Groomless - Part 1 (7 page)

He shrugged. “It’s the only ace I’ve got up my sleeve, a little gallows humor. Do this for me, sweetheart. Humor your dear old dad.”

“You know I’d do anything for you, Daddy.”

“So give me this. Let’s have a wedding reception, with all the trimmings. I saved up for your real wedding, but hell, I say we blow it all on this party.”

“I won’t have you doing that. I know the medical bills have—”

“I have life insurance, Julia. It’ll clear all that. I didn’t pay into it for thirty years to leave my loved ones with bills. It’s taken care of. There aren’t many bills left for me to rack up at this rate anyway. I don’t see any plastic shopping sprees in my very short future.”

“You’re killing me with this,” I protested.

“Poor choice of words,” he said with a wheezy laugh.

I sighed, not wanting to believe any of it. “I’ll think about it,” I promised, “but in the meantime, I want to talk to the doctor and get a second opinion. Surely there has to be another option. I mean, they can’t expect you to just give up and—”

“Julia, we’ve tried everything,” he said sternly, cutting me off. “I have to accept that this is the end of the road for me…and you have to accept it too.”

A tear dripped down my face. “No! How can you talk like that? Why aren’t you fighting for your life?”

“I have been, all this time, in every way I could. We’ve exhausted every single option. I’ve come to accept it.”

“No,” I said. “Daddy, you can’t stop fighting. I need you. I can’t live here without you. I already lost Mom. You can’t leave too.”

“Your mother is in Heaven, waiting for me, and I’m tired of fighting a war I’m not going to win anyway.”

“But that goes against everything you’ve ever taught me! You’re a fighter, a survivor. You told me that yourself, and right now, I need you to fight for your life.”

“I did, for a long time. I have a choice as to how I will spend my remaining months, and I don’t want to spend them sick from pointless treatments and hooked up to machines. I want to have a big bash for my little girl and dance with her, just like I’ve always dreamt of doing.”

I was numb as he gently held my hand.

“I’ve had a wonderful life, Julia. I’ve done so much, more living than many people do in their lifetime, and now I want to face death on my own terms.”

“You can’t possibly expect me to accept this,” I said. “I love you way too much to just let you go.”

“And I love you, Julia.”

“Then fight, Dad!”

“It’s over, and we both have to come to terms with that.”

I let out a long sob, and my dad hugged me. I cried into his shoulder as he rubbed my back. “But you seemed so happy today,” I said. “I-I thought it was good news.”

“I’m not going to spend my last days hating life and being bitter. I’m going to smile until the day I die.”

“You’re so brave,” I said.

“You know what my biggest regret is?” he asked.

“What?” I asked, my voice quivering.

“That I won’t get to walk you down the aisle.”

“Oh, Daddy.”

I talked to my dad for the next hour, but most of it was a blur. When we were done talking, we went back to the taxi, where Ed was still waiting for us. We tipped our patient driver well.

At the nursing home, I helped my dad back to his room, then called the doctor. Unfortunately, he gave me the exact same grim news: “There is really nothing we can do. I’m sorry, but I’m sure any doctor would agree in light of your father’s condition.”

I drove back to my apartment and fed my cat. When Kate came home, I lost it and cried in her arms. She tried to comfort me, but I was impossible to console. Grief-stricken, I called off work. Days went by, and everything remained an intolerable blur, like I was caught in some kind of horrible nightmare I would never wake up from.

Chapter 5

My roommate sat next to me on the couch, and we talked for over an hour. She was so sweet and understanding and just let me vent.

“His biggest regret is that he won’t be able to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day,” I said. “How am I ever gonna get married without him there to give me away, Kate? I can’t imagine anyone taking his place,” I said, getting all choked up even thinking about it.

“On that day and every other day, he’ll be with you in spirit,” she said. “Not to sound, uh…morbid or anything, but maybe he can videotape a message for your special day so you can play it back at your reception.”

I stared at her, long and hard, and said nothing.

“I’m sorry. Maybe that’s not such a good idea.”

“Are you kidding? It’s brilliant, but…”

“But what?”

“I wanna take it a step further, something more than a simple recorded speech.”

She raised a brow. “What do you have in mind? Like…setting it to music or something? Oh, that would be so sentimental and touching.”

“I’m thinking more sentimental and touching than a playlist.”

“Hmm? I’m afraid I don’t see what you’re getting at,” she said.

I gripped her hands as my mind spun. My face lit up at the thoughts flying through my mind. “My dad wants me to have a little reception and throw him a big ol’ party. Maybe I should do it.”

“Wait. A reception? I’m confused, Julia. I mean, the last time I checked, you didn’t even have a groom.”

“So? I don’t need one.”

A look of confusion spread across her face. “Okay. Still not following you.” She glanced down at my finger. “I still don’t see a big, glittery rock either. Isn’t that a requirement?”

I smiled, thinking of the huge task I’d just decided to undertake. “It’ll be a mock reception, that’s all. Nothing fancy. Just something for close friends and family. It’ll take a lot of work though. I won’t spend Dad’s money on a big, fake shindig, but I wouldn’t mind a small get-together in his back yard. He has acres back there, the perfect venue.” 

“Well, hell, girl! If it’s a party, I say we drink champagne and dance on the table.”

I laughed. “No table-dancing. It might give my great-grandma a heart attack.”

“Right…or us one if she decides to join us.”

I shuddered at the thought. “We’ll have dinner, and then my dad and I will have that first dance. We can videotape it and play it back at my real wedding, if I ever even find that missing groom.”

“Pete can record it. His vacation videos are fabulous.”

“Sounds perfect. There’s really no need to hire a professional.”

“Oh! And Steve can be the DJ. He’s only an amateur, but he’s great.”

