Just Another Lovesick Boy

The rest of the week proved to be uneventful at school. At times, I would find Lee desperately trying to talk to Cassandra in hallways. Cassandra, however, was extremely stubborn in ignoring Lee’s attempts to talk to her. She even seemed to ignoring Phillip. Though he did not bother to jump me in the hallways anymore, I still felt his piercing glare burning a hole at the back of my neck.

However, I could not be bothered by Phillip’s hatred. Like my mother, I was stressed over the wedding. Before I knew it, the week past by and the weekend of the third of December arrived. I was woken up early in the morning by my mother so we could go to the location where the wedding would take place. It took forty minutes to drive up into the mountains. When we arrived, there were already people scattered everywhere, decorating the area outside for the ceremony and reception. As my mom directed the worker, I assisted them all by putting up strings of lights near the reception area. I was only at it for less than an hour before a voice called out to me. I looked down from my place in a tree to find Jack grinning up at me.

“It’s looking good, Adrian,” he complimented. “You have a knack for these things.”

“More like Mom made me get good at these things,” I corrected before jumping out of the tree.

Jack stood there in silence as I wiped dirt off my jeans before saying, “Well, I’m here to relieve you of your duties. It’s time to do the groomsmen things. I wanted you to meet my other guys before the ceremony.”

“Your guys?” I asked, my mind going blank.

“Come on, kid,” he laughed as he slapped me on the back before guiding me towards a cabin. “You’re not my only groomsmen. These other guys, they’re my good friends.”

I nodded slowly as Jack guided me into a decent sized room. Inside the room were four men, two sitting in chairs, one by the window, and the other pouring himself a cup of coffee. They all looked up in unison before giving out their greetings to Jack.

“Hey, guys. So this is my best man. I wanted you all to meet my son, Adrian,” Jack grinned at them.

The two men sitting in the chairs briefly glanced at each other before the man with the coffee cup bounded forward. He was only a couple inches taller than me and though I knew he had to be around Jack’s age, the light in his eyes and his wide grin made him seem so much younger. He immediately stuck his hand out to shake mine.

“It’s great to meet you, Adrian. I’m Charles, but you can call me Charlie,” he introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you,” I nodded.

“You’re so polite!” he laughed. “That’s good.”

The man by the window stepped forward. Though he was dressed rather conservatively, I could see the numerous tattoos sticking out from under his collars and sleeves. He seemed rough around the edges but his soft spoken voice reassured me. He clapped me roughly on the shoulder as he said, “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from your dad. I’m Robert Baze.”

“I met Rob during my rehabilitation. He’s a good guy,” Jack murmured in my ear. I nodded to him as I shook his hand.

“And this is my co-worker, Sean Howard, and my friend, Jude Liotta,” Jack introduced me to the two other men, who simply nodded in my direction.

“So are you ready for this, Jack? You’re signing over your freedom,” the one called Jude asked Jack as he sipped on an amber liquid.

“You make it sound like marriage is prison,” Charlie laughed. “I’m married and happy.”

“You’ve obviously been brainwashed,” Jude chuckled.

“Have you ever been married, Jude?” I asked casually.

His eyes flickered over to me before he answered with, “No.”

“Then you obviously don’t know how Jack’s marriage would be. Cecilia is a great woman. I hardly think she would ‘brainwash’ him into being happy. She would make him genuinely make him happy.”

Jude smirked lightly before taking a last gulp of the liquid in his glass. “You’re pretty protective over her, aren’t you?”

“Considering she’s going to be my step-mom, yeah. So don’t talk about her like she’s a burden,” I replied seriously.

“Ha!” Robert laughed loudly, startling me, as he slapped me on the back. “Your kid is a one-of-a-kind, Jack. I like him.”

“That’s my boy,” Jack smiled at me before turning to address us all. “Well, it’s time to get ready, boys. I’m getting married in a couple hours.”

Without a second glance to Jude, I stepped forward to take the bag that held my suit out of Jack’s hands. As most of Jack’s friends laughed loudly together, I got ready by myself on the other side of the room in silence. I was buttoning up my shirt when I noticed that Sean had quietly wandered over to my side.

“You’re going to have to forgive Jude,” he murmured quietly. “He’s always been a bit of a ladies man and has some commitment issues.”

