AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I guess I’d listen, but I’m getting married in thirty minutes, Mom. When do I have time to talk to him about any of this?” I ask.
“How about right now?”
My brows quirk.
She walks toward the door, opens it, and nods to someone out there.
My father appears in the doorway a few seconds later. It’s been nearly a month since the last time I saw him as he lay with a broken face in the hospital and I told him I wanted nothing to do with him ever again. He looks mostly healed, though there’s a scar on his cheek I don’t remember and he looks…older. A little more fragile than he used to be. Or maybe he’s always been that way, and I didn’t allow myself to see it.
I can’t help a little snarl even though I said I’d talk to him.
I guess it’s just catching me off guard that he’s really here.
My brothers step into the room behind him, and I didn’t think I’d see my entire family gathered in one room again. Ever.
Yet here they all are in my office on my wedding day.
“Lincoln,” he says quietly. He shakes his head. “I’m sorry. For everything.”
I press my lips together and decide to let him say his piece before I tell him I can’t accept his apology. I won’t accept his apology.
“I was never fair to you, and you deserved better. You always did, your entire life. You’ve grown into an admirable man despite my best efforts, and you found your way to the woman you were supposed to even though I did everything in my power to stop that. And for that, I am sorry. I don’t expect your forgiveness, but I wanted to say that to you in front of everyone in our family.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, unsure what else to say. One apology doesn’t fix thirty-six years of resentment.
But it’s a start.
He nods, and he waits as if he wants me to invite him to our wedding today.
I won’t.
This is an event for people who care about us, and after one apology, I don’t believe he does care about me.
But that’s not to say we can’t find time later for him to put in the work.
“I’ll leave you to your day. But there’s one more thing…” he says, and he pauses as he looks at my mom. She nods, and then he says, “Lincoln, I’m so goddamn proud of the man you’ve become. You stood up to me, and you fought for your woman, and you’re a brave coach. Keep being the good man you are.”
With those words, he turns to leave.
I’m so goddamn proud of you.
It took thirty-six years, but I finally heard the words I’ve craved my entire life.
And hearing them today of all days feels pretty damn sweet.
CHAPTER 29: JOLENE
“I, Jolene, take you, Lincoln, to be my husband,” I say. I glance up into his eyes, and his smile is blindingly beautiful. He already said his vows to me, and I recite the rest of what we agreed to say in the short ceremony.
Jack has us exchange the rings next, and Jonah fumbles to get mine out of his pocket. I giggle at my sweet boy as he finally gets it out and solemnly hands it to Jack, who pronounces us Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln Nash shortly thereafter.
I used to doodle Jolene Nash all over my notebooks when I was fifteen. I’d draw hearts around our names, linking us together for a lifetime in those old notebooks.
And here we are, finally linking together in real life after all this time.
It’s hard to believe, but I’m even happier than I thought I would be back then. Maybe it’s because we’ve lived our own lives now. We’ve fought hard to get here, and it makes the outcome all the happier because of the pain we’ve had to endure.
He kisses me gently, and I think back to the stage in Ohio when he was anything but gentle after a press conference.
