Finding Answers
She had not seen him for days now and she was getting tired of waiting. She went through his drawers with the intention of finding some answers.
She could feel her heart pounding in her chest when she discovered an address written in his previous wife's, who passed away, handwriting. She knew what she had to do so she climbed in her car. Little did she know, that she was finally going to uncover why he does not want to take his wedding ring off.
Beautiful Day
Joanne Williams expected her day to be normal. The birds were singing and there was not a cloud visible in the sky, it was a beautiful day. A few sunrays lit up her room. She felt content and she wanted to sing with the birds.
However, there would be no singing that day, there hadn't been any singing in her house for the last few months.
Difficult Times
Joanne loved her son, Mark, more than anything in the world. He was her only son that she shared with the love of her life. He was their everything.
Mark married a beautiful woman named Bethany and the family was overjoyed. Their happiness was short-lived as Bethany passed shortly after marrying Mark. It was a difficult time for the whole family and no one could have anticipated it.
In Denial
Mark was heartbroken. Joanne tried to support him during this but she watched helplessly as her son went downhill.
Joanne noticed that Mark had not taken his wedding ring off after a few months, which led her to believe that Mark has not accepted his wife's death. Mark was refusing to move on with his life and this concerned Joanne. However, she had no clue what he was keeping from her.
Shadow Of His Old Self
Mark moved back in with his parents after Bethany's passing. The two used to share an apartment and applied for a house. They got approved right before she passed, which made Mark feel even worse.
Mark was always a focused and determined person, but now he was a shadow of his old self. It broke Joanne's heart to see her son like this.
Gone For A Week
Mark started leaving their home in the early hours of the morning, even disappearing for days. However, Mark had been missing for a week now and Joanne started to get concerned.
Joanne started fearing that he was fired from his job, and no matter how many times she attempted to call him, she always got his voicemail. She could not sit idly by because her son might be in trouble. Something needed to be done.
Not Showing Up For Work
She contacted Mark's work friends asking them if they had seen him, but they were puzzled. They had not seen him for weeks... Joanne was stunned.
She could not help but think of the worst-case scenarios. She started investigating in his room trying to find answers. She had no idea what she was searching for but she needed something. And then, suddenly, the color from her face started to disappear.
Discovering Something
She saw an envelope hidden in his drawer. "Mark" was written on it in beautiful lettering. Joanne instantly recognized the handwriting, it was his late wife's.
She could feel her hands trembling as she opened the letter. She discovered a picture of Bethany in front of a house. Written behind the image was a strange address. Joanne could feel herself hyperventilating.
On Her Way
She immediately drove to the address. It was a 40-minute drive but she knew that she was meant to go to this address. She could not shake the feeling that this image meant something important.
There was a reason why the envelope was hidden. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Something is not right.
Getting Answers
The only thing she cared about was finding her son. He was going through a lot and she felt like he should not be on his own. Joanne's mind started to wander to various things, was Bethany still alive? Is that the reason why Mark still wore his wedding ring?
She desperately hoped that the destination would provide the answers to all her questions.
Creepy
Joanne had arrived. The address led her to a remote house nestled in a wooded landscape, surrounded by trees and water. It was the house in the photo. Under normal circumstances, the house would have been quaint and beautiful but now, it felt creepy.
Joanne spotted Mark’s car. He was here. She grabbed her phone and forced her feet to move forward. But what she’d find would leave her shell shocked.
Explanations
At the sound of her engine pulling up the driveway, Mark exited the front door. He was stunned to see his mom walk up to him. At the sight of her, his shoulders slumped. “What are you doing here?”, Joanne cried. “I’ve been looking for you for days. I was so worried about you.”
What Mark said next left Joanne gasping for air.
House Gift
Since Mark and his late wife had just reached their savings goal and decided on a house before she passed away. Mark was stunned with an incredible surprise after his wife’s passing.
It was just coming up on Valentine's day and Bethany decided to surprise Mark with a gift he’d never forget. She had made the downpayment on their dream house in secret. And left a letter under his pillow.
An Incredible Discovery
After she passed, Mark cleaned out their apartment and stumbled across her valentines gift. However, he was unsure of whether to keep it or not and so he didn’t tell anyone.
He loved the house but it upset him even more. Everything was a painful reminder of her passing. So, he decided to make a kind of shrine instead. Joanne’s lips trembled as she listened.
In Loving Memory
He came out to the house every other day, sometimes days on end to do it up like how she would have wanted it. His plan was to make all the improvements in her memory and then decide whether or not he’d want to keep it.
What an incredible story of love and loyalty. Would you decide to keep it if you were Mark?