Zach beamed with pride as he awaited the union of his son and the woman who would soon become his daughter-in-law. The day was ideal for a wedding. Yet, when his son introduced Jenna as the love of his life, Zach’s joy turned to shock as he laid eyes on her. A sinking feeling gripped his stomach; he recognized her instantly. How could this be? The day was meant to be flawless.
As Zach woke up that morning, anticipation bubbled within him. It had been years since he’d seen his son Mark. Today was Mark’s wedding day, and the invitation had been extended to his father. Standing at the airport, Zach prepared to board a plane headed for New York City. It had been since his son’s college departure that they last met, but now Zach was about to partake in one of the happiest days of his life alongside his son.
The flight to New York proceeded without a hitch, and Zach maintained a constant smile throughout the journey. Mark had always been the source of his pride and joy, and the prospect of spending this significant day with him filled Zach with excitement. While he hadn’t yet met Mark’s soon-to-be wife, he had heard favorable remarks about her. The anticipation to finally meet the woman who had captured his son’s heart was palpable.
Upon landing, Zach promptly arranged for a taxi to collect him. Upon reaching the church, Zach was pleasantly taken aback. Over Mark beamed, eager to introduce his father to the love of his life. With a confident stride, Mark walked away, leaving Zach standing in the center of the church, brimming with anticipation. A sliver of nervousness tinged Zach’s anticipation as he prepared to meet the woman he’d heard so much about. Yet he couldn’t quite grasp why he felt this way.
Little did he know, mere minutes separated him from the heart-wrenching truth. Once more, his gaze had wandered, fixating on the church walls ahead. Abruptly, the sharp clacking of heels against the hard floor caught his attention. Methodically, the steps advanced nearer to Zach. Over the ambient noise, voices emerged from behind him—a blend of Mark’s and a woman’s. At last, the moment had arrived for him to meet the woman who held his son’s affections, unbeknownst to him, this long-awaited meeting marked the precipice of a dreadful turn in his day.
Residing in Ooo, Minnesota, Zack Morgan, at 58 years old, had savored a life filled with contentment. In his youth, he embraced marital bliss with Natasha, the woman who embodied his dreams. Their union brought forth their sole offspring, a son named Mark. The arrival of Mark heralded a profound shift for Zach; suddenly, everything fell into place, infusing Zach’s life with a newfound sense of purpose. Mark embodied all of Zach’s aspirations and desires, granting his existence profound significance.
As a unit, Zach and Natasha dedicated themselves to nurturing Mark to the best of their capabilities. Yet, during Mark’s formative years, tensions and disparities surfaced within Zach and Natasha’s relationship. Despite their struggles, they persevered, driven by their commitment to their son. However, when Mark reached the tender age of 16, the dynamics drastically shifted. The relationship between Zach and Natasha had finally reached an irreparable breaking point.
The day Zach and Natasha disclosed their decision to divorce marked the most challenging moment in Mark’s life. Lingering struggles had taken their toll, leaving his parents with no resolve to salvage their relationship. Mark found himself engulfed in a state of disbelief; the prospect of alternating between two different homes every other week seemed unimaginable. From that juncture onward, his life underwent a profound transformation.
Throughout the divorce, Zach did everything in his power to remain close to his only child. Mark lived with his mother most of the time, but he still had a strong relationship with his father. It took some time, but he learned to live with the change. Eventually, Mark finished high school and began planning for college. Zach was proud of his son, but he had no idea what tragedy awaited him in the years after the divorce.
Zach tried his hardest to move on. Mark left Minnesota and moved to New York for his studies, and suddenly, Zach felt like he was all alone. He kept in contact with his son often enough, but that didn’t stop the feeling of loneliness that sat like a heavy burden on his shoulders. He needed love just like anybody else.
Zach decided to put himself out there. He went on a few blind dates and tried a couple of dating apps, but he never found a woman he felt a true connection with. Until one summer evening, Zach had been invited to a close friend’s dinner party, and although he didn’t feel like going, he decided to do so anyway. That was when he met her.
The second he saw her beautiful, full head of dark hair, his heart skipped a beat. When she turned around to reveal her big brown eyes and full red lips, Zach’s breath caught in his throat. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he just had to speak to her.
He approached her, expecting a pleasant conversation, but he had no idea what would come of this decision. That night, Zach fell in love with the beautiful brunette, and he couldn’t wait to see her again. They went on a few dates, and before Zach knew it, he was head over heels in love with her.
Although she was much younger than Zach, she made him feel alive again. He felt young in her presence, and he wanted to be with her all the time. He wanted to be in a stable relationship with the woman who had stolen his heart. The first few months of their relationship ran smoothly. Although she was a lot younger than Zach, he admired her intelligence and the way she viewed the world. He couldn’t see a single flaw in her.
