That opportunity with Cannon five years ago had created more than just professional success. It had also tested his relationship… and strengthened it.
He and Alivia had lived together in Florence for two years. By the time they’d returned to the States, Alivia was deep in her studies of becoming an art curator, and Shane had two albums recorded. And by the time Alivia had graduated from NYU, they’d had their futures mapped out perfectly.
That year, Shane had prepared to tour for the first time as a solo artist. Meanwhile, with her parents’ help, Alivia had opened a gallery on the same street as JLL Productions.
When Shane left on his first tour, Alivia joined him. Together, they traveled the country on a luxury bus. He preferred singing and playing in small venues from coast to coast over the large-scale success his mother and I favored. At each location, Alivia searched for new artists that she could showcase once back in New York City.
It was the perfect way to meld their dreams, and the outcome was no different than the path Leila and I had traveled to get to where we were now.
As Shane ran a finger between the stiff collar and his neck, memories of his prom popped into my mind. He glanced at his groomsmen, and the faces they made back at Shane caused a grin to appear.
Madden reciprocated with his own dimpled smile, standing proudly beside his brother in the role of best man. Now a junior at Stanford, his interest in aerospace engineering never failed to have me in awe. I guessed all those toy rockets he loved so much were more than just playthings.
Beside Madden was Shane’s best friend, Chase, famous for the role he’d landed in a teenage drama that was all the rage. His acting career wasn’t a surprise, but I would’ve never predicted the grounded man he’d become based on the reckless kid he used to be. Getting back together with Alivia’s best friend, Kim, had a lot to do with that outcome. They were next to wed in the fall.
Drex, the youngest of our brood, seemed bored out of his mind. It was typical of our high school graduate, who had no clue what he wanted to do in life. Because of the need to find himself, he’d planned a trip with his two buddies to “hop around the world” for a year or two. The thought brought instant heartburn to my chest.
Beside him was Alivia’s brother, Trestan… a mini Trey in both looks and attitude… although the kid was anti–rock music, which killed his father. God, my heart went out to poor Camilla for all the gray hair coming her way… not so much for Trey. That fucker that I loved like a brother deserved a dose of his own medicine.
The change in music meant the ceremony was about to begin. All our guests twisted to look toward the deck of our beach house. First to approach in the pretty pink gown she’d designed and made herself was my sweet girl, Siarra. Also a junior in college, she studied design at FIT in the city. She smiled brightly at all the eyes focused on her before her gaze landed on me. She was most definitely Daddy’s little girl… all grown up, smart, gorgeous. Her looks were identical to her mother’s, except for eyes that mirrored mine.
When she adorably winked at me in her sassy way, I suppressed a sob. Leila, having heard it, giggled beside me. Contradicting that smile, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears. I leaned down to kiss her softly, not able to stop a tear of my own from falling. She reached over and wiped it away, keeping her hand on my cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you more.” I could feel my heart swelling to the point of rupture in my chest.
As we stared into each other’s eyes, the electricity between us continued to pulse as intensely as it had on the day we’d met.
I remembered our own wedding day and how easily I could see our lives spreading out before us. The home we would share with our kids. The life she would lead as Mrs. Jackson Henry Lair. That day I may have unknowingly manifested it all to come true. But it was the love I had for the woman beside me that had created every damn blessing I had in my life.
Trey
I tried to channel my hyperventilating as Siarra disappeared around the floral screen, and then Livi’s friend Kim. It was easier said than done, forcing my daughter to say, “Dad, relax.”
“I’m trying.” With no one left to walk along the cream runner that served as an aisle, I began to panic. I stared down at the beautiful woman on my arm while on the verge of tears, and it was harder and harder to hide my emotions from her.
Seeing them all play out on my face forced her to say, “Dad, don’t make me cry.”
“Okay… I’m sorry.” Despite being so out of my element, I sucked it up and forced a smile. “Ready, baby girl?”
“I’m ready.”
“Then let’s do this.”
When we emerged for all our guests to see, gasps filtered over to us. I didn’t blame them. Alivia, wearing a perfect gown that Siarra had created for my girl, had her looking every bit the princess that she was… one who deserved only good things in her life.
And while everyone stared at the vision beside me, my eyes fixated on the kid standing tall and proud in his black tux, waiting to marry my Livi.
“God, I love him,” Alivia said with a sigh.
“Yeah… I love that kid too.” And I did… although there were times I wondered what I did to deserve having my best friend’s kid fornicating with mine. Well… maybe I did deserve it. Fucking karma could kiss my ass.
“Can you please show that you love him? You look like you’re ready to go a few rounds.”
I plastered a cheesy smile on my face. “Better?”
“I guess.”
“Just remember, if he hurts you, I will kill him.”
My daughter rolled her eyes in her normal way. “No, you won’t.”
Fine… I wouldn’t, but I’d have no problem cutting his dick off. One would think I would’ve seen this coming all those years ago when he had the balls to kiss Alivia right in front of me at only ten years of age. And that kiss set the tone for way too many years of torment as they grew up from two cute kids to the adults they were now.
I guessed if someone had to sweep her off her feet, I was glad it was Lair’s kid. Still… that didn’t mean I had to pretend that each step we took wasn’t moving me closer to losing my little girl.
Camilla scolded me when I’d used those words last night, while lying in bed, feeling like the world as I knew it was about to end. In my defense, it was. My sweet Livi was about to become a married woman. How did this fucking happen in the blink of an eye?
The same gorgeous creature who’d barreled into my life like a freight train had mangled my heart in a tattered mass of a love like I’d never experienced before. Not with the women I loved in the past who I lost, not with her mother, who was the last woman to capture my once-cold heart… not with anyone.
So, yes, I loved my wife. I loved my friends. I loved my son. I even loved that damn cat that died a few years ago. But the love I had for my daughter was unmatched, and I meant it when I said I’d kill for her.
Somehow, despite thoughts of murder and loss, I managed to lead us down the long aisle before the pastor asked, “Who gives this woman for marriage?”
Camilla came to stand beside me as we both said, “We do.”
On the pastor’s nod, I kissed her soft cheek but refused to put her hand in Shane’s. My future son-in-law raised a brow. “Hey, Unk… I mean, Dad. This would be the time you let her go.”