“Issues?” I laughed under my breath. “It seems like he’s downright terrified of it.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Sean threw me a grin. “Just don’t bear him any ill will. He’ll grow up at some point. Hopefully.”

“I understand,” I nodded as I tucked in my shirt to my pants.

There was a knock at the door as a man holding a camera in his hands and another camera was around his neck and a large bag at his side walked in. His eyes searched for Jack first, a polite smile crossing his face as he found him. The chatter in the room ceased down to silence as the man walked in. I shook my hair out of my face as I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Carter?” I asked curiously.

The man’s eyes flickered over to me before his polite smile grew into a grin. He walked over to me before pulling me into a hug. “Adrian Dawson! I haven’t seen you in years. You’re all grown up!”

“Yeah! It’s good to see you again.”

“Now I know it can’t be your wedding I’m here for. You’re still that little kid I remember.”

“No, no,” I laughed, “it’s my father’s wedding. Jack, this is Carter. He’s going to be photographing the wedding.”

“Oh!” Jack exclaimed as he stepped forward to shake his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, man.”

“Back at you. So, um, just relax and at natural and pretend I’m not even here. I’m just here to take pictures here while my sister takes pictures of the ladies. We’ll be here the rest of the day and we’ll just blend in,” Carter explained.

Jack’s friends nodded as they processed Carter’s words before going back to what they were doing. I was already used to the clicking of the camera lens but I could see the others somewhat tense as they joked around. Though they did eventually calmed down, I did feel somewhat stiff as Carter snapped a picture of me as Jack grinned and wrapped a casual arm around my shoulders. As I was straightening my hair, I received a text from my mom.

“Jack, my mom said something about Cecilia saying there’s a tradition of writing letters to each other before the wedding or something,” I called out.

“Oh, shit,” Jack mumbled. “I have a gift but I didn’t write the letter.”

“There’s paper and pens in the drawer over there,” I gestured to the desk on the other side of the room. “You have time.”

As Jack sat down at the desk to write his letter, the guys sat together in the center of the room and talked. As I ran mousse through my hair, I could hear the chatter die down. It was not until I grabbed the can of hairspray that I heard Jude speak up.

“You know, I never knew a guy who spent so much time on his hair like you do, kid.”

“Could have fooled me with all the gel in yours,” I replied absently as I sprayed the hairspray.

“He’s got a point,” Sean laughed.

A knock on the door made us divert our attention to my mother, who walked in with a smile. Her eyes danced across the room before landing on me.

“Looking good, Adrian,” she nodded in approval.

“I always do,” I shrugged before turning back to my reflection.

“That’s my boy,” she laughed before turning towards Jack. She handed him an envelope and a small box while saying, “This is from Cecilia. She was tempted to send you a heat pack in case you get cold feet.”

“My Cecilia,” Jack shook his head as he laughed. “She’s too much. Um, I’m not done with my letter yet.”

“That’s alright. Just send it before the wedding. You have twenty minutes. Don’t you dare be late, Jack Alcott,” my mother warned as she walked out.

“Who was that? She looked good,” Jude bit his lip as he leered at the door my mom just walked out of.

I glared over at him before saying, “Don’t even think about going near my mother.”

“Calm down, son!” Jack laughed loudly. “Sorry, Jude, but my ex-wife is a smart woman. She would know better than to let you touch her.”

I glanced over and narrowed my eyes suspiciously over at Jack, who smiled as he bent over his piece of paper and began to write again. He was correct in saying that my mom was smart but Jack was never one to admit such a thing. Though he did compliment my mother, I only ever heard him do so to me or Cecilia. He never said a bad word about her in anybody’s company, but he never said a good word about her either. A month ago, I would have been overly suspicious and thought he was out for something. But I had no idea what to think anymore. Was I to hate him forever? Or was I supposed to accept him? He was my father. Yet I was not sure how I was supposed to forgive him.

Jack was still writing his letter fifteen minutes later. Charles – or Charlie, he insisted – teased him in asking if the letter was ten pages long. I had to admit that was what I thought as well but after glancing at Jack’s letter, I was surprised to see that he had multiple pieces of paper with notes and scribbles that were scratched out. It seemed that he was having trouble in finding the right words to say. After my mom came back, scolding us for not being by the ceremony area yet, my father let out a loud yell. We all jumped and turned around in surprise.

