Amber had long abandoned the idea of love, but when she meets Steve, an old friend of her father’s, at a BBQ, everything changes. Their whirlwind romance quickly leads to marriage, and for a brief moment, it seems like all of Amber’s dreams are coming true.
However, on their wedding night, she discovers a secret about Steve that shatters everything she thought she knew about their relationship.
I pulled up to my parents’ house and stopped short, surprised by the line of cars spilling across the lawn.
“What is this?” I muttered under my breath, already bracing for whatever family surprise awaited me inside.
Grabbing my purse, I locked the car and headed for the door, hoping for the best.
The second I opened the door, the familiar smell of grilled meat hit me, followed by my dad’s unmistakable, booming laugh. I peeked into the living room and then out the back window.
Of course. Dad was hosting another one of his impromptu BBQs. The whole backyard was filled with people, most of them from his auto repair shop.
“Amber!” My dad’s voice cut through my thoughts. He was flipping burgers, wearing his usual apron. “C’mon in, grab a drink, and join us. It’s just the guys from work.”
I tried not to groan. “Looks like the whole town’s here,” I muttered, slipping off my shoes.
Before I could join the chaotic atmosphere, the doorbell rang. Dad set the spatula down and wiped his hands on his apron.
“That must be Steve,” he said, almost to himself, before he reached for the doorknob. “You haven’t met him yet, have you?”
Before I could answer, the door was flung open.
“Steve!” Dad bellowed, clapping the man 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 were both warm and intense. When he smiled at me, I felt a flutter in my chest that I wasn’t prepared for.
“Nice to meet you, Amber,” he said, offering his hand.
His calm, steady voice made me feel self-conscious about how I probably looked after the long drive.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
From that moment on, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Steve had this effortless way of making everyone around him feel at ease, always listening more than speaking. I tried to focus on the conversations around me, but every time our eyes met, I felt a pull.
It was ridiculous. I hadn’t thought about love or relationships for ages—not after everything I’d been through. I had given up on finding “the one” and focused more on work and family. But something about Steve made me want to reconsider, even though I wasn’t ready to admit it.
As the evening wound down, I said my goodbyes and headed to my car. Of course, it wouldn’t start.
“Great,” I muttered, slumping in my seat. I debated going back inside to ask Dad for help, but before I could, there was a knock on my window.
It was Steve.
“Car trouble?” he asked, smiling as if fixing cars was a regular part of his day.
I sighed. “Yeah, it’s not starting. I was going to get my dad, but—”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Let me take a look.”
Before I knew it, he had rolled up his sleeves and was under the hood. His hands moved with practiced ease, and within minutes, my car roared to life. I hadn’t even realized I was holding my breath until I let out a relieved sigh.
“Good as new,” he said, wiping his hands on a rag.
“Thanks, Steve,” I said, genuinely grateful. “I owe you one.”
He shrugged and gave me a look that sent a flutter through my stomach. “How about dinner? We can call it even.”
I froze for a second. Was he asking me out?
A voice in my head warned me not to say yes, but something in his eyes made me want to take the chance.
“Yeah, dinner sounds good.”
And just like that, I agreed. I never could have imagined that Steve would become the one to heal my heart—or break it.
Six months later, I stood in front of the mirror in my childhood bedroom, staring at my reflection in a wedding dress. It was surreal. After everything I’d been through, I didn’t think this day would ever come.
I was 39, and I had given up on the idea of a fairy tale. Yet here I was, about to marry Steve. Our wedding was small—just close family and a few friends—exactly how we wanted it.
I remember standing at the altar, looking into Steve’s eyes, feeling a sense of calm I hadn’t felt in years. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t question anything.
“I do,” I whispered, my voice barely holding back the tears.
“I do,” Steve echoed, his voice thick with emotion.
And just like that, we were husband and wife.
That night, after all the congratulations and hugs, we finally had some alone time. Steve’s house—our house now—was quiet, and the rooms felt strange. I slipped into the bathroom to change into something more comfortable, my heart light with happiness.
But when I walked back into the bedroom, I was greeted by an unexpected sight.
Steve was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to me, talking softly to someone… who wasn’t there.
My heart skipped a beat.
“I wanted you to see this, Stace. Today was perfect… I just wish you could’ve been here,” Steve said, his voice full of emotion.
Frozen in the doorway, I tried to process what I was hearing.
“Steve?” I called out, my voice trembling.
He turned slowly, guilt crossing his face.
“Amber, I—”
I stepped closer, feeling the weight of unspoken words between us. “Who… who were you talking to?”
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I was talking to Stacy. My daughter.”
I stared at him, trying to absorb the words. He’d told me his daughter had passed away, but I didn’t know about… this.
“She died in a car accident, with her mom,” he continued, his voice cracking. “But sometimes I talk to her. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like she’s still here 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 the room seemed to close in. Steve’s grief was palpable, raw, and it felt like it belonged to both of us now.
But I didn’t feel afraid. I didn’t feel angry. I just felt… sad. Sad for him, for all he’d lost, and for the weight of carrying it alone. His pain seeped into me, as if it were mine, too.
I sat beside him, taking his hand in mine. “I get it,” I said softly. “You’re not crazy, Steve. You’re grieving.”
He let out a shaky breath and looked at me with such vulnerability, it nearly broke my heart. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you sooner. I didn’t want to scare you away.”
“You’re not scaring me,” I reassured him, squeezing his hand. “We all have things that haunt us. But we’re in this together now. We can carry this together.”
Steve’s eyes welled with tears, and I pulled him into a hug, holding him tight as the weight of everything—his grief, his love, his fear—settled between us.
“Maybe we can talk to someone about it. A therapist, maybe. It doesn’t have to just be you and Stacy anymore.”
He nodded against my shoulder, his grip tightening. “I’ve thought about it. I just didn’t know how to start. Thank you for understanding, Amber. I didn’t know how much I needed this.”
I pulled back, looking him in the eyes, my heart swelling with a love deeper than I ever imagined. “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.