Veteran Flees from Fiancée So as Not to Be a Burden, Sees Her with Priest on His Porch Next Day — Story of the Day

A veteran flees from his fiancée, not wanting to be a burden and ruin her life. But the next day, she shows up on his porch with a priest and says something that results in hot tears flowing down his cheeks.

How far will you go for a loved one? And have you ever loved some enough to let them go?

Alex had, and for the sake of his love, he disappeared without telling his fiancée anything. He didn't want to be a burden.

Alex was the happiest man two years ago when he proposed to Laura for marriage. He couldn't wait to see her in the wedding gown and hold his hand as she said, "I do." He couldn't wait for them to be together as husband and wife.

But Alex's injury destroyed his dreams. He lost his legs in combat, which confined him to a wheelchair and took away his ability to serve the nation. Cripple, that's what he called himself. He couldn't ruin Laura's life too, so he decided he had to leave her. But did she feel the same way?

Laura and Alex came from very different backgrounds. Laura's parents were wealthy and wanted their daughter to marry a rich lawyer they'd chosen for her. But Laura had decided Alex was the one, and she would never look at any other man the same way.

So when he proposed to her, she said yes right away. Then Alex received communication from the Army and had to report back. But he promised Laura he would return, and they would have the wedding of their dreams.

"And what if you find out one day that he's never coming back? You need to move on from him! He's not your type, Laura!" her mother told her stiffly.

"No, mom," said Laura confidently. "Alex will be back. He'll come back for me…he won't break his promise."

And well, Alex did come back from the battlefield. But he wasn't the same. Nothing was…

Alex didn't inform Laura he was back when he got home. She knew nothing about him or his injury. Then she got a message from his best friend one day.

"Stay away from Alex. He's done with you. He doesn't want to see you..."

Laura felt as if her heart had stopped beating, but then she realized it could have been a prank. Alex was always like this! He'd tease her simply to see how anxious and nervous she became about something like that.

Love is patient and kind.

Laura was determined not to fall for it this time. "I know it's one of your silly jokes!" she wrote. "Sorry, but it won't work this time!"

"No!" his friend, Ron, typed. "Just don't…"

Laura didn't even bother to read Ron's entire message this time. She got ready and headed to Alex's house. She had his spare house keys with her and decided to surprise him.

But as she arrived, her heart began to race. The entire house was dark, filthy, and dusty as if no one had ever lived there. And she found an envelope on the front table, which had a letter inside. A letter that Laura hoped hadn't existed because the words in there made her feel like someone had drained all the blood out of her body.

"I knew you would come here after getting Ron's message. I'm sorry, Laura. I just couldn't burden you. I am leaving you. Again, it's not because of you but because I don't want you to end up with a cripple like me. You are meant for better things. Live a good life and, if possible, forgive me.

— Alex."

In tears, Laura pulled out her phone and called Alex, but he didn't answer. She called him again, then again, and a couple more times, but he still didn't pick up.

Then she read Ron's message, which said that Alex had lost his legs and didn't want her to suffer with him because he was in a wheelchair.

"You think you can decide this alone, Alex? How dare you?! You never loved me! You're selfish! How can you decide for both of us? You can't leave like this!"

Laura wasn't going to give up on her love. She would get Alex back and tell him he wasn't a burden. When you love someone, they're never a burden, no matter what. And Laura knew what she'd do next.

"Are you out of your mind, Laura? You're leaving the house for a man who doesn't want you?" shouted her mother when she saw Laura packing her bags.

In tears, Laura blurted out everything in front of her parents, and she said she would find Alex at any cost. Her parents were outraged and threatened to remove her from their will, but Laura didn't care.

She left her parents' house, and she knew where she was headed next.

***

The next morning, Alex woke up to loud knocks on his door.

"Who's here at this hour?" he wondered as he slid into his wheelchair by the bedside.

When he answered the door, he was surprised.

Laura stood on his front porch in tears, and beside her was Father John, whom Laura and Alex often met when they visited the church on Sundays.

"Laura…how—how did you know I was here?" asked Alex, but Laura didn't utter a word. She got down on her knees and hugged him.

"I will never forgive you for the stupid letter you left me if you don't marry me! You think you're the only smart one here, don't you? I tracked the location of your phone! I'm not going to give up on our love, Alex. Let's start a new life together..."

"Laura…" Alex couldn't hold back his tears. "You don't deserve this. Look at me. I can't even walk. I will be in a wheelchair all my life! I wanted you to be my wife, not a cripple's caretaker. Please leave. I'm just a burden."

"And I want to spend the rest of my life with the man I love. I don't mind if I have to take care of him for the rest of my life because that's what love is all about. Alex, love is about being there for one another. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you...And, no, you're not a burden," she added, wiping his tears. "Loved ones are never a burden!"

"Alex, my child," Father John intervened. "Laura is right. Love is pure. It's patient and kind. You're blessed to have someone like her care for you. Cheer up, young man…"

It's been three years since then. Alex and Laura finally married and had two beautiful twin baby girls, and Laura's parents embraced Alex and their granddaughters.

Love changes people. It helped Laura's parents have a change of heart and it brought them all together as a loving family.

What can we learn from this story?

• Love is patient and kind. Laura's love and patience made Alex realize he wasn't a burden because of his disability.
• When you love someone, you accept them completely, flaws and all. Laura loved Alex and was able to save their relationship because she believed that love was embracing someone with all of your heart.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a plus-size woman who was rejected by her fiancé's parents, only for them to later beg her to return.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.