“I did it! I finished!” he held up the letter in victory.

“Congrats, Jack. Now hurry up and read Cecilia’s letter and give me yours so I can give it to her,” Mom said, holding her hand out.

“Actually, Mama, can I give it to her?” I asked. “I want to see her before everything.”

“Of course, honey,” Mom smiled gently. “She’s down the hall, around the corner, third door on the left.”

I nodded before my mom waved us off and stepped out of the room. Jack sealed the envelope and placed it on the desk before eagerly grabbing Cecilia’s letter to him. He opened the envelope carefully before pulling out the single piece of paper inside. A calm smile crossed over his face as his eyes danced across the page, soaking in every single one of Cecilia’s words. After finishing her letter, Jack’s eyes closed before he pressed his lips to the paper. He slowly folded the paper before putting it into his jacket pocket. He reached for the small box that Cecilia sent and took off the lid carefully.

“My darling girl,” Jack laughed. He pulled out the object from the box before showing us a very expensive looking watch. He clasped the watch around his wrist. “She spoils me. And I, her. Adrian, take care of this and send her my love. We’ll meet you outside.”

I nodded once before taking the envelope and the box and turning on the spot and walked out of the room. Unlike the room we were getting ready in, the hallway was very quiet, save for the voices that carried in from outside. I followed my mom’s directions to Cecilia’s room. I knocked on the door and was somewhat confused at the silence that answered. I licked my lips before opening the door and cautiously peering inside. Inside the room was Cecilia, alone. However, instead of finding the ecstatic Cecilia I was expecting, she was sitting on the couch in the middle of the room with tears streaming down her face.

“Whoa, Cecilia, what’s wrong?” I asked in concern as I rushed forward into the room.

I placed Jack’s letter and gift on the coffee table before sitting next to her and grabbing her hands with mine. Cecilia sniffed once as she looked up and away from me. I stroked her hand with my thumb as I waited patiently for her. After a moment, she cleared her throat before tilting her head towards me.

“I just always thought she’d be here on my special day, you know?” she said in a low, raspy voice.

I knew immediately that she was talking about her mother. I stared at her sadly before I sat closer to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. I leaned forward so my head touched hers as I squeezed her hand gently.

“It’s just that, my entire family is here, you know? My sister is my maid of honor and she’s here and so is my dad and I love them but it doesn’t feel the same without her. She was my mom and I miss her,” Cecilia rambled, her voice taking a higher pitch as the tears streamed down her face.

I bit my lip hesitantly, trying to think of the right thing to say, before I looked at her. “If I learned anything from Eddy about the loss of a parent, it’s that they are always there for you. The ones you love never leave your heart. They are always there with you. Your mom loved you and I’m sure she’s here today with you.”

Cecilia turned to me and gave me a small watery smile before she let out a laugh. She nodded fiercely before wiping away her tears delicately. “You’re too smart for me, kid.”

I grinned widely before shrugging. I pulled out a handkerchief for my pocket and wiped away her tears. She sighed lightly before saying, “Faith is going to kill me. She did my makeup and she’ll notice right away that I cried.”

“Lucky for her, I’m here. I’ve spent enough time with Eddy to at least know the difference between shadows and liners. Should be easy as pie,” I shrugged nonchalantly.

“Oh, you sound so reassuring,” she said sarcastically.

“Shut up and blow your nose; you sound so nasally. You can’t sound like that saying your vows,” I retorted.

Cecilia pouted but complied. She was about to turn my way when her eyes flickered down to the table. She looked up at me, almost as if asking for permission, before taking Jack’s letter and gift and placing it in her lap. She smiled up at me and said, “Better read this first in case I cry again.”

I smiled at her and watched her as she opened the box. She let out a gasp in surprise before pulling out a delicate bracelet. I immediately moved forward to help her clasp the bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet was three strings of pearls, connecting to a silver flower in the middle. Cecilia smiled at the jewelry around her wrist before whispering, “My darling boy. He spoils me.”

My eyes flickered up at the similar pet name. “He said the same about you.”

She looked up at me before widely grinning. She looked down at the envelope. She held it up before glancing up at me. “Anything embarrassing about him while he was writing this?”

