“I need the restroom,” I said suddenly, standing up. “I’ll come with you,” she offered immediately. “No, really, I’d rather go alone.”
For a moment she looked ready to argue, but I slipped out the door before she could follow.
All I wanted was a few minutes with Daniel, just to ground myself again, but I had no idea that stepping out of that room would change the entire course of our day. I walked through the church courtyard, my eyes scanning the crowd. Guests were everywhere, greeting each other, laughing, and adjusting their clothes as they waited for the ceremony to begin.
I searched for Daniel in every corner, convinced that if I could just see him, even for a minute, my nerves would calm down. My gaze landed on Richard, my future father-in-law, standing near Daniel’s cousin Jacob. I quickened my pace toward them, but then something made me freeze mid-step.
Near the church entrance stood a boy. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old, his expression tense, as if he were waiting for someone. His face—God, his face—looked exactly like Daniel’s childhood photos.
The same brown hair, the same sharp nose, even the same faint dimple in his cheek. It was like one of Daniel’s pictures had stepped out of an album and come to life. Without thinking, I hurried toward the boy, carefully weaving past the guests who blocked my way.
But when I reached the spot by the doors, the boy was gone. I spun in circles, scanning the crowd. There was no sign of him anywhere.
He had vanished, as if he had never been there at all. I turned back and saw Jacob still standing nearby. I rushed over.
“Did you see him?”
“See who?” Jacob frowned. “The boy. Right there by the entrance.
He looked just like Daniel when he was little,” I explained quickly, pointing at the empty spot. “Emily, I’ve been standing here the whole time. I didn’t see any kid.
And you’re not even having children at this wedding, remember? That was the whole plan.”
“I’m telling you, he was standing right there,” I insisted. Jacob shrugged.
“Maybe it’s just nerves. Weddings can make you see things that aren’t really there.”
Before I could argue again, Richard approached us. “What’s going on here?” he asked.
“There was a boy at the entrance. He looked exactly like Daniel. Did you see him?”
“No, I didn’t.
Emily, you should go back to your room. You don’t need this kind of stress right now.”
“I need to talk to Daniel,” I said firmly. “That’s not possible,” Richard replied quickly.
“It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony.”
“I don’t care about your superstitions! This is important!”
Richard sighed heavily. “Fine.
Come with me.”
He led me through the hallway to a quiet room where Daniel was waiting. When I stepped inside, Daniel’s face lit up. “Emily… you look incredible,” he whispered.
I barely heard him. “Richard, can you give us a moment?” I asked. Richard hesitated, clearly wanting to object, but I looked him straight in the eye.
“Please,” I said sharply. He pressed his lips together and left the room. Daniel looked at me curiously.
“What’s wrong? You look shaken.”
“I saw a boy outside. He looked exactly like you when you were younger.”
Daniel chuckled softly.
“Maybe you imagined it. Big day jitters.”
“I didn’t imagine it,” I said firmly. “He was real.
He looked like your copy. Daniel… do you have a son I don’t know about?”
“What? No!
Of course not. Emily, you know me.”
“You promised me you’d always be honest.”
“And I am,” he said, stepping closer. “I swear to you, I don’t have a son.”
“I know what I saw.”
Daniel studied my face, realizing I wasn’t going to let this go.
“Okay. Then let’s find him together. If he’s real, we’ll figure it out.
I want you to trust me.”
“Alright.”
And just like that, the two of us stepped out into the hall, united but uneasy, both of us searching for a boy who shouldn’t have been there at all. Daniel and I walked quickly through the church building. Every door we passed, we opened, peering into storage closets, empty meeting rooms, and side offices, but there was no sign of the boy.
At the end of the corridor, I tried one last door, but the handle wouldn’t budge. I knocked gently. “Hello?
Is someone in there?”
For a moment, there was silence. Then a small, trembling voice answered from the other side. “I’m not supposed to talk to anyone.”
Daniel and I exchanged a shocked glance.
My throat went dry. “It’s okay,” I said softly. “You can talk to me.
Just open the door, sweetheart.”
