Samantha and her son, Thomas, lived alone in a quiet town. This was not always the case because her husband, and Thomas’s father, used to live with them. That is, until his untimely death a few years ago. However, this is not a story of sadness; this is a story of how love can overcome anything. It is how Samantha managed to find happiness again when the idea was never thought possible. Instead of resenting the new man in his life, Thomas walked his widowed mom down the aisle.
Jack, Samantha, and Thomas
Love can be one of the most complicated things human beings have to experience in this life. When you meet someone you love enough that the idea of settling down doesn’t seem half bad, you should hold onto them for as long as you can. Some people are lucky in this regard, but others are not. This is why it is so tragic when that person dies, leaving the other behind to live on without them. This is exactly what happened to Samantha. She was madly in love with her husband, Jack. But, he passed away in a tragic car accident, leaving her and their beloved son, Thomas, behind to mourn his death.
Samantha had met her husband in high school. They were the perfect match for each other. Jack was as extroverted as they came. He loved watching football, and he would take Thomas with him. It was their special thing. Moreover, he loved taking his family out on extravagant outings whenever possible. Jack was the life of the party at all social gatherings. His jokes could make anyone laugh, and his energy would light up just about any room when he walked in. Samantha and Thomas loved him immensely; their house always had a jolly spirit.
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Widowed Mom Grieves For a Long Time
Things were different after Jack’s untimely death. He had been driving back from a late night at work, and it was raining. There was a section of the road that had been withering away for quite some time, and Jack hit a pothole. He lost control of the car and crashed. Tragically, he died a few days later in the hospital. When Samantha got the call, Thomas heard her screaming. It was a sound that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He soon came to know his widowed mom would be sad for a very long time to come.
Years passed by, and Thomas started showing signs of becoming the man he would be one day. Now that he was 11 years old, he had lost his puppy fat and some of his child freckles. But he would never lose the memories of his dad. One of the main things he had lost was his love for watching football. The sounds of the spectators, the whistle-blowing, and the smell of the freshly mowed lawn were too much of a trigger for him. He and his mother avoided the places they would visit with Jack because the memories would make Samantha cry. Thomas hated seeing his mother so sad, but he knew it would take a while before she was okay again.
Widowed Mom Avoids Happiness, Until…
The two of them would stay in on the weekends. Thomas would turn down invites from his friends because he couldn’t bare the idea of leaving his mother alone in the house full of memories of his father. It had been three years since his father passed, and he only wanted his mother to find some happiness.
One weekend, Samantha agreed to meet her best friend for some drinks after work. This made Thomas excited. It was the first time in a long time that she agreed to go out at night. Thomas agreed to sleep at a friend’s house that night so that Samantha wouldn’t have to call a babysitter.
The next morning, Samantha came to pick Thomas up from his friend’s house, and he couldn’t help but notice something different. She seemed to have a lighter energy. There was a spring in her step as if she had received some good news. However, she wouldn’t tell him what it was.
Widowed Mom Moves On
A few weeks passed, and Thomas curiously kept an eye on his mother. Her good mood seemed to have lasted since her night out with her best friend. Clearly, it had been a good night, and Thomas wondered if this happiness he felt within Samantha would last. He didn’t want to jinx it, so he avoided asking her why she seemed so happy. A month passed, and Samantha started going out more and more frequently. Because he needed to be cared for so much more often, he slept at friends’ houses. This way, he managed to rebuild the friendships that nearly slipped away because he had turned down so many invites.
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One day, Samantha sat Thomas down because she had something to tell him. She told him that she had met someone. Thomas was confused and asked if it was someone at work. She giggled and explained that she had met a man and they had been dating for a few weeks now. Thomas was surprised and took couldn’t think of what to say. This made Samantha nervous, and she asked if he was okay. She told him she would never date someone unless Thomas were okay with it, but Thomas shook his head and asked when he would meet the mystery man. A broad smile found its way to Samantha’s face, and she said she had invited him for dinner.
About four months went by, and Steve had become a big part of both Samantha’s and Thomas’s lives. At first, he visited every weekend. But, soon, he was spending almost every night at their house. Thomas and Steve got along very well, and there was laughter in their house again.
Steve Proposed
One day, Thomas came home to find his mother sitting on the sofa, staring out the window. His heart sank; this was not what he was expecting. He went over to his mother and hugged her. Thomas looked in the direction of her gaze and saw she was staring at the tree house he and his father had built together right before he passed away. He asked her if she was okay, and she squeezed his hand. She wiped her tears away and told him she would be fine. She explained that she just missed Jack very much. Then, Thomas asked where Steve was, and she turned to look at him.
Samantha took Thomas’s hands in hers and looked at him with teary eyes. She explained that Steve had asked her to marry him, but she had turned him down because she didn’t want to force Thomas to have to make space for another man. She knew no one could ever replace his father, and she didn’t feel that it was fair. Thomas paused for a moment but eventually asked her if she loved Steve.
She answered, saying she did. After a moment of silence, he told her that Steve was a great guy, and he would make a great step-father. All he wanted was for his mother to be happy again, and Steve did that. Samantha looked at him and asked him if he was sure. When Thomas nodded reassuringly, she threw her arms around him and cried. This time, it was tears of happiness.
He Walked His Widowed Mom Down the Aisle
The big day came closer and closer. Samantha was in a flurry of organizing. Every day she asked Thomas his opinion on what decorations they should put up and what food should be served. He went to every meeting with the wedding planner, and Samantha ensured Thomas would give his opinion. He even went with Samantha and her best friend to the dress fitting.
On the wedding day, Thomas was all dressed up in his suit and bow tie. He looked just like his father, and this made Samantha smile. Thomas looked at his mother, putting on her earrings that matched the necklace his father had given her for a wedding anniversary. He admired how beautiful she looked and went to give her a hug. He told her that he wanted to walk her down the aisle. Seeing as her father had died when she was a young girl, she had no one to do this. Samantha smiled at her son. She was so proud of the man he was clearly becoming.
The two of them stood at the back of the aisle behind the white curtain. Samantha firmly held onto her son’s arm and looked at him. Thomas asked if she was ready. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and nodded. Then, the wedding march began, and the curtains opened. Together, they took the first step toward the start of their new lives. Thomas was at peace knowing his mother had found happiness at last.
A Gift From Thomas
Thomas went over to his mother at the wedding reception while she was dancing with Steve. He had a gift to give her and had been waiting for the right moment. Thomas handed her the box but asked her to wait while he read her a letter. He took an envelope from his jacket pocket and read it out loud. It was a letter from his father. He found the strength to write it while in the hospital before he died. Samantha’s hands clasped her face, and Steve wrapped his arms around her.
In the letter, Jack explained to Thomas how he would one day have to accept a new man into his mother’s life. At this point, Samantha started crying. Thomas continued reading. He read that Jack trusted Thomas to choose the best man for his mother. He looked up at Steve and said he knew he was the right man to marry his widowed mom. Now, it was time for her to open the box. Inside was Jack’s wedding ring. Samantha cried tears of sadness and joy. Now, she knew without a doubt that she made the right decision.
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