Just a Number(136)

My stomach rolls, my nerves kicking into high gear. Today is a big day in more ways than one, but I have to make it through one big event before moving on to the next.

Owen leads me from the room and we take the elevator down to the main floor of the hotel we’re staying at. Instead of going to the lobby, we head toward the banquet room, the sound of a string quartet growing louder as we near the closed double doors.

There, pacing in front of the doors is a nervous looking Carla. Her dark hair is pulled up into a sleek chignon, and the white dress she’s wearing fits her curvy body perfectly. It’s simple and sleek and hugs her in all the right places. She looks up as we approach, and she looks relieved. “There you are!” she exclaims. “Alan is inside, and I think they’re almost ready to start.” She looks at me and smiles. “Aren’t you a vision.”

“Me?” I question with a wide grin. “Carla, you look amazing. My dad is going to lose it when he see you.” A blush fills her cheeks, and I pull her into a hug. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

Owen places a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to head inside to see how Alan is holding up.”

I tilt my head up when he leans in to kiss me, and Carla speaks up. “Can you send Hayley and Ethan out, please?” Owen agrees with a nod, and then he’s inside the banquet hall, and Carla and I are alone for a minute before her kids arrive.

Hayley and I grab our bouquets of flowers just as the music shifts to the wedding march, and the double doors are pulled open. I walk through them first, seeing my dad and noticing how handsome he looks in his suit. It’s not often he gets dressed up like this, so I take in the sight, knowing it could be another decade before I see it again.

Hopefully not, though.

Then my eyes catch Owen’s as I continue my way down the aisle. I’m immediately imagining what it might be like if this were our wedding day, and I realize I might actually be ready to take that step with him. Tears warm my eyes as I take my place directly across from him in front of the alter. His eyes never leave mine, and he smiles.

Hayley soon joins me at the alter, and then we all turn to watch as Ethan walks his mother down the aisle and toward my father. The smiles on their faces are infectious, and I can’t help the happy tears that slip from my eyes as they say their vows to one another. Owen captures my attention once more, and he looks just as happy as I feel.

When the ceremony is done, we clear the room so they can set up for the reception. We gather outside for a few photos with friends and relatives, and Owen never leaves my side, his hand always around my waist. I can tell he’s caught up in the emotions today has brought on. And to tell you the truth, so am I.

Dinner is amazing, and before we know it, our plates are all being cleared and the music is picking up tempo as the party kicks off. We all watch and admire the love my dad and Carla have for each other as they share their first dance. I sit on Owen’s lap, his arms around my waist and his chin resting on my bare shoulder, and I wonder what our song might be. There’ve been so many that we’ve danced to over the years, but is there one that really defines our relationship?

The music shifts to another slow song, and I’m shocked to see my dad approach us. He smiles, holding out a hand. “Can I steal her away for a few minutes?” he asks Owen.

“She’s not mine to own,” he replies, releasing me from his hold.

“Good answer” Dad takes me by the hand and leads me onto the dance floor. Neither one of us is entirely talented in the art of slow dancing, so we just move back and forth to the music, and a few people slowly start to join us.

“The wedding was beautiful,” I tell him. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Carla did a good job, didn’t she?” I nod, and then there’s another moment of silence between us. “You know he wants all this, right?” I look at him, confused for just a second. “With you, Amy.”

I swallow thickly. While Dad had come to accept our relationship, it isn’t something we talk about without some level of awkwardness. “Oh? And…how would you feel about that?” I had come to expect that Owen might not be ready to ask me to marry him based on how my dad might react when we told him.

Dad sighs. “He’s a good man, Amy. I might not have been the most accepting in the beginning, but I can see how much he loves you and how much you love him. If you’re happy, then that’s all that should matter.”

“He asked for your blessing, didn’t he?” Dad tries to keep the truth from his eyes, but the corner of his lip twitches with the hint of a smile, and I try to contain the giddy smile I feel in my cheeks. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. “Thank you.”