So my mother complimented me on what I've done for myself, but wondered why I'm alone and seemingly not looking.

I thought for a moment whether to give a dishonest and comforting answer, but then I was honest instead. The truth should have its day.

Growing up I saw my mother divorce my father for no reason at all other than that she didn't "love" him anymore and wasn't going to do anything about it. I saw my father heartbroken, but more importantly financially destitute and in court to fight for custody for us.

I then told her how awful it had been to hear her bring other men home or go out late for obvious trysts and then seeing how each time my father broke down more as rumors went.

So I said all that and said I'd rather not put myself through that and end up in over my head in debt having tried to fund a future with someone who could evict and betray me just like that.

At this point my mother was bawling and trying to hug me, but I'd have none of it. My old man died ten years later. The whole thing just took the life out of him. I looked her dead in the eye and said what she'd done had real consequences. Hope it was worth them.

Held all that in for a while pretending that it was alright, but now I feel the weight of the world off my shoulders.