After losing my wife Emily in a plane crash, I learned to live with regret. I spent 23 years mourning my lost love, only to discover that fate had left me one more meeting with her and a jolting truth I’d never dreamed of.
I stood at Emily’s grave, my fingers tracing the cold marble headstone. Twenty-three years, and the pain still felt fresh. The roses I’d brought were bright against the gray stone, like drops of blood on snow.
A grieving man in a cemetery | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry, Em,” I whispered, the words catching in my throat. “I should have listened.”
My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. I almost ignored it, but habit made me check the screen.
“Abraham?” my business partner James’s voice crackled through the speaker. “Sorry to bother you on your cemetery visit day.”
“It’s fine.” I cleared my throat, trying to sound normal. “What’s up?”
“Our new hire from Germany lands in a few hours. Could you pick her up? I’m stuck in meetings all afternoon.”
A man holding a phone in a cemetery | Source: Midjourney
I glanced at Emily’s headstone one last time. “Sure, I can do that.”
“Thanks, buddy. Her name’s Elsa. Flight lands at 2:30.”
“Text me the flight details. I’ll be there.”
The arrivals hall buzzed with activity as I held up my hastily made sign reading “ELSA.”
A young woman with honey-blonde hair caught my eye and walked over, pulling her suitcase. Something about her movement and the way she carried herself made my heart skip a beat.
A young woman in an airport waving her hand | Source: Midjourney
“Sir?” Her accent was slight but noticeable. “I’m Elsa.”
“Welcome to Chicago, Elsa. Please, call me Abraham.”
“Abraham.” She smiled, and for a moment, I felt dizzy. That smile reminded me so much of something I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Shall we get your luggage?” I asked quickly, pushing the thought away.
On the drive to the office, she spoke about her move from Munich and her excitement about the new job. There was something familiar about her laugh and the way her eyes crinkled at the corners.
A man driving a car | Source: Midjourney
“I hope you don’t mind,” I said, “but the team usually does lunch together on Thursdays. Would you like to join us?”
“That would be wonderful! In Germany, we say ‘Lunch makes half the work.’”
I laughed. “We say something similar here… ‘Time flies when you’re having lunch!’”
“That’s terrible!” She giggled. “I love it.”
At lunch, Elsa had everyone in stitches with her stories. Her sense of humor matched mine perfectly — dry, slightly dark, with perfect timing. It was uncanny.
A delighted woman laughing | Source: Midjourney
“You know,” Mark from accounting said, “you two could be related. Same weird jokes.”
I laughed it off. “She’s young enough to be my daughter. Besides, my wife and I never had children.”
The words tasted bitter in my mouth. Emily and I had wanted children so badly.
Over the next few months, Elsa proved herself invaluable at work. She had my eye for detail and determination. Sometimes, watching her work reminded me so much of my late wife that my chest would tighten.
A woman in an office | Source: Midjourney
“Abraham?” Elsa knocked on my office door one afternoon. “My mother’s visiting from Germany next week. Would you like to join us for dinner? She’s dying to meet my new American family. I mean, my boss!”
I smiled at her choice of words. “I’d be honored.”
The restaurant the following weekend was quiet and elegant. Elsa’s mother, Elke, was studying me with an intensity that made me uncomfortable. When Elsa excused herself to the restroom, Elke’s hand shot out, gripping my shoulder with surprising strength.
“Don’t you dare look at my daughter that way,” she hissed.
A furious senior woman frowning | Source: Midjourney
I jerked back. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I know everything about you, Abraham. Everything.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Let me tell you a story,” she interrupted, her voice dropping to a whisper. Her eyes held mine, and suddenly I couldn’t look away. “A story about love, betrayal, and second chances.”
Elke leaned forward, her fingers wrapped around her wine glass. “Once, there was a woman who loved her husband more than life itself. They were young, passionate, and full of dreams.”
“I don’t see what this has to do with—”
An anxious man in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“Listen,” she commanded softly. “This woman wanted to give her husband something special. You see, there was an old friend… someone who’d had a falling out with her husband years ago. She thought, ‘What better gift than to heal old wounds?’“
My heart began to pound as Elke continued.
“She reached out to this friend, Patrick. Remember that name, Abraham? They met in secret, planning a surprise reconciliation for her husband’s birthday.”
The room seemed to spin. “How do you know about Patrick?”
A man gaping in shock | Source: Midjourney
She continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “Then, just before the birthday celebration, she discovered something wonderful. She was pregnant. For a brief moment, everything was perfect. A baby, a reconciled friendship, a complete family… Just perfect.”
