My Mom Banned My Husband from Her Fancy Birthday Gift Because “He’s Just a Plumber” — Karma Struck in Her Kitchen Minutes Later

In high school, my parents were the pair whom everyone looked up to and admired. The father, with his easygoing allure and robust physique; the mother, with her upbeat energy and infectious laugh.

They became husband and wife before either of them reached the age of twenty, after which they were elected prom king and queen. Each individual vowed that they were destined to be with the other.

As I was growing up, I witnessed my mother being there for my father through every storm.

During the early stages of his carpentry firm, when things were difficult, she picked up additional shifts as a waiter. In order to keep the works on schedule, she learnt how to drive his van after he had a back injury while hauling lumber.

From the comfort of their home with three bedrooms, they moved in unison as a cohesive unit.

This is something that your mother would say to you: “Your father may not have much, but his heart is bigger than any man’s I know.”

I was fooled by her. It seemed to me that was plenty.

On the other hand, her heart shifted at some point along the journey.

She would go through magazines, highlighting pieces of furniture that we were unable to purchase. She would take her time making her way through upscale districts “just to look.” In her conversations, she would talk about how the husbands of her friends wore ties rather than work boots.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have something shiny and new for once?” she would ask, tracing her finger along our used table. “It would be nice to have something for once.”

“Someday, Ellen,” Dad would remark with a smile on his face. “I will buy you the entire world.”

However, “someday” never arrived at a later time.

At the reunion of their high school class, everything was different. After seeing old classmates with their shiny cruise photos and brilliant jewelry, Mom experienced a change in her mood. When she returned home, she was different.

After a separation of two months, she moved in with Roland.

Roland was the complete opposite of his father. He was slick, had a lot of connections, and was luxurious. It was never entirely clear to us what he was consulting on, despite the fact that he referred to himself as a consultants.

His suits were purchased from stores where the employees knew your name, and his car was a conversation starter even before he stepped out of the car.

Overnight, Mom underwent a metamorphosis.

She resigned from her position at the local school and began “lunching” with other women whose conversations centered on home improvements that were more expensive than our entire house. She relocated to Roland’s magnificent estate, which had granite countertops and a crew that was at her disposal at all times.

The smaller house was where Dad remained. Even when neighbors urged him to fix their gates, he continued to do so. When the knees of his pants became tattered, he patched them himself out of his own jeans.

What is the most peculiar aspect? Two years after their wedding, he continued to keep the photograph of them on the shelf.

My question to my father was, “Why do you continue to do that?” Doesn’t it hurt how much?

After looking at the old photograph, he gently tapped the frame with his hand.

He explained, “Because that Ellen is still in there somewhere,” and he was so right. Just got lost.”

It wasn’t easy for me to forgive. Especially after observing him eating by himself beside the stove. Not after observing him check his phone as we were traveling, when he was waiting for a text message that never arrived.

Then I came into contact with Derek.

He was a plumber with hands that were tough and calloused, and his eyes were the warmest I’d ever seen. On the first date we went on together, he arrived with stained hands and apologized incessantly after that.

“It’s an emergency job,” he added. A cellar belonging to an elderly lady was flooded. “I could not allow her to be left stranded.”

I fell in love with him a moment ago.

Derek made me think of my father. In every respect, he was genuine, committed to his work, and sincere.

His father gave him a hug and whispered, “You are the kind of man I have always wanted for my girl.” This took place when we got married the previous year.

During the wedding, Mom was accompanied by Roland. After exactly ninety minutes, she left, claiming that she had a headache, and she had brought an extravagant gift with her.

It came as a complete surprise to me when I received a sophisticated invitation for her “Birthday Brunch with Mimosas in the Garden.”

I was even more surprised to find the words “Plus One Not Invited” written in a sophisticated style beside my name.

“Are we going to go?” I inquired of Derek, already being aware of his response.

He stated, “Of course, we ought to do that.” It’s your mother she is.

While I pretended not to feel the knot in my stomach, I nodded my head. Despite what she said, I was aware that she did not anticipate that I would bring Derek.

We showed up exactly at noon on the dot.

Derek sported his most polished pants and a shirt that had been freshly ironed. I donned a blue dress that I had discovered at a secondhand store. We presented Mom with a bouquet of roses, which are her favorite flowers, as well as a cheese board that Derek had created by hand out of oak and cherry.

It appeared as though the property had been featured in a high-end magazine. Visitors’ vehicles were parked by valets, and the circular driveway was adorned with a marble fountain.

