Page 3 of Fathers of the Bride

“We Skyped every week. You could have said something. Texted me a photograph.”

“I didn’t think it was serious for a long time, and then I wasn’t sure, and then when I was sure, it was so late in the game, and I hadn’t said—”

“I don’t even know if we’re talking about a boy Avery or a girl Avery.”

“Avery is a boy. A man, I mean, and he’s wonderful.”

“Is he?”

“Really, Daddy, I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“If you don’t want me to worry, you’ll go up to your room and stay there for the next ten years. There’s a lot to be said for agoraphobia. It doesn’t deserve the bad rap it’s gotten.”

“Well, that’snotgoing to happen,” she said, far too reasonably. “The wine is very good by the way. And the salad looks wonderful.”

“So, you’ve been with Avery since Monday?”

“With his family, yes.”

“You were withhisfamily? And you didn’t even call your own?”

“I knew how you’d be. And really, we slept for the first two days. With all the stops and layovers, it took nearly thirty-seven hours to get here. You didn’t really want to see me like that.”

“I’ve cleaned up your vomit. A lot. A lot of vomit, as I recall. Of course, I wanted to see you like that.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Anyway, Avery and I thought it would be nice to spend quality time with one family and then quality time with the other. We were there with them and now we’re here with you.”

“‘We’re here?’We? Where is he? Is he imaginary?”

I had a moment’s glimmer of hope that he might be imaginary—after all, she’d had a whole posse of make-believe friends as a child. Yes, it was disturbing to think it might have carried on into adulthood—

“He’s in the car. I’m going to text him when you’re ready. Are you ready?”

Was I ready? Was I ready to meet my daughter’s fiancé? No! Of course not! Who is ever ready for that? It felt like the social worker had just dropped her off with me and Andy, that the adoption papers had just gone through, that she was taking ballet lessons, and then refusing to take ballet lessons and insisting on soccer. Soccer! No, no, I was not ready to meet her fiancé. I wasn’treadyfor her to be out of college, or high school, or even diapers. And yet all those things had happened and now this was happening. God, life is depressing.

“Have you told Papa?”

“No, we’re going out to dinner with him tonight.”

Finally, something good.

“You told me first! Aren’t you a darling child? You know I’ve always loved you—”

“Daddy, don’t be like that.”

“—more. I’ve always loved you more than certain other people. And now you’ve—”

“Avery and I flipped a coin. It seemed the only fair way.”

“Well, no, the fair way would be to tell the better parent first. Which you did so there’s no problem.”

Shaking her head, she said, “I’m texting Avery.” She pulled her phone out of her shorts and sent the text.

“Well, I guess I’d better set another place.” I got up and as I was on my way inside, I said, “You should have told me he was coming. What if I didn’t have enough food?”

“Daddy, you always have enough food. You always have too much food!”

“You make that sound like a criticism.”