Her voice cracked. “But then came the photographs. Her husband’s sister, always so protective and jealous, brought them to him. Pictures of his wife walking with Patrick, talking, laughing, their secret meetings at the park. Everything. And instead of asking, instead of trusting the woman he claimed to love, he just—”
“Stop!” I whispered.
A shocked man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
“He threw her out,” Elke continued. “Wouldn’t take her calls. Wouldn’t let her explain that she’d been planning his birthday surprise, that Patrick had agreed to come to the party, to make peace after all these years.”
Tears were running down her face now. “She tried to end it all. She wanted to just run away somewhere where nobody knew her. But her employer found her and got her help. Arranged for her to leave the country and start fresh. But the plane—”
“The plane crashed,” I finished, my voice hollow.
An airplane | Source: Unsplash
“Yes. The plane crashed. She was found with another passenger’s ID — a woman named Elke who hadn’t survived. Her face was unrecognizable. Required multiple surgeries to reconstruct. And all the while, she carried a child. Your child, Abraham.”
“EMILY?” The name came out as a broken whisper. “You’re ali—”
“ALIVE!” She nodded slowly, and I saw it then. Those eyes… beneath the different face, the changed features. Those same eyes I’d fallen in love with 25 years ago.
“And Elsa?”
A smiling senior woman in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
“Is your daughter.” She took a shaky breath. “When she told me about her wonderful new boss in Chicago and showed me your picture, I knew I had to come. I was afraid…”
“Afraid of what?”
“That history might repeat itself. That you might fall for her, not knowing who she was. The universe has a cruel sense of humor sometimes.”
I sat back, stunned. “All these months… the similar sense of humor, the familiar gestures. Jesus Christ! I was working alongside my own daughter?”
An emotional man | Source: Midjourney
“She has so much of you in her,” Emily said softly. “Your determination, your creativity. Even that terrible pun habit of yours.”
Elsa returned to find us both silent, tears streaming down my face. Emily took her hand.
“Sweetheart, we need to talk outside. There’s something you need to know. Come with me.”
They were gone for what felt like hours. I sat there, memories flooding back — Emily’s smile the day we met, our first dance, and the last terrible fight. Memories crashed over me like a boulder, and my head started to ache.
A stunned man holding his head | Source: Midjourney
When they returned, Elsa’s face was pale, her eyes red-rimmed. She stood there, staring at me like she was seeing a ghost.
“DAD?”
I nodded, unable to speak. She crossed the distance between us in three steps and threw her arms around my neck. I held her tight, breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling 23 years of loss and love crash over me at once.
“I always wondered,” she whispered against my shoulder. “Mom never talked about you, but I always felt like something was missing.”
A young woman in a bustling restaurant | Source: Midjourney
The weeks that followed were a blur of long conversations, shared memories, and tentative steps forward. Emily and I met for coffee, trying to bridge the gulf of years between us.
“I don’t expect things to go back to how they were,” she said one afternoon, watching Elsa through the café window as she parked her car. “Too much time has passed. But maybe we can build something new… for her sake.”
I watched my daughter — God, my daughter — walk toward us, her smile brightening the room. “I was so wrong, Emily. About everything,” I turned to my wife.
An emotional man looking outside | Source: Midjourney
“We both made mistakes,” she said softly. “But look what we made first.” She nodded toward Elsa, who was now arguing playfully with the barista about the proper way to make a cappuccino.
One evening, as we sat in my backyard watching the sunset, Emily finally told me about the crash. Her voice trembled as she recounted those terrifying moments.
“The plane went down over the lake,” she said, her fingers tightening around her tea cup. “I was one of 12 survivors. When they pulled me from the water, I was barely conscious, clutching a woman named Elke’s passport. We’d been seated together, talking about our pregnancies. She was pregnant too. But she didn’t make it.”
A sad woman with her eyes closed | Source: Midjourney
Emily’s eyes grew distant. “The doctors said it was a miracle both the baby and I survived. Third-degree burns covered most of my face and upper body. During the months of reconstructive surgery, I kept thinking about you, about how fate had given me a new face and a new chance. But I was scared, Abraham. Scared you wouldn’t believe me. Scared you’d reject us again.”
“I would have known you,” I whispered. “Somehow, I would have known.”
She smiled sadly. “Would you? You worked with our daughter for months without recognizing her.”
A senior woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
The truth of her words stabbed me. I thought about all the little moments over the years: the dreams where Emily was trying to tell me something, the strange sense of familiarity when I met Elsa, and the way my heart seemed to recognize what my mind couldn’t grasp.
