Conversation in the Key of S
"I'd like you to walk me down the aisle."
She certainly had a way of getting my attention. Gazing over her glass, she tried to gauge my reaction. I'd never had much of a poker face, so I choked on my scotch.
"You'd like me to walk you down the aisle?"
"Yes." She sipped her wine, trying to behave as though this was a normal favour to ask.
"Um, isn't that normally a Dad sort of thing to do?"
Her look reformed the ice in my drink.
"I'd like you to do it."
"Well, I'm honoured. He's going to be pissed though."
"He can be pissed all he wants. I'm not even sure I want to invite him."
I could just imagine our father attending his only daughter's wedding as Mom's 'and guest'. That would be a sight.
"Okay, I guess. I mean, I'll do it," I paused. I wasn't sure exactly how to broach the subject. "I wish you two would make up."
"He's an a--"
"Don't you think I know that? I've known him longer than you... do you not think I know that? He is your father though, and whether you like to admit it or not, you're your father's daughter."
She hates it when I say that. It's true though. Two peas in a pod they are.
"He's your father too." She gets surly when I'm right. Especially when I'm right about this.
"How long has it been since you two have spoken?"
"I dunno."
"How long?"
"A couple of months."
"Jesus, you live in the same house and you haven't spoken in a couple of months? The two of you have a lot of growing up to do."
"Hey, it's not just me!"
"I didn't say it was." I sighed. This part was unfortunately well rehearsed. "You're both adults. You both need to start behaving like them."
A long pause and another sip for both of us.
"It's not easy."
"Again, do you think I don't have any sort of experience in this topic?"
"How'd you two finally kiss and make up?"
I sighed.
"Well, there was no kissing. You know what happened the last time we had physical contact."
"Nice scar by the way."
"It's good that we have matching ones. Anyway, it's a long story. But it ends with me forgiving him for being who he is, learning to love those parts that I admire, and painting over the rest."
"I don't know if I can do that."
"I never said it was easy."
She certainly had a way of getting my attention. Gazing over her glass, she tried to gauge my reaction. I'd never had much of a poker face, so I choked on my scotch.
"You'd like me to walk you down the aisle?"
"Yes." She sipped her wine, trying to behave as though this was a normal favour to ask.
"Um, isn't that normally a Dad sort of thing to do?"
Her look reformed the ice in my drink.
"I'd like you to do it."
"Well, I'm honoured. He's going to be pissed though."
"He can be pissed all he wants. I'm not even sure I want to invite him."
I could just imagine our father attending his only daughter's wedding as Mom's 'and guest'. That would be a sight.
"Okay, I guess. I mean, I'll do it," I paused. I wasn't sure exactly how to broach the subject. "I wish you two would make up."
"He's an a--"
"Don't you think I know that? I've known him longer than you... do you not think I know that? He is your father though, and whether you like to admit it or not, you're your father's daughter."
She hates it when I say that. It's true though. Two peas in a pod they are.
"He's your father too." She gets surly when I'm right. Especially when I'm right about this.
"How long has it been since you two have spoken?"
"I dunno."
"How long?"
"A couple of months."
"Jesus, you live in the same house and you haven't spoken in a couple of months? The two of you have a lot of growing up to do."
"Hey, it's not just me!"
"I didn't say it was." I sighed. This part was unfortunately well rehearsed. "You're both adults. You both need to start behaving like them."
A long pause and another sip for both of us.
"It's not easy."
"Again, do you think I don't have any sort of experience in this topic?"
"How'd you two finally kiss and make up?"
I sighed.
"Well, there was no kissing. You know what happened the last time we had physical contact."
"Nice scar by the way."
"It's good that we have matching ones. Anyway, it's a long story. But it ends with me forgiving him for being who he is, learning to love those parts that I admire, and painting over the rest."
"I don't know if I can do that."
"I never said it was easy."
posted by Surly Canuck at 4:46 p.m.
2 Comments:
I'm squarely in her corner. It's very reminiscent of my older brother's relationship with my dad (cool, but cordial) and my own (haven't spoken to each other in ten years.)
But I don't live in his house.
Did you say yes to walking her down the aisle?
I tentatively agreed, in the hope that they'd bury the hatchet (not in each other hopefully) before a wedding comes around.
80% of this is fictional however. =)
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