My Teen Son Got New Clothes & Headphones, Lied That It’s from Dad – I Decided to Follow Him

When Cathy notices that her son has new headphones on and is dressed in new clothes, she is confused. She decides to follow him one day since she’s curious about who or where he’s been obtaining stuff from. When she recognises it, it transports her back to her early years.
My son Alex has been dressing up in new clothes that I didn’t buy for him, and I’ve just now began to notice this. I noticed a fresh set of headphones hanging around his neck yesterday.

“Honey, where did you get the earphones from?” As I was preparing breakfast, I inquired.

“From Dad,” he texted back, yelling.

“And the clothes, too?”

“Um,” murmured he. “Yeah.”

It made sense; I was divorced from Alex’s father, Ian, and the two of us were always giving Alex new items, making it hard to keep track.

Nevertheless, Ian was a realistic man. When I went shopping, I was the one who overspent on items, not Ian. Alex always received high-quality gifts from him, particularly clothes. But never name brands; Ian thought they were a total waste of money and detested spending it on them.
The fact that Alex was wearing name brands all of his new clothing made me suspect.

Ian said, “I don’t know what to tell you, Cathy,” into the phone. However, it wasn’t me. Perhaps he found a side gig or something.”

Ian, he’s fourteen. That was more than any part-time job would pay.”

“I’ll ask him,” Ian comforted me. “We’ll get to the bottom of it.”

Being a mother who micromanages every decision her child makes is something I’ve never wanted to do. But nothing made sense—Alex wasn’t able to obtain the funds on his own.

That night, after supper, I heard Alex talking into his phone in a whispery voice.

He said, “Mom,” as he entered the kitchen. “I’m going to my friend Jeremy’s house to work on a project together, okay?”

“Need me to drop you off?” Wiping my hands, I inquired.

“No, it’s not too far. I’m going to stroll.”

He departed after a short while.
My only opportunity to find out if Alex was planning something was now. I watched him through the glass, giving him an early advantage.

I took my phone and keys and went after him.

Alex got into an unidentified automobile with a blonde woman after crossing two roads. I had to get closer because I could hardly make out her features from where I was.

As I drew closer to the automobile and could finally see her face, a realisation struck me like a tonne of bricks. As I stood there, I observed Lia holding Alex and turning her face in the car.

The blond strands of hair, framed by the streetlights, framed the face I’d known my entire childhood, even though I hadn’t seen her in a while.

I was overcome with emotion when I realised that Lia, my sister who had long since vanished from our life, had returned and was now deeply involved in my son’s world.
Background: Up until we were teenagers, Lia and I were close. I had developed into a miniature version of my mother, constantly prepared to take charge of the household and look after my dad. But Lia had become a wild teenager who didn’t care about safety or the law.

She and her boyfriend had vanished just after high school. My parents and I searched for Lia for years without success. We were advised by the police that we could either search more or get on with our lives.

My mother lamented Lia, feeling as though she had lost her kid. Conversely, my father felt betrayed by Lia and gave way to his rage.

I did not stop searching for her. I became acquaintances with the police department in my community and kept an eye out for leads, but I stopped looking when Alex was born.

I had to admit that Lia was not interested in being found.

Now, though, she was seated next to my son in her automobile.
I strode over, unlatching the rear door, and eased myself inside the vehicle.

“Mom!” Alex cried out. “What are you doing here?”

“Lia, why are you here with my son?” I insisted.

Lia’s wide eyes were fixed on me.

“You disappeared without a trace, and now you’re back, meddling in our lives through my son?”

My long-lost sister’s eyes softened, showing a complexity reflective of our complicated past.

“No, Cath,” she responded. “Don’t interfere, please. I contacted Alex after finding him on Facebook. I believed that he could help us repair our relationship.”
Her remarks were heavy, full of unspoken hurt and an unfinished business from a shared past.

Naturally, the floodgates opened at that point. I reclined and sobbed.

“You can’t just waltz back into our lives after all these years,” I replied. “And Alex is not a pawn to help you fix what you left behind.”

Lia’s eyes lowered, and she briefly felt as though the burden of the past had fallen on her.

“Cathy, I acknowledge my mistake. I’ve improved, but I still regret how I harmed you and the family. And I’d like an opportunity to atone.”

I remained silent. Alex had turned from the front seat and was staring at me, so I just sat there and watched.
“Alex, let’s go.”

We strolled silently back home.

“Mom,” he uttered after giving his teeth a brush. “Aunt Lia is likeable. She has shown me kindness. Not Dad, but she bought me the new stuff.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I enquired.

“Because you’ve been upset over the divorce, and I didn’t want to add to that.”

“Oh my dear,” I said. “That’s not on you.”

“Aunt Lia has also been here, chatting with me about everything. Aunt Lia gave me insight into how I felt during your and Dad’s divorce, as I was unaware of it at the time. I understand why you’re upset with her. However, she has greatly aided me.”

I kept Alex’s remarks in mind as I went to bed. He had spoken of the Lia I knew and loved as a younger girl, the one who would do anything to aid someone, even if it was just to listen.

Additionally, I was unaware of Alex’s severe divorce struggles. It was only half a year ago. Even though I was furious with Lia for involving Alex before approaching me, I was appreciative of her assistance in my son’s adjustment to life after divorce.
And I was familiar with my son. When he talked about Lia, his eyes betrayed love and tenderness. He was in love with her. Not only had she bought him new clothes, but she had also assisted him when he was unable to comprehend the changes in his environment by listening to him.

I requested Alex to give Lia a call the next day to extend an invitation. I had cooked her favourite cheesecake when we were kids, or at least it had been. And she told me about her life up until this point as we sat and talked for hours.

Although she was anxious to meet our parents once more, she was also prepared to talk about everything and offer her apology.

She still has my ire for what she did. However, even though Lia and Alex had just recently met, he trusted her enough to open up, so I am thankful that she was there for him.
We had two family brunches with our parents a few months later, and they immediately forgave Lia. And it looks like we’re all headed towards mending our familial bonds.

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