AITBF for telling my friend his new girlfriend reminds me of his mom and genuinely meaning it as a compliment
Me and my friend Dario have been close for about six years. I know his family well, I've had dinner at his parents place multiple times, his mom is one of those people who immediately makes you feel at home. Warm, funny, remembers everything you've ever told her, always has food ready. One of my favorite people who I am not actually friends with.
Dario started dating someone new about two months ago. I'll call her Petra. I met her last weekend at a group thing. She was great. Warm, funny, remembered details from earlier in the conversation and brought them back up, made everyone feel included. I liked her immediately.
On the walk home I told Dario I really liked her and that she reminded me a lot of his mom. I said it smiling. I thought I was being nice. That's it. That was the whole thought.
He stopped walking.
He looked at me like I had said something genuinely disturbing and then said "what does that mean" in a voice that made it very clear he did not want it to mean what I meant. I tried to explain, his mom is amazing, Petra has the same energy, it was a compliment. He said "yeah I'm going to need to not think about that" and changed the subject.
He's been a little weird with me since. Not cold exactly, just. off.
I don't really know what I did wrong here. His mom is a wonderfull person. Petra reminded me of her. I said so. Apparently that was a mistake. AITBF?