“You don’t
have to go through with it if you don’t want to.”
I glanced up
from fussing with my dress slightly shocked.
This was not what I expected to hear.
I expected last minute words of wisdom or more likely some sort of joke.
He repeated
himself. “You don’t have to go through
with this if you don’t want to. We can
call it all off. It’s not too late. And no one will think any less of you.”
I smiled at
him as he tugged at his collar. The air
conditioning would have to go out on the hottest day of the year.
“Oh but I do
Daddy! I love him!” I assured him. I knew what he was thinking. That I’m only eighteen and I seemed to be
rushing into this. He wanted to be sure
I was doing what I wanted and not what was expected.
“All right
then.” He grinned at me as he offered my
arm and the music started. “Let’s get
this show on the road.”
I grinned
back at him and took his arm. I could
see his smile get even bigger as we walked down the aisle, but I was too busy
making sure I didn’t step on the hem of the dress he’d helped me pick out only
a month earlier. The nerves had kicked
in and I could feel everyone looking at me.
“Breathe. They’re supposed to be looking at you.”
I
chuckled. I knew that, but I wasn’t much
for attention.
“I love you
George,” he whispered just before he handed me off to my husband to be.
“I love you
to Fred,” I replied with a smile. I was
about to change my last name, but with that simple exchange my dad had
reassured me that I’d always be his little girl.
