“We will, Dad,” Adrianna promises. Reaching into her pocket she pulls out several folded pieces of paper. She unfolds them, splays them on the table and mentally checks off the things listed on the pages. The last page remains folded, and she places her hand over it, pushing it toward dad.
“You wrote me a letter on my wedding day,” she says, pausing as Dad covers her hand with his. “I can’t say goodbye to you,” she lifts her eyes to his. “I can tell you I forgive you. I can tell you I love you and I always will. I can promise you I will live a good life and teach my children all the valuable lessons you’ve taught us. I can give you all those things and my solemn word you may leave this world but you’ll never ever leave my heart…I can’t say goodbye.”
She turns his palm over and places the letter against it before closing his hand and bending her head to kiss it.
“All the words I can’t bring myself to say are in that letter,” she whispers, dropping his hand to stand and walk around the table. She bends down and wraps her arms around him. “I love you, Dad,” she cries.
Anthony and Michael walked over to the table, Mikey stands behind me, his hands bracing on the back of my chair as he keeps looking toward the door.
Adrianna and my dad embrace for several minutes before she pulls back and Anthony extends his hand to my dad. Dad slides his hand into Anthony’s and stands up, shaking his hand and bringing him into his arms.
“I’m sorry,” my father says. “You’re a good man and I’m proud to call you my son-in-law.”
“I’ll always take care of your daughter, Vic,” Anthony declares. “I’ll give her all the love a man can give a woman.”
“I know you will, been watching you do it since you first laid eyes on her.”
My vision blurs as the clock ticks down and time closes in on us. The door opens and the guard steps inside holding the door open for my mother. She freezes in her tracks as she takes in the scene before her.
“Gracie,” my father rasps.
A priest steps into the room and lays a hand on my mother’s shoulder, startling her and forcing her to enter the room. The guard closes the door and leaves us all alone with the priest as Mikey walks around the chair, bends his knees and brings his eyes to mine. He takes my hands in his and I stare at him blankly.
“Nikki,” he says, clearing his throat before he squeezes my hands in his and smiles. “Marry me,” he whispers.
“What?” I ask confused. We already had done this. I glance at the ring on my finger, yep, see, we’re engaged.
“Marry me right now, right here, in front of your dad.”
I feel my throat close and tears flood my eyes as I glance around the room and then back at the man I love on his knees. I had to be dreaming, this wasn’t happening right now. I mean it couldn’t be.
“We don’t have a marriage certificate,” I blurt.
“We’ll get one,” he promises. “You can still do the whole dress thing and we’ll have a big party for your crazy aunt and grandmother, we’ll do it all. But we can do it now too, in front of God, with the man you want to give you away.”
Tears spill from my eyes as I glance at the priest.
“Can we?”
“I can marry you in the eyes of God,” he affirms.
I looked over at my dad, my mother has now moved to his side, her arm tightly wound around his, leaning her head against his shoulder as they stare back at me.
“Will you give me away, Daddy?”
He nods as he cries.
“It would be my honor,” he replies huskily.
I smiled before averting my eyes to Mikey.
“Let’s get married,” I say, leaning my forehead to his.
The next few minutes feel like a whirlwind as the priest takes his position in the center of the room; Mikey stands to his left and Anthony right beside him. Across from them my sister stands. All eyes were on me as I looped one arm through my father’s and the other through my mother’s as I take six steps toward my groom.
My mother reaches up and kisses my cheek, whispering in my ear how much she loves me before taking two steps back and allowing me this unforgettable moment with my father. He unravels my arm from his and cups my face with his hands. Cocking his head to the side, he stares at me silently for several moments.
“Remember I love you,” he whispers before placing a kiss to my forehead. He drops his hands from my face and takes my hand in both of his as he turns to Mikey.
Then the one thing I gave up on ever hearing was said.
“Who gives this woman’s hand in marriage?”
“I do,” my father croaks, taking Mike’s hand and placing my hand inside of it.
“Thanks, Vic,” Mikey replies, dropping a kiss to my hand before releasing it and shaking my father’s hand. “Thanks for giving me my life back.”
It may not have been the wedding little girls dream of, but it was perfect. I became Mrs. Michael Valente Jr. in Otisville prison, in the eyes of God and in front of the people I loved most in the world.
And my dad gave my hand to the man he trusted to take care of me for the rest of my life.
He got his peace of mind.
And I got my dream come true.
That was our final goodbye.
A day I’ll remember for all of eternity.
Chapter Twenty-Five