“When I was strong enough,” Emily continued, “Elke’s family in Munich took me in. They’d lost their daughter, and I’d lost everything. We helped each other heal. They became Elsa’s family too. They knew my story and kept my secret. It wasn’t just my choice to make anymore.”
Grayscale shot of a woman holding a baby girl | Source: Unsplash
I left that conversation with a new understanding of the woman I’d thought I knew.
And while our relationship would never be perfect, I knew that sometimes the truth about people isn’t as clear as we think. Sometimes it takes 23 years, a twist of fate, and a daughter’s laugh to help us see what was there all along.
Finally, I understood something: Love isn’t about perfect endings.It’s about second chances and finding the courage to rebuild from the ashes of what was lost. And sometimes, if you’re very lucky, those ashes give birth to something even more beautiful than what came before.
A man smiling | Source: Midjourney
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Kids with Maria Shriver ‘Don’t Love’ His Illegitimate Son Who’s ‘Snubbed’ by Them, Claims Source
During his appearance on the red carpet with his kids, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed the distance that existed between his lovechild and Maria Shriver’s kids.
The link between the actor’s kids was apparently clarified.
Arnold frequently discussed the treatment of Joseph, the son he had with his former domestic, who looked much like him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, appeared on the red carpet in May 2023 with his kids by his side. With the former’s husband, Chris Pratt, beside her, his daughters Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, encircled their father.
The family attended Arnold’s new show, “FUBAR,” premiere in support of him. The odd thing was that Joseph “Joe” Baena, 25, his illegitimate son who looks like him and came out to support his father, was pictured on the red carpet by himself.
Arnold was devoted to each of his five children. Christina and Katherine were two of the four children he had during his marriage to Maria Shriver. Joe was their half-sibling at the same time because of his relationship with Mildred Baena, their previous housekeeper.
Based on the pictures, it appeared that the actor’s older kids had no interest in spending time with his love child. Like his well-known father, Joe is a bodybuilder, and he posted a photo of himself by himself from the Netflix premiere.
Arnold was devoted to each of his five children. Christina and Katherine were two of the four children he had during his marriage to Maria Shriver. Joe was their half-sibling at the same time because of his relationship with Mildred Baena, their previous housekeeper.
Based on the pictures, it appeared that the actor’s older kids had no interest in spending time with his love child. Like his well-known father, Joe is a bodybuilder, and he posted a photo of himself by himself from the Netflix premiere.
The person encouraged Joe to use the snub as leverage, speculating that it might be the result of “racial hostility.” The follower took issue with Joe’s siblings attending the same premiere, posing for a group shot, and ignoring him completely.
While some thought it was unfortunate to witness the split, others were happy that Arnold loved his kids just as much. But because Joe was following in the actor’s footsteps professionally, one fan thought the star liked him a “little more,” while another said:
Arnold’s real legacy is Joe, and his affluent, slothful children are obviously bitter. Joe, keep on trucking.
Someone else said that they began following Joe on Instagram in order to offer him the assistance that his “snobby siblings choose not to” give. The fan believed that because he worked hard in his training, avoided using his father’s last name, got a job, and supported and looked up to Arnold, he was a great role model for others.
The person thought Joe was a model son. Another disciple said that the young man was wonderful and that Katharine, who identified as a “Christian,” ought not to have treated him in such a manner since it was not “Christlike,” adding:
“She is a shame.”
Joe, according to an Instagram user, was the perfect young replica of his father and was “so loved.” The person told Arnold’s son to keep his chin up and ask God to bless him because they could see how jealous people might be.
One admirer said that Joe was a wonderful man and that it was a “shame” that his siblings had treated him badly because of things outside of his control. The celebrity’s son neither removed nor replied to any of the comments.
In “FUBAR,” where he played an almost-retired CIA agent, Monica Barbaro played Arnold’s daughter. Joe said on the red carpet that he thought it was “cute” to watch his father acting like a parent and that he enjoyed it.
The famous person’s son revealed that his father instilled in him the value of consistently practicing and putting in “the reps.” In 2023, Joe was scheduled to star with Morgan Freeman in the action movie “Gunner.”
What kind of relationship does Joe have with the children that Arnold and Shriver had?
A source claims that Joe wasn’t loved by Arnold’s children with Shriver. The young man who had a run on “Dancing with the Stars” was a lovely kid, and the actor always treated him equally with his other kids, so the insider thought it was unfortunate.
