A mum whose son dreamed of becoming brothers with his best friend has revealed how she ended up marrying his dad.
When Cheryl Sharp divorced her husband of three years, she swore herself off men for good.
But while not in the market for love, her son, Taylor, now 16, already had a potential suitor in mind – his best friend’s dad, James, now aged 40.
The 43-year-old recalls finding the suggestion “hilarious” – until she bumped into him on a night out with the other mums from school.
Now, the pair have been hitched for four years and the mum-of-five is grateful for her son’s wishful matchmaking skills.
“I still find myself so embarrassed whenever our love story is mentioned,” Cheryl, a CEO from Essex, told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“Taylor and Harry had been best friends for a few months at this point, but I had no clue who his dad was.
“I had to tell my son that this wasn’t how love worked – I couldn’t just get together with his best friend’s dad.
“But he wanted to be brothers with his best mate, and I guess his dream came true.”
Cheryl mentioned her son’s proposition to her friends on the aforementioned night out, hoping they would get a laugh out of it.
But as they all knew James, and realised he was at the same bar, they called him over to meet his future wife.
She said: “I wasn’t prepared for it at all, so I was really embarrassed.
“It was one of those moments where I wanted the ground to open and swallow me.
“Although, I was also quite intrigued to see who he was and I really didn’t think he’d like me.
“Quickly, I broke the ice by telling him what Taylor had said, which he found hilarious.
“And while neither of us realised that we really liked each other, there was a definite spark.”
The next day, Cheryl recalls being surprised to receive a text from James, which read: “How about we put the boys’ theory to the test?”
The 43-year-old said: “I was shocked, scared and excited.
“I really didn’t want another relationship, but I thought it couldn’t hurt exploring our connection.
“On our first date, which fell on Harry’s birthday, we went bowling and the boys were so excited.
“It felt so relaxed and easy, as if we were already a family.
“It was, without a doubt, the oddest first date I’d ever been on.”
After a few weeks, the mum realised she had finally found “Mr. Right” and in May 2019, they officially tied the knot.
Now, they’re enjoying life as a happy family and Cheryl hopes to share their whirlwind romance to help other single mums get out of their comfort zone.
She added: “Dating another parent does come with challenges, but they get it and understand how life with kids is.
“Don’t have your blinkers on, enjoy and explore all options, but don’t focus on finding ‘the one.’
“They will find you when you least expect it.
“Sadly, Taylor and Harry no longer speak, as they’ve drifted apart – but that’s teenagers for you.
“I never thought for one second that Taylor’s wildest dream would actually come true, but I guess fairytales are real.”
