A soldier was asked to leave his sister’s wedding after deciding to surprise her when he returned from deployment. He reluctantly returned home, but was asked back to the wedding minutes later.
Ever since she was a little girl, Marissa Ricks dreamed of having the perfect fairytale wedding. She wanted all of her family members to be there by her side and imagined her father walking her down the aisle.
Sadly, Marissa’s father passed away five years before she could find the love of her life, and by the time she got married, her older brother, Mark, had been deployed with the military.
Marissa asked Mark to come home for the wedding because she wanted nothing more than to have him walk her down the aisle to represent their late father. While Mark wanted to be there for his little sister, his schedule was too unpredictable for him to commit to coming home.
Marissa was distraught. She wanted her brother to be there on her wedding day. She suggested postponing the wedding, but Mark talked her out of it because no matter what the date, he still couldn’t promise he’d be there.
“I’m sorry, Marissa,” Mark apologized. “I only have clearance from my boss a few days before we’re due to leave. Don’t jeopardize your marriage just because of me. I’ll be with you in spirit,” he explained.
Although heartbroken, Marissa reluctantly agreed to get married after being convinced by her mother, who assured her that she would be by her side every step of the way.
Just two days before the wedding, Mark learned that he would be able to attend. He decided not to tell anyone about his plans and instead surprised his sister by showing up unannounced at the ceremony.
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