Dolores hesitated, her hand trembling slightly as she broke the seal and unfolded the letter. The room was tense, the kind of silence that feels almost tangible, wrapping around everyone like a heavy fog. All eyes were on her, waiting for the next chapter in this unexpected drama.
“Dear Mom,” she read aloud, her voice strained but steady. “I have loved you all my life, and I respect you. But today, I need you to respect someone else who is equally important to me. Serena is not just a single mother. She is a woman of incredible strength and character, who has shown me what true love and family mean.”
The room seemed to breathe again, a collective sigh as people leaned in, eager to hear more. Dolores paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as she continued to read. “I am the man I am today because of Serena and Ivy. They have taught me patience, kindness, and the importance of standing up for those you love. Accepting them into my life was not an act of charity or burden—it was a blessing.”
A few of our guests began nodding, and I felt Marcus’s grip tighten around my hand in support. Dolores’s voice wavered, the steel in her demeanor cracking. “I hope one day you’ll see them as I do: not as an obligation, but as the family I chose. I love them, Mom, and I have every confidence you will, too, if you give them a chance.”