Heidi Parker and Ed Savitt seemed like the perfect young couple. The two knew they were meant to be together since their very first date. Their relationship moved quickly and as a show of their incredible love, they decided to get engaged and tie the knot. Both of their families and all of their friends were very supportive and happy for the two love birds.
However, even though she wasn’t against the relationship, Heidi’s mother, Kay Parker, had an odd feeling about her future son-in-law. She had a hunch that something might not be right but she just couldn’t figure out what it was. That’s when she discovered an old photograph that changed everything.
However, even though she wasn’t against the relationship, Heidi’s mother, Kay Parker, had an odd feeling about her future son-in-law. She had a hunch that something might not be right but she just couldn’t figure out what it was. That’s when she discovered an old photograph that changed everything.
Heidi Parker's Good Beginnings
Throughout her childhood, Heidi Parker seemed like she had it all together. Her family was always happy and cheerful, they went on summer vacations regularly, and she was doing well in school. She played sports and later decided to head to college.
She started college at the New Castle University long before she met Ed Savitt. She was studying a dual-degree in Economics and Management. She was one of the best students but she couldn’t afford to live in the expensive college dorms so she had to go out and look for her own apartment.
Financial Struggles
Even though she had lived in the dorms for the first few years of college, Heidi had to look for a place of her own due to financial reasons. Just like any student, she couldn’t really afford an apartment on her own so, initially, she decided to move in with a few close friends.
A few years went by and Heidi had finally saved up enough money to move into her own small, one-bedroom apartment. Time went by quickly and, when the time came to move again, Heidi met with the new tenants of her old apartment to give them the keys. She had no idea that one of the two men she met that day would become such an important part of her life.
Her Very Own Place
Heidi didn’t have much time to get to know the two new tenants of her old apartment. They wished each other luck and quickly went their separate ways. With all the responsibilities and errands related to moving, they were too busy even to ask for each other’s names.
Heidi was more than excited to move into her new place. The new apartment was everything she ever wanted, a quiet and beautiful sanctuary that belonged only to her. However, as time went by, Heidi started feeling lonely. She had lived alone for so long but she didn’t want any new roommates. Instead, she decided to look for love! Little did she know that love had already found her.
Getting the Call
A few weeks after settling into her new apartment, Heidi got an unexpected call. It was one of the men she met while she was moving out of the old place. He said that their landlord had given them Heidi’s number because they had a question for her.
As hilarious as it seems, the man couldn’t figure out how to use Heidi’s old washing machine. The machine was old and it had its quirks. There was a special procedure you had to go through just to get it started. Heidi knew that it was almost impossible to explain the entire process over the phone so she decided to head down to the apartment to help him out.
Handling the Washing Machine
When she finally arrived at her old apartment, the man apologized for dragging her all the way there because of a washing machine. He explained that he tried multiple times to get it started but nothing would work. Heidi didn’t mind coming over and explaining to him how the machine works. It took him a few tries but, with Heidi's help, the man finally figured out how to use the machine.
In an attempt to be polite, the man offered Heidi a cup of coffee. She happily agreed and the two started talking. They realized that they had quite a lot in common so they decided to meet again. This time they planned something more fun than running a washing machine!
That's Where Ed Savitt Comes In
This man Heidi just met was Ed Savitt and he also studied at the New Castle University, even though neither of them knew this at the time. Besides attending the same college, they were both doing double majors, which was quite a coincidence. Unlike Heidi, Ed studied Psychology and Business.
Heidi fell for Ed during their short talk over a cup of coffee but it seemed like Ed was way ahead of her. He had fallen for her the moment she entered his apartment to teach him how to run the washing machine. The two quickly planned to go on another date and a dozen dates followed after that.
Heidi's Mother
Heidi was always very close to her mother so she didn’t hesitate to share the news with her. She told her everything about the man she was dating, Ed Savitt. Being the supportive mother she was, Kay was happy for her daughter.
However, Kay was aware of Heidi’s tendency to get attached too quickly. She began to worry that her daughter would end up getting hurt but she couldn’t stand in her way. As any mother would, Kay wanted to make sure that Ed was the right partner for her little daughter.
College Sweethearts
Since both of them were finishing college, the couple's friend started calling them “college sweethearts.” They loved the new title and, in a matter of months, the two became completely inseparable. The couple spent time together every chance they got after all their classes and college-related responsibilities.
