Mom Lands In Sicily For Son’s Destination Wedding, Bride Tells Her She’s Uninvited

Is It A Joke?

She thought it was a joke at first, a clever quip meant to cement the wedding as a memorable affair in the family.

She’d chuckled at first and even laughed when she told her friends the next day at the salon.

But the moment she landed in Sicily, things took a drastic turn. Her daughter-in-law came marching into her hotel room, her brows knitted, and lips thinned. She said five words that would leave the mom speechless.

No Bad Blood

But the mom didn’t have any bad blood with her son’s fiance. She actually loved her, maintaining that her son had chosen well. But things started to shift immediately after the wedding date was announced.

The fiance was suddenly constantly on edge. She started making odd demands, most of which didn’t make sense.

The mom thought it was the wedding pressure getting to her. But she’d soon find out it was something else entirely.

Beyond Elated

Sarah Donovan was fifty-nine when her first son, Eric, brought home a girl he wanted to call his forever. A single mother of three, Sarah was beyond elated at the idea of her family finally growing.

After birthing three healthy boys, she’d wanted more than anything to have a girl in her household.

A native of Laramie, Wyoming, she’d long dreamt of a mother-daughter relationship but never gotten it. After more than three decades of wishful thinking, her chance was finally here.

Burning Bright

Daisy Rossi was a flame that no one could extinguish. Sarah liked her from the get-go. The girl, a twenty-five-year-old originally from Miami, had spent most of her teenage and adult life in Kentucky.

She was intelligent and equally beautiful. Full of life, resourceful, and full of fantastic ideas.

She constantly made Sarah giggle whenever they were talking. But none of these reasons were why Sarah adored her.

She’s The One

Sarah’s love stemmed from the fact that she’d never seen Eric as enthralled and enamored by a girl before.

In the twenty-eight years of his existence, he’d never looked at anyone the way he did Daisy.

It was even more heartwarming when Sarah realized that Daisy was just as in love with him as he was with her. She’d never experienced a love so pure. If only she knew what it would lead to.

Eighteen Months

Daisy and Eric had dated for eighteen months before Eric brought her home. In his words, although he knew she was the one, he didn’t want to spook her by asking her to meet his family so soon.

Sarah could understand his reasoning, although she didn’t get how he could have kept such a pure soul a secret for so long.

Sarah jumped with joy when Eric shared his plans to ask Daisy to be his wife. But the wedding would go differently than planned.

Good Luck

Sarah gave her blessing and wished her firstborn good luck. “If it’s not too much pressure,” she started.

“I want a lot of grandkids. I want a whole barn of them, if possible.”

She’d already discussed the matter of kids with Daisy, who was more than on board with bringing in little Erics and Daisies to run around the Wyoming farm during holidays. Life couldn’t have been better for Sarah.

An Expanding Family

Sarah’s family was about to expand. She still couldn’t believe she was about to have in-laws in Kentucky. This marriage would open doors for her and her sons, something they really needed.

She rejoiced when Daisy called her to share that Eric had asked her to marry him.

Of course, the girl had said, “Yes!” She couldn’t wait to be called Mrs. Eric Donovan! But nothing but tears would come out of this event.

Making Plans

The Donovan farm was wholly devoured by phone calls for the next few months.

Wedding preparations saw most things go on the back burner as Sarah put all her efforts into giving her son and daughter-in-law the best wedding ever.

She liaised with Daisy’s family, and they got the ball rolling together. But with each passing week, problems started appearing.

Money

The first was the funds needed for the wedding itself. Unlike the Rossis, the Donovans didn’t come from money. But Sarah had never been one to ask for scraps or act like she couldn’t care for her loved ones.

She’d worked hard to build her farm from the bottom up and had put all her kids through school through sheer will and hard work.

She wouldn’t allow the Russos to think her family couldn’t come up with their portion of the cash needed for the wedding.

Where Will She Get The Cash?

Sarah started looking around the house, wondering where she’d get the cash her son and daughter-in-law needed.

The wedding expenses were nothing to scoff at, and although the Russos claimed they could take care of everything, Sarah declined the offer.

She knew how some of these things went. She wouldn’t let them hang this over her son’s head for eternity. It was then that she decided to make a difficult choice.

Her Plan

Sarah went through some of her husband’s old things, fishing out an old family heirloom that had been in their bloodline for more than five hundred years.

The heirloom, an old Scottish sword, had been passed down from generation to generation, with the firstborn taking it after his father.

Sarah had hoped to gift it to Eric after the wedding since he would be starting his own family. But now, she knew it was the only thing standing between her family’s pride and humiliation.

Her Late Husband Loved It

Sarah knew she was making a mistake. The sword was among the few things her late husband adored more than anything.

He’d tell her stories about it every night before bed, cradling it as if it was a child.

Sarah loved how affectionate he was to it. His behavior showed her he’d be a great dad. He was … right until his last day. Holding the sword now, she wondered what her husband would say about her selling it to support their son.

Don’t Sell It

Sarah got in touch with a collector who had been eyeing the sword for over a decade.

But before setting up a meeting, she talked to Eric about what she was about to do. It was then that Eric asked her not to sell the blade.

“We’ll figure something out,” he assured her, and true enough, a week later, he came to the farm with a sure plan that would help their family come up with the wedding money.

Saving The Day

Eric, who was a software engineer, had found a new client for his firm. The client was willing to pay a considerable sum of cash that would be able to cover a massive part of the money needed.

As such, the amount Sarah needed to come up with was almost negligible. She pulled in her resources and, with Eric’s help, was able to send the wedding cash without selling her family heirloom.

She thought her problems were done when the next issue cropped up.

