Lucy always had a soft spot for the underdog, and Mark, a homeless man she befriended, was no exception. She saw something special in him, something her friends and family couldn’t. When her wedding invitations went out, she insisted on including Mark. Despite the murmurs of disapproval, she wanted him there, not just as a guest, but as a part of her new beginning. Mark, on the other hand, was brewing a surprise that would stun everyone. Behind his rugged, worn exterior was a secret he had guarded even from Lucy. With the wedding approaching, he felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Would his revelation be a welcome surprise, or would it disrupt the joyous day? He could only hope for the best. The wedding day sparkled with autumn sun, casting a perfect light on Lucy and her fiancé, Jack, as they exchanged vows. The air buzzed with happiness and celebration, the perfect scene for new beginnings. As the ceremony concluded, Mark’s moment drew near. His hands trembled slightly as he reached for the microphone, his heart pounding with the weight of his impending revelation. As Mark stood up, the room fell into a hushed anticipation. Lucy looked on, puzzled but supportive, trusting her friend. Then, with a deep breath, Mark began to unveil his surprise. The words he spoke were not what anyone expected, revealing a depth to his life that Lucy had never known. The revelation changed everything. Lucy’s eyes widened with each word Mark spoke. Her heart raced as she pieced together the man she thought she knew with the truths now coming to light. In those moments, her perception of Mark transformed completely. What he shared reshaped their friendship and left everyone in attendance in stunned silence. But what exactly did Mark reveal at the wedding? What secrets had he kept that could so profoundly shock Lucy and alter their friendship? The questions lingered in the air, thick with curiosity and newfound respect for the complexity of the man they only thought they knew. Lucy had never been one to walk past someone in need. Her connection with Mark began on a chilly evening, her heart going out to the man with sad eyes holding a sign that read, “Homeless and Hungry.” Without a second thought, she approached him, her voice soft, asking if he needed a meal, marking the beginning of an unexpected friendship. As they shared a simple meal on the sidewalk, Lucy listened intently to Mark’s story of hardship and loss. His journey from a stable job to the streets had been swift and brutal. Lucy’s empathy deepened with every word, her resolve to help strengthening. This was not just about charity; it was about human connection. Their friendship grew with each encounter, each story shared between them over meals on the curb. Despite the hardships he faced, Mark’s kindness and resilience shone through, painting him as more than just a statistic of homelessness. To Lucy, he embodied hope and the strength of the human spirit. When Jack proposed, Lucy’s joy was immense. Eager to share her happiness, she rushed to tell Mark, not just as a friend, but as someone integral to her life. His reaction was a mix of joy and something else—a hint of the secret he held back. As she basked in her engagement bliss, little did she know the depth of the surprise Mark planned for her wedding day. His proposal was beautiful and more than Lucy could have ever dreamed of. They were away for the weekend, hiking through the mountains and sleeping in a romantic cottage. It was truly perfect, and Lucy immediately searched for Mark when they returned home, and his response to the news was nothing but lovely. When she told him about the engagement, Mark was thrilled for her. “You deserve all the happiness in the world,” he said. They hugged, and Lucy felt like Mark was truly happy for her. He didn’t look at her as someone who had it better than him; he looked past that. Instead, he saw Lucy for who she was. As Lucy and Jack began planning their wedding, they knew they wanted to do something special for Mark. They wanted him to be a part of their special day, not just as a guest, but as someone who would play an important role in the ceremony. And Lucy knew just the way to do that. So, in the weeks leading up to the wedding, Lucy and Jack invited Mark to be their officiant. Mark was stunned. “Me?” he said. “Are you sure?” Lucy and Jack smiled and nodded. “We’re sure,” Lucy said. “You’ve become such an important part of our lives, and we can’t think of anyone better to marry us.” Mark felt a lump form in his throat. He had never expected to be a part of something so special. “I would be honored,” he said. As the wedding day approached, Mark rehearsed his lines over and over again, making sure that he had everything memorized. He wanted to do a good job, to make Lucy and Jack proud. But little did Lucy and Jack know that Mark was planning to do something very special at their wedding. There was one part of his life he hadn’t shared with them yet, and he thought their wedding day would be the perfect time to show them. But his surprise needed a bit of planning. He had to pull off the surprise of his life. And that wasn’t an easy task. Being homeless, it was hard for him to use the right resources. If he had to look something up, he had to go to a public library, and sometimes they wouldn’t even let him in. But Mark was determined to make it work. He decided to befriend a librarian. And with his naturally kind and charismatic character, his plan quickly worked. She let him use the computer as long as he liked and even lent him a few books. Mark was very careful with the books and only took them outside to read in the sun.  