"It's a shame your late father isn't here with us," Stacey sobbed into the microphone, "but I know he's blessing his daughter wherever he is." Suddenly, she heard a voice in response, "Obviously, I would. It's my daughter's wedding!" Stacey turned around and was frozen stiff by a familiar man approaching her.
Stacey and Tyler married at a young age and had their daughter Mary when they were only 18. Tyler's mother despised Stacey from the start, and when she discovered her son had married her and planned to raise their child together, Tyler was evicted from his home.
Stacey and Tyler struggled to make ends meet while caring for their daughter, but things began to improve when Tyler and Stacey landed a job. They began working as software developers, and their earnings were sufficient to keep the family afloat.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
However, three months after Tyler joined his company, he was fired after an argument with his boss. Meanwhile, Stacey, who was working at another company, was promoted and asked to relocate to Texas.
When she broke the news to Tyler, he lost his cool. "Wow! Just take a look at yourself. Are you even concerned about me? All you care about is your damn promotion!"
"There's nothing like that, Tyler," Stacey explained. "I didn't even know that you were fired."
"Okay, now that I've told you I was fired, are you still going to talk about your stupid promotion?"
"Well, Tyler, I feel bad for you, but I have to leave for Texas next week. I told you because I thought you should be aware of it. Please look after Mary while I'm gone," Stacey said as she walked to her bedroom.
The following week, Stacey packed her belongings and prepared to leave. "Be a good daughter, honey, and don't bother daddy!" she exclaimed as she kissed Mary's brow. She waited for Tyler, but he didn't even come out of his room that morning.
Stacey had a bad feeling when she left the house that day, and her suspicions were confirmed when she returned over the weekend and saw Tyler intoxicated. Mary was crying in the corner, and the house was a shambles.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
She confronted Tyler about his recklessness, and the two got into a heated argument. Finally, she packed Mary's belongings and they flew to Texas the next day, never to return.
As time passed, Tyler realized his mistake, so he went all the way to Stacey's workplace to apologize. Unfortunately, it was too late because Stacey had already fallen for another man named Mark.
He was a widower and she'd met him at Mary's school. Mark's son, Aaron, went to the same school as Mary and frequently returned home together. They quickly fell head over heels for each other and began going on dates.
Unfortunately, their unfinished love story came to a tragic end one day as Stacey was returning from work. She received word from Mark's colleague Sandra that he had died. She told her that Mark's business rivals attempted to kill him, and he died before he could get to the hospital.
Stacey was devastated by the news, but her husband Tyler was completely supportive. He knew Mark as Stacey's friend, but he had no idea Stacey harbored feelings for him.
Nonetheless, Tyler did everything he could to get Stacey out of her grief. He frequently planned trips, spent more time with her, and talked about what they could do as a family in the future. As time went on, thanks to him, Stacey's heart healed, but just then, their family was stricken with terrible news.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Tyler was diagnosed with cancer, and since it was in the terminal stages, it took only a few months before he passed. Stacey didn't have any feelings for Tyler, but she did grieve the loss of her daughter's father. Mary had just returned home after her graduation, and they became each other's support during the tough time.
Mary had also planned on getting married that year, but because her father passed, she only got to tell her mother about it several months later. When Stacey found out Mary was engaged to be married, it brought joy to her life, and they planned the wedding for a month later.
On Mary's wedding day, Stacey couldn't stop crying when she gave her speech. "I can't tell you how happy I am right now," she started. "My daughter married the man she adores. And I send them my best wishes for love and happiness."
"But it's a pity," she said, tears choking her as she turned to Mary. "That your late father is not here with us today. He'd be the happiest man in the world today seeing his daughter looking so adorable. I hope wherever he is, he's blessing her and her husband. I want to tell him I miss him a lot."
Stacey had just finished her speech and was preparing to leave, but then she heard a voice from behind. "Obviously, I would! It's my daughter's wedding."
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
At the sound of the familiar voice, Stacey turned back and froze in shock. "This can't be possible! Mark?! I thought you were dead."
"Well, that's quite a story. But for now, let's just concentrate on this happy occasion," he whispered to her as he proceeded to the stage.
"There's nothing like that, guys," he said into the microphone. "Forgive my wife ... she just makes terrible jokes. Mary has always had and will always have her father by her side! I wish the couple a happy married life..."
When Mark finished his speech and got off the stage, Stacey pulled him to the side, "How are you here? Why didn't you contact me all this time? Do you even know how worried I was?" Her eyes welled up with tears. "Tyler and I had lost our spark, but I stayed with him for Mary because Mary adored her father. I was content that at least you were by my side, but when you left, I had no idea what to do!"
"Oh, god, please stop crying," Mark said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I didn't come to you sooner because I didn't want to ruin your marriage. I only recently learned that Tyler had died and Mary was getting married. I was worried about you and decided to come here."
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
"Then what was that whole death scene thing? Your colleague said you were dead. Do you even know how hurt I was?"
"I apologize for that, but Sandra was always envious of you, Stacey, and she lied. Someone did try to kill me, but I survived."
"Oh, my God. I'm so relieved to see you back. I felt so alone." She sobbed and wiped her tears. "You won't leave me now, right?"
"Of course not!" he said and hugged her again.
"And what about the fact that you just called me wife?" Stacey pretended to be firm, speaking in a trembling voice, but her heart was fluttering on the inside.
"Well, what do you think about getting married?"
"What? Are you..." Before Stacey could say anything, Mark held her hand and kissed her passionately. Everyone at the wedding hall started hooting.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
What can we learn from this story?
Life is unpredictable. Stacey never expected to meet Mark again, but it happened.
There's always a reason behind why we meet someone. Stacey and Mark were destined to be together. As a result, no matter how hard life tried to keep them apart, they were reunited.
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