But it’s said that Joe was chastised by Arnold’s other children for their father’s extramarital affair. Witnesses claim that after the Los Angeles premiere of “FUBAR,” Shriver’s unmarried child stayed behind at the after-party while her children returned home.
The insider revealed how close the “Terminator” actor was to Joe and how he’d taken him to a number of functions. The insider believed that although the “snubbing” wasn’t fair, it made sense because he was the result of something that shouldn’t have happened.
The celebrity’s other children, according to a different insider, handled the affair with dignity and respect. But according to a family employee, Patrick, 29, and Christopher, 25, were closer to Joe than Katherine and Christina, who had no relationship with him.
Eight years later, according to a source, everyone was still figuring out how to get over the nightmare, even though they had done a good job creating a new normal. It was revealed by another person that the family was attempting to build a private relationship with Joe prior to going public.
It was said that Joe longed for a relationship with his half-siblings. Katherine posted pictures of herself with her three siblings on Instagram on April 10, 2023, National Siblings Day, expressing her love for them.
She was swiftly criticized by her followers for shunning Joe, even though he made the extra effort to like and follow their social media posts. The person said that, with the exception of Joe’s photos, Arnold’s kids enjoyed his photos.
Joe grew up with his brothers and visited their Pacific Palisades residence from 1986 to 2003, so the supposed snub was peculiar. Someone who was acquainted with Katharine believed that since their father had concealed who he was for many years, there was no justification for her to be friends with her half-brother.
Katherine’s family was devastated, humiliated, and ruined by the affair, so the source couldn’t hold it against her for refusing to accept the “living reminder” of it. Without Joe, Shriver’s kids also observed significant occasions.
Without Joe, Patrick’s parents and siblings got together to celebrate his birthday in September 2021. The previous year, on his birthday, Christopher was joined by Arnold, Shriver, and several of his siblings—all but his half-brother—at home.
Patrick posted an Instagram photo of his father’s birthday in August 2020, however it did not include his son who was born out of wedlock. Arnold supposedly liked Joe so much that he wanted to involve him in one of his businesses, despite the fact that he wasn’t shown in family photos.
How Does Joe, Arnold’s Son, Get Treated?
Joe has developed a close bond with the actor since learning that Arnold is his father. The celebrity kept Joe’s father identity a secret for fifteen years until 2011, when Mildred said her son’s father was Rogelio Baena, her ex-husband.
When Joe began to resemble Arnold, Shriver became concerned and questioned Mildred, who sobbed as she revealed the truth. After the actress persuaded the housekeeper to delay her resignation, the couple’s 25-year marriage came to an end when she confronted Arnold during their counseling sessions.
Arnold acknowledged in 2015 that the entire ordeal had been difficult for him, his kids, and his family. But it had occurred, and now they had to work it out, which meant he had to mentor Joe.
Joe posted workout-related photos and videos on Instagram on a regular basis. According to a family source, the young man trained with the star at Gold’s Gym in Los Angeles because he looked up to him and aspired to be just like him.
It is said that Arnold desired to involve his son in his sports competition, The Arnold Classic Worldwide. Although a different source refuted Joe’s plans to join his father’s company, the celebrity was thrilled that all of his kids shared his interests, which included physical fitness.
The famous person funded his son’s education at Pepperdine University and proudly displayed him upon receiving his business degree in April 2019. When the celebrity declared his love for Joe, Joe responded by expressing his own love for his father.
But his father, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was pleased and proud of him and his dancing, Joseph “Joe” Baena.
The father-son team made an appearance at a restaurant honoring Arnold’s birthday in July 2021. Joe was born on October 2, 1997, and until he turned seven or eight years old and began to resemble his father, his paternity remained concealed.
In 2012, Arnold disclosed that he became aware the boy was his offspring as he began to bear similarities to him. Joe revealed in 2022 how close they had grown, laughing and talking about anything, even though it had taken some time.
The star’s son referred to him as the best training partner when the two started going to the gym together and he started to mimic some of his father’s well-known muscle poses on Instagram. Arnold happily posted three pictures of them together on Twitter when he turned 24 in 2021.
In addition to bodybuilding and real estate sales, Joe was an actor, and his debut film, “Bully High,” will be released in 2021. Joe claimed that his father wouldn’t participate in “Dancing With the Stars” unless Daniella Karagach was also his dance partner.
But his father was pleased with him and his dancing. He declared his admiration for Arnold, calling him the smartest and most ideal man he could come up with, and stated it was incredible to be compared to him.
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