A little boy walks his widowed mom down the aisle on her special day and gives her a heartwarming gift. What she finds inside leaves her in tears.<\/p>\n
11-year-old Luke really missed his dad. Andy was his best friend, partner in crime, and companion for the Friday night baseball matches. But after he died, things changed.<\/p>\n
Luke no longer watched baseball and had never seen his mother, Claire, happy since Andy\u2019s death. Even after two years, she would cry when she saw his pictures. Luke didn\u2019t like it, and he wished he knew how to make his mother happy again.<\/p>\n
Though just 11, Luke was a bright child and knew his mom went out on dates. But when she returned, she\u2019d be depressed. Nobody could make her happy as Andy did, Luke thought.<\/p>\n
But the truth was, Claire was not ready to let anyone else make her happy. Giving another man a place in her and Luke\u2019s lives felt like a sin to her. How could she let go of the man she loved and welcome a new man into her life? She would never do something like that.<\/p>\n
After placing Clarie\u2019s hands in Mike\u2019s, Luke pulled a box from his pocket and handed it to Claire. \u201cDad wanted you to open this now, mom,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cBut the living have to live on, mom,\u201d Luke told her one night. And that\u2019s when things changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think you\u2019re ready for a new dad, Luke? Mom is not pressuring you, honey,\u201d she had said, and Luke had nodded, pursing his lips.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I get a new dad, mom, will you be happy? If you\u2019re happy, I am too,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd yes, mom, Dad always used to tell me that life must go on. That\u2019s how I understood I could be happy after Gran Molly left us. I loved her so much!\u201d<\/p>\n
The words: \u201cLiving have to live on\u201d stuck to Claire, and after much contemplation, she decided to introduce her new boyfriend, Mike, to Luke. She and Mike had been dating for two months then, and she really liked him. But the thought of cheating on Andy was the only thing that had prevented her from accepting their relationship with all her heart.<\/p>\n
Luke\u2019s words comforted her, and she felt ready for the next step. As a result, she introduced Mike to Luke one night after dinner.<\/p>\n
When Luke met Mike for the first time, he was super excited. Mike was exactly like Andy! He pulled out the chair for Claire as she sat at the dinner table, and he helped her clean the kitchen after they were done eating.<\/p>\n
\u201cLuke, would you like to have ice cream? I was wondering if chocolate would be a good choice,\u201d he said, and Luke smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s mom\u2019s favorite,\u201d he said. \u201cMine too!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright then, chocolate it is! I like vanilla more, but I guess chocolate wins!\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cVanilla?\u201d asked Luke, disappointed. \u201cThat\u2019s boring! Not cool, Mike!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSame thoughts, actually. Gonna upgrade my favorite to chocolate now coz my two favorite people love chocolate,\u201d he winked, and Luke smiled.<\/p>\n
With time, Luke and Mike became really close. They\u2019d get together for baseball games, and Mike would take Claire and him out every weekend. Oh, and he was a fantastic cook!<\/p>\n
One Sunday afternoon, he made the best cheeseburgers and delicious barbeque, and Luke became his biggest fan.<\/p>\n
Claire noticed that, and she noticed every other moment that Mike had made memorable for them since he had entered their life. She was happy with him, and so was Luke, so that day she proposed to him, and without hesitation, Mike said: \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYay! So I get to call you dad now!\u201d said Luke as he hugged them. \u201cBut, Mike, I hope you don\u2019t mind, but my late dad will always be my favorite person. I loved him more than anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo issues, champ,\u201d replied Mike, embracing Luke and Claire. \u201cI don\u2019t care if I come in first or second. I\u2019m glad you and Claire are here with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
On her wedding day, when Claire stood in her bridal gown in her room, Luke was very emotional. \u201cYou know I\u2019m going to walk you down the aisle, right, mom? I want to do this,\u201d he told her.<\/p>\n
Wiping his tears gently, Claire hugged him. \u201cOf course, you can do it, honey. I\u2019d love to see you do it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
So Luke escorted Claire down the aisle, and after placing Claire\u2019s hands in Mike\u2019s, he pulled a box from his pocket and handed it to Claire. \u201cDad wanted you to open this now, mom,\u201d he said. \u201cBut before you open this, mom, I have to tell you something\u2026\u201d he began, pulling a letter from another pocket. \u201cDad wrote it when he was in the hospital. I\u2019d like to read this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clearing his throat, Luke began reading Andy\u2019s letter: \u201cLuke, I know your mom will always love me as much as I love you both. But one day, she will bring another man to our house, and that\u2019s okay. Your mom has the right to be happy, and so do you, but you have to ensure he\u2019s someone who cares for you and her. And if he is that man, then I already respect him. And you have to respect him too. But you must be the one who tests his attitude toward you, his genuine intentions, and who leads her down the aisle where this man will be waiting for her. You must choose the best man for your mother! Now you can open that box, mom\u2026\u201d he finished.<\/p>\n
Claire was already in tears, and as she opened the box, she cried even harder. She found Andy\u2019s wedding ring in the box and another letter from him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure Luke chose the best man for you. I love you and always will. Knowing you, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re feeling bad about moving on, and I know how to get you out of it. Please put the ring on your future husband\u2019s ring finger. Let him always remember that you can only be the wife of a strong and true man!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMike deserves it, mom,\u201d said Luke. \u201cI know he\u2019ll be the best dad to me\u2026and he\u2019ll love you, just like dad did. Thank you for that, Mike!\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Seeing Luke\u2019s thoughtful gesture, Mike couldn\u2019t hold back his tears. \u201cI will never let you down, champ. I promise,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
And well, he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A little boy walks his widowed mom down the aisle on her special day and gives her a heartwarming gift. What she finds inside leaves her in… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n