“No I’m fine. As for trouble, I haven’t heard anything, so I don’t know what he is telling people.” He paused, gave me a look, as if wondering why I still cared. Didn’t he get it? I still loved him so much; it hurt me to see him hurt.
He went on, “Anyhow, Sidney said she needed to speak with us, so here we are. What’s going on Sid?”
“Well, dad, I graduate in a little over a month. Jarred asked me to marry him after we do, and I said yes!”
“WHAT?” he asked. He sat, looking stunned. Welcome to the club, I thought. At least I wasn’t the only one shocked by this news.
“Dad, I know you probably think we are too young, but I love him and he loves me. He treats me right and would never do anything to hurt me.”
I could see the gears turning in his head for a minute. “Are you pregnant?” he asked.
She started laughing at that, “No, dad, I am not pregnant. That’s funny though, because mom asked me the same thing two nights ago.”
He turned to me with a glare. “You KNEW about this?”
“Yes, Matt, I did. She told me two days ago when I came to visit, but we haven’t talked lately, so how was I supposed to tell you? Besides, she asked me to wait so she could tell you herself. She loves you so much, and wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be disappointed with her.”
“Well I’m not really ok with it, but don’t have much choice, do I? She is eighteen and can do whatever she wants, right?”
“Daddy, don’t be mad at me. I really want you to walk me down the aisle. If you can’t accept us, I guess I will have to do it without you.”
“Sidney, I never said I wouldn’t. I’m shocked, and really think you should wait, but still love you very much. If you say you are in love with him, I believe you and wish you both a lot of happiness. Of course I will walk you down the aisle. Have you set a date yet? You are waiting until you graduate, right?”
“Yes, dad, we are waiting until June or July, I think.”
He was smiling at her now. I truly wished it was me he was happy about. After our discussion, he went outside to play some football with the boys, while I spent some more time talking with my daughter about her upcoming wedding.
For a while, it felt like we were a family again. I wish it could last, but knew that it was only temporary.
******
Matt comes to terms with things.
So my eighteen year old daughter is getting married, damn did that make me feel old. I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of her getting married so young, but had to trust that she was making the right choice. She said she loved him, and I believed her. I trusted her, so told her that I would support her choice. She wanted me to walk her down the aisle, and I knew I could never let my little girl down.
As far as my life was concerned, things were moving along, but that was about it. I felt I got my revenge on Jim, but still felt empty inside. The lawyer told me that if Jennifer didn’t fight the divorce, it could be official in about three to four months. Deep down, I really didn’t want to divorce her, but felt I had no choice. Call me stubborn, but I thought a lot about it, and just didn’t see any other way.
The next day, mom took me to my first therapy monthly check-up. The first few minutes of the ride were silent, until I guess she couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, are you really going to get a divorce? Matthew, I really hoped you two could work it out.”
Uh-oh, she used my full first name. She was getting serious on me, now. “Mom, I love her, but still feel betrayed. How do I know she won’t do something like this again? I know she loves me, but is it enough? Sorry if I sound rude, I’m just trying to tell you how I feel right now.”
“Ok, that’s fair,” she replied. “Consider this, your uncle Larry has dealt with something similar. You may want to chat with him about it.”
“Uncle Larry? Didn’t he get a divorce from Aunt Sue? Did she cheat on him too?”
“You will have to ask him, but I think so. He might be able to give you some advice. I know he is still in a lot of pain, and it’s been three years since his divorce was final.” Mom had a point. It might be a good idea to talk with someone who had been in similar shoes.
“Ok, I will call him when we get home. Thanks for the advice.”
The rest of the drive was uneventful, and we got to my appointment a few minutes early. After dropping me off, mom said she was going to run an errand. She said she would be back at the end of my therapy to pick me up.
I sat in the lobby waiting, reading some email on my phone. My old boss sent me one, saying that my request to start working from home the next week was approved. He went on to say that he hoped I would be able to return to the office soon, as everyone really missed me around.
About that time, Doctor Swinson came out to take me back to the therapy area. The place was unusually quiet, with only one other person getting therapy. The guy and his therapist were working on some leg machine.
“Today we are just going to do a little check-up on progress, and if need be, make adjustments to your home regimen. How do you feel today Matt?” she asked.
“Pretty good, thanks. I am moving around on my own now, with almost no help from my family.”
“Good to hear. I must say that you don’t look like you were in a coma. Your body has recovered very well. Let’s get going, shall we?”