A groom at his wedding turned to the two daughters of his bride and asked them if he could adopt them during an emotional moment at a wedding last month in Detroit.
The captured scene from the Aug. 13 wedding is going viral via a clip on Instagram.
“I never knew you really do become a man when you have children,” 33-year-old Dontez Williams said. “Having someone to teach, protect, provide for them, discipline them, learn from them and support them. For all of these reasons, you’ve helped me become a better person.”
“I know that I’m a father figure to you both,” Williams told 9-year-old Abigail and 8-year-old Natalie before getting on one knee and asking the girls if he could adopt them.
The tearful moment came as Williams was marrying the girl’s mother, Myshella Burton, 26. He has been in the girls’ lives since they were 1 and 2 years old.
In the caption of the Instagram video, Williams wrote, “Just the thought of me writing the vows for them, it made me want to tear up. When I felt that emotion just thinking about it, I was like, ‘I got to do this. This is the right decision. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it.’”
He kept the touching moment from everyone in the wedding party and made a secret plan with the officiant at the rehearsal.
“Myshella was really shocked, but she was happy and just thankful for me stepping up,” Williams told Fox News. “She was really happy that I feel that way for them and said she’s grateful to have me in their lives.”
According to the report, Williams works in the early childhood social workspace, helping children between the ages of 6 and 16, while Burton works in the medical field in an obstetrics department helping deliver babies.
The touching video has racked up nearly 5,000 views as of press time and with hundreds of comments from well-wishers.
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