It should have been my wedding day with Nancy. Everything was perfect. I was there at the altar, nervous but excited, surrounded by friends and family, waiting for the love of my life to walk down the aisle. The string quartet played softly, and the guests whispered excitedly. But as the minutes ticked by, I began to notice the uneasy murmurs spreading through the crowd.

Suddenly, her friend, Emily, came rushing over, out of breath and looking frantic. “Tom, I don’t know how to say this, but Nancy… she’s run away.”

My heart stopped. “What? Is this some kind of wedding prank?”

“No,” Emily said, her eyes wide with worry. “I wish it was, but she really got in her car and drove off!”

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. “Why?! What happened?”

Emily took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “We were getting ready, and the porter brought in this box, said it was a gift. Nancy opened it, went pale, started crying, and just ran…”

My mind was racing. “What was in that box?!”

“I’m not sure…” Emily said, shaking her head. “Definitely a letter and something like a paper rabbit.”

A paper rabbit? That made no sense. I couldn’t imagine what could have been in that box to cause such a reaction. My immediate concern was finding Nancy and understanding what had happened.

I bolted from the altar, ignoring the confused looks from our guests, and made my way to the bridal suite. The room was a mess, her dress strewn across the floor, makeup scattered everywhere. On the vanity table, I saw the box. I opened it cautiously, finding a folded letter and a small, intricately crafted origami rabbit.

I unfolded the letter, my hands shaking. It was written in neat, precise handwriting:

“Dear Nancy,

I know this will come as a shock, but you deserve to know the truth before you make a mistake. I am your father. I have been searching for you for years, but it is only now that I have found you. Your mother kept us apart, and I have respected her wishes until now. I could not let you marry without knowing your true origins. Please forgive me for disrupting your day, but this is something you needed to know.

With all my love,
Dad.”

My mind reeled as I tried to process the contents of the letter. Nancy had never mentioned her father; she had always said he left when she was a baby. This revelation must have hit her like a ton of bricks. I felt a wave of anger towards the man who had chosen this moment, of all times, to reveal himself.

I needed to find Nancy. I grabbed my phone and dialed her number, but it went straight to voicemail. Desperate, I called her mother.

“Linda, it’s Tom. Have you heard from Nancy?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Tom, she just called me, crying. She said she needs time to think. She’s at the old family cabin by the lake.”

“Thank you, Linda. I’ll head there right away.”

I drove as fast as I could to the cabin, the place where Nancy had spent so many summers as a child. When I arrived, I saw her car parked outside. I rushed to the door and knocked gently.

“Nancy, it’s me. Please let me in.”

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and there she was, tears streaming down her face. I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly.

“I’m so sorry, Tom,” she sobbed. “I didn’t know how to handle it.”

“Shh, it’s okay,” I whispered, stroking her hair. “We’ll figure this out together.”

We sat down, and she told me everything. The letter, the shock of discovering she had a father who had been searching for her, the flood of emotions she couldn’t control. I listened, my heart breaking for her.

“Nancy, we can postpone the wedding,” I said gently. “You need time to process this. We can deal with it together.”

She nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Tom. I just need to understand who I am, and why my mother kept this from me.”

I held her close, knowing that our journey had taken an unexpected turn, but also knowing that our love was strong enough to withstand it. We would face this new challenge together, and when the time was right, we would stand at the altar once more, stronger than ever.