He'd been dreading this moment since Joan and Adam's engagement last year—the moment he saw his baby girl in her wedding dress. As the others babbled their admiration, Will stood to the back of the group and tried to control his emotions.
His relationship with Joan had always been the sweetest and least complicated of his relationships with his children. Especially in her teen years, Joan had never been afraid to be honest or affectionate with him. He'd never had to find common ground with her. It simply existed.
She stood before him, his little girl now a radiant, mature woman. In a few hours, he'd have to walk her down the aisle and give her to Adam. A part of him didn't mind the task. In many ways, Joan had been Adam's since high school. It was the responsibility he didn't want to relinquish. As long as she remained unmarried, she was just his daughter. It was up to him to look out for her, protect her. To willingly give up that role was more than time had prepared Will for.
"Daddy?"
Will looked up to find himself alone with Joan for the first time in weeks. She beamed at him before throwing her arms around his neck, oddly heedless of her dress, and hugged him tight. "I'll always be your little girl, Daddy. Nothing will ever change that."
"You promise?"
Joan pulled back and stared solemnly into his eyes. "I never lie to my daddy." She smiled and patted his cheek. "Ever."