My wedding day was going flawlessly until Uncle Jack dashed towards us, lifted Madeline’s dress for all to see, and exclaimed, “It was you!” My new bride froze in disbelief, and our visitors gasped. What in the world had Uncle Jack discovered, and why was he so obsessed with Madeline?
As I stood at the altar, my heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it wanted to escape. The late-September sun put a golden color over everything, and a soft breeze carried the fragrant aroma of the vineyard’s lilacs.
Everything appeared wonderful, perhaps a bit too perfect, which should have been my first indication that something unexpected was going to happen.
Tommy, my best man, leaned in. “Hey, are you okay?” “You look like you’re about to faint.”
I nodded and tugged at my bow tie. “Yes, just pre-wedding jitters, I guess.”
But this was not totally accurate. Something felt odd, and it all centered on Uncle Jack. Since his arrival, he’d been acting strangely, much more so than normal, if that’s conceivable for Uncle Jack.
Instead of interacting with other guests or badgering the bartender for an early drink, he sat stiffly in his chair, his eyes darting around as if he were putting together an invisible jigsaw puzzle.
The string quartet began to perform, and everyone rose up. My breath caught when Madeline emerged at the end of the aisle, stunning in her white lace gown.
Even five years later, she still had the ability to make my knees buckle. My thoughts drifted back to the day we first met, both of us grabbing for the same coffee order at that bustling café downtown.
“Great minds think alike,” she added with a flirtatious smirk. And that’s how I got addicted.
As she went toward me, I noted Uncle Jack’s reaction from the corner of my eye. His eyes widened, and he leaned forward so much that I was afraid he might fall over. His intense gaze on Madeline made my stomach churn.
My mother patted her eyes with a tissue, while Dad tried to remain calm but was definitely fighting back emotions. Even my sister Rachel, the steadfast corporate lawyer, was sniffling softly in the front row.
When Madeline approached the altar, I took her hands in mine. They trembled slightly, so I gave them a soothing squeeze.
“You look amazing,” I said quietly.
She smiled, and for a moment, I forgot about Uncle Jack’s odd behavior. This was our unique time, and I knew nothing could ruin it.
The ceremony went over without a hitch, but I couldn’t help but notice Uncle Jack’s weird stare.
I glanced at him as we exchanged vows. He wasn’t even pretending to pay attention; his stare remained fixated on Madeline, as if attempting to solve a Magic Eye puzzle.
“I promise to let you have the last slice of pizza,” Madeline quipped, eliciting laughter from the audience. “And never to judge your awful dance moves.”
“Hey, my robot dance is iconic,” I said, making her giggle.
Following our first kiss as a married couple, we were engulfed in a flurry of hugs and congratulations. I held Madeline close, partly out of wedded bliss, but also out of a natural urge to protect her.
The reception was lively. The dance floor was crowded as my college roommate, Mark, attempted to teach Nana how to “floss,” while Madeline’s relatives led a conga line around the tables.
Dinner was amazing, though I barely tasted anything because I was too busy admiring my lovely new bride and counting my blessings.
“Can you believe we pulled it off?” Madeline grinned and accepted wine from a waitress. She sparkled, her cheeks flushed from the dance.
“Second thoughts already?” I teased, tugging her close.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “You’re stuck with me now, mister. This knot is properly tied.”
Suddenly, chaos ensued. Uncle Jack charged us like a man possessed, kneeled, and lifted Madeline’s dress hem.
The room plunged into bedlam. Madeline shrieked, stumbling back. Glasses shattered, and Mom’s gasp echoed through the hall.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Madeline yelled, trying to readjust her dress, face flushed with mortification.
Rachel rushed forward, probably citing legal statutes in her mind, while Tommy seemed ready to tackle Uncle Jack down.
“YOU!” Uncle Jack shouted, gesturing at Madeline’s leg. “IT WAS YOU!”
Finally, I found my voice, interjecting. “Uncle Jack, what are you doing?”
He ignored me and stared at Madeline’s calf, where a thin, silvery scar twisted like a crescent moon. I recognized it—she had referenced a childhood accident but never went into depth.
“For twenty years,” he murmured, “I’ve been wondering about that girl.”
Silence fell, filling the air with perplexity.
Even the DJ sensed the tension and turned down the music.
“What girl?” Madeline asked softly, grasping my arm. Her hand clutched her dress defensively.
Uncle Jack stood slowly, his lined face soaked with tears. “The one who rescued me from the lake house in 2004. I was drowning, half-drunk and dumb, when a girl no older than five extended a branch to me.”
He stopped, his voice breaking more.
“I’d have drowned, but she was determined, holding on, screaming until a man came running to help. I saw her leg was cut by the branch, bleeding horribly, yet she saved me.”
Madeline gasped, hands on her mouth. “That was you?”
I looked at them both, struggling to understand. “Wait, what?”
“I never knew who she was,” Uncle Jack admitted, “been guilty all these years, without a chance to thank her.” He pointed to Madeline’s scar. “I didn’t forget it.”
Tears spilled down Madeline’s cheeks.
“I don’t remember much, just being terribly scared and the blood. My parents found me sobbing by the lake, too terrified to tell them anything.”
“I quit drinking that day,” Uncle Jack stated gently. “Started volunteering, hoping I could somehow pay it forward.”
Tommy cleared his throat, releasing the strain. “Let me see if I’ve got this correctly. Madeline protected Uncle Jack as a child, and no one knew until now?”
“At my wedding,” I clarified, still thinking. “Your idea was to leap and lift her dress, Uncle Jack?”
Uncle Jack appeared bashful. “Yeah, I could have handled it better. “Sorry, darling.”
Madeline unexpectedly laughed, with that beautiful full-bodied laugh that I adore. Others quickly joined in, transforming the room’s tension into warm joy.
