The veil was on, the aisle was waiting, and I was five hours from saying “I do.” Then came the doorbell. I opened the door expecting joy. Instead, I found a baby in a car seat and a chilling note… one that shattered everything I thought I knew about love and trust.
The sun streamed through my bedroom curtains as I stood before the mirror, admiring how the delicate lace of my wedding dress caught the light. After three attempts, I’d finally gotten my winged eyeliner perfect… a small victory on a day filled with promise…
“Not bad, Claire,” I whispered to my reflection, adjusting my veil one last time. My hands trembled slightly… nerves or excitement, I couldn’t tell which.
The sudden chime of the doorbell cut through the quiet morning. I glanced at the clock: 7:00 a.m.
“Seriously, Tessa?” I laughed, shaking my head. My maid of honor was notorious for being early, but this was extreme even for her.
I hurried downstairs, ready to tease her mercilessly about her punctuality. The cool wooden floor beneath my bare feet grounded me as I reached for the doorknob, smiling.
But when I swung the door open, there was no Tessa. Instead, a car seat sat on my welcome mat.
With a baby inside.
My smile vanished. Time seemed to stop as I stared at the tiny bundle, wrapped in a soft pink blanket, sleeping peacefully. A wisp of caramel-colored hair peeked out from the blanket’s edge.
“Hello?” I called out, stepping onto my porch and scanning the empty street. Nobody answered.
Heart racing, I knelt beside the car seat. Pinned to the blanket was a small white envelope. With trembling fingers, I opened it and unfolded the note inside:
“The baby is Nate’s now. Ask him yourself.”
The words blurred as tears filled my eyes. I read it again, hoping I misunderstood. But the message remained cruelly clear.
This couldn’t be real. Nate and I had three years between us… three years of late-night talks, shared dreams, and promises that felt solid. How could he keep something like this from me? Something this big?
I looked back at the sleeping infant. She stirred, her tiny eyelids fluttering open to reveal startlingly blue eyes—the exact same shade as my fiancé, Nate’s. My stomach dropped.
“This isn’t happening,” I whispered, but the weight of the note in my hand proved otherwise.
My first instinct was to call Nate. My fingers hovered over his name in my phone. But I stopped. If this was true and if he’d hidden something this monumental… I needed to see his face when confronted.
I carefully lifted the car seat and brought the baby inside, my wedding dress rustling with each step. My mind raced. What was I supposed to do with an infant on my wedding day?
Thankfully, I had prepared a small bassinet for my cousin’s baby, who would be attending the wedding. I gently transferred the little girl into it, relieved to find she was still sleeping.
The doorbell rang again. This time it really was Tessa, followed by my other bridesmaids.
“The bride!” Tessa exclaimed, arms wide open. Then she saw my face. “Claire? What’s wrong?”