If It Gave Us Time
92: I Was Just Postponing The Inevitable
“How are your shoes feeling?”
Isla, who was watching Luna smooth out a few wrinkles in her dress via the mirror, frowned a little at her mother’s question, turning her head to glance at her over her shoulder. “What?” she asked.
Eva, who was sat on the couch, pointed at her daughter’s feet. “They’re not too tight, are they?” she pressed “I mean, you’re going to be on your feet for a lot of time today and I don’t want them to end up hurting you. They’re OK?” she added.
Isla glanced down at her feet before she nodded, smiling up at her mother softly. “They’re fine, mama” she mused “And if they do end up hurting, I’ll just kick them off. It’ll be fine” she added.
Eva kept her eyes on Isla’s feet, frowning at the shoes dubiously, before the sound of knocking at the hotel room door reached her ears, causing her to shuffle to her feet. Hesitating for a second, she watched Isla and Luna giggle at something they’d muttered between the two of them before she made her way through the room, pulling the door open.
Daniel, who was stood on the other side, looked up and smiled, his hands nervously straightening out the tie that he wore around his neck. “Meghan sent me up” he noted “Is she nearly ready to go?” he asked.
Eva stepped out of the doorway. “Come and see for yourself” she cooed, glancing deeper into the room.
Daniel breathed out a little laugh before he hesitantly stepped past his wife, his breath faltering a little as his eyes settled on his daughter who stood a little away from him, allowing Luna to tuck a few flyaway hairs off of her forehead. Swallowing, he looked her up and down a couple of times before he turned back towards Eva, mirroring the doting smile that she wore.
Luna caught sight of Isla’s parents over the blonde’s shoulder before she cleared her throat. “I should probably go ahead” she noted.
Isla followed Luna’s glance over her shoulder before she nodded, her cheeks already glowing with a soft pink hue. “Will you check on Maddie?” she asked “She should be with Gerard’s mama” she added.
Luna nodded. “Of course” she noted “You’ve got your bouquet?” she asked.
“I’ve got it” Eva interjected before Isla had the chance to reply, knowing that her daughter had almost certainly had lost track of the bouquet of pink and white flowers.
Isla felt her cheeks warm a little more before she nodded. “I do now” she noted.
Luna flashed her a small smile before she stepped towards her, carefully wrapping her in a soft hug. “Congratulations, Isla” she mumbled softly.
Isla held onto her for a few seconds before she stepped back, a shaky smile on her face. “I’ll see you down there?” she asked.
“Like I’d miss watching you walk up the aisle” Luna quipped impishly as she padded away, pulling the door closed with a soft thump as she left the room.
Isla watched after her for a moment before she turned her attention towards her parents, her shy smile still stuck on her features. “You two know that you’re staring, don’t you?” she joked.
Daniel laughed loudly before he grimaced, shaking his head as he mumbled a soft apology under his breath.
“Meghan sent him up here” Eva stepped in.
Isla, who’d turned back towards the mirror, nodded. “Is everyone here?” she asked.
“They’re pretty much all seated” Daniel confirmed.
“Gerard?” Isla asked, glancing at him out of her corner of her eye.
Daniel’s face lit up a little, not missing the slightly nervous shake in her voice, before he nodded his head. “He’s there” he quipped “The last time I saw him, he was cooing over Maddie in her dress, but he can hardly keep still. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s nervous” he added impishly.
Isla smiled down at her feet. “It’s time, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yeah, it is” Eva confirmed “Are you ready, baby?” she asked.
Isla hesitated for a second, her eyes studying her reflection in the mirror, before she reached up, gently tugging the frames of her glasses off of her face. Folding them up, she turned them over in her hands a couple of times before she offered them out towards her mother. Eva offered her a slightly dubious look, wordlessly asking if she was sure about not wearing them, before she took the glasses, moving to tuck them into her clutch bag.
Daniel watched the exchange before he stepped forwards, offering Isla his arm which she took, smiling giddily. “I’m ready” she confirmed.
Eva smiled tenderly before she ducked into the bedroom, returning seconds later with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. “Here” she cooed.
