My dad gasped. “Ella!” he cried. “That’s wonderful news! Who’s the lucky guy? When can I meet him?”
I swallowed again. This was proving to be even harder than I’d anticipated. I closed my eyes. Better to rip the band-aid off all at once, I told myself. “The thing is, Daddy . . .” I said, “It won’t be a legal marriage, because . . . well, there’s more than one man.”
More silence. I found myself praying that I hadn’t shocked my father into a heart attack. “Daddy?” I asked. “Please say something.”
“How many men?” my dad asked finally, his voice sounding a little strangled.
I took a deep breath. “Seven.” I rushed to fill the silence that followed. “Please don’t be disappointed in me, Daddy. I promise, I waited for love. I just never expected to fall in love with seven men at once.”
I heard my dad take a shaky breath and exhale through his teeth. I could picture his face perfectly, his skin pockmarked and red from working in the heat of the garage. “If you’re happy, baby, I’m happy,” he said finally.
I blinked, believing for a moment that I must have misheard him. But no, that was really what he’d said. “You really mean that, Daddy?’ I asked, my voice trembling a little.
“Of course I do,” he said. “All I want is for you to be happy.”
My head felt thick and fuzzy with unshed tears. “I thought . . . I thought you would be angry with me,” I confessed. “Disappointed.”
“Angry?” my dad echoed. “Why would I be angry?”
I shrugged, even though my dad couldn’t see me. “I just thought . . . that you would feel like this isn’t what you pictured for me.”
My dad sighed. “Honestly, Ella, no, it isn’t. But what I pictured doesn’t matter. You’re an adult, as you’ve been trying to tell me for a long time. It’s time for me to let go, let you make your own decisions. It may not be what I’d choose for you, but as long as you’re happy, I support you, no matter what.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my dad?” I attempted to joke, but it was clear to both of us that I was on the verge of relieved tears.
My dad sighed. “Nina and Lee Unz came by the garage the other day,” he said.
I blinked, confused by the sudden change of subject. “Pearl’s mom and dad?” I asked. “Is she okay?” I hadn’t heard from my childhood best friend in years, not since she’d left for LA to pursue her dreams.
“That’s the thing, baby,” my dad said. “They don’t know. She’s gone missing.”
“Missing?” I echoed, my mind grappling with this. “What do you mean?”
“No one has heard from her in weeks. Her parents are sick with worry,” my dad said. “They’ve even hired a private investigator to track her down.”
“That’s horrible!” I gasped.
“It is,” my dad agreed. “Anyway, seeing how worried they were, it made me realize how lucky I am, to know that my daughter is safe and happy. Next to that, nothing else seems to matter quite so much.”
My throat felt thick with emotion. “So you’ll come to the wedding?” I asked.
“Of course I will,” my dad said, sounding shocked. “You really think I’d miss the chance to walk my only daughter down the aisle?”
I laughed, feeling giddy with relief. “I’m so happy, Daddy,” I said.
I could hear the smile in his voice when he said, “I’m happy for you, baby. Now, tell me about these boys. I hope they appreciate how special you are.”
“They do, Daddy,” I assured him. “They really do.”
THE END