by Jamie Knight
“I’M GOING TO RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!” he yelled gruffly, lunging toward me. I knew that there was nowhere for me to run in the small room, but I moved as far as I could toward the wall, making him almost fall as he closed his hands, missing me by a mile.
“Now, Jack, I know you’re angry,” I said, turning toward him, palms up. “But, hear me out. I’ve come to do the right thing. I am not trying to disrespect you, your daughter, or your household in any way…”
I could tell that he was pissed, but he wasn’t lunging toward me anymore. He just stood there, glaring at me, his fists opening and closing at his sides.
“Let him talk,” came a voice from the doorway. It was Izzy’s mother, looking tired and afraid. All eyes were on me, so I knew that I needed to explain myself while I had the chance.
“I love your daughter,” I said, getting to the point.
“You love my daughter, huh?” he spat, mockingly. “Yeah? You love her so much, you’ve ruined her life. You literally fucked her and left her with a baby. On what planet is that love? I should murder you for what you’ve done to her. To my family!”
“I didn’t know about the baby,” I said, still standing my ground. “And I know that that’s no excuse. I did at least try to call and see how things were going and what I could do to make it right, but you made it clear over the phone when I called that you weren’t going to let me do that.”
Izzy shot a look at her father as if this was the first that she had heard of any call. Jack looked back at Izzy with his head raised, making it clear that he was not at all ashamed of his decision.
“I did what I knew was best to protect my daughter,” he said angrily. “And if you have a little girl…”
The thought of me being father to a little girl stunned me to silence. Jack fell silent as the weight of his words filled the room. Marilyn clapped her hands over her mouth, stifling loud sobs.
Even though we all just stared at each other wordlessly, there was a silent wonder that fell on all of us as the realization set in that, no matter what happened, the life growing inside of Izzy would connect us for years to come.
I felt obligated to speak up, to set things straight man-to-man between Jack and me. Because, he was right; I understood how he felt because there was a code that we kept as gentlemen and, without meaning to, not considering Jack and assuring that my intentions were nothing but admirable would have his guards up to make sure that no one was there to destroy his baby girl’s heart.
“I love you daughter, sir,” I began calmly, staring her father square in the eyes. “I have every intention and ability to take care of both her and the baby.”
Jack blinked a few times, folding his arms across his chest as if he still wasn’t convinced.
“I know that I shouldn’t have waited so long to step forward,” I said, shrugging. “But everything was moving so fast. And before I had a chance to even talk about anything, she was gone from the school. But, waiting actually turned out for the best because it gave me the chance to make sure that my job would not be in jeopardy if I were to pursue something with Izzy. Now, I have the university’s blessing.”
I stepped over to stand next to Izzy. I grabbed her hand. She looked up at me, smiling like she was proud. I smiled back at her and turned again to face her father.
“I want to marry Izzy,” I said, matter-of-factly. “No, I’m going to marry her. I’m prepared to drive straight through to Vegas tonight to make her my wife. I would love to get your blessing, Jack, but I understand if you don’t want to give it. And to be completely honest, it’s really not needed.”
Jack’s eyes widened with surprise as he took in my bold words, his eyes sizing me up as if he were trying to decide if he wanted to break me in half or if I really would be a good enough man for his daughter.
Marilyn took a step toward Jack, putting her wrinkled hand on his arm.
“This is obviously something that Izzy wants,” she said quietly. “You have done your job as her father to protect her. And you have done an amazing job. But, now it’s time for her to leave the nest. Your little girl is going to be a wife and a mother with a family of her own that she will need to love, honor, and protect. The best thing that you can do at this point is give your blessing to make things easier. They love each other. And if they are to become man and wife and bring a new life into this world together and into their family, they will need all the loving support that they can get. Surely as her father who loves her, you would not be too full of pride to put your own personal feelings and anger to the side so that you can be there for your daughter, right?”
All eyes turned toward Jack, staring at him in wide-eyed anticipation as we held our breath, waiting for him to speak.
Jack looked conflicted, like a part of him wanted to be happy, but another part of him was angry. He stood looking possessed, going back and forth between smiling creepily to looking like a tea kettle that was about to boil over.
“Okay, fine,” he finally yelled. “I give you my blessing. I guess my wife is right. It looks like this is something that my daughter wants, so I would be stupid to stand in the way. But you had better treat her right. The very first time that I so much as hear that you made her cry, I’ll be all over you like white on rice. You got that?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, standing up tall in front of him, my shoulders back. We had no choice but to be close to each other standing in the small room, huddled together between the bed and the door.
“And before you get any ideas, I demand that you let us come to the wedding,” he continued, his voice booming.
“Jack…” said Izzy’s mom, giving her husband a pained look. He winced, his eyes darting toward the floor. I was moved by the amount of love and consideration that the couple had for each other. I could only hope that what Izzy and I had would grow.
