She hugged her and welcomed her as the newest addition to their family. But when she noticed the birthmark alarm bells rang out in her head.
She stared long into her eyes to make sure that her suspicions were correct. When she recognized her, she knew there was no going back.
Martha Kenny
Martha Kenny was excited for her son's wedding. She lived in a quiet neighborhood in Fargo, North Carolina.
The 64-year-old hadn't seen her son for four years. He moved to New York for his career and was always too busy to come back and visit.
The Wedding
Martha appreciated the fact that her son was doing well. She knew that New York wasn't exactly a cheap place to live so she was sure he was at least quite successful.
Mark called her up one afternoon to tell her that he'd found "the one". Martha was so happy for her son. But eventually she'd notice something about "the one".
Calls
She loved getting called by Mark and hearing news that he had. This call was to tell her that they were getting married. Martha was over the moon.
She was excited for her son and even bought the perfect dress to go to the wedding in. Nothing too extravagant to overshadow the bride but still enough to turn a few heads. She didn't know the dress would be the least of her concerns.
Wedding In Fargo
And a nice touch was that her son was holding the wedding in Fargo. She smiled, this meant she wouldn't have to fly to get there.
Martha got dressed on the day of the wedding and drove to the venue. There she finally met her daughter-to-be. But something strange was about to happen.
First Meeting
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. Little did she know their meeting would leave her frozen in shock.
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 showed up.
Something Strange
When Martha met Holly, she gave her a big hug and took her hands between hers. She welcomed her into the family with a warm smile and sweet voice. But then she noticed something strange.
Little did she know, her whole world was about to be flipped upside down.
Birthmark
Martha noticed the unique birthmark on her hand. It was such an unusual shape. Her whole body froze. Her stomach dropped.
She looked terrified. Noticing, Holly asked her what was wrong.
Striking Resemblance
Martha snapped herself out of it. “Nothing’s wrong”, she replied. However, there was something wrong. Her birthmark was one she had seen many times before.
It was the same as the one her own biological daughter had before she went missing years earlier. The memory of her daughter stopped her in her tracks.
Similarities
Martha looked up at Holly and smiled. She closely inspected Holly's face. She gazed deep into her eyes, searching. Could this be her?
The longer Martha observed the beautiful young girl, the more she saw certain similarities between them. Her heart pounded as she truly began to suspect that Holly could be her long-lost daughter.
Reasoning
Martha tried to reason with her pounding heart. She tried to rationalise 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.
Investigation
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.
Her Parents
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.
Tensions Rise
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.
Delicate Question
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.
Truth’s Out
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.
An Answer
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.
Broken Communication.
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.
Eavesdropping
Curious as to what they needed to discuss in private, Holly joined a circle of friends close by. 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.
Barely Audible
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.
Confrontation
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.
Opening Up
“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.
Surrendering
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?
Not Related
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?
Wedding Continued
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?
Twist Of Fate
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.
One Big Difference
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?
A Blessing
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.
DNA Tests
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.
Happy Ending
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!