Time went by quickly when they were together. They didn’t even realize that the entire year of college had passed by. It was time to turn to their careers and focus on the future. Despite all the challenges ahead of them, the two knew that they could chase their dreams together.
Finishing College
After college, the two of them faced the challenges of the real world. They managed to get their life together quite quickly. Heidi started working as a PR manager at Sony Interactive Entertainment. Ed, on the other hand, took a different route and opened an independent coffee shop.
Throughout everything they went through, Heidi and Ed stuck together and supported each other’s goals. However, as they continued chasing the career life, they had less and less time to spend with each other. They decided to find a place to move in together. After lots of hard work and months of saving money, they were finally able to settle down together. However, this also meant it was time to meet each other’s families.
The Dinner Party
When the time came, Heidi and Ed invited their moms, Kay and Fiona, to a dinner party at their apartment. They were nervous about this first encounter, especially since they wanted everything to go well. This was an important moment for the two of them, and for their families as well. The couple had planned everything out and it was time to see how everything would pan out.
Fortunately for Ed and Heidi, their mothers got along quite well. They enjoyed the evening and the lovely dinner they shared. Heidi mustered up the courage and told their mothers that they are planning to spend the rest of their lives together. “We knew we were going to be together forever,” said Heidi.
A Mother's Blessing
Soon after, the couple had realized that there was nothing to be worried about. Both of their mothers were very happy and excited to get to know each other more. Kay realized that Ed truly loved Heidi and the two really seemed like a match made in heaven. After giving Ed her blessing, Kay wished them nothing but love and happiness together.
While Kay and Fiona were getting to know each other better, they both realized that they shared similar interests. It was such a coincidence that all of them felt as if they knew each other already. They all enjoyed the dinner party but the topic they brought up next made Kay feel odd about Ed being her future son-in-law.
A Shared Love for Sailing
As the party went on, the mothers realized that Ed and Heidi weren’t the only ones who had things in common. Among many common interests, the two shared a passion for sailing. Once they discovered this, they started sharing each other’s stories and adventures.
Both families were very fond of the Mediterranean. Interestingly, both families loved to go sailing during the holidays. They started sharing stories about their adventures and vacations at the sea. They had no idea that they were about to discover something unbelievable.
A Forgotten Vacation
Kay decided to tell the story of one of her favorite vacations back when Heidi was younger. When Heidi had turned six, the family traveled to Gumbet, Turkey, where they stayed for two very memorable weeks.
Key also remembered that Heidi became friends with another six-year-old boy who was also on a vacation with his family. They even called each other boyfriend and girlfriend after only a couple of hours. The two kids held each other’s hands and they were practically inseparable during the vacation. Ed wasn’t so impressed by a story about one of Heidi’s past “boyfriends.” What was even weirder is that the boy's name also happened to be Ed.
An Unbelievable Coincidence
There was no doubt that Kay was happy with her daughter’s choice. Ed seemed like a really nice guy who loved Heidi so she had nothing against them getting married. However, she still had an odd feeling that wouldn’t leave her mind. No matter how much she tried to shake it off, she couldn’t help but feel that there was something strange, almost familiar about her future son-in-the-law.
She realized that the only way to calm her thoughts was to find out more about her daughter’s vacation boyfriend. She started her little research project in hopes to learn more about the identity of this long-forgotten boyfriend. There was something about this story that just couldn’t let her rest.
Contacting Fiona
Days had passed since the family dinner but Kay still couldn’t let go of the idea that something was not quite right. She even reached out to Fiona and asked for her help. The two decided to further look into the situation in hopes to find more information about the six-year-old Ed.
In the next two weeks, Kay and Fiona kept talking about their little research project. They searched everywhere they could in hopes to find something. One day, when Kay was cleaning her storage room, she accidentally found a clue that the two of them were looking for. She found an old photo album.
Two Decades Ago
As soon as she spotted the album, Kay stopped cleaning and picked it up. She set down and started flipping through the dusty pages. It felt like she was on the path to discovering the truth. She was excited to find out who the six-year-old Ed really was.
She finally found the pictures from the family’s vacation in Gumbet, Turkey. Now she flipped through the pages slowly, paying attention to every detail. Then she came across a photo that answered all the questions and cleared the doubts she had in her mind every time she looked at her future son-in-law.
