The Proposal
Getting everything ready, Bob Barrett can feel his body shaking as he gives signals to the restaurant staff that he’s now going to propose. His body shakes are mostly because he’s excited. He has planned and organized this sweet proposal for so long, and he wanted everything to fall into its place.
Having a relationship with Molly for over five years now, he cannot imagine himself not marrying the woman he has promised his whole world for.
Started With A Love Story
Simply admiring the beauty of the sunset on the rooftop of a five-star hotel, Molly Payne and Bob Barrett are enjoying each other’s company as they’ve had their early dinner date. Bob excuses himself from Molly, saying that he will have to use the bathroom for a while. The truth is, he’ll have to oversee things and will have to go as planned on his proposal for Molly.
Molly, on the other hand, is sitting peacefully on the table where Bob had left her and has no idea about the surprise that awaits her. Bob Barrett, was an American Army who was based in the UK to where he met the love of his life, Molly Payne.
Favorite Song
Patiently waiting for Bob to return, Molly has been busy being mesmerized by how lovely the sunset was during that day. Falling deeply in love and fascinated by the evening, Molly’s thoughts were interrupted when a live band played a love song.
Just as she realized that it was her favorite song getting played on, she noticed Bob was the one who was singing with the band. A smile formed on her lips, and she felt butterflies in her stomach as she jammed with the song.
It’s a Yes!
After singing, Bob came over to Molly. Molly told him that he sang very well and she was flattered by the song. Bob just smiled and told Molly that he had something important to ask her. Before Molly could reply to Bob, Bob kneeled in front of Molly.
He then opened a small box and inside it was a diamond ring. Bob asks Molly the question that he has been waiting for so long to ask. He asked her to marry him and Molly, who’s now becoming teary-eyed, passionately said yes!
Revealing about the Proposal
After Molly said yes, the restaurant staff to where they are in cheerfully shared the couple's happy moments and gave them claps and delights. Bob and Molly hugged each other tightly as they were both pleased about the onset of the new journey they would take as a couple.
Both of them then shared the news with their families and friends, and everyone was just as excited as they were. The newly engaged couple were in for a long and happy life together!
Preparation for the Wedding
After the proposal, Bob and Molly have eventually moved on to the preparations that they need for their wedding. They have both allotted much effort and time for them to make their wedding a magnificent one.
With the support and help of their families and friends, they have organized everything properly, from the church wedding to the reception and up to the after-party, on the day of the wedding. Everyone played their parts for their most awaited wedding.
Wedding Day
On their wedding day, their church venue was at St Mary's Church in Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire. With tears of joy, Bob was watching Molly walk down the aisle in her lovely white dress. At that moment, he saw the most beautiful bride that he had ever seen.
They shared their “I do’s” afterward, and the wedding went smoothly and was a great success. Following the church wedding, they then enjoyed their reception and after-party with their family and friends.
Married Couple
The following day, after the day of their wedding celebration, the couple cannot believe that they are now facing a new chapter of their lives as husband and wife. They have vowed to be together in each other's arms no matter what the circumstances are.
As husband and wife, they will take a much bigger responsibility of caring for and loving each other. They both share the same levels of excitement about the new journey that they are now taking.
Building a Family
Forming a family of their own, the two have moved to the United States after two months of being married. Years passed, Bob and Molly learned to lean to each other. They have built such a beautiful family.
With two little boys, Calvin Barrett and Michael Barrett, who was added to their lives, they have lived an extraordinary life as they cherished every moment with their children. Bob, who was in the American Army, continued to work hard for his family as Molly also continued to foster the growth of her kids.
Undesirable Changes
While busy with each other’s responsibilities for their family, Bob and Molly have grown to be distant. Bob was always away, which Molly has found to be unfair that she would always be the one to be left for the children because it was never easy to raise the children alone.
Bob was never there when she needed him to be. The two never expected to feel undesirable changes in the relationship they thought was at its best.
