Daughter of the Demon (I)

Daughter of the Demon-32-The Wedding Part 2

“I’m your only niece.”

“Doesn’t change a thing,” she replied, and I let the oak doors creak shut behind us as we made our way down the hall to the opening of the sanctuary. There was a man waiting by the doors, and I didn’t give much thought to him until we were at a close enough proximity for me to notice him and for the gears in my mind to click. When everything did, an unseen light bulb flashed above my head. Clara’s day was just officially made perfect.

“Clara,” I whispered, pulling her attention back to the present from the sanctuary. “You are about to be presently surprised.”

“What do you mean---?” she had begun to ask, and then stopped altogether when she saw the man at the doors. Her jaw had become unhinged and just hang open. Her eyes stared wide and her hand found my arm, clutching it hard.

“D-Dad?” she stammered, blinking a few times, not believing what was before her. The old man chuckled and looked his daughter up and down.

“The one and only,” he said softly.

A slow, happy, excited smile spread across her face. “But, what are you doing here? I thought . . . I mean I didn’t think . . . what are you doing here?” Clara was breathless with joy.

“I came to walk my baby down the aisle, of course,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, stepping forward to loop his arm through Clara’s. “Now come on. There’s probably a very anxious man in there right now.”

Clara eased her death grip on my arm and gently pushed me toward the door. “You go, Jemma. I’ll be in there shortly.”

I nodded, and left them standing outside.

*****

Clara didn’t have words to explain how happy and exhilarated she was to have her father there just for her, to walk her down the aisle. There weren’t words to express how great it felt to see the love and pride exhibited in his eyes.

He began pulling her toward the sanctuary, but she stopped short. “Dad,” she said seriously. “What are you really doing here?”

The hurt appeared on his face, but she didn't think it was from her words. “Everything I said before is true, Clara,” he whispered. “I came here to walk you down the aisle and I’m looking for a place to move in down here. I’ve been a terrible father before and after Linda’s death, and it’s about time I straightened up a bit.”

The look on his face told Clara his words were sincere and honest, and that was good enough for her. But there was one thing she wanted to hear him say, just to assure her, because Linda had been his focus most of his life and Clara had always felt like she was pushed lower on the priority list. But she had to know.

“Dad,” she asked hesitantly, licking her lips. “Did you come here today, just for me?”

He stared at his daughter a long while before responding. “Clara, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even be standing right here.”

And that was good enough for Clara.

“Alright, let’s go, Dad.”

He nodded, pulling open the oak doors and led them slowly inside.

“Oh, and Clara?” he whispered.

“Yes, Dad?”

“I met up with a fella who said it was right to be down here. I hope you don’t mind?”

She saw Michael’s face turn to hers and his eyes widened, and everything her father had said washed away. She nodded obliviously.

Michael was looking at her like she was the only person he could ever look at, like she was the only person left in the world, and he didn’t mind. His handsome, effortless face actually looked a tad nervous, and it made her feel accomplished to know that she might have made Michael James nervous.