“Hmm,” I pondered over it. “He was writing for half an hour. He had dozens of pages thrown around him but all the words were scratched out. He was driving himself nuts over it.”

“Cutie,” she giggled before eagerly opening the envelope and taking out the single piece of paper. She sighed shakily before thrusting the paper my way. “Read it for me. I can’t take it.”

I shook my head lightly before taking the paper. I unfolded it carefully and licked my lips before reading it over. I blinked in surprise once I noticed that the letter that Jack spent so long on was only a single line. I glanced up at Cecilia, who was staring at me expectantly, before reciting the letter.

“’My darling Cecilia, thank you for loving me and for accepting my love.’”

Cecilia’s lips parted as she stared over at me. She slowly pulled the piece of paper from my hands before looking down at it. A soft look crossed her face before she closed her eyes and kissed Jack’s letter. The similar actions between them were outstanding. The few moments of happiness I saw between my parents when they were together did not seem to compare to the many moments of bliss I saw between Cecilia and Jack when they apart, let alone in each other’s company. I often wondered why a woman like Cecilia was with Jack but on that day, I knew she found something in him that I, nor my mother, could see. He revealed a part of himself to her that only she alone could love.

She smiled down at the floor before turning towards me and gesturing to the cosmetics left out on the table. After I helped her fix her makeup so it did not seem like she cried at all, she let out a happy sigh before standing up.

“Okay, Adrian,” she grinned widely. “This is happening.”

“Are you ready to become Mrs. Jack Alcott?” I asked as she hooked her arm with mine and we walked out of the room.

“So ready!” she exclaimed.

“Are you ready to become my second mom?” I asked with a grin.

Cecilia turned her head towards me to give me a calm smile. “I’m ready.”

“Good. I’m ready, too,” I admitted.

We walked the rest of the way in silence to the ceremony area. Cecilia smiled at the area around her before halting suddenly. She walked towards a large bush and inspected it carefully. I bit my lip as she gently touched a small candle that was inside a bowl in the bush that had a sign on it that said, “In loving memory of those forever present in our hearts.”

“What is this?” she asked.

I scratched the back of my ear awkwardly as I answered, “I figured you would be upset that your mom isn’t here and Jack is upset that his dad isn’t here, so I put those all over the place.”

“Adrian,” Cecilia breathed out before wrapping her arms around me.

I smiled as I hugged her back. She planted a small kiss on my cheek before continuing our walk. After dropping off Cecilia towards the entrance of the cabin so Jack would not be able to see her just yet, I headed over the area where the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and Jack were waiting.

“Oh! Adrian, there you are!” Mom exclaimed. “What took so long?”

“Just cheering Cecilia up,” I answered.

“Is she okay?” Jack asked in a panicked voice. “Is she having second thoughts?”

“Are you kidding?” I looked at him incredulously. “She was practically running here. No, she was upset about her mom.”

“Oh, CeeCee,” a redheaded woman whispered sadly.

“She’s okay now,” I shrugged. “I just told her mom was here in spirit.”

The redheaded woman bounded forward and threw her arms around me. I blinked in surprise before saying, “You must be her sister.”

“Yeah,” she laughed as she pulled back. “I’m Faith.”

“Adrian, you’ll be walking down with Faith in a few minutes right after Jack. Then Zoe with Robert, then Lauren with Jude, then Tricia with Charlie, then Kimberly with Sean, and finally, Cecilia will walk down with her father. Is everyone ready?” Mom rattled off.

When we all confirmed that we were, my mom gathered us together into our appropriate pairings. I could see ahead towards the open field where the ceremony would take place. Though they were plenty of people on both sides, I did feel somewhat surprised to see that Jack did not have anywhere near as many people on his side as Cecilia did. Before I knew it, Jack was already walking down the aisle, smiling at the people around him. My mom gave us our cue to go, so I hooked my arm with Faith and walked down. I could see Nara Lee and the Devereux family sitting on Jack’s side. Free was waving frantically at me and Eddy was giving me a wide grin as he took in my suit. I gave them a small smile, my eyes lingering on Lee for a moment before Faith and I split. I stood behind Jack, who kept his back turned.

“You nervous?” I asked him quietly.

“Yes,” he answered immediately. “And no. I’m scared that I might mess up my vows. But she’s the one, Adrian. I’m ready to spend the rest of my life with her. You know that feeling?”

