She had taken the girl’s hands into her own and welcomed her to their family. At that very moment, she saw it. There was an unusual birthmark on the girl's hand that made her stomach twist into a tight knot.
She stared into the eyes of the beautiful girl that was about to marry her son. She went cold and her heart started pounding in her chest when she recognized the familiarity of her features.
Martha Kenny was 64 years old when her son, Mark, got engaged. She was over the moon as she prepared for the wedding. She lived by herself in a community in the suburbs of Fargo, North Carolina.
Her son had moved to New York four years prior, and she hadn’t seen him since. He was always so busy at work, he never had the time or money to visit his mother.
Martha didn’t mind this. All she wanted was for her son to be happy and healthy. She understood how expensive it was living in a city like New York. She never put any pressure on her precious son.
Mark had been living in New York for six months when he called to let Martha know that he’d found himself a wonderful girlfriend. Martha was so happy for him. But in just a few years, she would discover that their relationship wasn’t as it seemed.
Martha was thrilled whenever she received a phone call from her son, but she always wished that he’d call more. Eventually, he called to let her know that he’d asked his girlfriend to marry him, and Martha was overjoyed.
For the next few months, she went from store to store, trying to find the perfect dress to wear to his wedding. She had no idea that the dress would be the least of her worries.
Mark and his fiancé chose to marry in Fargo, which meant that Martha didn’t have to fly all the way to New York by herself. On the day of their wedding, the couple flew in, beaming with excitement.
Martha put on her beautiful new dress and made her way to the wedding venue to greet her son and daughter-to-be. She had no idea what was about to happen.
This would be the first time that Martha would meet Holly, her daughter-in-law. They had spoken on the phone before, but they’d never met in person. She arrived at the venue and greeted her son with a tearful hug.
She had missed him so much, and she was so happy that he was now starting a family of his own. But just then, Holly appeared.
When Martha saw Holly, she gave her a big hug before taking her hands between hers. She smiled at her widely and welcomed her into the family with a sweet voice.
But just then, she noticed something very odd about the girl. Her entire life was about to change.
While Martha was holding Holly’s hands, she noticed a unique birthmark on the back of one of her hands. It was so unique that it was impossible for her not to notice it. She froze as her stomach twisted into a tight knot.
Martha looked terrified, and everyone seemed to notice. Alarmed, Holly asked her what was wrong.
Martha swallowed hard before responding, “Nothing’s wrong.” But something was very wrong. Holly’s birthmark bore a striking resemblance to one Martha had seen before.
It looked just like the one Martha’s biological daughter had on her hand before she tragically went missing. Being reminded of her long-lost daughter felt like a kick in the stomach.
Martha’s eyes met Holly’s, and she smiled. This time, she took a closer look at the young woman. She gazed into her eyes, searching for a clue.
Could this be her long-lost daughter? The longer she stared at her son’s beautiful fiancé, the more she could see the similarities between them. But surely, this couldn’t be true, right?
Martha tried to reason with her pounding heart. She tried to rationalize how ridiculous her speculation was but she couldn’t deny her gut feeling. It was too late.
She truly began to suspect that her son’s fiancé, Holly, was her long-lost daughter. But she needed proof.
Before she dared to say anything and potentially ruin the entire wedding, she had to make sure that her suspicions weren’t baseless. After all, this was her son’s happiness she was about to devastate.
She had no idea how everyone would react. Nonetheless, she had to know.
Martha asked Holly if she could meet her parents. If anyone knew the truth of this matter, it would be them.
Holly brought her over to them and introduced them. They exchanged friendly greetings before Martha asked Holly if she could speak privately with them and guided her parents aside.
Martha had no idea how to ask this question. She could only imagine what Holly’s parents would think of her once she did. Still, she had to ask.
After all these years not knowing, she was tired of waiting. She decided she wouldn’t care what they thought of her and took a deep breath.
She had no time to waste. Being as tactful and as delicate as she could, she asked them if their daughter was adopted. Immediately, their expressions changed.
