The Match Maker

"Excuse me! Excuse me, miss! Is this your hanky?"

I slow my pace just a little and tilt my head slightly to the right, glancing over my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the cutest little boy running towards me, waving a white cloth in the air. He’s dressed in the tiniest tuxedo I’ve ever seen, his crop of light brown curls bouncing as his tuxedo slacks swish back and forth, bringing him closer with every little step he takes.

I stop and turn around completely to face the little boy as he draws nearer. Crouching down to his level, I smile warmly so I don’t scare him and say, “Why no, it’s not mine. Did someone lose their hanky?”

He stops abruptly, keeping a safe two-foot distance, and looks down at the ground, suddenly seeming very shy.

I hold out my hand, silently asking for the handkerchief so I can examine it. He sheepishly hands it over with a tentative smile on his adorable face. His eyes are the brightest blue I’ve ever seen.

He returns his gaze to his little black dress shoes and waits as I examine the piece of cloth.

Just then, I hear a frantic male voice calling out, “Michael!” I look up to see a man hurrying toward us through the crowd of wedding guests, still lingering outside the chapel.

“Michael! There you are! Why did you run off? You scared me—I thought something happened to you!”

The man is out of breath, panting as he scoops Michael up into a big hug. “Don’t ever do that again, Michael. I mean it, okay?”

“I won’t, Daddy, I promise,” Michael says, his voice muffled by his father’s shoulder as his dad clings to him.

Finally, the man lets him go, holding him out in front of him to look him over. Satisfied that he’s okay, he nods and smiles at the boy.

The very handsome man, who is the mirror image of his son, stands and finally looks over at me with curiosity. “Michael, do you know this lady? I’m sorry if he’s bothered you. I don’t know what’s gotten into him today.”

I look down at Michael, suddenly recognizing him. “Oh, it’s no bother at all. I saw him earlier—he did such a great job as the ring bearer. I’m guessing you are part of the wedding party too?”

The man’s expression softens. “No, Laura is my ex-wife, and Michael’s mom. I guess he’s been a little overwhelmed today.”

My eyes widen with understanding. “Oh, I see. Well, Michael did a wonderful job during the ceremony.”

“Thanks,” Daniel says, running a hand through his hair. “He was perfect through the whole thing, but I guess with all the excitement, he needed a moment to himself.”

Michael looks up at his dad, then at me, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of hope and worry. “I just… I just wanted to help Daddy meet a nice lady. Mommy said that’s how she met her new husband. He returned her hanky, and then they were in love.”

The man’s face softens as he crouches down beside his son. “Oh, buddy, you don’t have to worry about me like that.”

Michael sniffles and looks up at his dad, then at me. “But Daddy, you seem so lonely since Mommy met Ethan. I just want you to be happy like her.”

The man looks at me, his expression a mix of surprise and something else—something softer. He takes a deep breath and smiles gently at his son. “Thank you, Michael. That’s very sweet of you.”

He then looks at me again, a bit of awkwardness lingering in the air. “I’m sorry about all this. It seems my little matchmaker here has quite the imagination.”

I smile back at him, feeling a warmth spreading in my chest. “No need to apologize. It’s touching, really. And it was a beautiful wedding.”

“Thanks,” Daniel says, his voice softening. “Are you here as a guest of the groom, or do you know Laura?”

“I don’t know her well,” I reply. “I’m actually a childhood friend of Ethan. He invited me since we grew up together.”

Daniel nods, a hint of relief crossing his features. “Small world, huh? I didn’t think I’d run into anyone who knew Ethan outside of Laura’s circle.”

“It is a small world,” I agree, finding myself more at ease. “I didn’t realize Michael was your son until just now.”

Michael looks between us, his tears forgotten, replaced by a hopeful smile. “Does this mean you two will be friends now?”

Daniel chuckles, running a hand through his hair. “Well, that depends. Would you like to join us at the reception? Afterward, maybe we can all go for some ice cream. I promised Michael we’d get some once the wedding festivities are over.”

I consider it for a moment, then nod. “I’d love that.”

Michael beams, grabbing both our hands and pulling us closer. “Yay! You’re gonna be friends!”

As we start walking together, the sound of wedding bells still lingering in the air, Daniel introduces himself properly. “I’m Daniel, by the way. And this little guy, as you know, is Michael.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Daniel. I’m Emily.”

Daniel nods, a hint of recognition crossing his features. “Emily? You’re that Emily? Ethan used to talk about you all the time—said you were his closest friend. I guess we’ve crossed paths without even knowing it.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “That’s me! We were next-door neighbors growing up. He actually taught me how to ride a bike—and I’m lucky to be alive after that. We crashed into every tree and bush in the neighborhood, and I spent most of my childhood with scraped knees because of him.”

I smile, lost in the memory. “And don’t even get me started on the treehouse we tried to build. It was more of a death trap than anything, but we loved it.”

Daniel chuckles, the tension easing. “Sounds like you two had quite the adventures.”

“We did,” I say fondly. And as we walk toward the reception hall, Michael skips ahead, already chattering excitedly about his favorite ice cream flavors, completely unaware that his simple, childlike plan might just be the beginning of something new for all of us.