Modern Love: My Mother’s Last, Best Gift Was an Astonishing Secret

Modern Love: My Mother’s Last, Best Gift Was an Astonishing Secret

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The New York Times

Modern Love

January 2, 2026, 1:01 p.m. Eastern time

Every week, we’ll send you stories about relationships, feelings, betrayals and revelations. If you would like to share your own love story, consider submitting a Modern Love essay or a Tiny Love Story.

Brian Rea

My Mother’s Last, Best Gift Was an Astonishing Secret

It took my mother getting Alzheimer’s for my siblings and me to learn the truth about our family and childhood.

Tiny Love Stories: ‘Am I Too Old to Experience Butterflies?’

Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words.

From Cuddling to Cold Shoulder and Back Again (and Again)

We talked about our ideal wedding on our third date. That was probably too soon.

Tiny Love Stories: ‘It’s Not Easy to Please a Woman’

To celebrate the season, we gathered five of our favorite holiday-themed Tiny Love Stories.

See more stories

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