A groom couldn’t hold back tears of joy at the altar when his wife read aloud how much he meant to her son before presenting him with adoption papers.
Leslie Foss, 28, met her husband, Matthew, 34, back in the summer of 2019 at a country music concert, having recently left the U.S. Navy and moved home to Ohio from San Diego, California.
A single mom to a one-year-old, Leslie was a full-time student and working part-time, so she didn’t have time to throw herself into the dating world.
But having immediately felt something click with Matthew, the pair started spending time together, with Leslie later noticing the bond Matthew and her son, Jayson, were building over time.
It wasn’t long, Leslie said, before her son was calling Matthew “Dada,” and the 34-year-old was the one Jayson was calling to tuck him in at night.
After the couple’s engagement in May 2022, Jayson discovered his mom chose to change her name to Foss and explained how he would like to be a Foss, too.
When hearing this, Matthew’s face lit up, and he responded, “One day, you will be a Foss, just like us.”
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Having heard her husband-to-be say this, Leslie thought it would be a great surprise to get the wheels in motion before the wedding day itself.
When picking up Jayson, now five, from daycare one day, she asked her son if he wanted to go through with the surprise.
After getting her son’s approval, Leslie met with an attorney and prepared the paperwork.
She also ordered a book, which she filled with photos of Jayson and Matthew together.
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Then, on the big day itself, September 16, at Walsh University’s Hoover Park in North Canton, Ohio, Jayson was given the book, which inside read the words, “Will You Adopt Me?”
During the ceremony Leslie broke off her speech to explain to Matthew how much he meant to her son – at one point taking things back to the very first time they met.
Then, when the big announcement came, Jayson walked to the altar and presented a sobbing Matthew with the book, before Leslie then handed her now-husband the adoption paperwork.
Since the wedding, Leslie and Matthew have moved forward with the next steps, and the couple are hoping for a court date before Christmas.
Leslie said: “I think every bride gets a little nervous on their wedding day – but this was the moment I was most nervous for.
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“When my brother handed me the speech, I could see the worry in Matthew’s face.
“He initially thought I was reading vows, and he started to panic because he must have forgotten that memo.
“I think I said something along the lines of, “It’s ok, just trust me!” and began.
“Once I started talking, it was seriously like everyone else disappeared – I could tell how special every word was to Matthew by the look on his face and the tears in his eyes.
“Talking about them and the bond they share always gets to me.
“When Jayson ran up and handed Matthew the book, I could tell this was the most special gift he had ever received, and watching his reaction was one of the best feelings I had ever felt.
“Matthew immediately started sobbing and said, ‘Yes!’
“Jayson ran back up to Matthew and gave him a big hug – which Matthew said was the best feeling in the world.”