Isla took the flowers gratefully before Eva leant up, smoothing a few loose hairs away from her daughter’s face. “I’m so happy for you, baby” she cooed “That boy...that man...he’s a good one, and whilst it took a while for...for things to work out for you, I couldn’t be happier that they did” she added, her eyes growing a little tearful.
Isla sniffled, a wide smile still stuck on her face.
“Don’t cry” Eva cooed “Just smile, sweetheart. I’ll see you in there, OK?” she cooed.
Isla nodded.
Eva kissed her daughter’s forehead gently before she shared a quick smile with her husband, ducking out of the room.
Daniel held back for a second before he squeezed Isla’s arm, gently leading her forwards towards the door. They walked slowly, out of the room and down the corridor before they stopped in the elevator, lingering in silence before it reached the bottom floor. After the door slid open, they slowly progressed through the hotel’s lobby before Daniel pulled Isla to a stop, his stare mirroring hers. “I’m sorry” he whispered “For everything I did before, for trying to keep you and Gerard apart. I’m so sorry for ever doing anything that led to you getting hurt” he added.
Isla shook her head. “Papa...”
“I realize now that I was just postponing the inevitable” Daniel continued softly “I was always going to end up with that man as my son-in-law and all I did was stop it from happening sooner, and for that I am sorry. I need you to know that, Isla” he insisted.
Isla smiled up at him softly. “I know that, papa” she cooed.
Daniel’s smile in return was shaky, tearful. “I love you, princesa” he cooed.
“I love you too, papa” Isla replied.
Daniel leant forwards, wrapping her in a tight hug for a few seconds before the sound of someone clearing their throat reached them, causing him to pull back, offering a little nod towards Meghan who had appeared over Isla’s shoulder. Quirking another watery smile, he gently smoothed out Isla’s dress before he offered her his arm. Isla didn’t hesitate in taking it, looping her own through it before she turned, allowing her father to guide her through the doors and to the foot of the aisle, her eyes immediately finding Gerard’s through the crowd of cooing guests which seemed to melt away as a slow smile lit up his face, quelling any little butterflies in the pit of her stomach.
Isla, who was watching Luna smooth out a few wrinkles in her dress via the mirror, frowned a little at her mother’s question, turning her head to glance at her over her shoulder. “What?” she asked.
Eva, who was sat on the couch, pointed at her daughter’s feet. “They’re not too tight, are they?” she pressed “I mean, you’re going to be on your feet for a lot of time today and I don’t want them to end up hurting you. They’re OK?” she added.
Isla glanced down at her feet before she nodded, smiling up at her mother softly. “They’re fine, mama” she mused “And if they do end up hurting, I’ll just kick them off. It’ll be fine” she added.
Eva kept her eyes on Isla’s feet, frowning at the shoes dubiously, before the sound of knocking at the hotel room door reached her ears, causing her to shuffle to her feet. Hesitating for a second, she watched Isla and Luna giggle at something they’d muttered between the two of them before she made her way through the room, pulling the door open.
Daniel, who was stood on the other side, looked up and smiled, his hands nervously straightening out the tie that he wore around his neck. “Meghan sent me up” he noted “Is she nearly ready to go?” he asked.
Eva stepped out of the doorway. “Come and see for yourself” she cooed, glancing deeper into the room.
Daniel breathed out a little laugh before he hesitantly stepped past his wife, his breath faltering a little as his eyes settled on his daughter who stood a little away from him, allowing Luna to tuck a few flyaway hairs off of her forehead. Swallowing, he looked her up and down a couple of times before he turned back towards Eva, mirroring the doting smile that she wore.
Luna caught sight of Isla’s parents over the blonde’s shoulder before she cleared her throat. “I should probably go ahead” she noted.
Isla followed Luna’s glance over her shoulder before she nodded, her cheeks already glowing with a soft pink hue. “Will you check on Maddie?” she asked “She should be with Gerard’s mama” she added.
Luna nodded. “Of course” she noted “You’ve got your bouquet?” she asked.
“I’ve got it” Eva interjected before Isla had the chance to reply, knowing that her daughter had almost certainly had lost track of the bouquet of pink and white flowers.