After a few days, Mark had done enough research. He thanked the librarian for her kindness and returned all of his books. Then, he went to the nearby park and sat down on a bench. His surprise was far from finished, but he was going in the right direction. He was sure Lucy and Jack would love it.  Mark spent the next few days pouring over his notebook, scribbling down ideas for the surprise he had planned for Lucy and Jack’s wedding. He wanted to do something special for the couple, something that would show them just how much they meant to him. It was a grand gesture, something they would never expect.  The days leading up to the wedding flew by in a blur, and before Mark knew it, the big day had arrived. Lucy had arranged for Mark to stay at a nearby hotel and rented a tux for him to wear. She made sure Mark felt confident standing before so many unknown people. He hadn’t worn such a nice suit in a long time and almost felt like himself again. He confidently traveled to the wedding location and was amazed by how it looked. It was a beautiful outside wedding, and judging how many chairs were set out for the guest, it was going to be a big wedding too. Guests were slowly turning up and looking for their seats. Everyone chatted happily together and didn’t seem to pay much attention to Mark, who awkwardly stood somewhere by a tree. He wasn’t sure when he was supposed to walk to the altar, but he didn’t want to be too soon and standing there on his own for long. Suddenly the wedding planner walked over to Mark and asked him how he was doing. She smiled at him and made him feel at ease. She told him he should walk to the alter in about five minutes so that they could install the microphone to his height and do a little sound check. So, that’s what Mark did. He walked to the altar and waited patiently. Technicians walked around him, arranging the microphone’s cables so no one would trip over them, and they asked Mark to test the microphone briefly. He tapped his finger, and a loud noise echoed through the speakers. Then, it was time. Mark stood in front of everyone, waiting for Jack and Lucy to walk down the aisle. First, it was Jack’s turn. He walked confidently and shook Mark’s hand as he stood next to him. After Jack came the bridesmaids, three of Lucy’s best friends. They whispered to each other as they stood next to Mark, making him very self-conscious. Suddenly, he felt everyone’s eyes burning. They all stared at him, and some even whispered to the person they sat next to. Mark couldn’t help but feel they were judging him. His palms got sweaty, and he suddenly felt panic rising. He had to get out of there as fast as possible.  Out of nowhere, Mark ran up the aisle and out of the room. As he exited the room, he almost ran into Lucy, who was only minutes away from walking down the aisle. She was surprised to see Mark not standing in place and asked him what was going on.  Mark’s emotions got the best of him, and a tear rolled down his cheek as he described what had happened. He had gotten stage fright as he felt everyone was talking about him and judging him for being homeless. And he wasn’t entirely wrong. Not everyone understood Lucy and Jack’s decision to involve Mark in their wedding. Lucy had feared this would happen. She knew her parents didn’t understand their decision, but she didn’t care about their opinions. It was her special day, and if she wanted to involve Mark, she would. So, she tried her best to calm him down and told him to stop caring about other people’s opinions. “Mark, you mean the world to us, and we don’t care about the opinions of others! You are truly our friend, and we are proud to have you at our wedding. I’m sure everyone will love you once they get to know you, all you have to do is be yourself!”  Mark calmed down and knew Lucy was right. He had almost ruined her special day with his own troubles. Now he really wanted his surprise to be big. He got himself together and confidently walked to his spot again, holding his head high and looking straight in front of him. He briefly explained everything to Jack. Jack understood his worries and patted him on the shoulder. “You got this, man. Lucy cares so much about you. We chose you for a reason.” he said to Mark as he smiled with comforting eyes. Mark had never felt such love from anyone before.  He took a deep breath and reminded himself of what he had planned. He felt ready to prove everyone who ever looked at him badly wrong. He wasn’t just a helpless, homeless person, and with his surprise in mind, he was sure everyone would change their minds about him afterward.  