“I mean- do you think that we can come along to see our daughter get married? I have always dreamed of being there and giving her away. That is…if you will let me…” He stood there, his head waiting like a little kid. It was endearing and made me excited for our new future as family. I clapped a hand onto Jack’s shoulder and looked at him, smiling genuinely.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I said. We shared of look of commonality, a comradery had by men who held each other in the utmost of esteem.
It wasn’t until I turned and fixed my gaze on Izzy, standing next to me, clinging to my hand weakly, that it dawned on me.
In all the commotion of trying to calm her father down and state my intentions, I never even waited to hear if Izzy even wanted to marry me. I was already dragging the poor girl halfway down the aisle and she hadn’t even agreed to marry me.
I turned to face Izzy, turning my back to her parents.
“Izzy, I haven’t even gotten your answer yet,” I said, running her fingertips across the palm of my hand, nervously. “And don’t feel put on the spot as your parents and I wait here in your childhood bedroom.”
I laughed at my attempt to lighten the mood through humor. I saw her scan the room and I started to panic a little bit.
How could I have been so stupid? I had already jumped to conclusions and had even somehow gotten her father’s blessing, but I hadn’t gotten an answer from Izzy, the woman that I wanted to marry.
“Yes,” she says tentatively.
“Are you sure?” I asked, starting to get excited.
She looks at me sheepishly, smiled, and said it again, but a little louder.
“Yes, I will marry you,” she said.
That was all that I needed to hear. I leaned down and scooped her up in my arms, sweeping her up off of her feet. She steadied her arm against the wall as she tried to keep her balance and not fall during our mini celebration in that tiny bedroom. I put her down, her toes gingerly tapping the hardwood floor. She wrapped her arms around my neck, staring up at me with her big, brown eyes.
I could hardly believe that she was going to be mine. I was hit by this wave of urgency, an
excitement that I couldn’t contain. I wanted to leave as soon as possible and get on with living our amazing life together.
“I’m going to head out to the car,” I said, walking toward the bedroom door. “Get a bag packed for Vegas and meet me down in ten.”
Everyone scurried around, looking for suitcases and clothes to put into them.
I hadn’t packed a bag, but I didn’t really care about that much.
I was already going with my prize.
I walked down the hall, out the front door, and to my car. Once inside, I blew out a huge breath that I didn’t even realize that I had been holding in. Sitting in the car after everything that had happened felt like a completely different world. And in just moments, I would be sitting next to the person who held the keys to my future.
This definitely had not been the semester that I thought that it would be, I thought, starting up the car and revving up the engine. But it was the one that I had been waiting for my whole life.
Chapter 19
Izzy
I felt like I was in a dream as I took each careful step down the aisle of the plush wedding chapel. The red velvet covering every inch of the floor, ceiling, and walls added to the dreamlike effect. As soon as we opened the white wooden double doors, we were greeted by a fountain with a white figure in the middle, water pouring out of its finger. It was an angel, its wings spanning out far behind it. White track lighting ran along the ceiling, giving the room a celestial glow. Soft harp music lilted through the air, giving the room a romantic feel to prepare for the weddings that happened there at all times of the day and night.
This was not necessarily how I had envisioned my wedding. I thought that it would be at our church, with all of its traditional fixings, surrounded by my entire family. As we walked toward a very nontraditional woman minister with her hair whipped into a bouffant wearing shimmery green eyeshadow, I realized that I definitely didn’t see this coming. She wore black pants and a black, button up shirt with a white collar. She stood at attention, her eyes fixed on me, smiling invitingly as I made my way slowly down the aisle.
Even though it was a far cry from the wedding that I imagined, it was absolutely perfect in my eyes. For one, I walked arm-in-arm with my father down the aisle. He held my arm tightly, beaming proudly in his jet-black suit. He looked so good, it was almost like he pulled the suit out of the closet just for this occasion.
I had to look away a few times when I caught him staring at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of adoration and sadness. My dad had spent so many years protecting me, keeping me focused on school, so that I could have the best possible life. I could see him trying to hide the fear in his eyes, unsure if the man that I had chosen would be good enough to fill the shoes of my protector. Tears filled my eyes, threatening to spill down my cheeks as I thought about my dad and all that we had been through. I blinked a few times so that they wouldn’t fall. I didn’t want to ruin my makeup.
It was such a tender moment, one that I will remember always. I thought back on it as I took each step, glancing over to see my mother’s tears-stained face streaked with black makeup that had long since been ruined by the avalanche of tears that had fallen. My mother’s lips trembled, smiling, a look of true pride and happiness on her face, one that I hadn’t seen in years.
When I had started the semester, I had no idea that any of this was going to happen. I reflected on how quickly things had gone from me being just an eager student in Jace’s classroom to his wife, due to have his child very soon. So, it only made sense that it had felt like a whirl wind since I had left my parents’ house.
On the way to Vegas, we were driving along the road, my parents following behind us and then, Jace slammed on the brakes. I was so startled, and I was almost sure that my dad was going to smash into the back of us. But, luckily, he smashed on the brakes just in time. He threw the car in park and came marching toward the driver’s side door.
