Jack and Eliza were a perfect couple except for one thing: Jack wasn’t entirely honest with Eliza and her family. The day the couple intends to walk down the aisle, Jack’s secrets come out in front of everyone.
“Just go and ask for his number.” Eliza’s friend, Jackie, nudged her with an elbow. “You and the barman have been eyeing each other all night.”
Eliza laughed. It was her birthday, and she’d come to the upscale bar with her friends to celebrate. She hadn’t planned to meet a man, but… she looked at the handsome barman again. It felt like magic when their gazes locked.
When Eliza went to the bar, the bartender quickly approached her. It seemed to her that he smiled a little wider and leaned in closer than necessary to hear her order over the loud music.
“I have a special order,” Eliza said. “I’d like your name and phone number.”
“With pleasure.” The barman reached behind the counter and started writing on a slip of paper. “I’m Jack, and what’s your name?”
“I’m Eliza.” She took the paper and slipped it into her purse. “I’ll text you in the morning, Jack.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
A few weeks and many amazing dates later, Eliza invited Jack to meet her parents over dinner. The couple was nervous because although Jack earned a great salary and tips, Eliza knew he didn’t fit the image of the wealthy men her rich dad preferred her to date. So, the couple came up with a lie.
“Jack is the co-owner of a popular bar in the city,” Eliza told her dad, Mike, when she introduced them.
“Excellent.” Mike smiled and shook Jack’s hand.
“I don’t recognize your last name. Are you related to anyone I might know?”
Jack’s eyes widened in surprise. “Uh, no. My family is from the West coast. I moved here for college and ended up staying.”
Behind her father’s back, Eliza gave Jack a wink. She then put a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “Come now, Dad, don’t interrogate him. I’m starving, and you and Mom will learn everything you need to know about Jack over dinner.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Several months into their relationship, Jack took Eliza on a special date. While they watched the full moon rising over the ocean, Jack went down on one knee and presented Eliza with a ring.
“Is that what I think it is?” Eliza gasped.
“No, it’s a coupon for eclairs from your favorite bakery,” Jack joked. “I wanted to propose but decided to soften you up first.”
“These things are important in our society, Jack. And if you truly love Eliza, you’ll call off this wedding and spare her the hardships of getting by in lower society.”
“You silly man.” Eliza hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. “Of course, I’ll marry you… after you get me those eclairs.”
“I’ll get you whatever you want, Eliza.” Jack pressed his forehead to hers and gazed lovingly into her eyes. “I’ll give you the whole world, if that’s what makes you happy.”
“I already have the one thing in the world that makes me happy.” Eliza smiled and put her palm over Jack’s heart.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I think I have the perfect wedding gift for you,” Mike said when Jack and Eliza announced their engagement. “How would you like a bar all of your own? With Jack’s business experience, I’m sure it will be a success.”
Jack and Eliza exchanged glances. They both knew they’d have to tell Mike the truth about Jack’s career, but this didn’t seem like the right time.
“That’d be great, Dad, but let’s not discuss business now, please,” Eliza said.
“Sure, we must focus on the celebration.” Mike turned to Jack.
“We must have a meeting with your parents. When can they fly up?”
Jack gulped and smiled nervously. “They’re very busy at this time of year, unfortunately. They’ll fly in for the day of the wedding and probably won’t stay long.”
Mike nodded with understanding, but Jack was sweating with anxiety. He couldn’t avoid Mike’s queries much longer. He and Eliza had set the wedding date for two months time, and all his careful omissions and lies would be exposed then. Jack looked at Eliza and hoped she’d still accept him when she discovered the truth.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
On the wedding day, the couple’s close friends and family gathered at Eliza’s parents’ house for a champagne breakfast. Eliza was taken aback by how nervous Jack seemed. She even began to worry that he was getting cold feet.
He insisted he was fine, but Eliza couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was bugging Jack. It all started to make sense when his parents finally arrived.
Eliza answered the door and was stunned to see a much older couple standing there. A closer inspection revealed their skin was so weathered that it made them appear more aged than they were, and the cheap, department store clothes they wore didn’t flatter them.
“Hi, I’m Eliza.” She offered her hand to the couple. “You must be Steve and Janet.”
The couple glanced at each other, ignoring Eliza’s outstretched hand. Jack arrived then. He hugged the couple, and when he stepped back, they both raised their hands and signed.
“My parents say that they’re very happy to meet you,” Jack said awkwardly.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Why didn’t you tell me your parents are deaf?” Eliza asked. She and Jack had stepped into the library to speak in private.
“I was afraid.” Jack ran his fingers through his hair. “They were both born with hearing loss, and their parents couldn’t afford cochlea implants. They adopted me when I was five because they didn’t want to risk passing on their hearing loss.”
“You’re adopted too?” Eliza couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Is there any other secret you need to tell me?”
