I don’t ever want to part from you again now that we have a son binding the two of us. I had to make the both of you mine. My head and my heart were now surrounded by white picket fences.
“I guess you’re stuck with me now,” I said to you as I held Liam in my arms for the first time.
You just smiled and shrugged.
“You won’t chicken out if I ask you to marry me, will you?”
Tears welled in your eyes and you shook your head. I’ve never felt so relieved.
I couldn’t be any happier or giddier, for that matter. I held Liam in one arm (I was getting really good at it) and held a wedding magazine in the other hand even though you insisted on a simple, private ceremony.
“Who’ll walk you down the aisle?” I asked you as I sifted through the pages.
“Can’t I walk by myself?” you asked back.
Seems like you’re still quite touchy about your father. Then, an idea came to me.
“I brainwashed a woman nearly twice my age into loving and marrying me. I’m so glad it worked out. We have a son. His name is Liam and I want to give him my last name.”
“Brainwashed?” Dad exclaimed. “Son?”
My relationship with my own father was just as touchy because of my former sexual preference. My sudden reorientation confused him.
I told him, “I realized that you were just being a dad, looking out for his kid. I understand that now. But if I had listened to you, I never would’ve met Liam, or Emma, or had my Liam. I would’ve missed out on a lot of things.”
Then, I told him about my illness.
He sighed. “You sure have a lousy way of inviting your father to your wedding.”
You don’t know about this but I came to visit your father too a few days after we were married. I also showed him a picture of Liam. He was in tears.
“I almost did her in, didn’t I?” he’d asked.
“Even to this day, she wonders what could’ve made me want to love her,” I’d told him. “But I do have to thank you for bringing her into this world. Even though I don’t have a lot of time, I’m going to do my best to make her time on this earth worthwhile, even after all the shit you’ve put her through. She’s made me so happy and I could only hope that I can do the same for her. She may never be able to forgive you but I can help her forget. I just wanted you to know that.”
He nodded once and didn’t say any more. Like you said, he is a pitiful person but I guess it happens when you experience such an incredible loss. I can only hope that I could leave you with enough love to keep the family together. I’m going to transfer all of my love to Liam just to be sure.