Isla felt her cheeks warm a little more before she nodded. “I do now” she noted.
Luna flashed her a small smile before she stepped towards her, carefully wrapping her in a soft hug. “Congratulations, Isla” she mumbled softly.
Isla held onto her for a few seconds before she stepped back, a shaky smile on her face. “I’ll see you down there?” she asked.
“Like I’d miss watching you walk up the aisle” Luna quipped impishly as she padded away, pulling the door closed with a soft thump as she left the room.
Isla watched after her for a moment before she turned her attention towards her parents, her shy smile still stuck on her features. “You two know that you’re staring, don’t you?” she joked.
Daniel laughed loudly before he grimaced, shaking his head as he mumbled a soft apology under his breath.
“Meghan sent him up here” Eva stepped in.
Isla, who’d turned back towards the mirror, nodded. “Is everyone here?” she asked.
“They’re pretty much all seated” Daniel confirmed.
“Gerard?” Isla asked, glancing at him out of her corner of her eye.
Daniel’s face lit up a little, not missing the slightly nervous shake in her voice, before he nodded his head. “He’s there” he quipped “The last time I saw him, he was cooing over Maddie in her dress, but he can hardly keep still. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s nervous” he added impishly.
Isla smiled down at her feet. “It’s time, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yeah, it is” Eva confirmed “Are you ready, baby?” she asked.
Isla hesitated for a second, her eyes studying her reflection in the mirror, before she reached up, gently tugging the frames of her glasses off of her face. Folding them up, she turned them over in her hands a couple of times before she offered them out towards her mother. Eva offered her a slightly dubious look, wordlessly asking if she was sure about not wearing them, before she took the glasses, moving to tuck them into her clutch bag.
Daniel watched the exchange before he stepped forwards, offering Isla his arm which she took, smiling giddily. “I’m ready” she confirmed.
Eva smiled tenderly before she ducked into the bedroom, returning seconds later with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. “Here” she cooed.
Isla took the flowers gratefully before Eva leant up, smoothing a few loose hairs away from her daughter’s face. “I’m so happy for you, baby” she cooed “That boy...that man...he’s a good one, and whilst it took a while for...for things to work out for you, I couldn’t be happier that they did” she added, her eyes growing a little tearful.
Isla sniffled, a wide smile still stuck on her face.
“Don’t cry” Eva cooed “Just smile, sweetheart. I’ll see you in there, OK?” she cooed.
Isla nodded.
Eva kissed her daughter’s forehead gently before she shared a quick smile with her husband, ducking out of the room.
Daniel held back for a second before he squeezed Isla’s arm, gently leading her forwards towards the door. They walked slowly, out of the room and down the corridor before they stopped in the elevator, lingering in silence before it reached the bottom floor. After the door slid open, they slowly progressed through the hotel’s lobby before Daniel pulled Isla to a stop, his stare mirroring hers. “I’m sorry” he whispered “For everything I did before, for trying to keep you and Gerard apart. I’m so sorry for ever doing anything that led to you getting hurt” he added.
Isla shook her head. “Papa...”
“I realize now that I was just postponing the inevitable” Daniel continued softly “I was always going to end up with that man as my son-in-law and all I did was stop it from happening sooner, and for that I am sorry. I need you to know that, Isla” he insisted.
Isla smiled up at him softly. “I know that, papa” she cooed.
Daniel’s smile in return was shaky, tearful. “I love you, princesa” he cooed.
“I love you too, papa” Isla replied.
Daniel leant forwards, wrapping her in a tight hug for a few seconds before the sound of someone clearing their throat reached them, causing him to pull back, offering a little nod towards Meghan who had appeared over Isla’s shoulder. Quirking another watery smile, he gently smoothed out Isla’s dress before he offered her his arm. Isla didn’t hesitate in taking it, looping her own through it before she turned, allowing her father to guide her through the doors and to the foot of the aisle, her eyes immediately finding Gerard’s through the crowd of cooing guests which seemed to melt away as a slow smile lit up his face, quelling any little butterflies in the pit of her stomach.