I hoped the $100 I gave him would make his birthday a little brighter.
Just as I was seating myself, a figure appeared in the aisle. My heart nearly stopped when I looked at his face.
It was him. The same man from the café.
But he wasn’t wearing his old tattered clothes.
No, this man was dressed in a strict suit, his hair neatly combed, a watch gleaming on his wrist.
He caught my gaze and smirked.
‘Mind if I join you?’ – he asked nonchalantly, lowering himself into the seat next to me.
I stared at him, my brain refusing to comprehend what was happening in front of me. ‘What… what’s going on here?’
He leaned back, a sly smirk appearing on his face. ‘Let’s call it a… test.’
‘A test?’ repeated I. ‘What are you talking about?’
The man chuckled softly, pulling a sleek notepad out of his bag.
‘Allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m David.’ He paused, watching my reaction. ‘Katie’s father.’
‘Wait…you’re her father?’ I whispered. ‘The one I’m flying to meet?’
‘Same thing,’ he said, still smirking. ‘You see, I’ve always believed in a hands-on approach. I wanted to see who my daughter’s fiancé really was, beyond the polished introductions at dinner and the carefully rehearsed answers.’
I couldn’t believe it. Why hadn’t Katie told me about this? Was she really part of the plan?
‘So it was all an act?’ I asked.
‘Necessary,’ he replied calmly. ‘It’s easy to show kindness when everyone is watching. But I wanted to know how you’d take to a stranger, especially one who doesn’t seem to have anything to offer you. It appears that you have passed the first part.’
‘The first part?’ repeated I. ‘And how many parts are there in total?’
He opened a notebook and handed me a pen. ‘One more. Write a letter to Kathy.’
‘A letter?’
‘Yes,’ he said, leaning back in his chair. ‘Tell her why you love her, why you want to marry her, and how you’ll take care of her. Don’t overthink it. Be honest.’
I stared at the blank sheet, beads of sweat appearing on my temples. This wasn’t what I’d signed up for. But as much as I wanted to protest, I knew I couldn’t.
So I began to write.
The words came slowly at first, stumbling over thoughts and emotions. But soon the pen seemed to move on its own.
I wrote about how Katie made me feel like a complete person, how her laughter brightened my darkest days, and how I wanted to build a life of trust and joy with her.
By the time I was done, my arm was sore, but my heart felt lighter.
However, I still wasn’t sure if I would pass the test. What if it was a trick question? What if David’s test wasn’t as easy as it seemed?
After I handed him the notebook, he stared at it for a while. Then he looked up and smiled.
‘You’ve passed the test,’ he said. ‘Welcome to the family.’
Hearing those words gave me a huge sense of relief.
This man, who had just tested me in the most unexpected way, held out his hand to me. I shook it firmly, realising that I had overcome the last hurdle.
‘Now let’s see how well you do at home,’ he said.
When we finally landed and got off the plane, I was exhausted both physically and mentally. As we walked through the terminal, I tried to even out my breathing, hoping I had done enough to impress him, but my nerves were still fraying at the edges.
The drive to Katie’s parents’ house was uneventful. She and her mother were waiting for us there.
Meanwhile, my mind was swarming with thoughts of what the evening would bring. I wasn’t just meeting her parents anymore. I’d passed the ‘test.’ But what did that mean? Would David’s approval be enough? What would happen at their house?
When we arrived, Kathy’s mother, Susan, greeted us warmly. Kathy’s brothers and sister were here, too.
David, however, maintained his usual serious expression and looked across the table at me. I couldn’t tell if he was sizing me up or just deferring judgement.
Dinner passed awkwardly, with everyone making polite conversation and David sitting off to the side, watching intently.
Every time I spoke, he nodded or grunted, but offered nothing in response. Katie’s siblings were acting quiet, but David’s silence was almost deafening.
I couldn’t help but wonder if I had really passed the exam.
As the meal came to an end, David set down his wine glass and cleared his throat.
‘You did a good job, Jimmy,’ he said. ‘You showed me who you really are. And that counts for something.’
Katie squeezed my hand under the table.
‘I always knew you were right for me,’ she whispered.
‘I’ve seen enough to know he’ll take care of you,’ he said, smiling at his daughter. ‘You have my blessing.’
I was very happy at that moment, but there was something unspoken in the way David looked at me.
After dinner, as Katie and I helped her parents clean up, everything seemed to fall into place for me.
And then I came across a folded piece of paper on the table.
Unfolding it, I realised it was a receipt for a cup of coffee from the café I’d visited earlier that morning. The same one where I had met David.
However, the cheque was not for the coffee I had bought for David. At the bottom was an additional charge.
‘Additional donation – $100.’
I picked it up and turned to Kathy.
‘What is this?’ I asked her.
‘Oh, it’s my dad’s way of tying up loose ends.’
I frowned, puzzled. ‘Tie up loose ends?’
She leaned against the counter, her eyes glittering. ‘You gave him $100 at the café, remember? He didn’t keep it for himself. He gave it to the cafe staff and told them to count it as an extra donation after you left.’
‘And… how do you know that? You knew about his plan from the beginning? Were you part of it?’
She smiled slyly.
‘Well, I was,’ she said. ‘You didn’t think it was just about the coffee, did you? And how do you think Dad found out about your flight? Of course it was me, Jimmy.’
At that moment I realised I wasn’t marrying into an ordinary family. These people were special, and they wanted me to realise the importance of generosity. And what it meant to be a part of this family.