Just A Few Minor Changes

The two families were planning the wedding when the Russos shared that they wanted to change the venue. Initially, the bride and groom had agreed to have their wedding in Kentucky.

But the Russos had decided on a destination wedding, and in Italy, no less.

They’d waited until the last minute to inform Sarah and her family. Would she agree to these changes?

Sicily

The Russos wanted their daughter to tie the knot under Sicily’s vibrant sun. They had a long tradition of getting married in Italy and had debated whether they should do it for Daisy.

Since the abrupt changes, the Russos insisted on paying for the flight Sarah and her family would have to take.

They even made all the arrangements to transfer the wedding from Miami to Sicily. Sarah agreed, only to be met with one last request.

The Essays

Since the wedding changes demanded a shorter guest list, Daisy had requested everyone from the old guest list to RSVP for the Sicily wedding.

But in order to figure out who to invite and who to cut, she was asking all confirmed guests to submit two 250-word “essays” to two questions.

Sarah laughed at the idea, thinking it was a joke. It wasn’t.

It’s Not A Joke

At first, Sarah was convinced that this was a joke meant to lighten the mood after the abrupt wedding changes.

It was a funny one. But she soon realized she was the only one giggling at the dinner table.

Everybody else, including her kids, was staring at her blankly. “You’re serious,” she whispered, looking at Daisy, and the girl nodded meekly. What was happening?

It’s A Good Idea

“Well, it’s a good idea,” Sarah said. She didn’t want to sound like she didn’t support Daisy. They were practically family at this point.

“I’ll even help you sort through the essays once they get here,” she offered, and Daisy’s smile returned.

Although this whole idea was odd, Sarah knew she needed to be on board with it. If only she knew how disastrous it would all end.

Compiling The List

The days continued counting, and the RSVP essays started flowing in.

Sarah helped Daisy comb through them as promised, and before the two knew it, they had a complete list of attendees for the wedding.

But Sarah had no idea she’d missed out on a crucial aspect of the activity. With her two sons in tow, she packed her bags and boarded the plane for Sicily.

Going To The Wedding

Sarah spent long hours in the air, daydreaming about how wonderful her son’s wedding would be.

She and Daisy’s family had gone to lengths to ensure the event would be more than memorable.

From matching color palettes to enchanting decor, they left no stone unturned. All they needed to do now was attend the wedding rehearsal before finally watching their two families become one.

Welcome To Sicily

A smiling Sarah walked out of the taxi that had carried her and her two sons to the hotel the Russos had booked for the event.

The Sicilian air was different from the one she’d grown up in.

The skies here were bluer, the sun yellower. Everything seemed more vibrant and sweeter, from the city colors to the food and drinks. But disaster was already looming close.

A Knock

It all began with a knock on her door. Knowing it was her in-laws, Sarah hurriedly answered.

But she was met with a frown on Daisy’s face. “I didn’t think you were coming,” Daisy said.

“Why?” an astonished Sarah asked her. “Well,” said Daisy, “You didn’t send an essay.” Her brows knitted, and she sighed. “I thought you, out of everyone, would understand. I thought we bonded.”

Where Is Her Essay?

Sarah was taken aback by this change of events. She hadn’t stopped to think that she had to write an essay, too.

Wasn’t she invited to the wedding owing to the fact that she was the groom’s mom?

Without her, there would be no Eric. Without Eric, this wedding wouldn’t exist! She chuckled, her body heating. Was this another joke, or was her daughter-in-law actually serious?

Five Words

“I need you to leave,” Daisy said, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. “Please,” she said. “Now. Respectfully.” Sarah looked at her for a few minutes, then chuckled again. Then her face fell as she realized Daisy was serious.

Sarah stepped back. She could feel anger sprout within her. She could feel disdain take over. But this wasn’t about her.

She remembered her own wedding decades ago. She’d wanted everything to be perfect. Was that what Daisy wanted?

Her Options

The mom took another step back. She could blow this out of proportion and create a scene that would riven the bond between her son and the love of his life.

She could also walk away and ensure she and Daisy never saw eye to eye again.

But she could also run to her computer and honor her daughter-in-law’s wishes. She could show some effort and respect. That’s the same thing she’d wanted in her own wedding.

She Leaves

Sarah took a step forward. Daisy had locked eyes with her. Tears lined her lashes. Sarah reached for her hand and said, “Can you give me an hour, please? Just an hour, and I’ll be on my way.”

Daisy ate back a sob as if she’d been expecting Sarah to fight for her chance to stay behind.

The sadness in her eyes was crippling. Without a word, she turned around and left, banging the door behind her.

Get To Work

Sarah went to her room and locked herself in. She started typing, explaining that she’d looked forward to this day since Eric was a baby.

She talked about how much she’d wanted a daughter and how much she adored Daisy.

She talked about how great her family was and how much her boys loved her. She also explained that she’d never seen Eric this happy before. But she knew she couldn’t stop there.

Her Final Reason

The wedding essay was supposed to be 300 words long. Sarah’s explanations only took 200. For the remaining 100 words, she wrote, “I am also the groom’s mom,” and copy pasted it repeatedly.

Afterward, she sent the document immediately, hoping Daisy would read it.

As she was leaving her room, she found Daisy in her living room, holding back laughter with teary eyes. She rushed and hugged Sarah tightly, saying, “You’re the best, mom.”

 

This story was handcrafted with love by a creative novelist to thrill and entertain, mirroring real-life situations to awaken your imagination and evoke profound emotions. All events, places, and characters are products of the author’s imagination, and all images and videos are used for illustrative purposes only. We hope you enjoyed reading it just as much as we enjoyed writing it!