Suddenly the music started, and everyone rose off their seats. They turned to the door and waited for Lucy to come out. But the door stayed shut. Everyone waited patiently, and Jack shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Lucy was waiting for the right part of the music to start, and when it did, the doors opened.  Finally, it was time for Lucy to walk down the aisle. She looked gorgeous in her wedding dress, and everyone could feel the love in the air. Jack couldn’t contain his emotions and cried as Lucy happily approached him. It was a beautiful moment, and one Mark wouldn’t forget quickly. Mark’s heart was pounding in his chest as it was his time to speak. He cleared his throat and wanted to begin, but suddenly realized he had forgotten all of his rehearsed lines. He looked at Lucy, and she could see he was panicking on the inside. She looked at him reassuringly, and Mark eventually got himself together again. He looked at the ground and took a big breath. Mark knew everyone was waiting for him to speak, making this even more nerve-wracking. Finally, he briefly closed his eyes and told himself he could do it. And when he opened his eyes again, he began to speak from the heart. “Welcome, everyone! We gather here today to celebrate the love and commitment of Jack and Lucy,” Mark began. “As their dear friend, it’s an honor for me to stand before them as they embark on this beautiful journey together.” Everyone looked intensely at Mark, but he couldn’t care less this time. “Today is a day filled with love, joy, and celebration, and I want to express how much Jack and Lucy mean to all of us.” Then, Mark told about his first time meeting Lucy. He had never expected their friendship to blossom as it did, and he couldn’t thank her enough. A tear rolled down Lucy’s cheek as she listened to his kind words. But not everyone was interested in Mark’s story. He noticed one of the bridesmaids rolled her eyes and sighed in boredom. It hurt his feelings, and Lucy noticed it too. Luckily for Mark, Lucy didn’t let it slide. She took a big step backward and placed her heel onto her bridesmaid’s toe.  “Oops, sorry!” she said while looking back at her bridesmaid, who had to hold in her scream. It looked like an honest mistake from the outside, but Mark, Lucy, and the bridesmaid all knew why she did that. It was clear Lucy cared a lot about Mark, and she wasn’t afraid to show it. Then, it was time to exchange their vows. As Lucy and Jack exchanged their vows, Mark couldn’t help but smile. They were so in love, and he was honored to be a part of their special day. Mark felt a sense of happiness for his friends, and his excitement grew as he knew his surprise was about to happen. However, just as the ceremony was about to come to an end, there was a sudden commotion near the altar. It turned out that the rings were missing! Panic spread among the guests, and Lucy and Jack looked bewildered as the best man and maid of honor frantically searched for the rings. Mark’s heart skipped a beat. He had carefully planned his surprise to follow immediately after the exchange of rings, and now it seemed like his moment might be ruined. He stood there, feeling a mix of anxiety and concern. He wanted everything to go smoothly for his friends and didn’t want to disappoint them. It didn’t look good for the rings, and everyone felt the tension in the air. To lighten the mood, Jack ran to a bush to lighten the mood and made a ring out of a small twig. He walked back over to Lucy, who saw what he had done and smiled lovingly. Jack told her they didn’t need expensive rings. All they needed was each other. After a tense few minutes, the rings were finally found. They had gotten lost in a small hole in the pocket of the best man’s suit. Much to everyone’s relief, they were able to get them out. The ceremony resumed, and Jack and Lucy exchanged rings with beaming smiles on their faces. After the ceremony ended, everyone walked to the room where the wedding reception would take place. The room was beautifully decorated, and there was a large table that presented all sorts of foods. A dance floor lay in the middle of the room, and the wedding cake stood on a big pillar close to the bride and groom’s table.  Mark was mesmerized by the room. He had never seen anything like it before. He looked around to search for Lucy, but she was nowhere to be found. And when he looked for Jack, Mark noticed he wasn’t there either. Where could they be? His surprise was about to be revealed. He figured they would come any minute to make their grand entrance together. Everyone was busy with their own things. Some people searched for their seats while others stood together, happily chatting away. No one seemed to mind that Jack and Lucy weren’t there, no one but Mark.  Mark walked around the room and looked everywhere. Then, the DJ suddenly called Mark’s name. It was time. Shit, Mark thought. His surprise couldn’t begin yet; Lucy and Jack weren’t even in the room.  “Mark, where ya at?” The DJ called again. “One moment!” Mark desperately yelled back. He had to stall for some time. He had to sneak out of the room, but everyone stood close by the door. So, Mark figured there was nothing else he could do but not care about others’ opinions. He had learned from the best, which was Lucy, that the opinions of others weren’t important for his own happiness.  