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Her phone rings, and she glances at the screen. “This is Eric. I’d better check in with him. I’ll see you two tonight, okay?”
I nod. Sutton smiles. Ellie answers the phone and heads toward the front doors.
Sutton
After dinner ends, my father asks me to dance. I accept, surprised and touched by the gesture. He’s been making more of an effort recently. He and Lily visited me in California this winter and drove up to Brookfield once when I was there, visiting Teddy.
“Everything seems to be going smoothly so far,” I state, as we settle into a simple shuffle.
“Yes, it is.”
We dance in silence for a couple of choruses before I bring up the topic we’ve always avoided.
“I never called Mom,” I tell him.
This is the first time I’ve mentioned her phone number since he sent it to me. My father and I take dysfunctional to a whole other level. He never asked, and I never offered an answer until now.
Rather than the quiet hum of a response I’m expecting, my father replies, “I did.”
“What?”
“I called her. As soon as I had the number.”
“You did? Why?”
“To give her a piece of my mind, mostly.” He lets out an unamused chuckle. “Walking away from me was one thing. But you? That’s the one thing I’ll never be able to forgive for as long as I live. She didn’t answer and never called back.” He sighs, and I hear the pain and the weight in it.
“I didn’t call her because her leaving meant we moved to Brookfield. Meant I met Teddy. And he…I can’t imagine my life without him, Dad. I hope you feel that way about Lily.” I pause. “We’re engaged.”
I chose not to wear my ring tonight. As nice of a gesture as it was for Ellie to offer, I knew flashing the diamond would mean discussing nothing else all night. And I wanted to have this moment with my dad. Withmyonly living family. The part that stuck with me, at least.
A wide smile creases the corners of his eyes. “Well, how about that? Congratulations, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He looks around. “Can I expect a big shindig like this?”
I laugh. “No. We’ve actually been talking about an outdoor wedding—at the farm. The Williams offered, and it’s where we started.”
“That sounds really nice.”
I smile. “Yeah, it does.”
The silence is less awkward this time, but I still break it. “Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for staying. I’m not sure if I’ve ever said it.”
“Sutton, you never have to thank me for that.”
“I know. But it meant a lot, and I want you to know that it did.”
My father isn’t a sentimental man. So, when I see the sheen of moisture in his eyes, I know it means something to him. I tighten my hand around his, and we continue to sway.
After the song ends, my father passes me off to Teddy after a handshake and a quiet, “Congratulations.”
I knew he’d approved, knew he had given Teddy permission to ask me, but it’s still nice to see the obvious blessing.
