The Moment I Met My Boyfriend's Mom, My World Turned Upside Down

You know how in movies there's sometimes a plot twist that changes everything you thought you knew about the characters? That's been my life recently.

I'm June, an eighteen-year-old about to meet her boyfriend's parents.

"I'm excited for you to meet them, Junie," Alex said, twirling my hair in his fingers. "I think you'll really love my mom. You both have the same dry humor."

I couldn't wait to meet them either. Alex always spoke about his parents, constantly talking about this bond with them and how much fun they had during their movie nights at home.

We hadn't been dating for a long time, and I didn't want to approach the family topic until we were sure of each other. But the best part was that Alex was also adopted, so we both lived with the fact that as loving as our parents were, we still had biological parents too.

I met my birth mom once before. My parents gifted me all the information they had on my seventeenth birthday, and they helped me find her.

I met her over coffee, but she ran out early, saying something about rushing to go back to work.

Now, when Alex told me that he wanted to have an intimate birthday dinner with his parents and me, I thought it was the sweetest thing. Most eighteen-year-olds couldn't wait to have parties and make mistakes.

But here was Alex, just keen on having me meet his parents.

Alex's dad was the first to welcome us.

"You must be June!" he exclaimed, hugging me. "Alex has told us so much about you! I'm Thomas."

"Yes, it's so nice to finally meet you," I said, suddenly nervous about my outfit choice. I tugged my dress down over my knees.

"Alex's Mom just went to get some donuts. We have birthday cake, too. But Alex loves his donuts."

We settled in, with Alex's dad talking to me as though he had known me my entire life. But I kept glancing at the door, waiting for his mom. I knew that Alex and his mom had a special bond — she was the one to impress.

Moments later, she walked in, carrying a box of donuts.

The world stopped for a moment — there, in front of me, was the woman who had given me up for adoption.

"June," she gasped, her expression a mix of shock and recognition.

I could barely breathe. Of all the people in the world, was it really possible that my birth mom could have adopted my boyfriend as a baby?

"What are you doing here?" I whispered, feeling dizzy.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Alex asked, puzzled by our exchange.

"Your mom is my biological mother," I said slowly.

"Mom, tell me everything," Alex said.

Elizabeth, my birth mom, finally broke the silence.

"I was very young," she started, her voice breaking.

I don't think she ever expected to tell Alex any of this.

"I remember," I said, the words coming out of my mouth before I could stop them. "You started telling me the story, but then you ran out and left me alone."

I didn't realize I was still hurt by it.

"I couldn't give you the life you deserved, June. I was seventeen and alone. It was the most difficult decision of my life, but I wanted better for you," she said.

As Elizabeth spoke, the pieces of my past started fitting together.

"Years later, unable to have a child of our own, Thomas and I adopted Alex. He's always known he was adopted, that we chose him, and loved him."

Listening to her, a whirlwind of emotions tore through me.

I loved Alex, and I was so grateful he had grown up in a loving home — that didn't always come easy for adopted kids. But at the same time, I was a little jealous. I wanted to be loved by Elizabeth too — she was my birth mom, after all.

"Why didn't you reach out after I found you?" I asked, a question that had haunted me since we met.

"I was scared," Elizabeth admitted. "I didn't know if reaching out would be worse. I thought I was protecting us. I didn't know how Alex would react to having a sister of sorts, especially one that was the same age as him and biologically my child. I didn't want to hurt him in any way."

The conversation that night was nothing short of a revelation. Thomas insisted we light the candles and eat the birthday cake.

"Despite it all, it's still your birthday, son," Thomas said. "We should celebrate it."

For Alex and me, it was a lot to take in. There was no biological connection between us, but the circumstances of our family ties necessitated a reevaluation of our relationship.

I want to stay together because of the deep connection we have formed. But I'm not sure what to do about the fact that Elizabeth is my birth mother. It's too close to home.

What would you do?

Here's another story for you: Phoebe faced the unthinkable when she lost her son in an accident. Years later, as she was healing from her wounds, she adopted a boy who looked eerily familiar