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started to argue. Michael immediately became angry. His blue-green eyes were tense, and his lips puckered to the corner of his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed. Dave had his finger pointed towards Michael face, shaking it up and down as if he were reprimanding a child. I stood still and cautiously stepped forward so they wouldn’t see me. Michael stepped back and shook his head at him, then took his hand and pushed Dave against his shoulder out of the way. I tilted my head to the side to see if I could get a better look, but then, I was interrupted when Margaret called out my name.
    “Jen, come on, do you want to be late to your own wedding?” she said.
         I took a quick step back to take another peek but they were gone. I was tired of the Michael and Dave drama. This was our day and I just wanted everyone to be happy. Dave met me in the hallway before I entered the waiting room. He stared at me intensely and held my hand in his and said,
    “Are you nervous?”
    “Yes, I am. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but…I love you, Dave. I thought it would be hard for me to tell you that today, but it’s not. Thanks, for everything, and especially for today. It really means a lot to me. I’d be walking myself down the aisle right now if it weren’t for you. I could never afford a wedding like this…this is my dream come true.” I shook my head and swallowed hard. “I feel like a princess…and I owe it all to you. You’re the father I dreamed of as a little girl.” Dave blushed and lowered his head. I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder.
    “Dave, are you ok?”
    “Jen, I never told you this but you mean so much to me, more than I ever thought you would. There’s a place in my heart for you… only you can fill.” he said as he glanced up at me with his big brown eyes.
    “I know that, our friendship means the world to me…and you know…I never knew what it was like to love my father, because I never did…I just know…If I did…it has to be like loving you.” I hugged him snugly and gave him a peck on his cheek.
    Dave didn’t hug me back and for a minute, I didn’t feel his love in return. Instead he shrugged me off and said,
    “Ready?” he offered his arm and I grabbed on to him cautiously. I didn’t want to slip and fall with my heels and end up on a video show of life’s most embarrassing wedding moments.
         I thought he might have been nervous and didn’t return my hug, but I also thought that he wanted to say something to me and couldn’t. I held that thought in my head and proceeded to walk towards the doors to get ready to walk down the aisle.
         The doors opened and the wedding music began to play. I was expecting the traditional wedding song but instead, the beautiful violins were playing, stinging my heart with the sweet sound of Meditation from the opera Thais by Massenet. I couldn’t believe it! He remembered…they both remembered how much I loved this piece. This tugged at my heartstrings. My heart was filled with bliss, and I loved the man I was about to marry, unconditionally.
         I held back my tears as I walked down the aisle trying to get a glimpse of Michael through my veil. I looked to my side staring at the people I didn’t know sitting in the decorated pews and recognizing a few familiar faces. I held on tightly to Dave’s arm and he gave me a little tug to let me know he had me covered. I walked slowly toward Michael who was standing at the altar looking just as anxious as I felt, his beautiful blue-green eyes glowing, and his heart-shaped lips quivering. I couldn’t wait to kiss him and hear him say those beautiful words “I do.” I looked at Dave for a moment and imagined he was my real father walking me down the aisle. I thought about my father momentarily… would he be drunk? Would he have beaten my mother the night before? Would it have even mattered? As much as I hated him, why did I want him here with me today,