At 37, I thought I could date in peace, but my controlling mom crashed my dinner with Theo, hiding in my closet with a headlamp and a list of rules for him. She interrogated him, handed him a typo-ridden \u201cRules for Dating My Daugter,\u201d and scared him off. I was devastated, thinking he was gone forever. Three days later, Theo planned a surprise date for both of us. He took us to his lecture, a boat ride, and a climbing wall, charming Mom despite her fall into the lake. At his beautiful home,<\/p>\n
Mom admitted she was overprotective because of her past. Theo proposed, promising to share his life with me and even tolerate Mom twice a week. I said yes. Mom started Pilates, and our relationship became less co-dependent. Coffee dates felt like chats between friends. I became myself, and so did she.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"