Amber had nearly given up on love, but everything changed when she met Steve, an old friend of her father’s, at a family BBQ. What started as a casual connection blossomed into a whirlwind romance, leading to their wedding. But on their wedding night, Amber uncovers an unexpected secret about Steve that shifts everything she thought she knew.
I pulled up to my parents’ house and looked at the cars scattered across the lawn.
“What is all of this about?” I muttered to myself, already bracing for whatever surprise my family had planned.
Grabbing my purse, I locked the car and walked toward the house, hoping for a calm evening.
As I entered, the smell of grilled meat hit me, and I could hear my dad’s unmistakable laugh. I stepped into the living room and peeked out the back window.
Naturally, Dad was hosting an impromptu BBQ, with most of the guests being from his auto repair shop.
“Amber!” Dad called out, flipping a burger in his signature apron. “Come on, grab a drink and join us! It’s just the guys from work.”
I suppressed a groan. “Looks like the whole town’s here,” I muttered, kicking off my shoes.
Before I could even join the conversation, the doorbell rang. Dad tossed the spatula aside and wiped his hands on his apron.
“That must be Steve,” he mumbled to himself. He glanced at me. “You haven’t met him yet, right?”
Before I could respond, Dad flung the door open.
“Steve!” he bellowed, giving the man a hearty clap on the back. “Come on in, you’re just in time. Oh, and meet my daughter, Amber.”
I looked up, and my heart skipped a beat.
Steve was tall, ruggedly handsome with graying hair, and eyes that seemed both warm and deep. He smiled at me, and I felt a flutter in my chest that I wasn’t prepared for.
“Nice to meet you, Amber,” he said, offering his hand.
His voice was calm and steady, and I shook his hand, a little self-conscious after hours of driving.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
From that moment, I couldn’t stop stealing glances at him. He had an easy charm, making everyone around him feel at ease. I tried to focus on the ongoing conversations, but every time our eyes met, a pull tugged at my heart.
It was crazy. I hadn’t even thought about love in a long time. After all I’d been through, I had mostly given up on finding “the one,” focusing instead on my work and family. But something about Steve made me want to reconsider, even if I wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
As the day wore on, I finally said my goodbyes and headed to my car. Of course, when I tried to start it, the engine sputtered and died.
“Great,” I groaned, slumping in my seat. I thought about going back inside to ask Dad for help, but before I could, a knock on my window startled me.
It was Steve.
“Car trouble?” he asked, smiling like this was an everyday occurrence.
I sighed. “Yeah, it won’t start. I was just about to get Dad, but…”
“Don’t worry about it. Let me take a look,” he offered, already rolling up his sleeves.
I watched as he worked, his hands moving with practiced skill. In just a few minutes, my car roared back to life. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until I exhaled.
“There you go,” he said, wiping his hands on a rag. “Should be good now.”
I smiled, truly thankful. “Thanks, Steve. I guess I owe you one.”
He gave me a playful look. “How about dinner? We can call it even.”
I froze. Dinner? Was he asking me out?
For a moment, doubt flickered in my mind, that familiar voice reminding me of why I shouldn’t say yes. But something in Steve’s eyes made me want to take a chance.
“Yeah, dinner sounds good.”
And just like that, I agreed. I couldn’t have known then how much Steve would heal my heart—or how deeply he would later hurt me.
Six months later, I stood in front of a mirror in my childhood bedroom, staring at myself in a wedding dress. It felt surreal. After everything, I never imagined this day would come.
At 39 years old, I had given up on the fairy tale, but here I was, about to marry Steve.
The ceremony was small—just close family and a few friends, exactly what we both wanted.
As I stood at the altar, gazing into Steve’s eyes, a calmness washed over me. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t second-guessing anything.
“I do,” I whispered, tears barely held back.
“I do,” Steve replied, his voice thick with emotion.
And just like that, we were husband and wife.
Later that night, after the congratulations and well-wishes, we finally had some alone time. Steve’s house—our house now—was quiet, the rooms still unfamiliar to me. I went to the bathroom to change into something more comfortable, feeling light-hearted.
But as soon as I entered the bedroom, I saw something that took me completely by surprise.
Steve was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to me, speaking softly to someone who wasn’t there!
My heart raced.
“I wanted you to see this, Stace. Today was perfect… I just wish you could’ve been here.” His voice was full of emotion.
I froze, trying to understand what I was hearing.
“Steve?” I asked, my voice small.
He turned around slowly, guilt flashing across his face.
“Amber, I—”
I took a step closer, the air thick with unspoken words. “Who… who were you talking to?”
Steve took a deep breath, shoulders sagging. “I was talking to Stacy. My daughter.”
I stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in. He’d mentioned having a daughter who had passed away, but I didn’t know about… this.
“She died in a car accident, along with her mother,” he continued, his voice cracking. “But sometimes, I talk to her. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like she’s still with me. Especially today. I wanted her to know about you. I wanted her to see how happy I am.”
I didn’t know what to say. My chest tightened, and I struggled to breathe. Steve’s grief was raw, present in every word he spoke, and it made everything feel heavier.
But I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t angry. Just… incredibly sad. Sad for him, for everything he had lost, and the weight he carried all alone. His grief hurt me as though it was my own.
I sat beside him, placing my hand in his. “I understand,” I said softly. “I do. You’re not crazy, Steve. You’re grieving.”
He exhaled shakily, his eyes filled with vulnerability. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner. I didn’t want to scare you away.”
“You’re not scaring me away,” I replied, squeezing his hand. “We all have things we carry. But we’re in this together now. We can carry this together.”
Steve’s eyes welled up, and I pulled him into a tight hug, feeling all the weight of his pain, his love, his fear—everything wrapped up in that moment.
“Maybe… maybe we can talk to someone about it. A therapist, maybe. It doesn’t have to be just you and Stacy anymore.”
He nodded against my shoulder, his grip on me tightening. “I’ve thought about it. I just didn’t know how to start. Thank you for understanding, Amber. I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”
I pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes, my heart swelling with love deeper than I ever thought possible. “We’ll figure it out, Steve. Together.”
And as I kissed him, I knew we would. We weren’t perfect, but we were real—and for the first time, that felt like enough.
That’s the thing about love, though, isn’t it? It’s not about finding someone without flaws; it’s about finding someone whose flaws you’re willing to embrace.