“I don’t have a key,” the boy replied. Panic surged through me. Daniel grabbed the handle, yanking on it with no luck.
“Who locked you in?”
Just then, Margaret and Richard came rushing down the hall, their faces pale. “What are you doing?” Margaret cried. “You’re not supposed to see each other before the wedding!”
“We already saw each other,” I snapped.
“That doesn’t matter now.”
Richard frowned. “What are you doing at that door?”
“There’s a child in here,” Daniel said firmly. Margaret let out a short, nervous laugh.
“That’s ridiculous. There are no children here. You didn’t want any at the wedding, remember?
I told you it was a mistake.”
I glared at her. “We spoke to him! Don’t insult me by pretending I’m imagining this.”
Margaret’s face hardened.
“Daniel, control your bride before she embarrasses herself.”
“I am not a dog for anyone to control!” I shouted. Daniel ignored us, leaning close to the door. “Step away from it,” he called to the boy.
Then, without hesitation, he rammed his shoulder into the wood. Richard rushed forward. “Stop this nonsense right now—”
But Daniel slammed into the door again, and this time it burst open with a crack.
Margaret screamed, calling him insane, but neither of us listened. Inside the small room stood the boy. He was real.
He looked exactly like Daniel, so much so that Daniel froze. “Oh my God,” Daniel whispered. “He really does look like me.”
“I told you,” I breathed, staring at the boy.
Daniel shook his head. “Emily, I swear, I don’t know who this is.”
Before I could answer, Margaret stormed into the room. “This is nobody.
Do you hear me? Nobody!”
“Shut up!” Daniel roared. He turned back to the boy.
“Who are you?”
The boy looked directly at him. “Are you Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“Then… I’m your son.”
I staggered back, clutching the wall. Daniel’s face twisted in disbelief.
“That’s impossible,” he stammered. “I don’t… I don’t understand.”
The boy’s eyes filled with tears. “My mom was Laura.
She told me who you were. But she died, and now I’m here.”
“Laura?” Daniel whispered. He turned to me.
“I knew her. We dated in college, but… she disappeared. I had no idea she was pregnant.”
I swallowed hard, then crouched slightly so I was at the boy’s eye level.
“How did you even get here, sweetheart? Who brought you?”
“Jack,” the boy said. Daniel’s head snapped up.
“My cousin Jack?”
Before the boy could answer, Richard stepped forward, his voice sharp. “Jack is a fool. He brought the child because he didn’t know what else to do with him.
He was close to Laura’s brother, and when he found out Laura had died, he ended up with the boy on his hands.”
My mind raced. “Then why did Jack tell me he hadn’t seen any child?”
Richard’s expression hardened. “Because I told him to keep his mouth shut.
As soon as I saw the boy, I took him and locked him away. He doesn’t belong here.”
“You knew, didn’t you? You knew about him.”
Richard’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
Margaret finally snapped. “It doesn’t matter. That child was born from sin.
I wasn’t going to let him ruin Daniel’s life.”
“What did you do?” Daniel shouted. “We did what was necessary!” Margaret’s voice rose with hysteria. “We paid her to leave, to disappear, so you could have the life you deserved.
You were so young, you had your whole future ahead of you. She would have destroyed everything.”
“You’re insane,” I spat. “This boy is Daniel’s family.”
“He is nothing!” Margaret screamed back.
“Get out!” Daniel’s voice thundered. “You have no right to call yourselves my family after this. Leave.
Now.”
Margaret’s mouth opened in protest, but I stepped forward. “If you don’t go, we’ll make you.”
For a long moment, neither of them moved. Then Richard tugged at Margaret’s arm, and the two of them finally turned and stormed out, Margaret muttering curses under her breath.
The room fell quiet, except for the sound of the boy’s soft sobs. I knelt beside him, brushing his hair back gently. “It’s okay,” I whispered.
“You’re not alone anymore.”
Daniel crouched next to me. “What do we do now?” he asked. I looked at both of them, my hand resting on the boy’s small shoulder.
“We figure it out together,” I said. “The three of us. As a family.”
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