here all of the time. We’ll even buy a house that’s close so you can come and see us. And we want to give you grandchildren. All of us will be happy, Dad. Just you wait and see.” Robert turned and faced her. She could see the water welling in his eyes. “I won’t marry Brian without your blessing, Dad – please.”
Stephanie waited for a few minutes, with no one saying anything. Then she glanced at Brian. He shrugged his shoulders. Then her dad spoke. “You crazy lovebirds,” he groaned as his mouth began to bend at the corners. “You have my blessing.”
And the champagne went “Pop!”
Chapter Five:
One week remained before the wedding. As Stephanie packed for her honeymoon, she noticed the étagère holding her dolls and stuffed animals. She slowly reached for the doll that had been her childhood companion and fondly stroked its hair. Then she suddenly realized that she was leaving the only security she had ever known and she began to feel panicky. I can’t go through with this. She threw herself across the bed, hugged her doll close to her chest, and cried with loud sobs. She heard her dad’s familiar footsteps on the stairs. Moments later, she heard a tap on the door. “May I come in?” The doorknob twisted open and then she heard her dad walking toward the bed. “What’s wrong, Stephanie?” he asked as he sat down on the bed beside her. “Did you and Brian have an argument?” She shook her head no. “Then what?” he pressed.
Stephanie wondered whether he would understand. She sat up and threw her arms around him. “I never want to leave you, Daddy.” She could feel his hand brushing her hair while he gently rocked her in his arms. His hands were soothing, his embrace calming, and she felt safe again. I want you to hold me for the rest of my life.
Stephanie’s sobs turned to quiet whimpers. Robert lifted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes. “You, young lady, have a classic case of the prenuptial jitters.” She frowned at him. His diagnosis was too simple to explain all of her pain. “You’re running blindfolded into unknown territory and it’s scary. Everyone goes through it.”
She wanted to cling to her security. “You’re right, Dad. I am scared. But why shouldn’t I be? Look what I found,” she said as she nodded toward the nightstand. “A picture of Kyle. Do you see what he wrote? ‘Stephanie’,” she mocked in a deep voice, pretending to talk like Kyle. ‘I will love you forever.’ “Forever isn’t very long, is it, Dad?” She began to whimper again. “What if wedding vows are nothing but a big farce? What if Brian…”
“Brian isn’t like Kyle,” he interrupted. “And I’m confident he’ll be good to you. Even so, there are going to be a lot of unknown obstacles in your marriage, but those obstacles are what will cause you and Brian to draw even closer together. Before you know it, you’ll be clinging to each other instead of to the things that used to make you happy.”
Stephanie’s spirits were beginning to lift. Still, the thought of leaving her dad crushed her. “And you know what?” he asked with a consoling smile. “I’ll always be here for you.”
She let out one last whimper. “You promise?”
“I’ve never broken a promise yet, and I’m not about to start.”
Stephanie looked into his eyes. She suddenly felt able to meet every challenge in her new life with Brian. “I’m sorry for the outburst, Dad. It’s just that I’m exhausted. I still have so much to do before the wedding. Brian’s family is coming in tomorrow and I’m nervous about meeting them. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days because my mind won’t stop racing.”
“I want you to come downstairs with me so I can give you a mild sedative. It will help take the edge off so you can get some rest. It’s also time for the
Stephanie waited for a few minutes, with no one saying anything. Then she glanced at Brian. He shrugged his shoulders. Then her dad spoke. “You crazy lovebirds,” he groaned as his mouth began to bend at the corners. “You have my blessing.”
And the champagne went “Pop!”
Chapter Five:
One week remained before the wedding. As Stephanie packed for her honeymoon, she noticed the étagère holding her dolls and stuffed animals. She slowly reached for the doll that had been her childhood companion and fondly stroked its hair. Then she suddenly realized that she was leaving the only security she had ever known and she began to feel panicky. I can’t go through with this. She threw herself across the bed, hugged her doll close to her chest, and cried with loud sobs. She heard her dad’s familiar footsteps on the stairs. Moments later, she heard a tap on the door. “May I come in?” The doorknob twisted open and then she heard her dad walking toward the bed. “What’s wrong, Stephanie?” he asked as he sat down on the bed beside her. “Did you and Brian have an argument?” She shook her head no. “Then what?” he pressed.
Stephanie wondered whether he would understand. She sat up and threw her arms around him. “I never want to leave you, Daddy.” She could feel his hand brushing her hair while he gently rocked her in his arms. His hands were soothing, his embrace calming, and she felt safe again. I want you to hold me for the rest of my life.
Stephanie’s sobs turned to quiet whimpers. Robert lifted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes. “You, young lady, have a classic case of the prenuptial jitters.” She frowned at him. His diagnosis was too simple to explain all of her pain. “You’re running blindfolded into unknown territory and it’s scary. Everyone goes through it.”
She wanted to cling to her security. “You’re right, Dad. I am scared. But why shouldn’t I be? Look what I found,” she said as she nodded toward the nightstand. “A picture of Kyle. Do you see what he wrote? ‘Stephanie’,” she mocked in a deep voice, pretending to talk like Kyle. ‘I will love you forever.’ “Forever isn’t very long, is it, Dad?” She began to whimper again. “What if wedding vows are nothing but a big farce? What if Brian…”
“Brian isn’t like Kyle,” he interrupted. “And I’m confident he’ll be good to you. Even so, there are going to be a lot of unknown obstacles in your marriage, but those obstacles are what will cause you and Brian to draw even closer together. Before you know it, you’ll be clinging to each other instead of to the things that used to make you happy.”
Stephanie’s spirits were beginning to lift. Still, the thought of leaving her dad crushed her. “And you know what?” he asked with a consoling smile. “I’ll always be here for you.”
She let out one last whimper. “You promise?”
“I’ve never broken a promise yet, and I’m not about to start.”
Stephanie looked into his eyes. She suddenly felt able to meet every challenge in her new life with Brian. “I’m sorry for the outburst, Dad. It’s just that I’m exhausted. I still have so much to do before the wedding. Brian’s family is coming in tomorrow and I’m nervous about meeting them. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days because my mind won’t stop racing.”
“I want you to come downstairs with me so I can give you a mild sedative. It will help take the edge off so you can get some rest. It’s also time for the
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