My eyes flickered to Lee, who smiled widely at me once she noticed me looking over. She gave me a small wave, causing me to smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I know that feeling.”

The area went quiet before Cecilia walked forward with an older man with long hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. All the people immediately stood up as she walked down the aisle. There were numerous clicking of camera lenses as she grinned widely.

“How does she look?” Jack asked.

“Like she always does: she’s stunning,” I answered.

As Cecilia approached the center, she turned and gave her father a small kiss before stepping forward. Jack eagerly turned around and although I could no longer see him, I knew he was grinning from ear to ear. The ceremony came and went, going by faster than I thought it would. I had to grin as Cecilia thrust her fist in the air as she gave Jack her first kiss as a wife. As I walked down the aisle once more with Faith, I made eye contact with Lee, who blew me a small kiss, causing me to grin widely.

As all the guests immediately made their way towards the reception area, the wedding party stayed behind in order to take pictures. After some time, the groomsmen and bridesmaids were no longer needed and Jack and Cecilia went off with Carter and his partner, Eliza, to take pictures of them together. Though it took some time, we eventually made our way back towards the reception area. The guests clapped happily as we all walked in, growing louder as Jack and Cecilia made their way towards the table at the very front. I stayed patiently in my seat for as long as I could, yet anxiously wanted to join Eddy and Lee. I was biting at my nails when I felt a gentle tap at my shoulder. I turned around to see Faith kneeling down and smiling up at me.

“The toasts are about to start and I just wanted them a bit organized. Did you want to say something?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah, sure,” I nodded. I paused before leaning over and saying in the corner of my mouth, “Cecilia will kill me if I don’t.”

“I hear you,” she laughed before standing up.

Faith quickly walked over to the band and received a microphone. She walked back to her place and gently tapped on her glass with her spoon, getting everyone’s attention. She smiled at all the faces looking up at her before lifting the microphone to her lips.

“Hello, everyone, it’s toasting time. I guess I’ll go first. If you don’t know me, I’m the maid of honor, Faith, also known as Cecilia’s little sister. CeeCee, my wonderful, crazy, annoying, fabulous big sister, I love you truly. You protected me from all the bad things, even the ones that I had no idea where there. Thank you for helping me become the person I am today. You deserve every happiness and I am glad you find the right man to share that happiness with you. Jack, I have to admit, when I first met you, I didn’t like you one bit,” Faith paused to smile at all the people who laughed in the audience. “But now I realize what a good man you are. You treated my sister like a princess all these years. And I hope that you will treat her like a queen for all the years to come. Thank you for loving my sister.”

Faith then leaned over to hand the microphone to somebody who walked up to the table. He fiddled with a microphone for a moment before grinning widely at Cecilia. He cleared his throat once before turning slightly.

“Hello. I’m CeeCee’s daddy, David. Um, I just wanted to say that when my favorite girls came into my life, I never dreamed of the day that they would be taken from me. First, my Abby, then my Faith, and now my Cecilia. My girls do not need a man to make them happy. But they both found one that they could share happiness with and that makes me so proud. My beautiful Cecilia, I know you wish your mama Abigail was here but I am telling you that she is here in all of our hearts. I know she loves you and is as proud of you as I am. Jack, my dear boy, welcome to the family, son.”

I blinked in surprise as Mr. Lewis walked over and handed me the microphone. I licked my lips nervously before standing up. I let out a nervous exhale before speaking.

“Um, I’m the best man. I’m Adrian, Jack’s son. Uh, I don’t know what to say,” I laughed. “Jack. You weren’t that great of a dad, I’ll be honest. But seeing you as of late and seeing you today made me realize how much you have changed. You have become a good man, a better man. And I think it’s in large thanks to the beautiful woman by your side. Cecilia, you bring out the good in people. You make people want to better themselves. Thank you for loving Jack. I couldn’t ask for a better step-mom.”

As the crowd clapped politely and Cecilia and Jack grinned up at me, I stood awkwardly, wondering who the hand the microphone off to. My mom rushed forward to take the microphone from me. I sat down, thinking that the toasts were over, when my mom began to speak.

