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Then I hear her head for the door, calling out a goodbye to the baristas as she leaves.
My phone begins to ring as I'm getting ready to leave.
Dad.
It reads.
"Hey, Dad."
"Hi, honey. Your mom told me all about the good news that the publisher loved your book. That's great news—another start to a successful series. I know this one was hard for you to write, but I'm proud of you for sticking it out. Putting the final period on things is important in life."
I know that my dad means to say that finishing what you start is important; he's told me that all my life, but the way he worded it this time hits differently. It's as if he's telling me that sometimes it's important to end things. Like the period at the end of a book.
"Yeah, I think you're right. It feels good to have this book done but now I have to move on to the next."
"Moving on is important too," he says.
Lord… could he be more cryptic?
My father has an analytical mind and never speaks in riddles… until apparently today, of all days. He lives in black-and-white factual knowledge, which is why he and my brother get along so well, nerding out over science and mathematical equations. They're the same, whereas my father and I have never quite seen eye to eye. It's why his stamp of approval on Daniel has always meant so much to me.
"How is everything else going?" he asks.
"It's fine, I'm going to meet Daniel for drinks later tonight after he gets off work."
"That sounds nice. How's the wedding planning going?"
I pull my cup to my lips, take a sip and then swallow.
"Umm, it's…"
I let the unspoken words linger there for too long.
"Brynn…is everything ok? You seemed tense when we walked around the wedding venue while in Mexico."
My dad and I rarely discuss feelings, so the fact that he's bringing this up prompts me to ask a question.
"When did you know mom was the one?" I ask.
I never ask my dad sappy questions of emotion usually, but I need to know from his point of view.
I hear him chuckle on the other line as if he's remembering the moment exactly.
"The moment I knew your mom was the one was when I took her out on our third date. I was a poor college student with not much money and I decided to save the little I had to take her to dinner instead of put fuel in my car," he says. "Needless to say, we ran out of gas, but instead of hitchhiking to the nearest gas station, your mom pulled out a pack of crackers that she had in her purse and we sat on the side of the road for hours, snacking on crackers and talking about… well, I don't even remember now."
"I've never heard this story," I tell him.
"Yeah, well it might not have stuck out to her. But in that moment, I knew that if sitting in a broken-down car on the side of the road with a pack of crackers was the highlight of my year, that marrying your mother would be the highlight of my life."
"What if I don't have that moment with Daniel?"
"Then you need to think about whether or not he's the one."
"I don't want to let you down," I say.
"Let me down? How? By not marrying Daniel? That's absurd. I don't even like the kid that much."
Wait.. what?
