Tony, a charming businessman, was stranded on the street that day.
«No way! Does the car have to be damaged now that I’m running late?» he said, kicking the flat tire of his car.
The 31-year-old man managed a company located 11 kilometers away from where his vehicle broke down. His phone had no signal, so he couldn’t call a mechanic immediately. He locked the car and started walking in the hope of finding a cab or an elevator.
The hot morning made him sweat. Halfway down the road he stopped when he saw a little girl crying alone on the side of the road.
Tony approached her and asked:
«Hi! What are you doing here, where’s your mommy?».
The little girl looked up and stammered:
«I ran after the ice cream cart, and when I turned around, I was here. I do not know how to get home.»
Tony realized that the girl was lost. The area seemed secluded, so he decided not to leave her there. Tony picked the girl up and comforted her first.
«What’s your name?» he asked her.
«Claudia!» she replied.
«Look, Claudia, I am Tony, can you tell me about your house, do you know your address?».
Claudia thought for a while and said she didn’t know her address, but described the place.
«There’s a huge willow tree near the door. A pond with a small bridge at the entrance. And a post office is nearby at the first turn, and then there are huge garbage cans along the road.»
«Hmmm!» thought Tony. «I think I know that place. I’ve been by there a few times. Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.»
It was a 20 minute walk. Claudia sighed in relief and pointed to a small house.
«That’s my house. Mom’s inside.»
Tony knocked on the door and, seconds later, a woman opened the door. He was startled because it was Andrea, his ex-girlfriend.
«Andrea?!» he said.
Andrea was alarmed to see her daughter with Tony. She scolded Claudia for leaving the house without her knowing.
«I was about to call the police. Thank God you found her, Tony. Thank you,» she said.
Tony smiled.
«All right, but don’t let her go out alone again. Tell your husband, too. It’s not safe to leave the kids unattended,» he said.
Tony turned to leave when Andrea stopped him unexpectedly.
«I want to tell you something, please come in,» she said, revealing a truth Tony had never imagined.
«I’m sorry about what happened six years ago, Tony,» she said. «You were so focused on your business that I thought you didn’t love me anymore.»
Six years ago, Tony and Andrea were head over heels in love with each other. Everything was perfect until Tony decided to start his own business.
He devoted himself to his work and began spending less time with Andrea. She didn’t take it well, and at a time when Tony’s first investment foundered, she began to argue with him.
As Andrea argued for his attention, Tony thought she had stopped believing in him or in the possibility of his success. Their misunderstandings caused a huge rift in their relationship, leading them to separate shortly thereafter.
Two months after the breakup, Andrea discovered that she was pregnant by Tony.
It turned out that Andrea had wanted to reconcile with Tony after discovering she was pregnant. But at the same time, Tony’s next investment was prospering and his business began to flourish. He became rich and famous.
«I didn’t want you to think I was a gold digger who was only after your money and popularity. My ego wouldn’t allow me to contact you, so I moved out of town to raise our daughter alone. I came back after getting a teaching job at a school here.»
Happiness and sorrow flooded Tony’s eyes. He was glad to be reunited with his daughter he never knew existed, but disheartened to miss out on an important part of her childhood.
Tony wiped away his tears and stood up. Squeezing Andrea’s shoulders tightly, he said:
«I’ve grown tired of living a rich and lonely life. I don’t want to be alone again. I’ll be back for you soon.»
Two days later, a delivery man knocked on Andrea’s door. She opened the package and was thrilled to find a wedding dress with a note that read:
«My love, get ready! Saturday is our wedding.»
Tony and Andrea were married in a private ceremony that weekend. Little Claudia was their maid of honor, and they could never forget that beautiful day.
