I was too ashamed to tell my dad I have a cuddling partner

I’m scared to admit this out loud, but I need to get it off my chest.

I’m a 29-year-old guy and I’ve been working the last few years as an area supervisor. My job is demanding, and because of that I haven’t really been able to maintain a relationship.

One of the things that helped me relax was playing Minecraft and hanging out in a Facebook group. Through a weird twist of life I met a 26-year-old woman there. When I told her about my stress and how lonely I felt, she suggested we try a “cuddling session.”

At first I thought it was a scam or some kind of trick to get something out of me. But I decided to meet her, and we clicked. We started having cuddling sessions on Thursdays or Fridays, usually one or two hours depending on her schedule. Sometimes we’d watch movies or YouTube videos, and sometimes we’d just lie down and enjoy each other’s company.

I couldn’t believe how good it made me feel. My stress dropped, and I felt more stable after every session. Then one day my dad showed up unannounced while we were in the middle of one.

For context, I come from a very traditional Mexican Catholic family. My cuddling partner actually has a boyfriend, and what we do is not romantic or sexual.

My dad saw us together and assumed we were being intimate. After she left, he asked what my intentions were. I panicked. First I tried to lie, then I tried to explain that she was kind of like a therapist, and in the end I told him she was just a hookup.

He got angry and lectured me about not playing with women’s feelings, about how he raised me better than that, and how important family values are. He exploded right in front of me.

The worst part is that I felt too ashamed to explain what cuddling really was and why I was doing it.

P.S. English isn’t my first language, so I used a translator to write this. I hope it makes sense.