My daughter-in-law, Kate, hated the idea of me staying with them while I recovered from a leg injury. Perhaps it was my comments on her clumsy ways around the house that upset her, especially since I thought my son deserved better.

Seven months pregnant, Kate never accepted my advice. One day, while raking leaves, I tried to show her a better way to do it, but she ignored me. Instead, she snapped that it was probably time for me to go home.

That evening, I commented on her cooking, suggesting more salt. She quickly told me to leave the kitchen. Later, she mentioned that Mr. Davis, the grumpy neighbor, seemed to like me. I laughed it off, but the next day, he invited me to dinner. It wasn’t what I expected until we discovered a shared love for jazz. The night was lovely, and I felt more alive than I had in years.

I couldn’t wait to tell Kate, and she even suggested inviting Mr. Davis to Thanksgiving. The evening was perfect—until I overheard her speaking to him. She revealed that she had set up the dinner to get me away from her with the promise of a record player for him. I was devastated.

I confronted them, only to learn that my son had been in on the plan all along. Kate admitted that she couldn’t handle my constant nitpicking, and my son had been just as frustrated.

But Peter, or Mr. Davis, took my hand and confessed that, although it started as a scheme, he had developed real feelings for me. I was skeptical at first, but his sincerity moved me. Perhaps Kate’s plan was to get rid of me, but in the end, it led to something unexpected.