Beside him walked an elegant lady with grey hair tied in a low bun and wearing a delicate pearl necklace. My heart sank a little. Maybe she was a colleague, a mentor, an aunt? When they reached the table, Ethan smiled proudly.

Lily, this is my mother, Margaret. I hope you don’t mind her joining us. I was paralyzed, my mind processing the information like an old computer trying to run a modern program.

You’re… Mother, I managed to say, my voice sounding strange even to myself. Margaret took a step forward and enveloped me in a warm hug, as if we were old friends. I don’t bite, dear, only if the food is bad, she declared, letting out a contagious laugh.

Not knowing how to react, I laughed too, while Ethan pulled out a chair for his mother to sit. He seemed completely at ease, as if bringing his mother to a first date was the most normal thing in the world. The waiter approached to take our orders.

Margaret opted for grilled salmon, Ethan chose steak with vegetables, and I ordered chicken with orange sauce, more to have something to say than because I was actually hungry. The first few minutes were awkward, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to tell this story to Vanessa the next day. But then something surprising happened.

Margaret started to talk, and she knew how to lead a conversation. Then Lily, Ethan told me that you work in marketing. It must be fascinating to understand people’s behavior.

When I was young, I wanted to be a psychologist, you know. Her voice was soft and genuinely interested. Her eyes, the same shade of blue as Ethan’s, shone with authentic curiosity.

In no time she led us through a flowing conversation about books, movies and travel. Once, I took Ethan to Greece when he was twelve, Margaret recounted, delicately cutting her salmon. He was so fascinated by the ancient ruins that he created software to catalogue every stone we saw.

Mum, please, Ethan murmured, but there was affection in his voice. That’s true, Margaret insisted, turning to me. He has always been brilliant, he just doesn’t like me to say it.

It seems incredible, I commented sincerely, observing how Ethan flushed slightly. Ethan has always been shy, you know. Margaret continued, her eyes softening at the memory.

One day when he was eight years old, he wrote a love letter to the neighbor and signed it, your future husband. Mum, Ethan protested, now truly embarrassed. I couldn’t contain my laughter.

Sounds like someone I know. And just like magic, the ice was completely broken. Margaret shared stories from when Ethan was a child, his fear of tall slides, his collection of preserved insects, the time he tried to build a lie detector to find out who was eating the cookies from the jar.

Surprisingly, Ethan also began to open up, talking about his personal projects, his plants — he grew orchids — and revealing a subtle sense of humor that he rarely showed at work. His eyes sparkled when he talked about programming, not like someone obsessed but like an artist describing his passion. Margaret was witty, kind, and genuine, with stories that made me laugh until I teared up.

When she talked about her career as a literature teacher, and her current volunteer work with children, I realized that I was genuinely charmed by her. For a moment, I completely forgot how strange everything seemed at first. In fact, being there with them started to feel like the most natural thing in the world.

When the dessert arrived, a chocolate mousse for me, apple pie for Margaret, and vanilla ice cream for Ethan, a comfortable silence settled in. Margaret savored her pie, commenting on the cinnamon. Ethan methodically arranged the decorative cherries on the ice cream, then, naturally, Ethan asked, By the way, when does your mother arrive? I stopped with the spoon of mousse in the air, confused.

My… mother? Yes, he answered calmly. Didn’t you say you would bring her? For a moment, I was completely lost, then, like a movie rewinding, I remembered the conversation with Vanessa two days ago. If I ever go on a date again, I want someone who loves their mother.

Seriously, I think I would bring mine just to see if he can handle it. The realization hit me like a wave. Ethan had overheard me, and completely misunderstood.

I tried to stifle my laughter, but it was impossible. I covered my mouth with my hand, my shoulders shaking with the effort not to burst out laughing. Margaret looked from me to Ethan, confused at first, until the penny seemed to drop for her too.

Ethan, darling, she said with an amused sparkle in her eyes. I told you there was some misunderstanding. No one takes their mother on a first date.

She was kidding. Ethan turned immediately as red as the tomato sauce we had tasted for the appetizer. Oh, I… Got it all wrong, then.

At that point, none of us could hold it back any longer. The three of us burst into simultaneous laughter, attracting curious glances from nearby tables. Well… Thank goodness, I managed to say between laughs, because this is the best first date I’ve ever had in my entire life.

It was true. What started as potentially the most awkward date of all time had turned into a delightful evening. Margaret winked at me.