“Thanks, I am too.”
“Giving your daughter away, trusting another man to take care of her, may be the hardest thing you ever have to do as a father.”
“I can imagine.” I only hoped when or if my turn came, I’d have the strength for the kind of man-to-man talk Mike was having with me.
“But it’s a little easier when you’ve known that man most of his life.” His eyes met mine when he said, “I know the kind of person you are. So does Gia. She wouldn’t have agreed to marry just anyone… she was waiting on you.”
He had no idea how much I needed to believe that today, because it had taken me a hell of a long time to realize it, but I’d been waiting on Gia too.
“I never expected to come back home under these circumstances.” I curled my hand around the chest, feeling the bite of the old, polished wood. “You know, losing my dad and all. But I like to think he orchestrated this. You know how much he loved Gia.”
Mike smiled before reaching into the pocket of his jacket. “I do. And that’s why he gave me this to give to you… should this day ever come.”
I stared at the white envelope in his trembling hand and immediately recognized my name in my dad’s familiar, bold, block printing. “What is this?” I asked, turning the letter over. It was sealed… and I was almost afraid to open it.
“Your dad and I had some good talks before he died, Joel. I’d come over here a lot, just to keep him company.”
“Thank you for that.” It felt like a kick in the teeth every time I heard someone imply he was lonely. I should have been here with him. And I didn’t know if I could ever forgive myself for missing out on his last days.
He shrugged. “We went way back. That’s what old friends do, right?”
“I guess so.” Sometimes I felt I wasn’t any better at being a friend than I’d been at being a son. But I was working on it. Trying to learn from my past mistakes.
“Anyhow, we talked a lot about you and Gia. How nice it would have been if you kids had ended up together. He told me you’d made a real nice life for yourself out in L.A., were real successful. But he thought maybe if he left you the farm…”
“That I’d come back.” I nodded. “Yeah, we talked about that when he was in the hospital. He said there was no pressure, he understood if I felt the need to sell it. But he said nothing would make him happier than imagining the grandkids he never got to meet running around, playing, on the land he loved so much.”
Mike closed his eyes briefly before nodding. “Yeah, we talked about that too. I promised him if we ever shared grandkids, I’d love them enough for both of us and always keep his memory alive for them.”
“Goddamn,” I whispered, hanging my head as tears filled my eyes. “I hate that he and my mom aren’t here for days like this… or that they’ll never get the chance to meet their grandkids. It’s not right.”
“You’re right, it’s not.” He cleared his throat. “But I’m here, if you ever need to talk.”
“Thanks.” Knowing how close Mike and my dad had become after I moved away made him feel more like family somehow. Maybe we could forge a real relationship… assuming I could convince his daughter to stay married to me for the long haul.
“That letter,” he said, pointing to my hand. “Says all the things he would have said, if he’d been here today. He told me if you ever came to your senses and married my little girl, I was supposed to give that to you.”
I smiled, feeling anticipation for what was in the letter. My old man had always been wiser than I could ever hope to be, and I needed his words of wisdom now more than ever. “He really thought I’d marry her, huh?”
“He hoped, like I did.”
We shared a slight smile before Mike said, “Well, I better go check on Gia. Give you a few minutes to read that before the ceremony starts.”
“Thanks.” I stood, closing the gap between us and offering my hand. “You don’t know how much this means to me.” His hand closed around mine. “I was missing my parents, wishing they were here today. Now at least I’ll know what they would have said… or at least my dad.”
“There’s a letter in there from your mama too, your dad told me.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Seriously? I was a teenager when my mom died. She wrote me a letter to read on my wedding day?”
“Apparently.” He rested his hand on my shoulder. “And I’m real glad she did, Joel. Hopefully their words will give you some peace. Take all the time you need to read them. I’m sure Gia will understand if you need a few extra minutes before we start the ceremony.”
“I’ll be there on time.” I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t be a hot mess after reading my parents’ letters, but I wouldn’t keep Gia waiting for anything.
I waited for Mike to leave the room before I closed the door and reclaimed my seat on the hope chest. My hand shook as I retrieved the first piece of paper. It was a bit wrinkled and had yellowed a bit over time, but there was no mistaking my mother’s neat script. She’d been a fourth-grade teacher and always joked about having to set a good example for the kids learning to write cursive.
Joel,
I would give anything to be with you on your wedding day, but the Lord had other plans for me. I made your dad promise he would share this letter with you on your special day. If you’re reading this, that means he did, and I’m so grateful.