“Last one, we swear. Well, I’m Jocelyn. I’m Jack’s ex-wife. Awkward, right?” she grinned, causing the guests to laugh. “I had to admit, I was very surprised when Jack came on our doorstep with his arms wrapped around Cecilia. I was even more surprised when he said that they were due to be engaged. However, I was not surprised by the look on his face whenever he looked at Cecilia. Jack, you were my first love, so I feel like I can honestly say this: you still have a long way to go. But like our son said, you have become a better man. And that is because of Cecilia. Jack, thank you for loving me and allowing me to love. Thank you for giving me the best son I can ever imagine. Thank you for showing me people can change. Thank you for providing me with a great friend, both in you and your wife. Thank you for giving my son a beautiful step-mother. Thank you both and I wish you the best.”

With that, the toasts were over. I immediately stood up and rushed over towards the table that my mother, Lee, and the Devereux family were sitting at. I immediately wrapped my arms around Lee’s shoulders as I stood over her, leaning down to give her a small kiss. She placed her cold hand on my arm as she smiled up at me.

“That was a good toast, Adrian,” Free smiled.

“Thanks, bug. You look gorgeous,” I grinned over at her.

“Well,” she giggled as she smoothed out her yellow dress, “I try.”

“No need to try, you’ll always be beautiful,” Mr. Devereux stated as he kissed the top of her head.

“Yo, man, you looked good up there,” Eddy grinned widely.

“I might keep this suit for prom, it’ll be cheaper. We’re wearing green, okay?” I turned to address Lee, who looked insulted.

“Excuse me, but you’ll have to just break down and get a new tie. We’re wearing blue,” she answered indignantly.

“Girl, why you trying to take my color?” Eddy asked her teasingly. “You can’t wear blue; I’m going to wear blue.”

Lee raised an eyebrow before smiling lightly, “Are you sure you want to do this, Devereux. Fight me; I’ll knock you out.”

I shook my head, grinning, as the two continued to bicker back and forth. As the night went on, everyone danced, people took pictures, and the cake was cut. I was dancing with Lee on the floor when I accidentally bumped into Cecilia, who was dancing happily with Jack.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologized as she smiled.

“That’s alright. Hey, Nara Lee, looking good!” Cecilia complimented, causing me to look at Lee and smile. “Jack, you remember Nara Lee Evans, right? Her dad owns the place where we got my dress and your suit. She’s Adrian’s pretty little girlfriend now.”

Jack looked over at Lee, who blushed suddenly and looked away. I smiled widely at her red face before kissing her temple. She smiled lightly before turning to Jack. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Alcott. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Miss Evans. And you made a good choice with my boy. He’ll treat you right,” Jack nodded.

“Oh, I know he will,” Lee smiled up at me.

After that, we parted ways, with Lee and me leaving the dance floor and Cecilia and Jack going to talk with other guests. Another hour or two passed and then it was time for the bride and groom to receive their send off. Jack and Cecilia made their way around the area, saying their goodbyes. Lee, Eddy, and Free ran off to join the crowd, who seemed to be lighting paper lanterns to release into the sky when Jack and Cecilia finally left. I walked slowly towards the open field to join the crowd when I felt a hand at my shoulder. I blinked in surprise to see Jack there.

“Thank you for doing this for me, Adrian. I knew when I met Cecilia that I would marry her and I wanted my son there. But I never thought you’d be my best man, much less show up.”

“Of course. Congratulations, by the way,” I nodded.

“You, too,” he said as he stuffed his hands in his pocket, causing me to look over in inquiry. He glanced over at me before grinning. “On Miss Nara Lee, I mean. I’ll be honest, when I first saw her, I thought she was rather plain. But some people would say the same of Cecilia. My plain and simple and beautiful Cecilia.

You look at Nara Lee the way I look at Cecilia,” Jack observed. He paused for a moment. And then, “I’m proud of you, son. I was a shitty father; I’ll be the first to admit that. I did you wrong and I was never there for you. I’m glad that you didn’t allow my failures as a father prevent you from finding happiness. I am so proud of you.”

Jack gave me a small smile before clapping me on the back. He turned and took a few steps towards Cecilia, who was with a crowd, waiting to give the bride and groom a proper send off to their honeymoon. He was only a few steps away from me when I opened my mouth again to say one last thing, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

“Thanks, Dad.”