Conflicts
These unwelcome changes in their relationship have moved to more significant conflicts that they have had a hard time handling. The two never went on a day arguing and blaming each other for their faults.
They were not getting along, and it seemed like every day was a tough climb, which is genuinely unhealthy for their relationship and their family. Until such time came, Bob and Molly decided to put a break on their marriage.
Returning to the UK
Bearing the pain alone, Molly, being far from her backbone of support, was her family in the UK, had a complete breakdown while she was in the States. "At that point, I couldn't even take care of myself, let alone my children.”, Molly shared.
The weight and the heaviness that she felt have given her a hard time fixing herself while still giving the time and care that her children need. Molly then made a tough decision to return to the UK for self-restoration.
Leaving the Children
Upon contacting her family in the UK, she shared with them about her plans of leaving the US. She also told them everything that she has been badly experiencing that negatively affects her and her children.
With an active response, Molly’s brother sent her a ticket to go back home to the UK. This main plan includes leaving her children in the US, which is really against her will.
The Intention of Going Back
Molly went back to the UK and had every intention of going back to her children, which did not happen at all. "I did try to go back," she said. "These boys were taken away from me - I didn't just leave them.", Molly added. It gave Molly a difficult time mending herself while thinking about her children's situation as a mother.
She wanted to be with her children, but she could not take care of them properly if she could not take care of herself too. She felt that she needed to breathe at that moment.
Handwritten Letters
Living back in the UK, Molly has always put her children in her mind and heart. She had sent her children handwritten letters to let them know that they were always loved. She also sent them Christmas gifts and memory boxes.
Sadly, since before Molly left, she was not on good terms anymore with Bob’s family, and so the letters, the Christmas gifts, and the memory boxes were never received by her sons.
Life Without a Mother
Calvin Barrett, who was six years old when his mother left, grew up and lived with his father and grandmother together with his younger brother, Michael, who was still a baby at that time. During the time he and his brother were raised by their father and grandmother, her mom was never spoken about.
Ever since Calvin has longed for his mother’s touch of love and kisses, he has always missed her only if she would come back.
Finding His Mother
At the age of 27, Calvin started looking for his mother. He has also built his own family already. Despite that, he has always had the passion and determination to find his mother that turned into obsession because he missed her so much. "It's been hard to deal without her. I didn't know if she was alive or dead.", Calvin proclaimed.
Growing up without a mother to guide you is such an alarming pace of life to deal with. His drive to find his mother gave him high hopes that he would be able to cross paths with her again one day.
Ancestry DNA Test
Finding his mother, Calvin was getting the full support of his family. His daughter, Mackenzie Barrett, did an ancestry DNA test. This test can identify if a person is related to the other through sharing common maternal or paternal ancestors.
Utilizing the ancestry DNA test, Mackenzie believed that she would find a match to lead her to where her father’s mom was. She has also wanted to meet her grandmother.
A Match
Fortunately, after weeks of waiting for the ancestry DNA test results, Mackenzie flagged a match with Ms. Payne's nephew, Stephen Payne. Right away, Mackenzie contacted Stephen to sort things out and to know if Stephen was related to her father’s mom. Stephen eagerly acknowledged the fact that he was associated with Molly, who was her aunt.
The two then shared their plans to surprise Calvin and Molly with what they had discovered. This was a huge deal for both families! Who could've thought that something like this could bring families together?
Good News
Mackenzie gradually told her father that she had found her grandmother. Calvin was more than happy about the good news that he had heard. Calvin has been waiting for almost 40 years for this moment. "It was amazing.", Calvin exclaimed.
On the other hand, Molly was also informed by her nephew that her granddaughter in the US had contacted him. Molly couldn't believe it. "I was so excited. It was so hard for me to absorb," she uttered.
Reconnecting
Molly and Calvin reconnected with the help of Mackenzie and Stephen. Once, it was like a dream for them to talk to each other again after such a long time. The two could not contain the happiness that they were feeling, knowing that they could now interact again. They could never be more thankful to their families for their overwhelming support of bringing them back into each other’s arms.