An Extraordinary Discovery
It didn’t take long for Kay to find the old photo of Heidi and her vacation boyfriend. When she saw the photo, she just couldn’t believe it. It was astonishing! The vacation boyfriend Ed was actually the same Ed that was about to become her son-in-law. How was that possible?
Kay just couldn’t wrap her head around this situation. The same six-year-old her daughter met years ago is now about to become her son-in-law. “I was screaming, it was just unreal,” Kay said. All of her doubts were now confirmed. There is no doubt that Ed was the perfect husband for Heidi. She looked through more pictures just to be sure, and it definitely was the same Ed.
The Blonde Boy
There were more photos of Heidi and Ed in the photo album. Kay found all of them and, in each photo, the two kids were always smiling. There’s no doubt that they had no idea what love was at the age of six but it seems like these two were definitely meant to be together.
Kay also discovered some photos that she never remembered. One of those was the photo of the kids wearing bathing suits with huge smiles on their faces. That’s when Kay realized that absolutely no one knows about this. She was so excited to tell the two of them but she knew that she had to tell someone else first!
Fiona Knew First
Interestingly, Kay didn’t want Ed and Heidi to be the first ones to know about this discovery. Instead, she went straight to Fiona, Ed’s mother. Fiona and her family were also a part of this extraordinary mystery.
"None of us had any idea whatsoever that Heidi and Ed had met before university. But during that two-week vacation, they held hands most of the time,” said Kay. Right after she saw the pictures, Fiona started recalling the details of that trip and she realized that this discovery was true. “When Kay sent me the photo of a little boy called Ed I shrieked ‘oh my goodness, that’s Ed!’ it was unbelievable,” said Fiona.
Sharing the News
It was now time to share the photos with the two main people in this situation, Heidi and Ed. When the couple saw the photos of them holding hands years ago, they were completely astonished. In fact, Kay’s discovery changed everything!
“When my mom found the first photo of us, she sent it to me, and I was stunned. I actually had to lie down! Ed’s family then dug out their photo album from the same vacation and found about five other photos of us together with our siblings too. It was unbelievable!” It didn’t take a while for the entire family to find out about the discovery.
They Couldn't Believe It
The young couple always believed that their love story started when Heidi came over to teach Ed how to use the washing machine. The truth is, they knew each other from many years ago, they just didn’t realize it. Perhaps they would have never realized it if Heidi’s mother hadn’t found the photo album from that two-week vacation that took place decades ago.
“It absolutely blows my mind that we could have never found out that we first knew each other all those years ago,” said Heidi. Fate brought the two of them together after decades and they still felt that unavoidable attraction toward one another. This discovery was like a sign, a confirmation that they were meant to be together. “I didn’t believe in fate before finding that out, but there’s no arguing with it – we’re clearly meant to be together,” said Heidi.
A Mother Always Knows Best
A mother’s hunch was responsible for this amazing discovery. If Kay hadn’t been so persistent in finding out what was bothering her, the couple would have never known about their extraordinary connection. Ed and Heidi are far from an ordinary married couple and they deserved to know this. The photos Kay found in the storage room only brought them closer together!
“It was not just Heidi and Ed who met on that holiday but all of us as well,” Kay said. “It is just such a lovely, incredible story.” After all, the old, dusty photos brought the entire two families together and proved that extraordinary tales we see in movies can also happen in real life.
A True Reunion
It’s not only Ed and Heidi who found each other. Their parents also got reunited with old friends! This was a very happy time for both of these families. Today, Kay and her husband Keith are best friends with Fiona and Jonathan, Ed's dad, and they enjoy spending time together.
The two families share their love for travel and they also go on vacation together all the time! Things really worked out for Ed and Heidi who are happier than they could have ever imagined. It’s good to be reminded at times that things like this can happen, especially since Ed and Heidi weren’t the only ones brought together by fate.
A Mother's Everlasting Gesture of Love
Losing a parent at any age is a very difficult thing and one that unfortunately many people have to go through. It is especially difficult when there are still stages of your life that your parent will no longer be around to participate in, or when you are still young and could use their guidance throughout hard times during the rest of your life.
The pain of missing your relative can follow you even through the happiest times, and sneak up on you throughout the most normal of days. There is an absence that you don’t know will ever be filled - but sometimes our late relatives reappear in the living world, to remind us how much they too love us and miss us. Read on to find out what we mean.
