"I'm getting married." Asher winced to himself as he stared in the mirror. That was too blunt. "Hey, remember Asif? We're getting married!" Asher wanted to slam his head through the mirror. This was painful.
Asif poked his head in the doorway. "Almost ready? We have to go, I don't want to be late." He looked nice, having added a tie to his usual short sleeve button-up.
Asher took one last cursory look in the mirror and fixed his hair before following his fiance. They had picked a restaurant only a few blocks away, but Asif was perpetually worried about punctuality. Within a few minutes they made it to the restaurant with plenty of time to spare. Normally, this was Asher's favorite restaurant. He lived for brunch with Asif. But today, meeting with his family for the first time in months, he felt sick.
Asif ordered a coffee, but Asher stuck to water. The last thing he needed was caffeine jitters too. After a few minutes, also early, in walked Asher's father. His hair was almost completely white, the bald spot on the top of his head having taken over. He had put on a little weight, just around the middle. Asher stood, almost knocking over the table as he did.
"Asherleh!" Leo hurried over to his son and hugged him hard, practically lifting him off the ground.
Asher was laughing by the time his father released him, completely surprised at his behavior. "It's so good to see you Pops," he said with a smile. He looked over Leo's shoulder, realizing he was alone. "Where's Ma?"
Leo sighed, pulling his chair out and taking a seat, motioning for Asher to do the same. "Your mother and your sister..." He frowned. "They need more time."
Asher nodded slowly. "Okay." He sighed and looked at his fiance. "Oh!" He smiled apologetically to Asif. "You remember Asif."
Leo shook Asif's hand with both of his own. "It's so good to meet you, Asif."
Asher shared a glance with Asif before turning to his father. "We're getting married."
Leo's face was unreadable for a moment, before absolutely beaming. "I'm so happy for you, son."
It felt like the weight of the world was lifted off Asher's shoulders. He grabbed Asif's hand under the table, for fear of drifting up to the ceiling. He breathed a laugh, grinning at his father. "You'll be there?"
Leo clutched his heart. "Asherleh, nothing could stop me."