They had never divulged this secret to anyone. They looked at each other in bewilderment, silently debating whether to tell her or not. Martha begged but she wasn’t ready for their answer.
Holly’s parents revealed that she was indeed adopted. But they hadn’t told anyone, not even her. They asked Martha why she asked them that.
But rather than answering, Martha begged them to disclose with her how they adopted her and if they knew her birth parents. The couple looked at each other worryingly before answering.
They told her that they found a toddler on the street over twenty years ago. No one came to claim her so they brought her home and cared for her. They gave her an education and raised her as their own daughter.
Martha couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She burst into tears.
All this time Martha feared her daughter had been kidnapped or worse. She never could have imagined a nice family took her in and raised her kindly and well. Holly’s parents said that they reported her into the local authorities around the area.
Martha’s heart broke as she realized they failed to make the connection with her missing girl statement. They had no idea someone was listening.
Curious as to what they needed to discuss in private, Holly joined a circle of friends closeby. Slowly, she inched closer and closer to her parents and Martha.
She nodded politely along with the conversation her friends were having as she strained her ears. She could just about pick up what they were saying.
They spoke in harsh whispers. “She doesn’t know she’s adopted”, Holly heard her mother speak. “I think she’s my biological daughter”, she heard Martha weep.
“I lost her over twenty years ago on a trip in Alabama and never found her again”. “Oh my god”, Holly’s mom gasped.
Holly’s head snapped towards them. She was wide-eyed, staring at Martha in shock. Her eyes grew glossy with tears. Slowly, Holly approached them.
“Is this true?” she asked her parents. They stared in shock at her, Martha too. She never meant for her to find out like this. Holly’s parents spoke.
“We found you on the street in a beat-down town in Alabama. We tried looking for your parents but no one showed up. We couldn’t leave you”, her mom cried. Holly stared at Martha in complete confusion.
Martha stared back. They were both crying at the completely bizarre discovery. But the day wasn’t over yet.
Holly was the first to break the tension. After the initial shock, she caved. Her shoulders sagged as she surrendered to the impossible turn of events and opened her arms.
Martha mirrored her actions and the two women tearfully embraced each other. But what about her son? Could the wedding go ahead?
Although each party was in complete shock and overcome with emotion, the reunion actually turned out to be an incredibly joyous one in the end. In a very fortunate turn of events, and to the relief of everyone involved, the newly-wed bride and groom were able to continue with their wedding.
But how?
Remarkably, Mark and Holly did not suffer from a blood or hereditary relationship and could continue with their wedding. If they did, their love would have been completely illegal and their wedding would have become and void.
But how were they not related?
In another lucky twist of fate, Martha’s son, Mark, was actually adopted. After failing to find her daughter, Martha was devastated.
She decided to direct her heartbreak into something positive so she applied for adoption and raised another child in need. But between Mark and Holly, there was one big difference in how they grew up.
Unlike Holly, Mark grew up knowing he was adopted all along. Martha decided to tell him the truth whenever he asked but she always made him feel like her own biological child.
She was an incredible woman and a loving mother. But how did he react to this impossible discovery?
Despite the shock, Mark and Holly were relieved that they weren’t related in any way. The love they had for each other was stronger than any gossip.
And they soon came to view the bizarre situation as an incredible blessing for Martha. Holly was also eager to learn more about her biological mother and the tragedy that unfolded all those years ago.
Holly remembered nothing of it. She was only two at the time and had a bad memory of her childhood years. She had a tendency to forget things that happened yesterday!
However, to be sure of their relationship, Holly and Martha took DNA tests. The results confirmed their belief. However, one question remained.
Holly had no recollection of her biological father and asked Martha what had happened. Martha sadly told her that he had passed more than a decade ago from an illness. The news made Holly even more grateful towards her adoptive parents and towards finding her birth mother before it was too late.
For this family, it was a happy ending! Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.