“What did you do?” I asked.
“With a bit of borrowed advice from my friend, I showed up at their apartment with balloons and dress-up clothes in hand. Molly opened the door and thought I’d gone insane. I was wondering the same as I entered Lailah’s bedroom and found her sitting there, curiously staring up at me. When I told her we were going to meet a new friend, her eyes perked up and darted to the door. They immediately fell when I explained that this friend was someone she already knew but just hadn’t been properly introduced to.”
“The oxygen tank?” I guessed.
He nodded, taking his second shot, having already sunk a few balls in his first turn. Then, he darted across the table to land a few more. “I explained to her that her oxygen tank was a superhero, and it had a big job to do—to keep her alive. I said that, sometimes, superheroes had to go into the real world in disguise, so I was there to help give her oxygen tank the superhero look he or she deserved. We spent the entire evening decorating that tank and giving it a name. She happily spent the rest of the summer with Oxy the Oxygen Tank. We’d secretly switch the outfit every time the tank needed to be replaced, and she never complained again.”
“Oxy, huh?” I grinned.
“Yep. She was seven,” he added.
“I like it.”
Within minutes, Marcus had crushed Brian and me, and just in time, the food arrived. Brian and I weren’t willing to risk a rematch, so we all squeezed back into our booth and began scarfing down what had to be the best burger I’d had in months.
“Damn, you know how to pick ’em,” I said to Marcus in between bites. I paused to breathe. Even the fries were perfection—crispy and dark brown with just the right amount of seasoning.
“It’s one of my many talents. Hearts and food—that’s about all I’m good for.” He laughed.
“I doubt that,” I said before taking a long drink of soda.
Marcus had been there for Lailah through her entire life, standing by her when her own father hadn’t. He’d been the father his brother never could be. Oxy the Oxygen Tank might have worn the tiny cape night after night in that little girl’s bedroom, but it surely wasn’t the only superhero in Lailah’s life over the years.
And now, she’d become the hero of her own story.
After another game of pool where Marcus managed to crush Brian and me once again, we headed a bit farther down the street for a last-minute shave. It had been creeping up to the three o’clock mark, and I had begun to get antsy, but the guys had insisted—saying that if we headed back now, I’d do nothing but dive into my suit and begin pacing back and forth across the floor until we had to leave for the church at five.
They were both right. It would take me less than twenty minutes to get ready. No primping was involved for the groom. I’d just have to throw on a nice tailored coat and tie along with a new pair of shoes, and I would be ready to go.
Another distraction was exactly what I needed.
The place Marcus had chosen was definitely his style more than mine. An old red-and-white striped pole stood proudly outside the ancient parlor that had probably been around since my grandfather roamed the city. As we walked in, I inhaled deeply and got a whiff of aftershave and cologne.
A man sat high up in a chair with his head leaned back. His entire face was wrapped in steaming towels as the barber attended to another man at the counter. The cash register dinged and sprang open, reminding me of a place my mother used to take me to for ice cream when I was a child. Made of solid metal with gold lettering, the old piece of machinery didn’t even plug into the wall. It was probably older than all three of us combined.
“Hello, gentlemen. How can I help you?” the elderly barber asked while walking back to his steaming client.
I watched as he unwrapped the towels to reveal dewy pink skin and a relaxed happy face.
“We were hoping you might be able to do a couple of shaves today?” Marcus inquired.
He nodded, pumping the hydraulics on the chair a few times to bring the man down to his eye-level.
“Sure can. Special occasion?” he inquired.
“This man is going to become my son-in-law today,” Marcus stated proudly, patting me on the back.
My face curled into a half grin as I felt his fingers gripping my shoulder. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the love this man had for me. I felt undeserving of it, yet I never wanted to let go of a single drop of the overwhelming joy he had when he looked at me with such pride.