Chapter 34.
"I do." Callie barely recognized her own voice, as she spoke those two words. She spoke them softly, choking back her happy tears. After they were said, she stood before Brandon, and listened as he repeated the same words to her, weeping openly.
Mr. Adams smiled and nodded. "Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He turned to Brandon. "You may now kiss the bride."
With that, Brandon reached out and took her in his arms, and their lips met as if they were two magnets being drawn together. They'd kissed hundreds of times in their lives, but it had all been leading up to this one powerful kiss, the official beginning of the rest of their lives.
Callie wove her fingers through Brandon's hair, caressing the back of his neck, guiding him even closer. He gripped her around the waist, his hands pressing against her bare back. The parted for a second, the tips of their noses touching, to take a collective breath. And then their lips smashed together one more time. It was over much to soon in Callie's opinion, but she knew that it was only a taste of what was to come later.
After lunch was served, the DJ Jill had hired announced that it was time for Brandon and Callie's first dance. As Brandon led her onto the dance floor, she was grateful for the flats Caitlin had ready for her as soon as the ceremony was over.
Just off the dance floor, Callie could see Jill watching, her hands clasped together. She knew that her step-mother was waiting to see if their dance lessons had paid off. But as soon as the slow music began, all choreography was forgotten; Brandon put his arms around Callie, and she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I love you, Callie," Brandon whispered, as they swayed slowly to the music. He nuzzled her neck discretely.
"I love you too," she replied, closing her eyes.
"Are you happy?" he whispered, after a few seconds of silence.
Smiling to herself, she nodded against his shoulder. "I didn't know it was possible to be as happy as I am right now."
He brushed his lips against her temple. "Me too."
Once the song ended, it was Robert's turn to dance with Callie. To appease Jill, she let her father lead her in a graceful slow dance, just as she'd learned at the dance lessons.
Robert smiled as they held each other, taking small steps in time to the music. Callie could just see the happiness radiating from him, and she couldn't help but be a glad that it was him who'd gotten to walk her down the aisle, even if she did miss Donald, simply because it meant so much to him.
"So," he said quietly, his voice muffled by the music. "You're a Foster now." He gave her a lighthearted smile. "How does it feel?"
"It feels amazing," she told him, looking into his watery blue eyes. "But I'll always be a Quinn, too." She pulled him closer, hugging him around the neck. He returned the hug, then spun her across the dance floor.
When the father daughter dance was over, Callie stepped aside. Brandon was dancing with his mom, and Jude and Sophia were dancing together, talking and laughing. She always knew they'd be friends if they had the chance.
She was enjoying herself, listening to the music and watching her friends and family, when she spotted a familiar face in the outskirts of the crowd, near the area designated for guests to park. Careful not to draw attention to herself, though it was kind of hard not to in a wedding gown, she wove through the throng of guests.
When she came out on the other side, she crossed the lawn. There stood Donald, leaning against his beat up old car. They held each other's gaze for a tense moment, until Callie broke the silence. "Dad?"
He sighed inwardly. "I'm sorry, Callie. I know I let you down again..."
She stopped him. "You worried me. I was counting on you."
"I know," he nodded, looking down in shame. "I didn't mean to. I swear."
"What happened?" she asked, disarmed by the sorrow in his voice.
He took a shallow breath. "I meant to be there for you, Callie. I did. But I thought the wedding was gonna be at a church, or a hotel or something. That, I could've handled. I didn't know it was gonna be here, at Robert's."
He sighed, obviously struggling to keep his composure. "I don't know how to act around these rich folks." He waved his hand, gesturing to the wedding guests. "They look down on people like me. When I got to thinking about meeting your father, and sitting through a rehearsal dinner with all those people gossiping about what I did to your mother, I lost my nerve."
"So I decided to have a small drink, just to calm myself. It didn't help much, so I had few more. By the time I was feeling brave enough to show up, I was too drunk to stand."
"You could've called," Callie told him, trying to keep her anger in check. "I was worried that something happened to you. Couldn't you have at least let me know what was going on?"
He shrugged guiltily. "I knew you'd be hurt. I didn't want to cause you any more embarrassment and shame, so I thought it would be better if you didn't know at all. Saying it now, when I'm sober, I realize it doesn't make much sense, but it honestly did at the time."
"But that was last night," said Callie. "What about today? Couldn't you have pulled it together long enough to walk me down the aisle?"
"I was hung over," he admitted. "Still am. It hurt to get out of bed this morning, but I had to at least see you on your wedding day. I was hoping you wouldn't even see me. I just wanted to see you."
Callie studied his bloodshot eyes and gray complexion and nodded, at a loss for words. "Oh."
"I love you, Callie," he sighed, tears shining in the corners of his eyes. "You'll always be my little girl, and I never mean to hurt you." He held his finger under the rim of one red eye, and then the other, as if trying to push his tears back in. "But I have a problem. We both know it. And you and Jude don't need someone like me in your life."
Reaching out, Callie cautiously touched Donald's shoulder. "I love you, dad. And so does Jude. I wanted you here today."
He gave her a long look, running his fingers through his thinning hair. "I know."
"I don't remember much of the drinking from back when I was little," she confided. Her memories of Donald's drunkenness were vague and unclear, not much more than the sound of a beer bottle shattering against the wall. "But I do remember all the fun we used to have together."
"You were the cutest little girl in the world," he told her, a hint of a sorrowful smile on his lips. "When I'd come home from work, you'd run to me, and just seeing your little face would make even the worst day better."
"Remember my first tricycle?" she asked, her eyes welling with fresh tears.
He laughed, pressing his fingers to his temple. "It was the first thing I bought when I got my Income Tax that year. You loved that thing. You'd ride it up and down the trailer. You'd even watch cartoons, just sitting on it like a chair."
Callie giggled at the memory, nodding.
"I guess I'd better be going," said Donald, anxiously looking back at his car. He opened the back door, and took out a gift bag, holding it out to her. "Just a little wedding present. It isn't much, but I hope you like it."
"Thanks," she said, taking the bag from him. Then, she reached out and gave him a hug.
"I hope I haven't ruined your day too bad," he told her, kissing her cheek. His breath was sour when it hit her nose. "You deserve the best of everything." He touched his hand to her cheek, lightly. "Well, bye."
"Wait, dad," said Callie, stopping him. "I forgive you. For everything. I just wanted you to know that."
"Thank you," he replied, climbing into his car. "That means a lot to me."
He started his engine and drove off, Callie waving until his car grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Even after he was gone, she just stood there, until a chilly breeze came up. She shivered, hugging herself, then turned back to the reception.
"There you are," said Brandon, when he saw her. He studied her face carefully. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Just a little cold."
Quickly, he shrugged off his suit jacket, and draped it over her shoulders, rubbing her arms vigorously to warm them. "Do you want to dance again?" He looked at her hopefully, his eyes sparkling under the twinkle lights that were strung above them.
"I'd love to." She let him embrace her, holding her protectively. She wouldn't tell him about Donald just yet, she thought. Maybe in a few days. Maybe they would compare notes about growing up with an alcoholic father? They'd cry together, remembering the bad times. And once their tears were shed, they'd laugh together, remembering the good times. It didn't have to be now; they had a whole lifetime ahead of them to share their hearts and souls. For now, they were content, just dancing in each others arms.
To Be Continued- sorry it took so long to update. I had a hard time writing this chapter. By the way, the story about the tricycle is true. It's the story of my first tricycle. But I let Callie borrow the memory for a while.