Page 148 of Forever

I waited for the beep and took a deep breath. “Hi, Mr. Pruitt. It’s Matt. Brooklyn really wants you at the wedding tomorrow. It would mean the world to her.” I clenched my jaw. This was harder than I thought it would be. “AndIreally want you there.” I clenched my jaw again. “I know we’re not on the best terms. But I want to move forward. I know you were trying to protect Brooklyn 16 years ago. And even though I don’t agree with what you did, I do understand wanting to protect her. I…” my voice trailed off.

I took another deep breath. “I do believe that you love Brooklyn. But you’ve been doing it in all the wrong ways. If you show up tomorrow though? You’ll finally be doing something right. She wants you to walk her down the aisle. She wants her father there.”

This was not coming out right. I wasn’t trying to reprimand him. I was trying to convince him to show up for once in his fucking life. And if we were ever going to be a family, I knew what I needed to say. If Brooklyn was able to forgive her father, so could I. “I want to leave the past in the past. I want to move forward starting right now. So I just want you to know that I forgive you for the past 16 years, even though you put me through hell. I forgive you, Mr. Pruitt.”

There. It was done. I exhaled slowly. Actually, that felt damn good. “Please come to the wedding tomorrow. We want you there.” I tried to think of anything else I could say to him that would make him come. “Your daughter needs you.” I ended the call.

“Dinner is ready.”

I jumped. I hadn’t seen Nigel walk in.

“Unless you need a pre-dinner bath?”

“I’m good,” I said and stood up. “I’m excited about everything you prepared.”

Nigel smiled. “Make sure to try the whole spread of wildfowl. I know how much you like your meats.”

“Mhm.”

“Everyone is already seated,” he said as we made our way out into the hall. “But Robert didn’t read the place cards and it’s all awry. And the kids aren’t at the kids’ table. And you and I aren’t even sitting at the head of the table together now. Should I reprimand Robert?”

“That’s okay, Nigel,” I said. “I need to sit with Brooklyn.”

“Ah yes, of course. But there are no empty seats near Brooklyn either.”

What the hell?I walked into the dining room. It didn’t look like any couples were seated together. Nigel was right. This was absolute chaos.

“Actually, Nigel,” I said. “Make everyone move.”

Nigel pulled his horn out of his back pocket and blew it. “Ladies and gentlemen, dinner shall not be served until you are in your proper seats. Please make your way to your place cards.” He blew his horn again.

And everyone actually got up and started moving around. The kids sat around the kids’ table, and all the couples started to sit down next to each other. But Rob leaned over the table, swapped his place card with someone else’s, and then sat back down next to Brooklyn.

I didn’t know what he was up to, but at least there was still an empty seat on the other side of Brooklyn.

“Thanks, Nigel,” I said.

Nigel nodded. “All in a day’s work.” He made his way over to the kids’ table and sat down.

Why was he sitting…Never mind.Whatever made him happy. I sat down in the empty seat next to Brooklyn. “Hey, baby.”

She smiled up at me, but it wasn’t one of her normal carefree smiles. She looked nervous. “Hey.” She pressed her lips together, like she was forcing herself not to say anything else.

“Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine,” Rob said and leaned forward so I could see him. “Brooklyn and I are having a marvelous evening.”

“Why are you being so weird?” I asked.

“Why areyoubeing so weird?” he said back.

“Everyone dig in!” Nigel yelled from the kids’ table.

Mason laughed. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” He started to serve himself and then everyone else followed suit.

Brooklyn didn’t put any food on her plate though.

“You were looking forward to turkey all day,” I said. “Is your stomach bothering you again?”

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