The past few months had been incredibly hard for Gina. At just 16, she had already endured more than most people do in a lifetime. Not long ago, she had lost the person she loved most in the world—her mother. The future looked uncertain and painfully empty.
Since her mother was laid to rest at the Mountain Ridge Mausoleum, Gina had made it her mission to visit her grave every single day. It was the only way she could still feel a connection to her.
But recently, something unusual had started happening. Every time she visited, she noticed beautiful flowers carefully placed on her mother’s headstone. “Who could be leaving these?” she wondered.
Trying to solve the mystery, she approached Jacob, the cemetery caretaker.
“Hi, do you know who’s been leaving flowers at Alice Hunter’s grave?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, young lady, I haven’t seen anyone do that,” he replied. “But I can keep an eye out.”
Despite her efforts, the mystery only deepened. Gina contacted almost all of her mother’s old friends, hoping one of them might be the secret flower-giver. But no one admitted to it.
Then one day, as she walked toward the grave, she noticed a man standing there. He was holding a bouquet of stunning dahlias—her mother’s favorite flower.
“How could he possibly know that?” Gina thought as she slowly approached him. He had to have known her mother well.
When she was close enough to see his face, she softly introduced herself.
“Hi… I’m Gina,” she said, reaching out her hand.
“Hello, I’m Mark,” he replied.
Gina looked at him closely. He seemed a bit older than her mother had been, but that was all she could tell. He didn’t offer much more, and the silence between them felt heavy.
“I’m Alice’s daughter,” she said, hoping for a reaction.
Mark’s eyes widened, and he gasped. “That means you must be…” he began, his expression softening.
In that moment, Gina no longer felt quite so alone.
“Gina…” he said, almost instinctively, “please, sit down. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Still confused, Gina asked, “How did you know my mom?” She had no idea what truth was about to unfold.
Mark gently wiped the dust off the gravestone with a paper towel and motioned for her to sit. Then he began to explain.
“I’m Mark,” he said again, “I used to be your mom’s boyfriend.”
“What?!” Gina exclaimed, shocked.
“We were young, in love, and planning to get married. But then we found out Alice was pregnant. I had no job, no way to support her or the baby… so I left.”
“You just walked away?” she asked, tears threatening to fall.
“Yes,” he said sadly. “It was cowardly and selfish, and I’ve regretted it every day since.”
“Wait… are you saying you’re my father?” Gina asked, almost already knowing.
“Yes, Gina. I am. I tried to come back when she was seven months pregnant, but she didn’t want anything to do with me.”
Gina’s tears flowed freely now. She could barely process everything.
Mark went on to explain that he eventually got married and tried to start a family, but every pregnancy ended in miscarriage. He believed it was karma for abandoning Alice and their child. Eventually, his search for Alice brought him not to her arms—but to her grave.
“I never got to say sorry to her. But I’m here now, asking you for forgiveness. Please, Gina.”
Without hesitation, Gina threw her arms around him. They both cried, finally finding comfort in each other. She told him she forgave him, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of peace.
Mark brought Gina home to live with him and his wife, and in the weeks that followed, they officially adopted her. It was the beginning of something beautiful. Gina had found a family again.
And then, more good news arrived—Mark’s wife was pregnant, and this time, the baby was carried to term.
Gina was overjoyed. She had a new home, a father, and soon, a sibling. They lived happily, often visiting her mother’s grave and laying down her favorite dahlias in memory.
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