“I’m proud of you, son. Casey’s a great woman, and we’re excited to have her in the
family.”
“Thanks, Dad,” William said as Daniel patted him on the back.
Through the window, William spotted Casey’s parents pulling into the driveway. But
after parking, they didn’t get out. He couldn’t see their mouths moving. They
appeared to be sitting in silence.
Ten minutes to go.
He reached into his pocket to check for the ring. They had gone to a few pawn shops
on Monday and picked out simple gold bands. Casey didn’t
want a ‘fancy diamond ring’ and said these would do just fine. William rolled the
ring between his fingers, resisting the urge to pace.
With five minutes left, her parents were still sitting in their car. William wasn’t
sure if they would come in.
Casey told him her father hadn’t taken the pregnancy well. After graduation, he’d
barely spoken to her. Her mother, on the other hand, had come around. She acted
helpful, generous, and excited for her grandchild. The baby already had more
clothes than William and Casey combined. He was grateful.
He didn’t have a particularly warm relationship with Mrs. Harlow, but it wasn’t
cold either. She had accepted Casey’s choice. William wondered how his father would
react if Willow had gotten pregnant before graduation. He figured his dad would be
more supportive than Casey’s father had been.
“William,” his dad began. “Go stand by the altar. I want to get a picture of you
before the wedding.”
William stood at the makeshift altar, the TV stand now repurposed, with mismatched
vases full of fake roses on either side.