When Cole and his fiancée, Linda, go to her hometown, he realizes he was present when Linda’s father died in a twist of fate. Now, he has to tell Linda and her mother the truth. Will their wedding go on, or will everything come crashing down?

I never really believed in fate. To me, life was always a series of random events. Things just happened, and that was that.

But I didn’t expect to feel the full weight of how life can twist and turn until the day I realized I was the reason Linda’s father was dead.

Suddenly, fate didn’t feel like just a concept anymore. It felt like a noose tightening around my neck.

Let me explain.

I’m thirty years old, engaged to the love of my life, Linda, and we’ve been knee-deep in wedding planning for months. We met two years ago in New York City, both of us hustling through the chaos of our careers, and it wasn’t long before we were inseparable.

Linda is everything I’ve ever wanted—smart, kind, and beautiful—and I couldn’t wait to marry her. But, as we planned our future, I had no idea that my past would catch up with me in the most gut-wrenching way.

Linda had always been close to her mother, Veronica.

They’d talk on the phone nearly every day, and occasionally, her mom would come to visit us in New York.

I knew about Linda’s father, Leonard, and how he had passed away when she was just a little girl. It was a subject Linda rarely talked about, and I never pushed. All I knew was that he had died in a car accident when she was about ten, and they never really got the chance to say goodbye.

A few months before the wedding, Linda and I decided to visit her childhood home in Phoenix. She wanted to show me where she grew up, introduce me properly to her mom on her own turf, and ask for something special.

Linda wanted her mother’s wedding veil to wear on our big day.

I thought it was a sweet gesture, and I was excited to meet Veronica again in her own space, away from the brief visits to New York.

The day we arrived, the sun was brutal. The Phoenix heat beating down on us as we drove through the suburban streets. Linda’s family home was quaint, tucked into a quiet neighborhood.

When we walked through the front door, Veronica greeted us with open arms.

“My babies!” she said, throwing her arms around us both. “I couldn’t wait to see you both again.”

“Cole’s been wondering what you’ve cooked, Mom,” Linda laughed as she kicked off her shoes.

“I made your favorite, son,” Veronica said. “My special chili!”

That alone was worth the trip.

After dinner, we sat around the living room, laughing and looking through old photo albums. Veronica pulled out pictures of Linda as a child, grinning in her school uniform or with wild hair during her “rebellious phase.”

“Jeez, Mom,” Linda groaned. “Why do you still have all those embarrassing photos?”

“So that I can embarrass you, duh!” Veronica laughed. “It’s a mom’s job.”

We all laughed at the photos, teasing Linda about her questionable hairstyles.

It was all fun and lighthearted, until I turned a page, and my blood ran cold.

I stared at a picture of Linda with her father. The room seemed to close in around me. I recognized his face instantly, even though I had never connected the dots before.

The beer bottle in my hand started to shake, and I realized the truth in that one paralyzing moment.

I had killed her father. Linda’s father.

Without thinking, I blurted it out.

“I’m so sorry to say this, but I’m the reason your father is dead. Linda, I killed him.”

Linda’s laughter died on her lips. Her face shifted from confusion to disbelief, her eyes searching mine as if waiting for me to take it back.

“What do you mean, Cole?” she asked, her voice a whisper. “My father died over twenty years ago. How could you be the reason for his death?”

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening with guilt and fear.

“Do you remember I told you that my family lived in Phoenix for about a year when I was ten?”

Linda and her mother nodded slowly, their expressions wary, like they knew the biggest shock of our lives was coming.

I took a deep breath.

“One afternoon, I was riding my bike. I loved riding before dinner. Just a few blocks back and forth, you know? But that day, the sun was so bright, and I wasn’t paying attention. I swerved into the wrong lane. There was a car coming. The driver… he swerved to avoid hitting me. He lost control and crashed into a tree.”

I couldn’t bring myself to look at either of them.

My gaze was fixed on the photo in front of me.

“I remember seeing the crash from where I stood. I was frozen. I didn’t know what to do, so I sat on the curb and watched as the paramedics arrived. I didn’t know who he was, but I saw the article in the newspaper the next day. It was the man in this photo. Your father. Linda, he died while saving me.”

Veronica’s hand went to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. The silence that followed was suffocating.

“I didn’t know,” I whispered. “I didn’t know he was your dad, Linda. Not until I saw this photo tonight.”

The weight of the truth pressed down on me like a thousand bricks.

“I understand if you want to call off the wedding,” I said. “I’d do anything for you, Linda. Even if it means letting you walk away. What I did… it’s unforgivable.”

Linda stared at me, her face completely unreadable. I expected her to shout, to cry, to tell me to leave and never come back. But instead, she reached for my beer bottle, took a swig, and set it down.

“I think it’s fate that we met, Cole,” she said softly, reaching for my hand.

“And I think my dad saved you for a reason. You were a child, Cole. You didn’t know. And I can’t blame you for that. I can’t blame my father for wanting to protect you, either. He did what any father would do. And… I forgive you.”

Her words hit me like a wave.

I stood up, needing to catch my breath. Linda stood up too and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

That’s when I broke down, silent tears streaming down my face as I held her close.

Veronica stood up too, joining the hug. I didn’t know if she’d ever forgive me, but in that moment, she embraced me just the same.

It’s been a week since the truth came out, and I’m sitting on the porch, writing my vows. I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of closure. I’ll never forget what happened, but I’ve been given a second chance.

“Cole, you’re my favorite person in the entire world,” Linda said to me. “Nothing is going to change that, I promise you.”

“Well, if you could forgive such a big thing… Linda, I’ll forever make it up to you,” I said, not quite sure of what to say.

Now, it’s the evening before the wedding, and everything feels heavier than I expected. The excitement of planning, choosing the right flowers, and tasting cake samples has been replaced with this oppressive weight in my chest.

I’m sitting on the edge of the bed in our hotel room, my tie undone, staring at the floor. Linda’s across from me, fixing her makeup in the mirror as we get ready for the rehearsal dinner.

My goodness, she’s beautiful, I thought.

I couldn’t help but feel the familiar guilt creeping back in.

“Linda,” I said softly, breaking the quiet.

She met my eye in the mirror, pausing for a moment before turning around to face me.

“What is it?” she asked gently, sensing my unease.

“I just… I keep thinking about tomorrow,” I confessed. “About how your dad’s not going to be there. You should have him walking down the aisle, and… I’m the reason that you won’t.”

Linda stood up and walked over to me. She sat down on the bed and grabbed my hand.

“Darling, we’ve been over this,” she said. “You didn’t take my father away from me. He saved you. He saved you for me. That’s the kind of man he was. He would have protected any child that day.”

I shook my head, my throat tightening.

“But it should have been him walking with you tomorrow. I took that moment away.”

“I’ve had years to come to terms with my dad being gone,” she said. “Do I wish he could be there tomorrow? Of course. But I also believe that in some way, he will be. He’s a part of our story now, Cole. Because of what he did for you, and because we found each other.”

“You deserve everything good in this world, Love,” I said.

“I know,” she smiled. “I’ve already got it. And you know, I’m so sure that my dad would have liked you. He would have probably given you a hard time, though.”

“Yeah, I think he would have,” I said.

“Come on, Cole, we’re getting married tomorrow,” she grinned. “I know my dad will be watching. We’re going to be okay. More than okay.”

Tomorrow, I’ll stand at the altar waiting for her.

What would you have done?