I will always remember the Christmas Eve that changed my life. Just two days before Christmas, my husband Shawn left for what he said was a work trip to Boston. Even though it was quiet and snowy where I was, I had a strong feeling that something wasn’t right.
When I thought about our talk, I remembered Shawn’s tense voice, the way he avoided eye contact, and the strange phone call he got. As my thoughts wandered, I began to wonder if our whole marriage had been a lie.
Then I remembered that I had left my fitness tracker in Shawn’s car. When I quickly opened the app on my phone, I saw the location pointer blinking back at me. This made my heart sink. That’s not where Shawn’s car was; it was parked at a hotel in our city.
I ran to the hotel right away, and every step I took made my heart race. When I rushed into room 412, I saw something that would change my life for good. Shawn was standing next to a wheelchair. Another guy with eyes I hadn’t seen since I was five years old was sitting in the wheelchair.
I thought I’d never see my dad again. It brought back memories of my parents’ split, the many nights I cried myself to sleep asking why my father had left, and my mother burning my father’s letters.
I saw love and kindness in Shawn’s eyes when I looked at him. He looked for my dad for a year because he was determined to get us back together. At that moment, I realised I had been wrong about Shawn. He was the kind of man I thought he was—someone who would do anything to make me happy.
I knew this Christmas would be one I would never forget as I hugged my dad and smelt his familiar cologne. People could forget, love, and get a second chance on that day.
I learnt that the best gifts in life are sometimes the ones we don’t expect as we laughed and told stories together the rest of Christmas. As I looked at Shawn and my dad, I knew I had been given a gift I would always treasure: family, love, and a second chance to be happy.
