Page 139 of Forever

“Thank you. And you look beautiful, as always.” He turned to Jacob. “Hey, little man.” He held up his hand.

Jacob high fived him. “I want you to do the magic thing! So I don’t have to go on that.” He pointed his stick at the elevators again.

“Right,” Tanner said. “The stairs. Yup, we can do that.”

“Nooooo,” Jacob said. “The magic portal to your castle.”

Tanner laughed and looked at me. “Kids and their imaginations,” he said.

“But, Abuelo…”

“You go on ahead, Brooklyn,” Tanner said. “We’ll see you in a few minutes after taking the stairs.”

Jacob scrunched his mouth to the side as he stared up at Tanner.

Tanner really was good at playing make-believe with Jacob. I stepped toward the elevator.

“Oh and Brooklyn?” Tanner said and caught my wrist. “If you need to talk at all tonight, I’m here.”

I nodded. I knew. Tanner was the easiest person to talk to about loss. Because he’d lost someone too.

“And about your dad,” he said and let his hand fall from my wrist. “I tried everything. I know his boat is getting the transmissions. I don’t know why he hasn’t responded.”

My father was getting Tanner’s messages? And just…didn’t care? I knew my face fell.

Tanner cleared his throat. “Or maybe he’s not. Maybe he…” Tanner shrugged. “I don’t know, Brooklyn.”

“It’s okay.” I forced a smile onto my face. “I really appreciate you trying. And we already have a pretty great abuelo here, don’t we, Jacob?”

“The best abuelo,” Jacob said.

Tanner smiled. “Thanks, little man.”

I oddly wanted to burst into tears. So I quickly got onto the elevator. “I’ll see you two up there. Have fun taking the stairs.”

“We’re not taking the stairs, Mommy,” Jacob said.

Tanner laughed. “Kids,” he said again.

Jacob sighed. “Abuelo’s being silly.”

“Abuelo is being silly,” I said.

Tanner laughed again. “See you up there.” He picked Jacob up as the doors slid closed.

I took a deep breath. My father wasn’t coming to my wedding. I probably should have realized that as the wedding got closer and closer. But I’d still been holding out hope. I took another deep breath as the doors slid open.

“What’s wrong?” Matt asked as soon as he saw me.

“Am I that easy to read?”

“I know when you’re upset.” He pulled me off the elevator and into his arms.

“My dad isn’t coming. Tanner said he got messages through but that my dad didn’t respond. And I know you’re not upset about him not coming…”

“I’m upset if you’re upset.”

I pressed the side of my face against Matt’s chest. The letters I’d found made me think my father truly loved me. But him ignoring an invitation to my wedding didn’t feel great. It was possible he hadn’t seen the messages though.

---