When I agreed to go on vacation with my fiancé and his twin daughters, I thought we were going to celebrate a new beginning. Instead, I returned from the resort pool to a mysterious note that confused me more than ever. When we got home, a shocking surprise awaited us.
I met Matt three years ago at a charity event. He was charming and confident, and had a soft spot for his daughters that instantly melted my heart. Ella and Sophie, his five-year-old twins, were the sweetest little girls.
A happy blond man in his thirties running in the park with his twin daughters | Source: Midjourney
They had lost their mother when they were one year old, and Matt had done a wonderful job raising them to be polite little girls.
I didn’t have much experience with children, but these two made it easy. They would run up to me with school stories whenever I was around, and before I knew it, they had wormed their way into my heart.
One evening, after a particularly long day at work, Matt showed up at my apartment with the girls. They were holding handmade cards made with glitter and stickers.
Blonde twin girls, aged 5, smile while holding cards in the living room | Source: Midjourney
“We wanted to surprise you!” Ella beamed, pushing the card into my hands. Inside, it read , “Thank you for being part of our family.”
I was speechless. Before Matt, I’d dated men who were incredibly afraid of commitment. Really. I was a magnet for them. I’d been on so many bad dates that I don’t remember them all. But in that moment, looking into my boyfriend’s bright eyes and his little girls, I felt pure warmth. I loved all three of them.
A dark-haired woman in her thirties frowns at a man on a bad date night at a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
That’s why there was really no other answer than “YES!” when Matt proposed after a special dinner his daughters helped prepare about a week later. My life was finally falling into place, and I couldn’t wait to get started, so I moved into Matt’s house as soon as I could.
Then I started planning the wedding. I had specific ideas about the flowers, my dress, the girls’ dresses, and the venue. I’m a Type A, so I was really in the zone, but Matt felt overwhelmed after a few months.
A black-haired woman in her thirties sits on the floor in front of the living room sofa, with flowers and samples on the coffee table, smiling | Source: Midjourney
“Let’s take a break before the chaos sets in,” Matt suggested one night in our bed. “A family vacation, just the four of us. It’ll be our little escape before the big day.”
I wasn’t eager to leave when there was so much to do, besides our work, but I agreed. He really needed it. We booked a trip to a comfortable island.
The first two days were magical. Ella and Sophie couldn’t stop laughing while splashing around in the pool, and I loved watching them build sandcastles with Matt on the beach.
Two 5-year-old blonde girls smile and build a sandcastle on the beach | Source: Midjourney
“Dorothy, look!” Sophie shouted, pointing to a sandcastle she had decorated with seashells. “Isn’t it pretty?”
“It’s beautiful,” I told him, taking a picture with my phone.
Matt approached, brushing the sand off his hands. “Are you girls ready for ice cream?”
“Yes!” they shouted in unison, running ahead.
Matt slid his arm around my shoulders. “That was a good idea. We needed it.”
I leaned over him. “Yes, we really needed that.”
A black-haired woman and a blond man in his thirties cuddle closely on the beach | Source: Midjourney
I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop because I knew most people didn’t have that many perfect family moments. And that’s what happened on our third afternoon at the resort.
Matt had wanted to stay at the hotel that morning. He felt too tired, but the girls wanted to spend more time at the pool, so I took them myself.
But by noon, Matt still hadn’t come down and wasn’t answering my calls, so I gathered the girls and headed back to our floor.
A dark-haired woman in her thirties walks anxiously down a hotel corridor with two twin girls in the background | Source: Midjourney
The girls were excitedly talking about the new friends they’d made at the pool. I barely registered their words when I unlocked the door to our room. As I pushed it open, I froze.
I didn’t see anything wrong right away. But my instincts told me something was wrong. I went deeper inside and finally noticed Matt’s suitcase was gone.
The room was perfectly clean and the beds were made, indicating that housekeeping had been. I went into the bathroom and saw only my things with the girls’.
A tidy resort hotel room with two beds | Source: Midjourney
Her clothes, toiletries, and even her phone charger were gone.
“Dorothy, where’s Dad?” Ella asks, pulling my hand.
My heart raced as I shook my head, and finally, on the nightstand, I spotted a note: “I have to disappear. Soon you’ll understand.”
I sat down heavily on the bed, the heavy paper shaking in my hands. Disappear? What does that mean? Was he in danger? And us?
“Dorothy, are you okay?” Sophie whispers, her big eyes filled with worry.
5-year-old twins stand anxiously in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney
I forced a smile, trying to think quickly. What would any tutor do in this situation? Distract the girls.
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” I replied. “Let’s get cleaned up and go downstairs for some ice cream. Dad’s probably downstairs too.”
The girls clapped and went to the bathroom together. It was good. They hadn’t seen my panic, and I couldn’t let them. Not yet. Not until I got some answers.
But Matt was really gone, according to a kind groom who saw him with bags, hailing a cab. I tried calling, being as discreet as possible, but he still wasn’t answering his phone.
A worried blond man in his thirties gets into a car | Source: Midjourney
Later, I finally managed to get the girls to sleep. I’d assured them their father was due home early, but the lie left a bitter taste in my mouth. Alone on the balcony, I scrolled endlessly through the messages on my phone.