Meet Emma
Emma Letts is a woman from Kibworth Beauchamp, in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. Kibworth Beauchamp is among the larger villages that are in Leicestershire, and Emma grew up there with her mother.
The two were very close during her whole life, and Emma wanted her mother there for all her big moments, and the little ones besides. Her mother, of course, wanted the same, and always thought that they would be able to be there for each other.
Love Like Ours
Emma had been dating Richard Wilson for a while. They met before 2016 and fell in love. There were children in their relationship and had a lot of good times. In 2016, they were very madly in love and were thinking about the life that they wanted to have together, and how it would look.
Although they had been through some ups and downs with their relationship, as of course, all couples have, and although they already did have a life built together, they knew that they wanted to be together forever and they just needed to decide when and where they would make it official. In the winter of 2016, December 26th, when Emma was 34, they finally got engaged!
At Last!
Of course, Emma’s mother was so thrilled for her daughter. There is little more that a mother dreams about than to be there on her daughter’s wedding day, to get ready in the morning with her and watch her walk down the aisle. As close as Emma and her mother were, they knew it would be a very special time for them both.
They couldn’t wait to start planning the wedding. They decided that it would happen in a little over a year from the engagement. Wedding planning, after all, takes a lot of time, and they wanted to make sure everything would be perfect for such an exciting day.
Suddenly Shocked
But then something terrible happened. At the end of January 2017, a month after Emma and Richard’s engagement, they were at their happiest moment so far and so looking forward to the beginning of planning their new life together at last. That was when the call came, and Emma got the worst news of her life.
Her beloved mother had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. It was a fatal diagnosis, a sickness that the doctors said would not go away, as her lungs were filled with cancer and turning against her. Emma had never been so devastated, or afraid.
Dreams Dashed
Emma had hoped her mother would be alive to see her marry her best friend. Richard meant the world to her, and her mother meant just as much. She wanted her to be there for the special day that they had dreamed about together ever since Emma was a little girl playing dress-up in their small town.
But now that joy was tinged with sorrow and fear, for it did not seem possible that Emma’s mother would make it to the wedding at all. In fact, they were just worried for her mother, wondering if she would make it through the next week, or the week after that, and onward. They lived their days worrying over the illness but still trying to make the most of the little time that they had left together and filled it up with good memories and happiness.
Rest in Peace
A year after the engagement, in 2017, Emma’s mother sadly passed away. She could not beat the lung cancer that had infected her, and she passed onward.
Emma was of course, very devastated. The whole family mourned and wondered what they would do now that their matriarch was no longer with them.
Adjustments
Emma was especially devastated that her mother wouldn’t be around for her wedding. She had to spend a lot of time grieving and trying to come to terms with the situation and rearrange her thoughts about how the big day would go.
Up until then, her imaginings had always featured her mother by her side, so picturing the time without her was very hard for Emma. There wouldn’t be the morning getting ready together, or the pictures together, or her mother’s smiling face down the aisle. It was a hard reality to adjust to.
We Carry On
But even though her mother would no longer be at the wedding, Emma had to keep on going with the wedding planning. Wedding planning is very stressful, even when situations are ideal.
So for Emma, who was still grieving, feeling very alone, taking care of a household, and working, it was all very overwhelming. Sometimes, she wasn’t sure how she would get through it all, especially since her fiance Richard had to work and could not lend as active a hand.
Plan a Perfect Party!
Everyone wants a perfect wedding, especially when we are so saturated with the idea that a perfect wedding will lead us to perfect happiness, a happily ever after with our one true love in our beautiful dress.
A wedding day is your day to shine, have the best times that you ever could imagine. Emma wanted a grand wedding day just as much as any other young bride, and at thirty-four she was finally ready for her magical fairytale moment. Even if it wouldn’t be the same without her magical mother.
Details, Details, Details!
The hall had to be found, and the date finalized accordingly - if they couldn’t find the perfect hall they would have to change their wedding date. Emma had to approve of a menu to make sure that the food was perfect and the dessert divine.
She also had to choose between a band and a DJ, and then find the band to play the music at the wedding who could come on the correct day. Of course, they needed to find the perfect photographer. All this was easier with a wedding planner, but not as easy as it would have been with her mother to help manage stress.
