CHAPTER TEN #2
“Please share with the room what you were thinking about getting married without your family, without me or your pops to walk you down the aisle.”
Wyatt doesn’t sit down. He looks at me and at Hanna and shakes his head.
“We were supposed to get to walk you down the aisle. You took that chance away from us.” Wyatt doesn’t wait for Hanna to explain anymore, as he walks out of the room, and moments later the back door slams shut.
Grant, who’s another brother from their club, looks around and tells us he’ll go after Wyatt.
Asher, who is still standing next to Mayson, attempts to get back to the story. “Okay, so what made you decide to get married in Vegas with just the two of you alone?” Before Hanna can answer her brother, there’s a knock at the door, and I’m pretty sure it’s my parents.
Anna must realize the same thing because she gets up but points to all of us. “You all stay right where you are. I’m gonna get Cara and Mike and bring them in here since they have every right to hear this story as much as we do.”
A minute later, Anna comes back in with Mom and Dad behind her.
Mom glares at me, and Dad gives me a look and a slight chin lift.
Anna sits back down and pulls out the chair next to her.
“Cara, have a seat. We’re about to be told why our children decided to get married without us and then not tell us what they did. ”
My hand hasn’t moved from Hanna’s shoulder. I give it a squeeze, and she sighs and straightens her back, taking strength from me but mostly from within herself.
“Lately my eyesight is getting worse, like measurably worse. I have almost no distance sight anymore, and my peripheral vision is pretty much a blur. I haven’t told anyone about it because I was coming to grips with it myself.
I suggested getting married in Vegas, on the same day we got engaged, for one main reason.
We don’t know how fast I’m going to keep losing my vision.
The one thing I wanted, and I know it’s selfish, is that on my wedding day I wanted to be able to look into Cade’s eyes as we said our vows and still be able to see him.
I’m scared that even if we decided on a date in only a couple of months, that might not happen. ”
I take over for Hanna as she wipes the tears from her eyes.
“That’s why we decided not to say anything, because we still want to do something with our family.
We planned on doing the whole ceremony, reception, and everything.
The only difference is that we wouldn’t have to sign another marriage certificate.
We want you, Jackson, and Wyatt to be able to walk Hanna down the aisle.
We want that first dance, all of it. But I’ll be damned if someone makes my wife feel bad about our choice.
I love her completely and would do it all again in a heartbeat to give her that moment. ”
I look over, and both Mom and Anna are crying. I can see Jackson’s eyes are glossy, as are both of her brothers’. Dad looks affected as well.
Jackson finds his voice first. “I was prepared to be as mad as Wyatt is, but fuck if I can. I’m a little hurt, but I understand your reasoning.
I will still be happy to walk you down the aisle for the ceremony you’re planning.
Hell, I’ll even help pay for most of it.
” He stands up and moves over to Hanna. She stands up, and he pulls her into her arms. I watch her shoulders move, and I know she’s crying.
Jackson rubs her back. I look over at Anna, and she gestures toward the living room.
As much as I want to stay and be here to comfort Hanna, I think she needs this moment with her dad.
The rest of us quietly make our way to the living room.
As soon as we’re in the living room, Anna engulfs me in a hug.
“If I had any doubts about your love for my girl, you just took them away. Thank you for loving her and for seeing her in a way we all overlooked.”
Hanna
I stand there crying in Dad’s arms for a while. When my tears slow, I turn my head so my cheek rests on his chest. “Is Pops going to ever talk to me again? He doesn’t even know why we did it.”
Dad hugs me again and sighs. “He’s hurt.
He’s been thinking a lot lately about walking you down the aisle, and you know he tends to react before hearing the whole story.
I don’t see him talking to you tonight. Your mom and I will try to talk to him enough so he’ll listen to you.
He’ll come around. You’re our princess. He’s still having trouble with the fact that we’re no longer the most important men in your life. ”
I look up at him and shake my head. “You and Pops will always be two of the most important men in my life.” Dad sighs again and shakes his head.
“Yeah, but not in the way we were when you were four and had a tea party with us, or were six and skinned your knee and needed us to fix it and make it better for you. Cade is the man who helps you the most and is the first one you turn to now, as it should be. He’s a good man.
You’ve got a man who I have no doubt will be by your side for the rest of your life.
That’s all good, but it doesn’t change the fact that me and your pops are both taking a bit to adjust and mourn the fact that we’ve moved into another phase of life.
I’m pretty sure more grandkids is the fix for it. ”
I chuckle at him. “That will happen all in good time.”
We just finished dinner when Pops came in, ate dinner, and went back out to his shop.
I know better than to go to his shop and try to talk to him.
He has to come around in his own time. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t break my heart to think he thinks I made the decision to hurt him or that we did it without thinking about our family at all. I thought he knew me better than that.
I go out to the front to let Tucker outside.
He goes and does his business and comes back to the porch, lying down next to me with his head in my lap.
Looking out at the night, I can’t see it anymore, but I’m sure the stars are out, and my memory of what the moon looks like fills my mind.
I snuggle Tucker and sing the first song that comes to my mind.
Of course it’s one that Pops has sung to me more times than I can count.
“When your back’s against the wall…” I sing quietly as I pet Tucker, feeling his love as he gets in my lap, knowing I need him close. “…have a little faith in me.” I sit out on the porch with Tucker for a while. I hear the screen door open and look up. I’m surprised to see Mike walk out.
He sits down in the chair across from me and looks out at the trees.
“You know I love Cade and Emma, and being their dad has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. Cade and I get along great, and we love to spend time together doing a million different things. None of that is in question, just like I know both your dad and your pops have a similar relationship with your brothers.” He takes a sip of his beer as he leans back to continue.
“However, I can tell you from the day Emma was born, it was different with her than with Cade. I didn’t love one more than the other.
It’s just different. A father’s relationship with his daughter…
that’s something precious and different from any other relationship a man has.
My Emma…she’s held a special spot in my heart from that very first time her tiny little hand wrapped around my finger.
” I must give him a look like I’m waiting for him to get to his point because he smiles at me.
“I say all this because I know we don’t know each other that well, but I think I can speak for Wyatt when I say, give him a little time. He’s gonna come around. He loves you beyond measure, and that love makes us a little nuts sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
Mike laughs. “Okay, often is more like it. I have to admit, when Emma told me she was in love with Amy, I didn’t respond very well.
Now it had nothing to do with the fact that she was a lesbian.
Not really. I was upset because my initial thought was that I wouldn’t get to see her pregnant and become a mom, and I was worried that people would treat her differently because of who she loved.
I might have blown my top, and to everyone else, they thought I had a problem with her orientation, but in my head that wasn’t the case.
It took Cara giving me a verbal lashing to realize how I’d come off.
Luckily, I was able to repair things with my Emma, and we’re good now, but I’m still not that proud of my initial reaction.
Just give him a little time. I’m pretty sure he’ll come around.
Just know you’ve got me and Cara in your corner now too. ” I think my in-laws are pretty great.
**********
Hanna
It’s been two days, and Pops has barely said more than a couple of words to me.
He’s not leaving the room when I come in, and he’s not fully ignoring me.
But he’s just not engaging with me at all.
I think I’m going to attempt to get him to talk to me.
I know Dad got frustrated and told him this morning why I made the decision I did.
I know he also told him I still want both of them to walk me down the aisle.
He hasn’t approached me, but he’s not talking much to anyone this morning.
Which, if you know my pops, you’d know that’s not him. He’s usually quite the talker.