Still no word from Matt. I started biting my nails, a habit I hadn’t exhibited in years, as my mind raced. Had he chickened out? Was there something he wasn’t telling me?
As a precaution, I called the front desk to see if they’d heard from Matt. They hadn’t. I left more messages on his phone. Morning came, and there was nothing to do but pack up and head home.
A black-haired woman in her thirties packs clothes and carries a bag into a resort hotel room | Source: Midjourney
The plane ride was excruciating. Luckily, the girls were busy with their coloring books.
“Are we going to see Dad when we get home?” Ella asks.
I swallowed hard. “I’m sure you do, darling.” I hated lying because I honestly had no idea what awaited us when we got back.
When we finally landed, I was exhausted. The taxi ride had seemed far too long, and I was so tired from the previous sleepless night that I fumbled with the keys several times, trying to unlock the door to our house while balancing our bags.
A woman’s hand holds keys in the lock of a front door | Source: Midjourney
“Come on, girls,” I called, yawning. “We’re home.”
But the moment I took a step inside, I stopped dead in my tracks.
In the middle of the living room, there was a package wrapped in a blanket. It was moving.
“What is this?” I whispered to myself.
Before I could react, the girls rushed in front of me.
“A puppy!” Ella shouted, dropping her backpack. “It’s a puppy!
A Saint Bernard puppy wrapped in a blue blanket in the living room | Source: Midjourney
The bundle wiggled, and a tiny Saint Bernard poked its head out, tail wagging furiously. Sophie knelt down, giggling as the puppy licked her face.
“Can we keep it? Please, Dorothy?” Sophie begged me, her eyes wide with excitement.
I was too stunned to answer. But then I saw a note tucked into the puppy’s forgotten blanket and picked it up.
“Dorothy, I know it was sudden and I probably acted too rashly, but let me explain. I was scrolling through my phone at the hotel when I saw that my friend was giving away puppies online. I had to leave immediately to make sure this little guy was ours.
A blond man in his thirties sits on a bed at a hotel resort, scrolling through his phone and smiling. | Source: Midjourney
Remember the story you told me about Max, your childhood Saint Bernard? I couldn’t pass up the chance to bring that joy back into your life, just as you brought love into ours.
Thank you for caring so much about my girls. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for moving in right away, and thank you for agreeing to be ours forever. I’m sorry I didn’t explain sooner, but I was too excited. Please forgive me and give her a little hug from me.
A happy Saint Bernard puppy sticking its tongue out in the living room | Source: Midjourney
I sank back into the couch, shaking my head as my whole body felt relieved. My zany fiancé had scared me to death! But he’d done it for a reason.
Max. I hadn’t thought about him in years. When I was four, Max saved me from drowning at a family picnic. That dog was my hero, my protector. Losing him to old age had been devastating.
And now, Max Jr. was there, wagging his tail and making the girls laugh.
“Dorothy, what’s wrong?” Ella asks, her eyes shining.
Twin girls, aged 5, smile with a Saint Bernard puppy in the living room | Source: Midjourney
I spoke through a thick throat. “Nothing, dear. I’m just… surprised.”
A few minutes later, the front door creaked open. Matt walked in, looking sheepish and carrying a bag full of puppy supplies.
“Surprised?” he said shyly.
I got up and ran to him, unsure whether to strangle him for scaring me or kiss him for no reason. The kiss won.
A couple in their thirties kiss in the living room, content | Source: Midjourney
“You could have told me ! Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?” I whispered breathlessly after our lips parted.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” Matt said, his arms tightening around my waist. “But I couldn’t risk someone else adopting all the dogs before I had the chance. I had to come back yesterday.”
Just then, the girls came running up, Max Jr. bounding after them.
“Dad, did you buy us the puppy?” Ella asks, beaming.
We pulled apart, and Matt squatted down, ruffling their hair. “Yes, baby! What do you think? Nice surprise?”
A blond man in his thirties with 5-year-old twin girls, smiling happily as he looks at a puppy in the living room | Source: Midjourney
“The best!” Sophie replied instead and hugged him tightly.
His sister joined in their embrace, and that’s why I couldn’t stay angry. Seeing the joy on their faces melted my frustration. Still, I wasn’t going to let him get away with it that easily.
“You owe me a lot,” I warned him, punching him in the chest.
Matt smiled. “Deal.”
We spent the rest of the evening playing with Max Jr. He chased the girls around the yard, barking happily, and curled up on the couch with us for movie night.
A dark-haired woman in her thirties cuddles up to a sleeping Saint Bernard puppy on the couch while watching TV | Source: Midjourney
Later, the puppy joined Matt and me in our bed, where he will sleep for the rest of his wonderful and amazing life.
Plus, Matt paid me back, so to speak… by giving me the best life possible.
Here’s another story :Two days before my wedding, my fiancé Robert dropped a bombshell—he was leaving on a sudden trip. Something didn’t add up, and when a call from his boss didn’t go through, I followed up. What I discovered wasn’t what I expected, leading me to question trust, love, and the man I was about to marry.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and all opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the opinions of the author or publisher.
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