As we got closer to the entrance, Derek gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

It was Mom who opened the door for us. As soon as she noticed Derek, her smile began to waver.

Did you bring him with you? She hushed, as if I had arrived with a stray animal rather than my spouse who was supposed to be here.

Without a doubt. “I am perplexed, but he is my husband,” I responded.

“Would you mind if we talked by ourselves?”

Before I could respond, she drew me away from the towering azalea bush and dragged me behind it.

The words “this is not the place for… someone like him” came out of her mouth.

“Do you have any idea how this appears? Can you imagine my daughter coming with a plumber? This place is occupied by executives. colleagues of Roland’s team.” A worried gaze was sent in the direction of the terrace, where men were drinking while wearing light blazers. “He will be perceived as the one who is helping.”

I was unable to make the connection between this woman and the one who used to pack Dad’s lunches and include love notes inside of them. I fixed my gaze on her.

She spoke forward and said, “Ask him to leave.” “You are free to remain. It’s a family deal. Still, I beg you to alter. No secondhand dresses are allowed in my house. Visit me in my room. Find something that is appropriate for you.”

In my chest, rage began to surge. It was my desire to yell. I wanted to bring to her attention the fact that her father continues to fix her car even at this very moment. Derek, however, had already witnessed her facial expression. The expression on his face conveyed to me that he had comprehended everything.

After coming over, he kissed me on the cheek.

“It’s okay,” he whispered in a low voice. As your mother, she is. Today is her day. Give me a call later.

“That’s right, Sarah. It is alright.” Even though it was gentle, his smile was laced with pain. “While I wait, I will make a trip to the hardware store to purchase the repair parts for Mrs. Lopez’s faucet. Please give me a call.

My heart was on fire, and it was getting even hotter as he moved away. Now that I was ready to tell my mother exactly what I thought, I shifted my attention toward the home.

But karma arrived before anybody else.

Before I arrived to the entrances, I was able to hear the ruckus. It was complete and utter chaos inside.

The table for brunch was completely full. By all means.

There was a pipe that had burst under the kitchen sink, and water was pouring out everywhere. The flooring, chairs, and what appeared to be an expensive rug were all soaked. A number of guests stumbled and yelled. The cake was shattered by a woman who was wearing white pants. A man with a bald head cried, “My shoes!” “Are you aware of the effects that water has on French leather?”

How about my mother? In a frenetic manner, mascara was running around.

“Someone come and fix this!” She shed a tear. “Get in touch with a plumber!”

With the keys in his fingers, Roland stood off to the side. Indifferently, he observed.

In response to her, he answered, “I give you money.” “You are in charge of the house.” Then he stood up and left.

That was the moment when the door opened, and Derek entered the room.

He was still present. He had to have witnessed the mayhem from the outside.

Although he was rolling up his sleeves, he urged, “Everyone take a step back.”

My mother looked at me. The phrase “Derek, I—”

“Where can I find the main shutoff?” He interrupted her by asking the question.

She pointed, unable to find words.

While Derek was working, he knelt down and made a phone call. “Henry? ” The name is Derek. At Ellen’s, I require assistance. Old house with very new plumbing…”

The voice of my father was heard through the speakerphone.

You should look under the sink. It is going to be on the right.”

With a tightening of the valve, Derek said, “Got it right.”

“It ought to make a stop in three… two…”

The water slowed down. After that, it came to a halt. There is no sound.

On a soaked bench, Mom slumped to the ground. It was a hushed “I’m sorry,” she said.

On Derek, she cast her gaze. Please do not leave. Have a piece of cake.”

It was not us. During the time when Roland was arguing on the phone, we strolled out jointly, passing Roland’s Audi.

The call came from Mom three weeks later. She had abandoned Roland. She stated that she was unable to stop thinking about the things that truly mattered.

Although she didn’t say much, her voice had a distinctive quality to it. Less harsh. The Ellen that Dad remembers is more like this.

It was a week after that when I returned a toolbox that Derek had lent to my father.

I was completely taken aback when I stepped in.

On the scene was Mom, who was kneading dough while wearing one of Dad’s plaid shirts and laughing at something that he did.

She smiled for me as she glanced up at me.

The photo of the wedding was still sitting on the shelf.

At no point had it moved.

And now, the woman who had been in it had at long last come back.

The pursuit of prosperity, the grooming of our image, and the occasional forgetting of the quiet power of love that survives unseen are all things that we do. However, when the glitz and glamour wear off and the storms arrive, the people who quietly restore what’s broken without necessarily seeking recognition are the ones who genuinely matter the most.