He ran out of the room, and everyone looked at him confusedly. “Lucy? Lucy?!” he yelled. Suddenly he heard a faint sound. “Mark?” someone yelled back. It was Lucy. “I’m in here!” Mark entered a room and saw Lucy and Jack standing next to each other in front of a mirror.  They were changing their outfits for their grand entrance. “You guys have to come to the reception room,” Mark told them while holding the door open.  “What’s going on, Mark? Did something happen?” Lucy worryingly asked. “No, nothing like that. But I have a big surprise for you guys,” Mark replied. Lucy and Jack’s faces lit up as Mark told them about his surprise. They had never expected anything in return from him, so this was totally unexpected. They quickly followed Mark back to the reception room. Mark went in first, so Lucy and Jack could still do their grand entrance. Everyone clapped as they walked through the door.  They thanked everyone for being there on their special day and said a special thank you to Mark. Then, the DJ asked Mark to come to the stage again and held out the microphone to him. Everyone wondered what was going to happen, especially Lucy. She had never seen this side of Mark before. Finally, it was time for Mark to grab the microphone. He walked to the center of the dance floor with a big spotlight on him. He looked out at the gathered guests, including Lucy and Jack, who were eagerly awaiting his surprise. But first, he had a little speech prepared. He began to speak, his voice steady now, and he poured his heart out in his words. He expressed his gratitude for Lucy and Jack’s friendship, their unwavering support, and the love they had shown him over the years. Mark’s words were sincere, and as he spoke, he could see tears in Lucy and Jack’s eyes. He could also see the joy and appreciation in their expressions, and it filled his heart with warmth. Then, as Mark finished his speech, he took a deep breath, and to everyone’s surprise, he began to sing. Everyone was surprised by this side of Mark and never expected it to happen. His voice was rich and soulful, and the lyrics were a reflection of his feelings for Lucy and Jack, capturing the essence of their relationship and the love they shared. As Mark sang, the guests were captivated by his performance. Many were moved to tears, and some even joined in, softly humming along with the melody.  When Mark finished his song, there was a moment of silence, followed by thunderous applause. The guests were on their feet, cheering and clapping for Mark’s heartfelt performance. Lucy and Jack were visibly touched, and they rushed to Mark, embracing him tightly, thanking him for the most beautiful surprise they could have imagined. The rest of the evening was filled with celebration and joy. Mark’s surprise had been a resounding success, and he was overcome with happiness and fulfillment. He no longer felt judged, and he danced and laughed with his friends, cherishing the moment and feeling grateful for the bond he shared with Lucy and Jack. They enjoyed the delicious menu Lucy had put together for the guests, and after that, it was time to cut the cake. They had a beautiful four-tiered wedding cake with flowers and other deliciousness covering the sides. Everyone surrounded the cake and cheered as they cut a piece of it.  Lucy had warned Jack not to push a piece in her face, but Jack just couldn’t do nothing. He scooped a big chunk of whipped cream on his finger and smeared it on Lucy’s nose. Lucy screamed and laughed as she jokily grabbed the piece of cake and shoved it into Jack’s face.  Jack didn’t mind at all and even pushed a piece of cake in Mark’s face. Mark laughed out loud and licked his lips. Pieces of cake hung from his beard, and he quickly cleaned it with a piece of paper. When everyone ate a piece of the cake, it was time to dance.  Lucy danced with her friends and family, and there was not a worry in sight. Mark had never seen so much love in one room, and everyone got along great with each other. Suddenly a little girl came up to Mark and grabbed his hand. She gently pulled him to the dance floor and started dancing with him. Mark was a bit unsure at first, but he eventually let loose. He danced with the girl and even slowly danced with one of Lucy’s single aunts. It was truly a night he will never forget, and he was very grateful to be part of it. But the night couldn’t go on forever. As the night came to a close, Lucy and Jack pulled Mark aside to express their deepest gratitude once again. They thanked him for his heartfelt words and beautiful song and told him that his surprise had made their wedding day even more special and unforgettable. Mark smiled as he hugged his friends tightly. As they looked out at the twinkling stars in the night sky together, Mark felt a deep sense of contentment. He realized that sometimes, the most meaningful surprises come from the heart, and that expressing love and appreciation for the people who mean the most to us can create some of the most cherished moments in life—the end.