A proud father’s joy for his daughter’s wedding transforms into heartache as he comes upon unexpected video from her bachelorette party. He declines to accompany her down the aisle since he believes their relationship has been destroyed. I felt like I was on top of the world until last week. My little girl Emily, who is no longer so tiny, was getting married. Ever since she informed me that Jake had proposed, I would dreamed of being the one to lead her down the aisle.
Revisiting our old photo albums brought up a ton of memories. assisting her with her first bike ride, supporting her with her first dancing recital, and seeing her high school graduation. the day of her birth. Gazing down at the very first picture I ever shot of her, I grinned. God, I feel like I remember that day from a long time ago. Her small hand encircling my finger and her large blue eyes gazing up at me. I felt simultaneously ecstatic and afraid. Of course, as father and daughter, we had our ups and downs. However, I have always believed that we have survived them. Em was going to marry a fantastic man; she had turned out fantastic.
My phone buzzed while I was enjoying the warm glow of pride I had for my parenting abilities and myself. Recently, new videos were added to the family’s cloud storage. I could not help but smile as I clicked on the notification. The previous evening, Emily had posted every picture and video from her bachelorette celebration. I thought I would have a look since Sarah was out running errands at the last minute. What possible harm might it cause?
I smiled as I saw Emily and her pals laugh and dance as I hit the play button. My little sister, all grown up. But as soon as I clicked on the following video, the tone completely changed. With a glass of champagne in her hand, Emily was drooling in a booth, her face smashed in tears. It appeared as though a horrible incident had occurred. She slurred, gesturing wildly with her champagne glass, “If there is one thing I wish, with all my racing heart, it is that Jake never turns out like my dad.”
My heart gave out. What on earth was she discussing? One of her buddies patted her shoulder and said, “Oh, Em.” “Your dad is not all that awful. He is simply, you know.” Another acquaintance said, “A disappointment?” and they all gave sympathetic nods. Shaking, I slammed the laptop closed. A letdown? Is that my daughter’s true opinion of me? I grabbed my phone and looked up Em’s number, but I was too nervous to hit the call button.
It felt like I was standing on the precipice; although a part of me was desperate to find out why she was feeling this way, a bigger part of me was afraid to ask. The days that followed were a haze. I kept the video to myself, but it bothered me. I did not tell Sarah or Emily. All of our past exchanges were instantly scrutinized.