A girl in front of a laptop | Source: Midjourney
Phylis was living a simple and happy life with her daughter, Lisy. She thought their family was complete, but Lisy thought otherwise. That morning, Phylis’ phone was blowing up with calls from unfamiliar numbers, and the reason for all this was a viral post on her daughter’s social media page.
It was a typical day, the kind where I visited my mother, Pam, like I did most weekends.
I stood in the kitchen, unloading bags of groceries onto the counter. The familiar rustle of plastic bags filled the air as I began putting things away.
Mom was in her bedroom, resting, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before she called out for something.
Sure enough, her voice echoed through the hallway.
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“Did you buy my favorite sauce? The one in the red package?” she asked, her tone carrying that familiar hint of impatience.
I smiled to myself. Every week, it was the same question. “Yes, I did!” I yelled back, loud enough for her to hear me from across the house.
There was a pause, then the sound of shuffling feet as Pam slowly made her way into the kitchen.
She leaned on the table for support, then sat down with a sigh, her silver hair falling softly against her cheeks.
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“Thank you, Phylis. You always remember,” she said, her eyes softening with gratitude.
I smiled as I placed the jar of her favorite sauce in the cabinet.
“Of course I do, Mom. How’s your day been?”
Pam glanced around the room before her gaze settled back on me.
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“Oh, you know… the same. But how’s my granddaughter doing? Lisy still busy with all that schoolwork?”
I nodded as I returned to the groceries.
“Lisy’s doing well. She’s been focused on her studies, really throwing herself into it. They even gave her a laptop at school for projects.”
Pam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
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“A laptop? What do kids need laptops for at school these days? Back in my time, we went to the library if we needed to study. We wrote everything by hand.”
I chuckled softly, imagining how foreign all of this must seem to her.
“Yeah, it’s different now, Mom. Kids use laptops for everything—research, writing, presentations. They even submit their homework online.”
Pam shook her head.
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“These kids with their screens. It’s not good for their eyes, you know.”
“It’s the way things are now, but Lisy’s handling it well. She loves her schoolwork.”
“And what about you, Phylis?” she asked, lowering her voice. “Any new dates? You know you’re not getting any younger.”
I sighed, bracing myself for this conversation.
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“Mom, I’ve told you before, I’m not dating anyone. I’m focused on Lisy and my work. Besides, I don’t have the time, and I don’t want Lisy to worry about me.”
“Phylis, Lisy’s growing up without a father. It’s not easy for her, and you deserve to find someone who makes you happy. Don’t let your life slip by without giving yourself a chance.”
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed loudly from the kitchen counter, cutting through the conversation.
I glanced at the screen and saw an unfamiliar number. A knot formed in my stomach.
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“Hello?” I answered cautiously, my voice a bit shaky.
“Hi, is this Phylis?” a man’s voice asked.
“My name is Henry, I’m calling about the father position?”
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“I’m sorry, the what?” I asked, glancing at my mom, who was now watching me with curiosity.
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The man on the other end chuckled nervously. “You know, the father position—the post online?”
My heart dropped. “I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong number,” I stammered, quickly hanging up the phone.
“What was that about?” Pam asked, sensing something was wrong.
“Some guy said he was calling about a post for ‘father position.’ I have no idea what that means!” I replied, my voice rising with panic.
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Pam burst into laughter, her whole face lighting up with amusement.
“I told you that giving kids laptops would cause trouble! Now they’re posting ads for new fathers!”
I didn’t even take the time to respond. My heart was racing, and I grabbed my purse in a rush.
“I have to go, Mom. I’ll call you later,” I mumbled, bolting out the door and heading straight for my car.
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My phone continued to buzz with more calls, but I ignored them.
When I got home, I marched straight to Lisy’s room, my mind buzzing with a mix of confusion and frustration.
There she was, sitting in front of her laptop, her face lighting up with an innocent smile, clearly pleased with herself.
“Lisy,” I called, trying my best to keep my voice steady, though my irritation was bubbling beneath the surface. “Do you have something you want to explain to me?”
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She spun around in her chair, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Look, Mom!” she exclaimed, pointing at her laptop screen. “I made a post, and it’s going viral!”
I stepped closer, peering over her shoulder, and my heart nearly stopped. There, plastered on the screen, was a post that read:
“Father Position is Open! Looking for a caring man for my beautiful mom, Phylis!”
