In some cultures, getting married early is completely normal.
I once met someone through a language learning app. We chatted for weeks about food, travel and how both of us are terrible at keeping plants alive. At some point, he said: “If you ever come to my city, I’ll show you around!”
Coincidentally, I was there two weeks later. So we met up. First date: super relaxed. Coffee, a walk, lots of laughter. I thought: “Nice, maybe something could develop here.”
Second date… he brings his mother.
At first, I thought it was a joke. It wasn’t. She sits down, looks at me, nods approvingly and says: “You’re shorter than in your photos, but that’s okay. When can you get married?”
I laugh nervously because… obviously it’s a joke, right?
He looks at me seriously and says: “My family likes you. That’s a very good sign. We could have a small ceremony this summer.”
Me: “This summer? This year??”
Him, completely calm: “Yes, otherwise it will be too cold for the guests outside.”
That’s when I very quickly learned how to say “I think I left the stove on” in three different languages—while slowly backing out of a restaurant.
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