But as the months passed, he could feel a shift in their relationship. Suddenly, she had grown distant, and he couldn’t understand why. But one day, it all ended. That day, Zach tried to call the woman he had fallen in love with, but she didn’t answer the phone. He figured she was busy and would call him back later, but sadly, she never did. She never answered his calls again, and when he tried to visit her apartment, she refused to open the door for him. Just like that, their brief love affair had ended, and Zach had no idea why.
Zach never mentioned this relationship to his son; he didn’t want to make Mark feel uncomfortable. In the weeks that followed, Zach found himself dealing with a broken heart once again. All he wanted were some answers; she had ghosted him, and he had no idea why. He wondered if he would ever see her again. But just a few years later, he discovered something devastating.
When Mark called his dad and announced the big news, Zach was over the moon. “Dad, I asked her to marry me, and she said yes,” Mark said over the phone, his voice raised in excitement. Over the past two years, Zach had heard a lot about Mark’s new girlfriend, but he had never met her, nor had he seen a single photo. But that didn’t stop him from feeling extremely proud of his son. He congratulated Mark again and again, offering to help in whatever way he could
.
He thought back to the day he proposed to Mark’s mother and how excited he was to become a husband. The months flew by, and before he knew it, he had received an invitation to attend Mark’s wedding in New York City. But he never could have guessed how that day would end.
Before Zach knew it, it was the week of his son’s wedding. Although he was sad that he wouldn’t have a plus one for the wedding, he was still excited and happy for his son. He booked a flight out to New York, and when the day finally arrived, he got on his plane and flew out to his son’s wedding, unaware of who he would run into.
Zach arrived at the church hours before the wedding would begin. People were running around setting up decor and testing the sound system. When he spotted his son, he embraced him in a long hug. “Now, where is the lucky lady?” Zach grinned as he pulled away from his son. He hadn’t seen so much as a single photo of the woman, but his day was about to take a sudden turn. “Wait here, I’ll get her,” Mark grinned, proud to introduce his father to the woman he loved.
Mark walked off while Zach stood in the middle of the church, waiting in anticipation. Part of him was nervous to meet the woman he’d heard so much about, but he didn’t quite understand why. But he was minutes away from learning the devastating truth. His eyes had drifted once again; he was back to staring at the church walls before him when he heard the harsh clicking of heels on the wooden floor.
Slowly but surely, the steps grew closer to Zach. He could hear the voices behind him; it was Mark and a woman. He was finally about to meet the young lady his son loved, but little did he know that his day was about to take a terrible turn. Zach had a smile on his face; he couldn’t be prouder of his son, and he couldn’t wait to meet the woman who would soon become his daughter-in-law. It was the perfect day for a wedding. What could go wrong?
“Dad, this is Jenna, the love of my life,” his son said from behind him. But when Zach turned around and saw the woman’s face, his stomach dropped. He recognized her the instant he saw her face. How could this have happened? He took in her shocked expression; her lips were painted red like the night he’d first met her at that dinner party. Her dark hair was curled, and her large eyes were wide with confusion. She recognized him too; it was the same woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago.
“Jenna,” he repeated her name. Mark could instantly see that something was wrong. The young lady took a step back in surprise and ran off. She left Mark confused, while Zach stood before him, dumbfounded. “Dad, what’s going on? Do you know her?” his son asked in confusion.
Zach’s eyes were sorrowful as he faced his son and nodded sadly. “Yes, I know her,” he confirmed. He had to tell his son the truth. Mark was devastated to hear that his bride-to-be had dated his father. “What… what do I do about this? Where do I go from here?” he asked, with his hands in his hair. He felt betrayed, but he knew that this had happened years before he met Jenna.
Zach tried to comfort his son, but he was devastated too. He couldn’t believe that she was there, about to marry his son. He had to fix this. Zach sat his son down and spoke to him in a gentle voice, despite the terrible burning feeling in his chest. He was devastated, but he had to help his son.
“You love her, don’t you?” he said, with compassion in his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to be the reason why his son was upset. Mark nodded. “Then marry her, be with her. She is a wonderful young woman, and you deserve someone like her,” Zach said. “But wouldn’t that be weird for you?” Mark asked, with tears behind his eyes. He felt extremely uncomfortable.
“Well, it’s a good thing that we only see each other once every few years. She is the woman you love; don’t let me get in between that,” Zach said. Mark thought about it for a moment. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m going to marry the woman I love,” he said and arose from his seat.
Zach smiled, proud of his son. He deserved a woman like Jenna, and she deserved a man like Mark.
