I went to the wedding of my best friend just five years after the death of my wife. My daughter was also there. The moment he raised the veil of the bride, however, destroyed my entire universe. When my daughter asked me in a hushed voice, “Daddy, why are you crying?” The bride looked directly into my eyes, and in that split second, everything took a turn for the worse.
I never intended to attend that party in any way. It was my friend Mark who had to bring me there, and he assured me that it would “get me out of my funk.”
Throughout the entire week, I had been working double shifts at the construction site, and my body felt as though concrete had taken the place of my muscles.
Mark told me, “Just one hour,” then proceeded to nearly shove me through the door of some apartment in the downtown area. “Then you can go home and be a hermit again.”
It is often the case that the most significant moments in life occur when you are least expecting them.
They appeared to have never lifted anything heavier than a martini glass, and the party was full of people who looked like they had never done so. The tattered pants and faded t-shirt that I was wearing made me feel out of place.
But at that moment, I came across Natalie.
Neither was she supposed to be there in the first place. It wasn’t until much later that I learned that she was only delivering something to a buddy.
Across the room, our eyes met, and it was as if everything had suddenly clicked into place. Whether you call it sparks, connection, or something else entirely, I knew that I wanted her to be a part of my life.
“Who is that?” With a gesture in her direction, I questioned Mark.
After following my eyes, he let out a low whistle. It’s Natalie. Don’t squander your time, individual. One-half of the city is owned by her family.
But I had already begun to make my way toward her.
The moment I got closer to her, she smiled, and that smile hit me like a wrecking ball.
While extending my hand, I introduced myself as Jake.
In response, she said, “Natalie,” with a tone that was gentle yet assured. But despite the fact that her hand was little in mine, her grip was firm. “You look about as comfortable here as I feel.”
There was a lengthy conversation between us that evening.
Rather than having an attitude of a trust fund princess, she exhibited genuine warmth and curiosity. She was not what I had anticipated. As the evening came to a close, I became aware that I was in a precarious situation.
During the time that I was walking her to her car, she said, “My parents would hate you,” as the moonlight caught in her dark hair.
It was my question, “Is that a problem?”
The eyes that she had appeared to see straight through me were the ones that she stared up at me with. Assuming that. To be honest, I don’t really care.”
Six months later, we were married. Her mother and father were not present for the wedding. They did not provide her with anything, including a trust fund, family vacations, or anything else.
Nevertheless, Natalie simply gave me a gentle grip on the hand and said, “I don’t care about the money.” I want nothing except you.”
It was sufficient for a period of time.
A modest flat with two bedrooms was the new home for us. at day, I was employed in the construction industry, and at night, I was attending classes in architectural design. A neighborhood gallery is where Natalie found employment. I had the impression that we were content.
The birth of Emma brought about a change in circumstances.
Natalie’s eyes appeared to lose their warmth as time went on. First, she began to draw parallels between our life and the one she had left behind.
She mentioned it one evening when we were eating macaroni and cheese at our small kitchen table. “My college roommate just bought a vacation home in the Hamptons,” she said. There was Emma, sound asleep in her crib next to us.
I murmured, “That’s nice,” without taking my eyes off the designs that I was examining at the time.
“She invited us to visit. I was forced to tell her that we were unable to afford the trip.
It was the hurt of her words that I felt. “Everything is going well, Nat. It will grow better in the future.”
Her tone was apprehensive as she inquired, “When?” “When Emma finally starts college? When will we be able to retire? I’m sick of waiting for things to get ‘better,’ Jake.
Increasingly, we found ourselves in disagreements.
She was averse to budgeting and detested the simple life that we led.
It was her way of saying, “This is not what I signed up for.”
As if I’d somehow fooled her. It is as if love is supposed to be able to pay the bills.
I told her, “You knew who I was when you married me,” during a particularly vicious dispute that we had.
Her tone was icy as she suggested, “Perhaps that was the issue.” “I thought you’d be more by now.”
The following day, I arrived home from work earlier than usual with the intention of surprising her with flowers. The flat had a low level of noise.
All of Natalie’s belongings, including her suitcase, were missing.
A note was discovered by me in the crib.
“I am seeking a divorce. I’m sorry to say this, but our marriage was a terrible idea. Emma was left with Mrs. Santiago, who was located down the hall. You are free to keep her.”
A hundred times, I dialed her number on her phone. There is no response. Despondent and with wild eyes, I drove to the estate that her parents owned.
I attempted to enter the gate, but the security guy refused to let me in.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you are not welcome here,” he told me, appearing almost appreciative.
“Please, I just need to talk to Natalie,” I begged for assistance.
“Sir, I need you to leave the premises.”
I received the divorce papers two days after they were served to me. By signing the document, Natalie had given Emma the authority to be her parent.
Everything was handled with a ruthless efficiency by the attorneys representing her father.
What followed was the decisive blow.
A final phone call was placed to her parents’ residence, which I made six months after she had departed.
