By the following morning, she had disappeared from his messages.
The fourth woman canceled their next meeting without explanation.
The fifth stopped answering his calls.
The sixth sent a brief message saying she didn’t think they were compatible, even though she had seemed enthusiastic about seeing him again only hours earlier.
One failed relationship wouldn’t have surprised me.
Neither would two or three.
Dating is complicated, especially later in life. People have different expectations, different histories, and different ideas about what they want from a relationship. Sometimes, a pleasant date simply doesn’t lead to anything more.
But six consecutive experiences that followed almost the same pattern began to feel unusual.
Every woman seemed to enjoy spending time with my father.
Every woman appeared willing to meet him again.
And every relationship ended abruptly, often overnight.
There were no arguments that he mentioned to me. No obvious misunderstandings. No explanations that made sense.