“So it’ll be a simple event with a small group at my dad’s house. Just like that, we’ll make my dad’s wish come true.”

“He’s going to be so happy,” she squealed.

“Yeah, and I’m sure everyone will love it.”

“You need a dress!” she said.

“You’re right. Oh my gosh! We really have a wedding reception to plan!”

“Will there be a maid of honor?” she asked, with a sparkle in her eye.

“Of course! You.”

She squealed in delight and began jumping up and down.

“We have to have a bridal party. We’ll even have a bridal entrance and a bridal table. We can set up party tents and stuff in the back yard.”

“It’s gonna be awesome, groom or not!”

“Yeah,” I said, then went off to wash the dishes.

As my hands dived beneath the sudsy surface to grasp a spaghetti sauce-crusted plate, I pondered the list of possible stand-ins. I had to find a Ken Doll, of sorts, a plastic groom to be there just for the sake of appearances. Kate was all in favor of hiring an escort, but that seemed a bit seedy to me, and the last thing I needed was the guy ripping his pants off and gyrating around in front of my great-grandmother in a purple sequined thong.

There was Zack, my gay best friend, who just so happened to be a drop-dead-gorgeous model. I knew he would make fun of me endlessly for even suggesting it, but he could also rock a tuxedo like none other. I considered posting an ad online, perhaps Craigslist, but the chances of some random guy showing up without being a drunk or a groper were far too risky.

The obvious choice was Luke, the man who had left me back in Missouri. He loved my dad so much that he still went to ballgames with him after we broke up. Out of all the guys I’d dated since him, he was the only one who had ever met my family, and they considered him part of the family; my exact words were, “I wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire!” I might have kissed him like Michael Corleone kissed Fredo, but that was it, for he’d broken my heart.

Chapter 6

The next morning, I stopped by the nursing home to see my dad.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Hi, Daddy. I’m working a long twelve-hour day today, so I wanted to see you before work.”

“That’s wonderful,” he said.

“I wanted to go over your idea. I’ve been bouncing it around in my head.”

“Sure. Shoot.”

“I don’t think the fake reception should be anything too big. There’s no reason to spend thousands when it won’t even be real. I think we should have a small, intimate occasion, a backyard thing with close friends and family. It’ll be like a big barbecue, except I’ll be wearing a wedding dress, and you’ll be wearing a tux. We’ll have a small wedding party, too, just for fun. I even got a DJ. He’s a friend, and he’ll do it for free.”

“Steve?”

“Yeah. I know he’s a little amateurish and a little loud, but he’ll work. It’ll be fun, and I think we’ll all have a blast. If you’re willing to have something simple like that, I’m onboard. Besides, what little princess doesn’t want to dance with her dad, all dolled up in her wedding dress?”

Tears welled in his eyes. “I never thought I’d get the chance.”

“Now you will,” I said.

A tear dripped down his face, and he was truly touched. “I’d be honored, Julia.”

“The honor will be all mine, but we’ll keep it small and simple,” I said. “The trouble is, I can’t have a wedding reception without a groom.”

“I could always fill in,” a male nurse said, winking at me as he walked in with Dad’s pills.

I smiled at him, taking notice of his shaggy brown hair and brown eyes.

“I’m Ron,” he said.

I shook his hand. “Julia.”

“I haven’t been working here long, but your dad has told me all about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. I hope you don’t think I was eavesdropping. I was passing out pills, and my med cart is parked next to the door. I think it’s a beautiful thing you’re doing, and I’m happy to help if I can.”

“Well, there you go,” my dad said. “We’ve now got a groom.”

I grinned, and the cute guy in the scrubs smiled back at me.

“I’ll give you my number,” he said. “It might be nice for us to go out once before we get hitched though.”

I laughed.

“See? The man’s got a sense of humor, like me,” my dad said. “He’s a keeper for sure.”

I laughed and gave Ron my number, then glanced down at my watch. “I gotta go. I’m running late for work.” I then graciously made my exit and rushed off to the studio.

My assistant, Mel, greeted me with a smile. “Kari Madshaw is fuming,” she said. “She’s been out of makeup for at least thirty minutes now, and we’ve got three more models coming this afternoon.”

“The one’s who’s here now… Is she the blonde or the redhead?”

“The brunette.”

“Ah, that’s right. We’re doing The Moon Collection today. Sorry. I’ve got so much going on right now with my dad.”

“That’s why I’m here,” she said, pushing up her glasses, “to keep your head on straight.”

I hated being late, especially when it was my job to keep everything running smoothly. I started to turn on the lights and set up the huge silver umbrellas. After I calmed the irate model down, I got straight to work. I messed with the wide assortment of beauty dishes and umbrellas, then changed out the white Plexiglas infinity wall for the background. My assistant fixed the model’s hair and smoothed out a wrinkle while I changed the bulb to ensure perfect lighting for the shot.

I worked for Dreams & Hopes Photography, and like most studios in New York, we employed a variety of assistants, makeup artists, and hairstylists. My boss, Patty, had about five photographers on the staff, resulting in a huge portfolio with some very prestigious clients. She offered photo shoots for magazine and newspaper spreads, print ads, private projects, and more. She was fanatic about staying on budget, so she paid us per gig instead of hourly; for that reason, I was happy to work with Mel, Pam, and Claire. 

“Okay, head up,” I coached as I started shooting frame after frame, letting my creativity flow. “Great. Now put your hands over your head. Yes, just like that.” I turned to my assistant, Claire, and said, “Cue the wind.”

She directed a small fan toward the model, blowing the girl’s hair around.

I glanced over at the computer, then back at the model. “That’s good. Let’s try that.” I kept clicking away to take another series of shots, trying to capture her beauty from every angle. “Perfect,” I said.