. However, he hadn't decided on the photo to send.
It was pure coincidence that he sent that particular one, and when he saw the little red detail in its background, his insides wizened with embarrassment. He had no clue that, just as he was, Meghan was also awaiting his mom's response.
Know Yourself
Meghan had always been free with her likes and dislikes. Her parents had taught her the importance of being one's true self. As such, she rarely hid things from them.
She lived a free life, accepting every facet of herself, even the sides others would deem unorthodox. This included a very intimate part of herself that she should have kept hidden.
An Open Book
Among the things that Meghan saw as normal were her likes and dislikes in the bedroom. She was very adventurous, something that she was glad Maison loved about her.
Many people in her life knew this about her, including her parents. Not that she went everywhere flaunting it. Those close enough just knew. Given how she was brought up and how free she was with her parents, she expected the same from Maison's mom.
A Saint
Throughout the time Meghan and Maison were together, Maison constantly talked about his mom. He painted her as this wonderful, strict, and loving saint.
Even though it was too early to harbor such thoughts, Meghan had considered her as her mother-in-law and loved the idea. She'd never considered the possibility of Maison's mom not accepting her.
What’s Happening?
Days passed after Maison sent the photo. No response came. The young couple couldn't understand it, given how Maison's mom had talked about wanting to see Meghan.
At first, Meghan thought Ms. Vallance disapproved of how she looked. Did Maison's mom have something against her looks? Meghan's mind raced as she tried to uncover the secret. It was then that she saw the detail.
Seeing The Red Rope
At first, Meghan couldn't believe what she was seeing. Above her hair on the brown headboard was the red rope. Her lips curled as embarrassment rushed through her veins.
Although she was free with herself, this wasn't the first impression she wanted to have on Maison's mom. Could she salvage the situation?
First Impression Matters
She wanted to be part of their family, and such detail as the first thing Maison's mom saw wouldn't help on that front. But Meghan couldn't just reach out to Maison's mom without her response first.
Although she hated the silence, she couldn't help but be patient. But as the days went by, her patience began running thin. She knew she had to step in.
Their Future
Meghan talked to Maison about the issue. She didn't have any negative things to say about Maison's relationship with her mom. But she couldn't understand why she was seemingly disowning him because of a picture.
She shared how much she loved Maison and where she saw their relationship going – to an altar and a long life filled with laughter, memories, and a big family. How could they have that when Maison's mom wouldn't talk to them? But she didn't stop there.
The Reality Of Things
Meghan shared how much she was close with her mom. She revealed that her closeness to her parents was among the things that made her who she was.
She couldn't imagine a life where her parents stopped talking to her because of something she'd done. On that note, she shared something that left Maison speechless.
You And Your Mom
"I don't want to come between you and your mom, Maison," she said under her breath, tears breaking through her eyelashes although she tried her best to hold them back.
A sharp pain shot through her as she thought about starting over again, the love of her life far away from her. Could she sacrifice herself for Maison and her mom to start talking again?
The Choices
Meghan loved Maison more than she'd ever loved anyone on this earth. But she could see how much torn he was.
She was making him choose between his mom, the woman who gave him life and unconditional love and taught him everything he knew, and herself. She couldn't stomach that feeling. Maison's answer to her statement would make her tears double.
Choosing A Side
Taking her girlfriend's trembling hands, Maison assured her he'd never let her go. She was the love of his life, and she completed him in so many ways.
He told her to forget what she'd just said. She wasn't coming between him and his mom. If his mother had something to get out of her chest, she would. Maison wasn't about to let Meghan suffer for any of this.
What Now?
Things were starting to get out of control. A week had passed with Maison's mom maintaining her silence and Meghan blaming herself for everything that was happening.
Although Maison assured Meghan that he'd never leave her, he could see the toll everything was having on her. On the other hand, his mom had made it clear she'd never talk to them again. What could he do now?
Time’s Running Out
Maison realized he had to address the issue and fast. He hated feeling trapped between his partner and mother, as they were both very dear to him.
He started calling his mom's phone repeatedly. He also left messages, telling her if she didn't pick up, he'd fly back home to talk. He had no clue that the messages would work!
She Picks Up
The next time Maison called, his mom picked up. They had a lengthy talk, and Maison learned what was truly happening behind the scenes. It turned out that his mom had a different reason for her silence.
Mrs. Vallance had actually been feeling a little down. Seeing Meghan use the shirt she had bought him made her realize that she wasn't his "little boy" anymore, and she had to make peace with him officially being "all grown up."
Her Everything
But the realization left her in a sense of loneliness as she'd never experienced before. Maison was her everything, and she cherished every moment of caring for him.
How could she accept the idea of another woman taking over? She opened up to her son, and Maison listened carefully. It was then that Maison made a discovery.
They Worked It Out
His mom’s silence had nothing to do with the photo’s embarrassing detail. When he told his mom that he had begun to feel like she was “disowning” him, she laughed it off. Mrs. Maison assured her son that she would never do something like that. She’d only needed a little time to process everything.
She was actually ashamed of herself for reacting as she did. Mrs. Vallance never brought up the issue of the “red rope,” and after reviewing the photo sent, Maison suddenly realized why.
She Never Saw It
It turned out that when Maison sent the photo, his mom’s phone had automatically cropped the image to fit her screen. This fact had worked out fortuitously for Maison as he realized that the embarrassing detail had been cut out and his mom had never seen it.
The comedy of errors was over. Maison and Meghan’s mom eventually met, and his family loved her. The couple eventually moved in and even started a family of their own.
Her Little Boy
Mrs. Vallance proved that a mother’s instincts and love for her son never dim, no matter how old he gets. It isn’t uncommon for parents to feel lost and even abandoned when their children grow up and leave home.
Known as “empty nest syndrome,” to a parent who suffers from it, it can even feel like losing their child. Maison Vallance learned the hard way that no matter how old a son gets, in his mother’s eyes, he will always be “her little boy.” Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.