The two first messaged each other through Facebook. They have been speaking to each other every day and have talked about reuniting personally.
Everyday Communication
Through the combined efforts of their families, they have set a reunion for Molly and Calvin. The two then cannot hide their delightfulness as they wait for the day of their reunion. They will always be grateful for having such a supportive family.
The days leading to the meeting were full of crazy emotions ranging from ecstatic to being so nervous they could barf all their breakfast on the plane ride!
Reunion
Molly and Calvin had their first reunion at Heathrow Airport. Their own families also accompany them. The two families then mingled with each other and shared their bonding moments as they cherished the blessing of the meet-up of Calvin and Molly. Molly felt so thrilled when she first met Calvin again.
Meanwhile, Calvin also feels like he is on cloud nine. Their reunion after 58 years was marked to be the most special day for both of them.
Meeting Again
As they met again, Calvin ran right up to her mother. He got to hold her hand and gave her a big tight hug. Molly did the same to her son. "My heart was pumping out of my body.", Molly said. Things were just too hard to absorb, but Molly and Calvin were just so happy that they had finally met each other in person.
They have also shared their joys that they got to hug each other after so many years of longing for the presence of each other.
The Missing Piece
"I started bawling like a baby. The bond was still there.", Calvin shared. "It was like an empty spot in my heart had finally been filled after all these years.", he added. Calvin was ecstatic to have at-last. He has now found his missing piece.
As he held his mother's hands, Calvin felt as if they were never separated. The emptiness he felt during the years of living without his mother is now filling up with joy.
Catching Up
Calvin honestly admitted that it had been a long journey tracking down his mother. Calvin and Molly have been catching up with one another while also getting to know each other. The two have been hashing out old memories, and they feel that everything was just unreal at the moment.
They still have a hard time believing that they have now come to know and see each other after years of waiting and finding.
Hard to Say Goodbye
Making the most of their time together, Molly and Calvin value the moments highly that they are now keeping up from the many years of missing out in each other's lives. However, Calvin needs to fly back to Michigan. Molly said that it was so hard to repeat goodbye to her son. Despite that, Molly and Calvin are looking forward to spending Christmas together.
"I know my son is going to come back in December for our first Christmas in all these years," Molly remarked. This would be the most memorable Christmas for both mother and son!
First Christmas Together After 58 Years
Fast forward to Christmas, Calvin and Molly were together again. The two bonded closely as they helped each other with the Christmas eve meals and in the decoration of their Christmas tree. Their families have joined them in their first Christmas together after 58 years. They have enjoyed each other’s company and they are looking forward to spending more celebrations and holidays together as one big happy family.
Molly says it is hard to put into words how she feels about finally being with her son again. It was the most beautiful dream that she has ever lived in her reality.
Love of a Mother
"I have told him I don't think there is a mother that could love a son as deeply as I love him.”, Molly stated. She has always loved her son even from afar. Now that she is now able to communicate to him personally, she will always show him the love that her son has longed for so long.
The gift of meeting her son again is such a great blessing for Molly. Molly could not measure the time that she prayed and waited for this day to come true. She has always yearned to see her son again and this moment is more than she expected. Living the moment blissfully, she will now be able to express her love and care for her son.
Bonds Not Broken
This is a dream come true for her that she would not trade to any other treasures of this world. Despite not meeting for 58 years, Calvin and Molly felt that their bonds were not broken at all. They still feel a connection with each other. Their love for each other has fueled up their burning passion for finding each other’s paths again. To Molly, she has loved her son so deeply that she could not find any explanations about how deep it goes. To Calvin, the love he had for his mother is not incomparable and goes deeply too.
Meeting a person again whom we’ve longed for too long fills the gap of emptiness in our hearts. A mother’s love could go a thousand miles just like how Molly described her love for her son. Thus, we should always cherish the people that we love because we never know what tomorrow may bring. Let us be vocal in expressing our love and care for the persons we love.