“I never meant for it to be a secret, I swear.” Jack took Eliza’s hands in his.
“It’s just… these are things that most people don’t want to discuss. I didn’t know how to tell you, and besides, it shouldn’t change anything between us. We still love each other, right?”
“Of course, Jack.” Eliza kissed his hands. “It’s not that it changes anything; I just would’ve liked to know. This is an important part of your life, and I wish you’d told me about it sooner.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Unfortunately, Mike was less accepting than his daughter. He took one look at Jack’s parents, saw them signing, and called Eliza aside.
“These aren’t the sort of people I’m willing to accept as relatives, Eliza.” Mike frowned at her. “They clearly aren’t from a good, respectable family.”
“How can you say that?” Eliza gaped at her father. “They raised Jack to be good and kind, so they obviously are from a good family.”
“It seems like the surprises never end with my new family.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Mike sighed. “Do I really have to say it plainly?”
“No.” Jack stepped up beside Eliza. “I’ll say it for you. You don’t think my family is good enough because they aren’t wealthy and don’t fit your definition of normal.”
“These things are important in our society, Jack. And if you truly love Eliza, you’ll call off this wedding and spare her the hardships of getting by in lower society.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Never!” Eliza snarled. “I love Jack, and we’re getting married.”
“I will not bless you or your marriage.”
Mike shook his finger at Eliza.
“We don’t need your blessing.” Eliza started leading Jack away. “Good-bye, Dad.”
Across the room, Jack’s parents, Steve and Janet, had followed most of the conversation by lipreading. It saddened and angered them that their son’s future in-laws reacted so badly. As they made their way to meet Jack, Steve noticed a childhood photo of Eliza.
He showed Janet the photo. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and signed a question to her husband. Steve nodded. He reached into his coat, removed a business card, and tucked it into the photo frame.
Jack came up then and stood in front of his parents. “We’re leaving,” he signed.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Eliza, Jack, Steve, and Janet went to Jack’s townhouse. Thirty minutes later, Mike and Eliza’s mom, Carla, appeared on the doorstep.
“I’m very sorry for everything I said,” Mike said. “Please, can we come in and talk?”
The families gathered around the table. Mike cleared his throat and looked at everyone seated there. He held eye contact with Steve for a long time.
“I have some explaining to do,” Mike said. “My family wasn’t always rich. When Eliza was born, we barely had a dime to spare. When the doctors told us she had a musculoskeletal defect, Carla and I knew we’d never afford the medical costs to help her.”
“What?” Eliza stared at Mike. “You never told me this.”
“We didn’t want you to feel different, and it didn’t matter because we found a different way to get the help you needed. We heard about a healer who’d used acupressure and herbal remedies to treat other children with the same problem.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“This man wasn’t certified; he learned how these techniques from his father and used them to help people who couldn’t afford expensive medical treatments. His name was…”
Mike removed a business card from his blazer pocket and set it on the table. Eliza leaned forward to read it, but Jack had already guessed the identity of the man Mike discussed.
“It’s my dad.” He turned and touched his father’s elbow. “You healed Eliza when she was a child?” he signed.
Steve nodded. “She was very young and responded well to my treatments,” he signed.
“Your dad is a healer?” Eliza chuckled. “It seems like the surprises never end with my new family.” She turned to face Steve and reached to put her hand over his. “Thank you for healing me.”
Steve signed a response, and Jack translated: “You’ve no need to thank me when I can see you’ve grown up to be such a kind and tolerant person.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
The families made peace with each other and returned to Eliza’s parents’ house for the wedding. A beautiful flower arch had been erected in the garden for the wedding. Afterward, the guests moved to a marquee near the summer house for the reception.
Jack fed Eliza the top piece of their French Wedding cake, then Mike rose to make a toast.
“It’s always a wonderful day when two young people who are so well suited to each other undertake the lifelong commitment of marriage,” Mike said. “To celebrate this occasion, I’ve decided to establish a charity fund to help children with birth defects.”
Mike gestured to his business partner. “Todd has already agreed to purchase some of my shares to kickstart this venture. Additionally, I will make the first donation: One hundred thousand dollars.”
Hushed conversations broke out among the guests, and many applauded Mike. However, there was one more thing Mike wanted to say.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“I also wish to announce that my daughter and her husband will find their wedding gift downtown. I hope this promising young businessman will turn the location into a successful bar where all of us can gather and enjoy ourselves.”
Eliza and Jack turned to each other with guilty smiles.
“I knew there was something we forgot,” Eliza said. “He still thinks you co-own that bar.”
Jack put his arm around her waist. “We’ll tell him as soon as the reception is over.” He offered her his pinky finger. “Agreed?”
Eliza hooked her pinky finger around his. “Agreed. And after this, no more lies or ommissions of truth, right?”
“Right.” Jack pressed a kiss to Eliza’s forehead.
“Let there never be anything less than complete honesty between us and our family.”
