You adjusted your collar, trying to calm the thrum of nerves in your chest. Tonight was important: meeting Clara’s mother, proving you were the right man for her. You wanted everything to go perfectly.

But the moment the door swung open, the world tilted.

He knew that face.

Months ago, after too many drinks and a lonely night, you had met her at a quiet bar on the edge of town. What started as casual conversation turned into flirting, then a taxi ride, and finally a night tangled in sheets with no names exchanged. You had left before dawn, assuming it was nothing more than a passing mistake, a secret between strangers.

Now, standing frozen on the doorstep, you realized that stranger wasn’t a stranger at all. She was Clara’s mother. And from the stunned look in her eyes, she remembered everything too.