Come Together
Once those details were done, the perfect invitations had to be found, addressed to all the guests, stamped and sent out. Then there was the color scheme to be decided on, so that the bridesmaids and family would all match, and the napkins and decorations would look cohesive and beautiful together.
Wedding planning is a very difficult process, and Emma had to do it all now without her mother. But she figured out what to do and how to do it best, from the flowers for the bouquets to the flowers for the table to the flowers for the altar.
Which Dress to Say Yes?
Of course, there were also the shoes and the dress to be bought. The dress that a bride wears to her wedding is something she will dream about her whole life. She sketches it in the side of her notebook and she cuts out pictures from magazines and pins them on the internet.
She dreams about exactly which cut she will look best in. Long-sleeved or strapless? A-line or ballgown? Without her mother here to help, Emma had to make the big choices on her own.
These Boots Were Made For
Additionally to the dress, there are of course the shoes. Brides want their entire outfit to look perfect, and as any fashionable woman knows, the right shoes can make or break an outfit.
Flats or heels, platforms or stilettos, strappy or chunky - there are so many options and each will lend itself to a different look. Emma loves shoes, and he knew that hers had to be absolutely perfect to complete the dream.
Shoe Me!
The shoes were by far the most important part for Emma. She had dreamed of a custom pair of bridal shoes since she knew that they were possible, which was as long as she could remember, and had already picked out exactly what she wanted them to look like.
She built the rest of her outfit around the idea of these shoes. When she had first gotten engaged she had immediately put a quick deposit down on a beautiful pair of bridal shoes at Lace and Love in Leicestershire, a branch of the bigger and very famous custom shoe store.
Lots of Love and Lace!
Lace and Love are very well known for being a beautiful place to customize shoes, especially for your wedding. Hundreds of women go to them for their wedding shoes, and Emma was one of them. They are known all over the United Kingdom and even beyond, for classic, beautiful, and well-made shoes.
Emma expected to get exactly what she ordered when she went to pick up the shoes from the store, a few weeks before her wedding day fast approaching. But when she took her shoes out of the box in order to try them on for the first time and make sure they were a perfect fit, she received an incredibly shocking surprise!
Surprise Shoes
On the bottom of the shoes, there was a beautifully engraved message, written in golden script. It was from her mother!
Emma’s mother had paid for the shoes very far in advance and given the store a note to be engraved on the bottom of the shoes. It was a sign of love reaching out from beyond the grave, nearly two years after Emma’s mother had passed away from an unbeatable illness.
A Voice From the Past
Here she was again, and Emma could hear the exact way she would have sounded had she been standing in the store and speaking the words gently into her daughter’s ear.
How wonderful to be given the gift of your mother’s words, just when the stress was the highest and she needed to hear encouragement from a loved one the most. Emma broke down in tears, so overcome with how a mother’s love will live forever, and our family is a part of us no matter how far they may go.
Message From Mom
“Wanted you to have a gift from me on your wedding day,” the message said, “Your wedding shoes are my gift to you. Hope you have a magical day. Lots and lots of love and big hugs, Mum xxxx.” This was the note that brought Emma to tears.
She sobbed for so long and could barely breathe, she was so overcome with emotion and gratitude for her mother, who had seemed so distant just a moment before, and now seemed so very close. Emma was so thankful that her mother had thought this far in advance, about how hard it would be for her without her mother there on her wedding day.
Happy Tears
Emma said that “I had absolutely no idea. My fiance knew about it,” but she hadn’t known about the note at all, not even a suspicion. “It was just an absolute shock. I was just in bits. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk.”
Her fiance, Richard, had known what her mother had done, but he hadn’t spilled the beans at all, even for a little hint. Emma was thankful for the surprise, and it really was a huge surprise.
Beyond Customer Service
The shoes, which were customized exactly to Emma’s request, had the additional message added on. The store, Lace and Love, allows for this customization, but Emma hadn’t requested it in her original order. According to the store, Emma’s mother called a little bit before she passed away and asked for the message to be added.
She also asked to pay for the shoes. The store told her that Emma had already paid for half of them as a deposit, but Emma’s mother insisted on paying fully and asked them to refund Emma when she came to collect her shoes. So they did - happily.
