As a widow, Emma had grown accustomed to the ache in her chest every time she thought about her late husband, Tom. It had been three years since he passed away, but the pain still lingered. Her son, Tyler, was only six years old when he lost his father, and Emma was doing her best to raise him alone. When Father’s Day approached, Emma knew it would be a tough day for both of them.
The morning of the school’s Father’s Day event, Emma dropped Tyler off at school, trying to put on a brave face despite the ache in her heart. The next day, she received a call from Tyler’s teacher, Ms. Bell, thanking her for her husband’s “amazing presentation” at the event. Emma was stunned. What was Ms. Bell talking about? Tom had been gone for three years.
Emma’s world was turned upside down as she tried to make sense of the teacher’s words. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. When Tyler came home from school, Emma asked him about the presentation, but he became evasive and quickly changed the subject. It wasn’t until Emma confronted him directly that he stopped in his tracks, his face pale and his eyes wide with fear.
Later that night, Emma decided to call Ms. Bell and ask her about the presentation. She pretended to be grateful, but her mind was racing with questions. Who could have stood in front of the class and pretended to be Tyler’s father? The next morning, Emma decided to attend a meeting at the school, wearing Tom’s favorite color, a deep green blouse, as a way to cope with her emotions.
As she sat outside the principal’s office, her heart racing with anticipation, she saw Wes, Tom’s younger brother, standing beside Tyler. Wes had the same jawline and brown eyes as Tom, but his expression was softer and more nervous. Emma’s eyes widened in shock as she realized that Wes had been the one who stood in front of the class, pretending to be Tyler’s father.
After the meeting, Emma confronted Wes, her anger and confusion boiling over. Wes explained that Tyler had asked him to attend the event, and he didn’t want to disappoint his nephew. Emma was torn between her anger and her gratitude towards Wes for being there for Tyler. As they stood outside the school, Wes’s hand brushed against hers, and for the first time in years, she didn’t pull away.
In that moment, Emma realized that maybe Wes’s actions weren’t about replacing Tom but about being there for Tyler. She understood that her son needed someone to fill the void left by his father’s passing, and Wes was willing to be that person. Emma’s heart began to heal as she looked at Wes and Tyler, standing together in the silence, and she knew that they would face the future together.
