She held her hands as she welcomed her into her family. That was when her eyes focused on the strange and familiar birthmark on her hand. She froze as her mouth dropped open.
She closely stared at her son’s bride, her heart aching as she recognized her familiar features.
64-year-old Martha Kenny was getting ready for her son, Mark’s wedding. She lived on her own in a small community in the suburbs of Fargo, North Carolina.
She hadn’t seen her son since he moved to New York four years ago. He had an intense career and couldn’t afford the time or money it took to visit her.
Martha didn’t mind. She only cared that her son was happy and healthy. She knew how expensive living in a city like New York could be.
Mark was living in New York for just 6 months when he called to let her know that he found himself a girlfriend. Martha was thrilled for him but soon, she would realize the relationship wasn’t what it seemed.
Martha enjoyed some calls from her son throughout the year but always wished he’d call more. But when Mark eventually called to say that he asked his girlfriend to marry him, she was overjoyed.
She spent the next few months looking for the perfect dress to wear to her son’s wedding but a dress would be the least of her worries.
Luckily, her son and his fiancé chose to marry in Fargo so Martha didn’t have to fly all the way to New York by herself. They flew in on their wedding day, eager and excited.
Martha put on the new best dress and made her way to the wedding venue to greet her son and daughter-to-be, completely unaware of what lay ahead of her.
It was the first time Martha was going to meet her daughter-in-law, Holly. She talked to her on the phone before but never met her in real life.
She arrived at the wedding and gave a tearful hug to her son. She missed him so much and was so proud to see him starting a family of his own. Then Holly appeared.
Martha gave Holly a big hug and took her hands between hers. With a warm smile and sweet voice, she welcomed her into the family. But then she noticed something very strange and it would stop her dead in her tracks.
Her whole world was about to be flipped entirely upside down.
As Martha held her hands, she spotted a unique birthmark on the back of her hand. It was such an unusual shape that it was impossible not to notice. Her whole body froze. Her stomach dropped.
She looked terrified. Alarmed, Holly asked her what was wrong.
“Nothing’s wrong”, she quickly replied but something was wrong. Her birthmark bore a striking resemblance to one she’d seen before.
It had the exact same characteristics as the one her own biological daughter had before she tragically went missing. The unexpected memory of her long-lost daughter felt like a kick to her gut.
Martha looked up at Holly and smiled. This time, she really looked at her. She gazed deep into her eyes, searching. Was it possible that this was her missing daughter?
The longer Martha observed the beautiful young girl that was her son’s fiancé, the more certain she became of the similarities between them.
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 realised 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 null 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 he always felt like Martha’s 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!