I shook my head slightly, wiping furiously at my face. “I guess I inherited those characteristics from you.”
A faint smile touched his lips, momentarily lifting the heaviness in the room. “You got the best parts of both me and your mom.”
I let out a small breath, trying to keep the fragile composure intact. “I’m still mad you didn’t tell me… but I understand… somewhat.”
Gingerly, I reached for his hand. “But like you said, I’ll be okay,” I said, more to reassure him than myself.
“I know you will, and you won’t be alone. Domino told me about you two, and I’m not mad… I never was. I always thought I’d be the kind of father who wouldn’t want his daughter dating anybody until she was forty.”
My dad let out a soft chuckle, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I used to think about your first date,” he went on, his voice slowing, turning reflective. “Some nervous boy showing up at the door, and I’m standing there, asking him questions he’s not prepared to answer, making sure he knew exactly who he was dealing with. Prom night, too. Watching you walk out, all dressed up, telling him what time you better be back, and letting him know I don’t play about mine.”
His smile dimmed slightly, revealing the weight of regrets that settled upon him.
“I missed all of that,” he admitted quietly, the words thick with emotion. “Every milestone I should’ve been there for, I wasn’t.”
He exhaled slowly, then looked back at me.
“I’m going to miss walking you down the aisle; that’s something every father looks forward to. I won’t be here for it, but don’t ever think that means I won’t be around. I’ll always be with you in every decision you make and in every step you take. You won’t have to look far to feel me. And as for Domino, that man is solid and loyal. He’s going to protect you, stand beside you, and make sure you’re never lacking anything. All you have to do is do right by him, and he’ll do the same for you.”
I nodded, squeezing his hand gently. “I will.”
In that moment, we weren’t just dealing with the time running out or thinking about what was coming; we were just… father and daughter, finally in the same space, saying the things that should’ve been said a long time ago.
