Richard stared at the dress, then slowly turned his gaze back to the bride. The silence in the room was deafening. Turning to me, his voice softened just a fraction. “Take Lily into the dressing room and help her into her gown.”
When we came back out ten minutes later, Lily looked like a princess, though her eyes were still red. Across the room, Vanessa was sitting on the edge of the velvet sofa, dabbing at her own tears with a tissue so she wouldn’t ruin her makeup. My ex-husband, David, was standing beside the window, looking pale and ashamed.
Richard didn’t lower his voice when we entered. “If you ever humiliate or hurt my granddaughter again,” he told Vanessa, pointing a finger directly at her, “I will pull every dime I put into this venue and personally make sure this wedding does not happen.” He then turned his glare onto David. “And you. You need to start acting like a man and be a better father to that little girl.”
The wedding went ahead on schedule, though the tension behind the scenes was palpable. When the doors to the chapel opened, Lily walked down the aisle in her blush pink dress, her head held high and a beaming smile back on her face. The moment she reached the front row, Richard stepped out from his seat, scooped her up into his arms, and twirled her around while the entire room of guests erupted into applause.