The next morning, I called my wedding photographer.
“Can you make a change to the wedding schedule?”
“Of course,” she said.
“And I need you to keep something completely secret.”
There was a pause.
“Okay.”
“Don’t tell Daniel’s mother.”
Another pause.
“Now I’m curious.”
I smiled.
“You’ll understand when you see it.”
On the wedding day, everything went exactly according to plan.
The flowers arrived.
The music was tested.
Guests filled the seats.
Nathan was nervous.
I found him outside the bridal room, dressed in a dark suit with a small silver pin on his jacket.
He kept looking at his shoes.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Dad would like it?”
I knelt in front of him.
“He’d be proud of you.”
Nathan smiled.
Then he held out his arm.
“Ready?”
I took it.
“Ready.”
The doors opened.
The music began.
Everyone stood.
And Nathan walked beside me.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Proudly.
For the first few steps, I couldn’t look up.
I was afraid I would see an empty space where Dad should have been.
Then I felt Nathan squeeze my arm.
I looked at him.
He was smiling.
And suddenly I understood.
Dad wasn’t missing from that walk.
