But Daddy I Love Him (Tayvis Short Story)

six

I could hear the bustle of the ballroom as I descended the steps, walking towards where my father, brother, and future husband stood waiting for me. Father smiled as I approached, taking my hands and kissing both of my cheeks.

"Happy birthday pet." He said. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you father." I smiled, exchanging a look with Joe before he glanced away.

"Come." Father took my hand. "Your guests await to celebrate your birthday."

I nodded, falling into step next to him. Austin and Joe moved to walk behind us as the doors to the hall were pulled open, revealing the packed ballroom of our guests. Everyone turned as we walked in, bowing their heads slightly in respect. I swallowed as we descended the steps to the floor, and I could just feel that all of the eyes in the room were on me. Not something I was uncomfortable with, but it was a funny feeling.

"Good evening, thank you all dearly for coming to celebrate my beautiful daughter coming of age." Father said, his voice echoing around the room. He had this power to command attention that I would never understand, and it silenced the hall. "However we have another celebration to acknowledge tonight." He beckoned Joe forwards, placing my hand into the hand of the man I was to marry within a day. "My daughter shall be married tomorrow, to this fine duke, and we wish you all attend."

At the announcement, the hall erupted into clapping and congratulations. I looked at Joe, and he smiled at me, squeezing my hand. Managing a small smile back, I nodded, and he led me out onto the dance floor. Music started up and people moved a little to give us space as we slipped into the dance. Soon after, other couples joined us on the floor, surrounding us with dance and movement and music and light conversations. The ball fell into a joyful event, but my heart still felt like it was too heavy.

Joe and I danced, and then I was passed off to people I vaguely knew who wanted to congratulate me. I did not remember half of their names but smiled and nodded, thanking them for coming and thanking them for wishing happiness on the marriage. It became repetitive, and soon it was not so believable, only a forced mask of a smile on my lips that I gave to people.

"Pet." Father found me a little while later, taking up my wrist. "Why are you wearing this?"

"I thought I would like to." I whispered as he touched mother's charm bracelet dangling around my wrist on top of my glove. Father sighed, shaking his head.

"You need to let go pet, just like your brother and I have." He told me. "It has been eighteen years, and you cannot spend your life pining for her. She is gone."

"Father it is merely a bracelet!" I insisted.

"Do not speak back to me." Father lowered his voice, glancing around us. "Come with me pet." He took me by the wrist, leading me out of the ballroom to the front hall, out of the doors underneath the open air of the sky. There he sighed, turning to face me. "Pet I know you wish you could have known your mother, but you are marrying into another family tomorrow and you need to let this go."

"Father." I pleaded. "Please, I know how you feel about this but I thought I would find comfort in wearing it tonight." I did not understand why he was making such a fuss over a bracelet, especially since there were very few people who knew it had belonged to my mother. To others, it would just look like an item of jewelry.

"No pet, enough is enough." Father shook his head. "You are a woman now, not a little girl. Put away these childish thought and start to act your ago, or bring shame upon our family."

"No!" I gasped as he unclipped the bracelet from around my wrist, grabbing for it. "Father please!" I cried.

"Know your place." Father snapped, and I fell still and silent. "This is what I mean. You need to stop this pet."