Group Effort
The store was very happy to be a part of the surprise. They were used to emotional people, being a store that catered to brides and weddings, but this was a particularly bittersweet mission.
They worked hard to make sure that the shoes would be ready on time, with their special message included, and they even posted about it on Facebook, sharing the sweet gesture with their thousands of followers so that they too could understand the power of a mother’s love and devotion to her daughter.
Viral Love
Emma also posted about the touching moment on Facebook, and her friends and family shared in the joy she felt on this gift from beyond.
They thought it was so like Emma’s mother, and they were all so glad that she had remained true to herself and her love for Emma until the very end. There were many comments, likes, loves and shares for the post. It eventually went viral, and dozens of media outlets picked up the story.
Media Moment
The BBC interviewed Emma about her mother and about the shoes and did a touching piece on the pair. They also interviewed the store owner and the people who had helped make the shoes, and showed how such a simple touch of love could bring magic into the day to day life.
Facebook shared the story all over, and the shoes became famous for the joy they had brought in a time of sorrow. They made everyone want to go hug their mothers a little tighter, even for a moment.
A Message for Everyone
Emma got a lot of positive feedback from her friends and family, support pouring in from people who wanted to let her know that they were with her and felt for her. People who had gone through their own losses, be it a parent or another relative, reached out to her and told her that her story had given them some sort of hope.
It gave her a lot of hope as well, making her feel like her mother was with her every step of the way on her wedding day.
Missing Mom Still
It is a wonderful thing to get ready for your wedding with your mother. The woman who raised you throughout your childhood and troubled teenage years, preparing you now for womanhood and the unique journey that is marriage and making a life with a beloved man. Marriage is a difficult journey, but to get prepared for it with your mother by your side makes the beginning of the adventure an exciting but assured one.
It’s the kind of joy that Emma would not get to experience, but that she had dreamed about before she knew that her mother would not be with her for the special moment. Now, thanks to her mother’s thoughtful gift, it was almost enough to make up for that loss. Whenever Emma felt a strong wave of missing, she could look down at her own feet.
Just Look Down
Indeed, when her wedding day finally came after nearly three whole years of waiting, Emma was not as full of sadness as she thought she would be.
Of course, she missed her mother very much, but now she only had to look down at her feet to know that she was right with her and always would be. It was so nice to have a physical reminder of her mother’s love, the last message, and words that could be held. The wedding happened like a dream.
A Picture-Perfect Day
All the planning that Emma had done, before her mother passed and after, paid off. The wedding was a beautiful ceremony above the water full of friends and family.
There were pictures with the kids, pictures with both sides of the family, pictures of the happy couple. There was dancing, and of course, alcohol drunk that then led to heartwarming and funny moments.
Speak Your Heart
As is typical of weddings, people made speeches. The magic shoes got a shout out more than once, as a testament to the long-lasting power of love, how many special relationships Emma had and how she was going to be a mother who was just as devoted and loving as her own mother had always been to her.
There was not a dry eye in the entire hall when people talked about the shoes, about the loss of the motherly presence but the continuation of the motherly love.
Get A Kick Out Of It
Emma was more than happy to lift up her foot and show everyone the golden script. The store members from Lace and Love came to the wedding as well.
They were so honored to see how much joy their work had brought to the wedding party and guests. Of course, Richard was thrilled as well to see his wife so happy.
By My Side
There were beautiful pictures, beautiful moments, and a lot of love and laughter. And through every moment, wherever Emma went, her mother went with her.
Sometimes, even when the ones we love are not beside us, they can still be so close to us that we can feel their presence, hear their voice, and know that they are looking over our shoulders and keeping us strong.
We Are Family Forever
Emma’s mother may not have been there physically, but her spirit walked beside her daughter as she married the love of her life and her very best friend.
And of course, the rest of Emma and Richard’s family were all there to celebrate together, as the Letts and the Wilsons became family forever, held as tightly together as Emma’s buckles held her feet in her magical shoes.
Walking Toward The Future
After Richard and Emma got married they continued their happy life together with their beautiful children. They are so proud to be raising their kids in Kibworth Beauchamp, and hope to leave as lasting an impression on their kids as Emma’s mother left on her.
Of course, Emma hopes one day to have the joy of seeing her own daughter walk down the aisle. For now, the shoes have a place of honor in their home, and Emma’s mother has a place of honor in their hearts.