“She’s gone,” her mother remarked using a monotone tone in her voice. In a tragic vehicle accident, Natalie passed away. Don’t make another call. To her, you were of no significance.
When the line was cut off.
I was sobbing till Emma woke up wailing as well, and then I slumped on the floor of our kitchen.
If I tried to visit her grave, they wouldn’t even let me. She was vanished from my existence as if she had never existed.
In addition to raising Emma, I immersed myself into my profession. Following the completion of my degree, I immediately began designing homes rather than simply constructing them. People took note of my abilities.
Within a span of three years, I would be operating my own company. When Emma was a young girl, she developed into a bright and joyful young lady who resembled her mother.
Half a decade had passed. As time went on, the pain gradually subsided to a dull ache here and there.
Afterward, the invitation was delivered.
The wedding was going to take place for Stefan, who had been my best buddy for a few years. After he joined the military, it had been difficult for us to stay in touch with each other, but now he wanted me to be a part of his wedding.
“What are your thoughts, it’s Em? What do you think about going to see Uncle Stefan get married? I inquired of my daughter while she was coloring.
A serious question was asked by her: “Will there be cake?”
It made me laugh. There is no doubt that there will be cake. A large and opulent one.”
While she was returning to her masterpiece, she made the decision, “Then we ought to go.”
There were white flowers and ocean breezes for the wedding, which took place at a resort by the water. Immediately upon our arrival, Stefan gave me a bear embrace.
Man, take a look at you! Having reached adulthood and achieved achievement, he said to me while softly punching my arm. “And this beautiful young lady must be Emma.”
Elizabeth smiled timidly.
The ceremony was just stunning.
On the beach, the white chairs were rapidly filled with guests. I placed a flower into Emma’s hair, and she sat next to me, swinging her feet and playing with the flower before she joined me.
At the moment when the music began, everyone rose up.
A veil was placed over the bride’s face as she made her way down the aisle.
The time has finally arrived.
As she got closer, Stefan’s smile brightened. When she reached him, he gently lifted her veil.
My respiration came to a halt. Even before I became aware that I was crying, tears began to stream down my face.
Emma became perplexed and looked up. “Daddy, why are you crying?”
A ghost of my deceased ex-wife dressed in a white bridal dress appeared before me, and I was stuck in place.
When Natalie turned around to smile at the visitors, her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed me standing there with our daughter on the other side of the room.
And then she ran away.
When Stefan tried to find her, he was perplexed to find that she had already left. I rose up, my legs trembling.
I told Emma, “Stay with Aunt Linda,” as I led her in the direction of Stefan’s sister before turning around and following Natalie.
She was trembling and pallid, and she was clinging to her wedding robe when I found her in a corridor.
“You’re dead,” I mumbled, my voice breaking as I spoke quietly. “They told me you were dead.”
She stammered, “I-I didn’t know they told you that.”
I exhaled a hollow laugh. “I pleaded with them to allow me to visit your tomb. “Natalie, I have spent years lamenting your passing.”
Her eyes became filled with tears. The only thing I wanted was a way out… to begin again. Every detail was planned out by my father.
I was filled with rage.
“You allowed me to grieve for you. I had to break the news to our kid that her mother had passed away. Signing away your parenting rights was one thing, but this is something else entirely. As in, what the hell?
There was a flinch from Natalie. “I thought she’d be better off without me.”
When Stefan appeared, he appeared to be anxious and perplexed. “What exactly is going on? What may have caused my fiancee to suddenly leave our wedding? Why are you two fighting with each other?
I decided to face him. “Because she abandoned both me and our daughter five years ago,” she said. After that, her relatives informed me that she had passed away.
“What?” A lack of color appeared on Stefan’s face.
Attorneys were hired by her father to sever all relationships. After that, they informed me that she had passed away as a result of a car accident. I was saddened by her passing. And now I find her standing at the altar, being married to my closest companion.
Natalie was accosted by Stefan. “Tell me you didn’t fake your death.”
She was unable to refute it.
“Oh my God, Natalie,” Stefan mumbled, his voice shattered.
Stefan left the room with his face pale and his fists clenched. It was decided to cancel the wedding. It seemed as though Natalie’s parents sprang out of nowhere and snatched her away.
They did not bother to speak to me at all. I, however, did not follow. This time, not at all.
The following two weeks, Stefan and I got together for a drink.
With a spiteful tone, he added, “She fooled everyone,” while staring into his glass. During the previous year, her parents introduced us to each other at a charity event. On no occasion did she ever reveal that she had ever been married or had a child.
I gave a slight nod, but for some reason, I was at ease. “You couldn’t have known.”
Stefan questioned, “Are you feeling okay?”
I put some thought into the question. “Yeah, I believe that I am!” For years, I pondered the reasons behind her departure and what I had done wrong. Now I realize that it had nothing to do with me at all.
I had the realization that I was no longer broken. I was now a successful professional and a mother to my daughter.
