Our Only Son Shocked Us by Announcing He Wants to Get Married — But He’s Only 22!

Our only son surprised us when he announced he wanted to get marriedhe was only 22. My wife and I decided not to stand in his way, as we ourselves married young as well. I had just turned 22, and she was 19. Perhaps it was simply fate. Besides, we liked his fiancée. Emily, as she was called, was in the same course as our son at university. Once we realised they were serious, we began preparing for the big day. With Edward as our only son, we thought it right to throw him a proper wedding.

As tradition dictates, my wife and I paid a visit to Emilys mother, our future in-law, at her home. We knew little about the girl, having met her a handful of times with Edward. She mentioned living with her mother in a village not far from our town, so off we went for the customary introduction. Of course, we let our future in-law, Susan, know wed be coming.

My wife baked a cake and I picked up a bouquet of flowers before we set off to meet Susan and Emily. When we arrived, we were immediately struck by how tidy and well-kept the garden was.

The cottage itself, though old, was spotless and inviting. Susan greeted us warmly at the doorstep. She was an immediately likable womanelegant, friendly and welcoming. Susan showed us to the table, where shed clearly prepared a lovely spread. We ate well and had a pleasant chat, but we didnt actually make any arrangements about the wedding. Susan told us right away that she simply didnt have the funds for a celebration. You could see how embarrassed Emily felt, and our son too was disappointed by this turn. He didnt want a wedding for his own sakeit was just that he knew how much Emily dreamt of it. My wife and I quietly decided not to let this stop them. We promised Edward wed cover the costs ourselves, and left it at thatlife would sort the rest out.

We told Susan to invite those friends and Family most important to her. After all, guests dont come empty-handed, and whatever they gifted in cards could help cover their dinner at the reception. Susan took some convincing, but eventually, she agreed that the children deserved their day.

The Wednesday just before the wedding, there was a knock on our door. To our surprise, it was Susan. We ushered her in for tea. She seemed nervous, then produced a white envelope from her handbaginside, cash. Susan explained shed felt so awkward at our offer that shed gone to the bank and taken out a loan for the money. We urged her to pay it backthere was no need for her to go into debt, given how simply she and Emily lived. But Susan wouldnt hear of it. Shed made up her mind, and that was that. The wedding itself was wonderful.

The young couple were overjoyed, and the whole day was a great success. At the wedding, Susan surprised us againnot only was she clever and kind, but she was a striking woman. At only 45, long divorced and having raised Emily alone, she looked stunning: a new dress, her hair done, a bit of make-up. It wasnt just us who noticedeveryone did, including my younger brother, Stephen. Hes 46, divorced, and has lived and worked in Germany for the past ten years. Hed come back especially for his nephews wedding. All evening, Stephens eyes hardly left Susan, and afterwards, he mentioned he planned to stay in England a little longerhis reason was clear to me.

The following Sunday, we found ourselves heading back to Susans villagethis time, as Stephens would-be in-laws. Things worked out splendidly for Stephen and Susan. They married and, after a few months, my brother brought his new wife back with him to Germany. Susan, now both my former in-law and my sister-in-law, is simply a lovely person who absolutely deserves happiness.