05/20/2025
After 25 years, the father came to his daughter's wedding — but he was turned away… And moments later, the crying spread among everyone present.
An elderly man approached the grand entrance of a prestigious restaurant, uncertain. His suit was neatly pressed but visibly worn — apparently, he had worn it many years ago, and today was the first time he’d put it on in a long time. His gray hair lay on his head in sparse strands, as if unsure whether it should stay in its previous arrangement. Stopping at the door, he looked at his reflection in the tinted glass, adjusted his collar, sighed deeply, and entered.
Barely crossing the threshold, he ran into a security guard. The guard looked at him as though he were a ghost from the past.
""Who are you?"" he grunted. ""You think this is some sort of social services or charity event?""
""I'm here for the wedding..."" the old man answered quietly. ""My daughter is getting married today..."" The corners of his lips lifted slightly in a bitter smile.
The guard furrowed his brow, said something into his radio, casting suspicious glances at the guest. The man, feeling his anxiety rise, tried to catch a glimpse of the hall through the glass partitions but saw nothing — the wedding was clearly taking place somewhere in the far wing of the restaurant.
A minute later, two men in strict suits came out. Without saying a word, they took him by the arms and led him into the service area.
""What are you doing here?!"" a woman shoved him aside, as if he were an unwanted object. ""Leave! You don't belong here!""
""Please… I just wanted to see my daughter…""
It turned out that they were the groom's parents. They found it hard to believe that this man could be a relative of the bride.
""We're well-known here,"" the woman said coldly, adjusting her designer jacket. ""And who are you?""
""That's an interesting question,"" the man remarked.
""But completely unnecessary,"" she added. ""Look around: these people came to celebrate, not to witness someone else's need. Leave before you ruin everyone's mood.""
The woman clearly liked to control the situation, and the more she spoke, the angrier she became.
""Vasily Igorevich,"" the old man introduced himself, extending his hand.
She didn’t even glance at his palm, stepping back further, as if he could infect her with his poverty.
Realizing they wouldn’t let him into the celebration, Vasily Igorevich began to explain:
""I didn’t come here for the food… The journey was long, the road — not short. Nearly my entire pension went into the ticket…""
This only heightened their suspicions.
""Then wait,"" the woman suddenly softened. ""We'll collect some leftovers from the kitchen and bring them to you. You can eat on your way back.""
""I didn’t come for that,"" he replied with dignity. ""I don’t need anything… I just want to see Yanochka.""
""‘Just wants to see,’"" her husband mocked. ""We paid for everything, we organized everything, and he just shows up to look around!""
""She has become like our own!"" the woman exclaimed. ""She’s marrying our son! Now she’s part of our family! And you think you can just come and be one of us? No one’s heard of you, and you — bam! — and you’re already here!""
She gave him a contemptuous look, especially lingering on his clothes.
""Maybe you're not even the bride’s father? Just decided to get a free dinner?""
The old man lowered his eyes, hid his wrinkled hands, squeezing them between his knees. He looked at his polished but old shoes, then at the impeccable leather shoes of the man opposite him, and, with a heavy sigh, agreed to take the ""leftovers.""
The groom’s parents exchanged glances — they were right. The wife nodded, and they headed for the kitchen, leaving the old man alone.
In reality, Yanna was indeed his daughter. And he hadn’t seen her in 25 years.
No, he didn’t deny that he was at fault. He understood why they judged him. But the past couldn’t be returned.
""If people knew how their choices would turn out, they might have done things differently,"" he thought. As they say: ""If you knew where you would fall, you would lay down straw.""
Twenty-five years ago, when he said goodbye to little Yanna, he never thought...
Continued in the comments
