We stood there, listening to the priest speak about love and commitment inside and outside of marriage. Alice\u2019s hand, tucked inside mine, grew sweatier as he spoke.<\/p>\n
She continued to glance at the entrance the entire time.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you okay?\u201d I murmured to her. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Alice shook her head slightly and smiled ahead at the priest.<\/p>\n
We went ahead and said our vows, Alice\u2019s eyes still flickering to the door. Who did she expect to show up?<\/p>\n
I wondered.<\/p>\n
The priest\u2019s voice echoed through the venue once more\u2014a solemn call for any objections to our marriage. \u201cIf anyone here has any objection, speak now or forever hold your peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence reigned, causing me to smile.<\/p>\n
But it was shattered within seconds by the dramatic entrance of a man whose presence immediately caused Alice\u2019s face to light up in a way that I hadn\u2019t seen throughout the entire ceremony.<\/p>\n
Every muscle in my body seized. \u201cStop it!\u201d the man boomed.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop the ceremony!\u201d Alice gasped, clasping her hands to her chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so sorry for interrupting the ceremony! I know I\u2019m late, Father,\u201d he said. \u201cBut please, let me just walk my little girl down the aisle.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve broken all promises to her, but this one, I can\u2019t.\u201d Our guests murmured, their shock evident.<\/p>\n
Alice\u2019s mother was on her feet, her hands clutching Alice\u2019s bouquet tightly \u201cAlice, is that\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n
I began, my voice trailing off as the reality of the situation dawned on me. Of course. Alice had the man\u2019s eyes, and his chin.<\/p>\n
It was clear. \u201cYes,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my dad.\u201d Her father, a man who had been more absent than present in her life, had chosen this moment to fulfill a promise, to be there for his daughter when it mattered the most.<\/p>\n
\u201cShall I carry on?\u201d the priest asked me. \u201cNo, let\u2019s do the walk again,\u201d I smiled.<\/p>\n
As her father took her arm, guiding her toward me, I saw Alice in a new light.<\/p>\n
She finally looked like a bride who had been waiting for this day. She beamed. We began the ceremony again.<\/p>\n
This time, Alice laughed through her vows and cried through mine.<\/p>\n
Afterward, her father embraced me tightly. \u201cThank you,\u201d he said. \u201cThank you for looking after my girl.\u201d Later, when Alice and I were in our rented car, being driven off to the airport for our honeymoon, she told me everything.<\/p>\n
It turned out that Alice had reached out to her father a few weeks before the wedding.<\/p>\n
They had been speaking on and off over the years, but when it came down to our wedding\u2014she just wanted him to walk her down the aisle.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad bought me the handbag,\u201d she admitted. \u201cBut the shoes and earrings were from my bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure if my father-in-law plans on being a part of our lives, but I do know that I\u2019m grateful he walked Alice down the aisle.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe he\u2019ll stick around,\u201d she said later when we were sipping on champagne. Maybe he will.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"