“Okay, you’re scaring me.”
He dropped the fry and looked up at me, long and hard. “You know me so well. I can never hide anything from you.”
“You know you can tell me anything.”
“I’ve got bad news, baby girl.”
I swallowed hard. “What is it?” I asked, fearing the answer.
“Dr. Langard went over my test results with me.”
“And?”
“The cancer’s spread,” he said, his voice wavering. “It can’t be stopped. He said I’ve got less than four months to live.”
My jaw dropped at the sound of the grim prognosis, and tears welled in my eyes as I tried to process the most horrible words in the entire human language. Suddenly, the world seemed devoid of color or laughter. I tried to hide the pain, but I couldn’t. I lost it as tears flooded my eyes and fell down my face in bitter rivers that threatened to drown me. How can fate do this to me a second time? I wondered as the waves of sorrow crashed against me like angry waves in a violent storm.
“What?” I muttered, in absolute shock. “F-Four months?”
He nodded. “I didn’t take chemo today. That’s why I was able to eat. The oncologist says things aren’t good. The only remaining measures are palliative.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning the chemo is pointless.”
“Because it didn’t work,” I said dully.
“All it did was make me feel sick all the time. It didn’t shrink the tumors. I’m a lucky man, though, Julia. Don’t ever doubt that. I’ve had a wonderful life, married the most amazing woman who ever lived, been fortunate enough to raise a beautiful girl, to watch you grow up into an extraordinary young woman. Not to sound all Frank Sinatra about it, but I lived life on my own terms, did things my way. I found my own path and lived my own life the way I saw fit. My biggest regret, my only one apart from not knowing the winning lotto numbers, is that I won’t get to dance with you at your wedding. I won’t get to see you all dolled up in a bridal gown and twirl you around like I used to when you were a kid.”
“I loved dancing with you, Daddy. Those were some of my favorite times. Dance with me now. I can pull up any song you want, right here on my phone,” I said, holding my hand out to my favorite leading man and choking up as the words spilled out of me.
“No, not here, honey. I have something else in mind, something better. I can’t arrange a marriage for you, and I won’t be around to make sure you’ve got the love of a good man who appreciates you, but I want to see you in the dress and dance with you, make one more memory with my little girl before I check out. Your grandma says I put too much pressure on you, still try to boss you around.”
“Sensible woman, my grandma,” I said, trying to muster a smile that wouldn’t come.
“Now’s not the time for sense. It’s time for sentiment. I’m looking at a pine box and a hole, kiddo, so indulge me.”
“Damn it. You had to bring up the box and the hole, didn’t you?”
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?”