“What in the blazes are you doing?” asked my dad, almost shrieking.
Jace stepped out of the car, putting up his hands as he tried to calm my father down.
“I am so sorry,” he said, tenderness filling his voice. “It’s just that…We could drive to Vegas, but I’m ready to get there now and I’m sure that you would like to go and get back home. Why don’t we all just get on a plane? I’ll pay for everyone’s tickets. Follow me to the airport?”
My father looked up at Jace, almost in a daze. I could see my dad’s face through the window, peering back into Jace’s eyes, evaluating him.
I knew the look. It was the same look that I had seen my dad give all of my sister’s boyfriends and fiancés.
Jace stood frozen under my father’s gaze. I held my breath, half expecting a disaster.
But, then, my dad blinked a few times and smiled. His eyes got bright and he waved back toward the car at my mom.
“It’s okay, Marilyn,” he said, clapping Jace on the back so hard I thought that he was going to fall over. “My son-in-law here is going to fly us all out.”
I laughed so hard I was sure that I felt the baby fluttering from all of the motion. I touched my belly affectionately, growing more excited about our amazing future. Hearing my dad embrace Jace as his son-in-law warmed a special place in my heart. I knew that it was a good sign of things to come, being able to surround our baby (and any future babies) with so much love.
Thing seemed to go in fast motion from there. Once we got to the airport, we were whisked away to security and onto a plane that was just about to take off soon after we got on it.
Once the plane landed, we threw our bags into a hotel room and headed to the wedding chapel. Everything from there was just a huge blur of clothes and hair and all of the wedding stuff.
Things paused for a moment when my mother, while doing my makeup, asked me a question that I would have missed had I not been paying more attention.
“Is this what you really want, Isabelle?”
Whenever my mother used my real name, not just my nickname, I knew that she was serious. And I knew I had to be serious, too.
“Yes, it is,” I said, staring her in the eye so that she knew just how serious I was. She looked at me, her eyes piercing my soul in a way that only she ever had been able to, looking for any sign of doubt. When she found none, she leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose.
Walking down the aisle, with my father by my side, and my future husband a few steps away, I scanned my own heart, looking for any signs of doubt.
Was this truly what I wanted?
I took the last step, standing next to Jace.
His eyes penetrated me in another way, one that made me stand up and pay attention and crave him. His eyes looked on at me like I was a prize. I could literally see the love in his eyes.
I knew at that moment that he was all that I wanted.
The ceremony began, and we exchanged our vows quickly. When it came time to kiss, Jace planted a firm, yet brief kiss on my lips. I was amused because I could feel him holding back out of respect for my dad. But the kiss was nonetheless electric, sealing us as one, as husband and wife.
We left the chapel and headed to an Italian restaurant that was nearby. The room was filled with red roses in glass vases on every table. Wrought iron fixtures held candles, filling the room with a dim, romantic light. Soft piano music wafted in the air, giving it a relaxed feel.
My father toasted us over dinner, drinking a little too much wine himself. We barely ate any of the delicious, pretty food that was brought out to us, but it was nice seeing my parents unwind and even flirt with each other at the table. My father sat and nibbled on my mother’s ear for a good twenty minutes, grumbling things under his breath while she was giggling incessantly.
“We’re going to leave you two love birds be,” announced my father, helping my mother from her chair and throwing an arm her over his shoulder, making her squeal and collapse into a fit of giggles.
We all laughed and a few couples from nearby tables joined in
with us in laughing.
It was almost surreal seeing my mother, looking like she was really feeling the effects of the wine. She laughed and smiled more than I had ever seen her do so. It was almost funny how what I thought was going to end tragically turned out to be one of the most simple yet magical times of my life.
Clanging his fork against his wine glass, Jace stood to his feet, his shoulders back and head held high. He looked at me, a warmth behind his eyes that reflected my own joy.
“I would like to take this time to say a few words about Izzy, my wife,” he said, a chorus of “aw”s rippling through the room. “I know that we haven’t known each other for a very long time, but I look forward to spending the rest of my life making you happy. To my new parents, thank you for giving us your blessing. And you have my word that I will do all that I can to love, honor, and protect your precious gem. Thank you for being here during this special time.”
The room erupted with applause as Jace sat back in his chair. I leaned over and kissed him on the check, my lips bristling against the five o’clock shadow that was starting to grow. He reached over and covered my hand with his, squeezing hard. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but I, for one, felt overcome by this feeling that, no matter what life may bring, I was happy to have him by my side. I could only hope that I would prove to be the wife that he would want and need.
“I think that we should be heading back to our room, too, don’t you think so, Mrs. Rivers?”
It was the first time that I had heard him use my new name. I smiled and nodded. He led me away from the table and out onto the sidewalk. We walked hand-in-hand the few blocks to our room.
He had asked for the honeymoon suite, but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. We walked up to the double doors and stood in front of it, looking at each other like we were about to embark on a new adventure together. He slid the key into the lock and a green light beeped. A click from the door signaled that we could push the door open and step inside.