Then He Disappeared
Two hours before the ceremony, Dad was gone.
At first, nobody panicked.
Someone suggested he had gone to get something.
Another person said he might have been called away.
But time passed.
I called him.
Voicemail.
Again.
Voicemail.
I checked the driveway.
His truck was gone.
The twelve members of the Iron Guardians who had come to the wedding began exchanging worried looks.
These men had been part of my life for as long as I could remember.
They were my uncles in everything but blood.
But that morning, they were strangely quiet.
I asked one of them what was happening.
“He’ll be here, sweetheart.”
Another said:
“Your dad had something to take care of.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
He looked away.
And suddenly, fear turned into anger.
Mom’s Voice Came Back to Me
I remembered my mother’s words.
She had always believed Dad was selfish.
She had believed motorcycles and his club would eventually come before his family.
Maybe she had been right.
Maybe Dad had found something more important.
Maybe he had chosen the road.
I stood in my wedding dress with my veil in my hands and felt something inside me break.
The ceremony time arrived.
Dad didn’t.
People began whispering.
Danny came toward me.
“Olivia…”
I held up my hand.
“I can’t.”
“What?”
“I can’t do this.”
I looked toward the empty space where Dad should have been.
Then I made a decision.
“We’re getting married anyway.”
Danny looked at me for a moment.
Then he nodded.
“I’ll be right beside you.”