I’m 27 years old, and I feel like my life is hanging in the balance. My mother, who has never worked a day in her life, expects me to support her while I’m trying to build my own future with the woman I love. Lucy, my fiancée, means everything to me, but my mum just can’t seem to understand that.

My mother lives in a flat she inherited after divorcing my father. She rents it out, and the income is her only means of support. Meanwhile, I’m working hard to secure my own future. Now that I want to get married and start a family, Mum keeps throwing obstacles in my way.

I met Lucy at university. From the first moment, I knew she was the one. We aspire to start our own family, but my mother doesn’t accept this. She keeps saying we’re too young and that we should wait. But Lucy and I know our love is strong enough to weather any storm.

Mum claims she has no money and can’t find a job. But deep down, I know she could try harder. She understands that renting out her flat is her only income, yet she refuses to see that I also need to think about my future. I want Lucy and me to have our own space where we can build our life together.

Mum raised me on her own after the divorce from my father, who struggled with alcohol. She did her best to ensure I had a better life, but now that I want to make my own decisions, she’s putting up barriers. She says it’s not about me, but it feels like she doesn’t want to recognise that I need to carve my own path.

Lucy and I have submitted our marriage application. We want our life together to become a reality, but Mum won’t accept it. She insists she can’t manage on her own, yet I know she’s stronger than she realises. I want her to understand that I must follow my heart, and that Lucy is my everything.

I’ve been torn between my love for Mum and my love for Lucy. I want both women in my life to be happy, but it seems like Mum just doesn’t get it. I’ve got to choose between loyalty to my mum and my love for Lucy, and that’s a decision that will change my life forever.

Lucy, who moved to the city for her studies, doesn’t have family support. Her parents have younger children to care for, so she’s managing things all on her own. Still, she’s confident and has big dreams for the future. We want to create a home together where we can support each other and build our future.

Mum often reminisces about how tough things were after the divorce and how hard she worked to give me a better life. But now, as I’m trying to build my own life, I feel like she doesn’t understand my needs and dreams. I want her to see that I want to be happy, that I want a family, and that Lucy is the key to my happiness.

Every day, I’m trying to find a way for Mum and me to reach an understanding. I want her to know that I don’t want to leave her without support, but I must also follow my heart. Lucy and I are planning a future where we can uplift each other and create a strong family.

Right now, my life feels like it’s at a crossroads, and I need to make a tough decision. I want Mum to realise that her happiness matters to me, but I also have to think about my own happiness and future. Lucy is everything to me, and I really hope Mum can accept that so I can create the life I’ve always dreamed of.