And there were several photos of me—some candid, some from family gatherings—posted for all to see.
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My jaw dropped in disbelief as I skimmed through the playful description she’d written underneath, listing qualities she thought were necessary for a ‘new dad.’
“Lisy!” I gasped, staring at her in shock. “Why would you do this?”
“Because, Mom,” she said, still grinning proudly, “you never date! I thought this would help you out. And look—there are already thousands of likes and comments! People love it!”
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I blinked, trying to process what she was saying. Thousands of likes? I could barely comprehend how many people had already seen the post, much less the fact that Lisy thought this was a good idea.
“Lisy,” I began, struggling to find the right words, “this is
not
how you help me! I’ve been getting non-stop calls from complete strangers, and I had no idea why!”
“See?” she said, clapping her hands together.
“It’s working! People are interested!”
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“Working?!” My voice rose with disbelief.
“You seriously expect me to go on dates with random strangers from the internet?”
Lisy shrugged, completely unbothered by my panic.
“You don’t have to date all of them at the same time, Mom. You can start with one at a time. Maybe I could help you sort through them—ask for applications or something.”
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I stared at her, my head spinning. “Lisy, you need to delete this post immediately,” I said firmly.
She crossed her arms, her face taking on that stubborn look I knew all too well.
“I’ll delete it,” she said slowly, “but only if you promise to go on at least
one
date.”
I groaned, knowing this was the only way to end the madness. “Fine,” I muttered in defeat.
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“I’ll go on one date. But after that, you’re deleting the post. Understood?”
“Deal!” she said, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.
I could hardly believe I was agreeing to this, but anything to put an end to the chaos.
Later that evening, I sat on my bed scrolling through the missed calls on my phone, feeling a bit uneasy.
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Eventually, I called back the first person—Henry. The conversation was awkward at first, as we fumbled through introductions, but we agreed to meet at the local park for a casual walk.
As I got ready, I could feel the nerves bubbling inside me. I hadn’t been on a date in years, and the thought of it made me anxious.
But Lisy, of course, was over the moon. She practically danced around my room, helping me pick out an outfit as if this was some grand event.
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Her excitement was contagious, but I still couldn’t shake the awkwardness of it all.
When I arrived at the park, I saw a tall man with glasses waiting near the entrance. He waved and approached me with a warm smile.
“Hi, I’m Henry. You must be Phylis,” he said, extending his hand.
I nodded, trying to keep my nerves in check.
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“Yes, it’s nice to meet you. This is definitely a unique way to go on a first date,” I said with a small laugh.
Henry chuckled in return.
“Yeah, your daughter’s post certainly made things interesting.”
As we walked, I found myself relaxing a little. The conversation flowed easily, and I was pleasantly surprised by how kind and funny Henry was.
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But as the date went on, a thought lingered in my mind.
“Henry,” I said after a while, “this has been nice, but it’s all just because of my daughter’s prank. I’m not sure if this is something serious.”
He smiled gently, clearly understanding.
“I get it. It’s been fun, but yeah, it started as a joke.”
I nodded, relieved. “Exactly.”
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“But what about a second date?” he asked, a playful grin spreading across his face.
“Would that still be part of the prank, or would it be real?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the question.
“I guess a second date would be real.”
Henry’s smile widened. “So, how about Friday? Think about it.”
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As I walked back home, my mind was swirling with a strange mix of emotions. The date with Henry had been pleasant, and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
But a part of me still hesitated.
Was I really ready to start dating again? It had been so long since I’d even considered it, and I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for what might come next.
When I finally walked through the front door, Lisy was waiting for me, practically bouncing with excitement.
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“Well?” she asked eagerly. “How did it go?”
I smiled at her enthusiasm. “It was fine,” I replied, trying to sound casual. “But don’t get too excited.”
“Are you going on a second date?” she asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.
I laughed, shaking my head. “Maybe,” I teased. “But first, you know the deal—delete that post.”
Lisy grinned and rushed to grab her laptop. “Deal!” she called over her shoulder as she got to work.
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As I sat down, I found myself thinking about what Henry had said. Maybe it really was time to let go of the past, to open myself up to new possibilities.
Life had a funny way of nudging you toward unexpected paths. And who knew? Maybe this was just the beginning of something real.
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