Page 112 of Walkoff Wedding

We stop in front of the stainless steel table where Grant and I stood only months ago and made beignets for the first time. A smile flits to my lips at the memory.

The table is slightly warped from the heat of the flames, and it’s come unscrewed from the wall behind it, leaving a huge gap between.

Grant’s brow pinches as he peers between the space.

“What is it?” I ask.

“I think I see something behind here. It must have fallen at some point.”

He squats, turning to fit one long arm between the space and coming back with a thin black picture frame the size of a sheet of notebook paper.

My brow furrows in confusion. Where did that come from?

Grant hands the frame over to me, and I flip it over to the front. The glass is covered in a thick layer of ash and soot, so I reach out and brush it away, revealing what looks like an old, yellowed newspaper article beneath.

I squint, trying to make out what’s beneath the remaining layer of dust and grime, but I can’t tell.

Whatever it is, it’s old. I wonder how long it’s been behind the counter. If the old paper is any indication, I think a while.

“Here, let me see.” He takes the frame from my hand and lifts the hem of his T-shirt, cleaning off the glass with it before handing it back to me.

“Oh my god,” I whisper when I finally can see what’s in the frame. “This is… this is a newspaper article from the local paper from when my mom first opened the bakery.”

There’s a photo of her standing in front of the bakery, wearing a wide, proud smile as she holds me in her arms. I was only an infant then. Probably no more than three months old or so. Hot, fresh tears prick in my eyes, and I’m hit with a wave of how badly I miss her.

I was so young when she passed away that my memories are hazy, fading over time.

My eyes scan the article as I read it out loud.

“When we asked Cindy what the inspiration for the name of her new beignet bakery was and if it stemmed from her love of fairy tales, she smiled, shaking her head as she said, ‘As much as I love a fairy tale, I chose the name for the bakery in honor of my beautiful baby girl, Addie. Because no matter what, I want her to always have her own Happily Ever After.’”

The knot in the base of my throat tightens, the emotion stuck there making it impossible to breathe as my heart pounds erratically in my chest.

I… I never knew. I never knew the meaning behind it. That she named the bakery after the dream she had for me.

I feel my tears staining my cheeks as I let out a half laugh, half sob, and clutch the frame to my chest. It feels a lot like fate, finding this today. After everything that’s happened in the last few months, and after walking into the bakery like this today, finding this of my mother feels like a beacon of… hope.

A light in even the darkest time.

I turn, swiping away the tears, and hand the frame to my husband, who takes it, peering down.

“You look like her twin, baby,” he says with a smile that lights up his face. “I can’t believe I even saw it there. It was wedged between the wall and the back side of the table. Seems like it protected it from the fire.”

If there was ever a sign that I would wish to get from her, this feels like the one.

I drag my gaze around the remnants in the room and suck in a shaky breath as I clutch the frame to my chest.

“I never expected to find something like that, especially after all of the damage from the fire, and I know it probably sounds silly, but it almost feels like she wanted me to find it today.”

“Doesn’t sound silly at all. I think so too, baby. I think that I believe in fate more now than I ever did, and I think it led us right to where we’re meant to be,” Grant says, his eyes flickering with sincerity.

In a way, I’m thankful for the things that Brent has done. Because had he not tried to force me into marrying someone I didn’t know, I never would’ve gone to that party, and I never would’ve met Grant.

If he hadn’t tried to steal the bakery from me, I never would’ve fallen in love with my fake husband.

I never would’ve married the man I now plan to spend the rest of my life with.

All of these things led me to where I am today. With a husband who puts me first and loves me unconditionally.

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