“Here you are! Come on, we need you at the table.”

I groan. “Nice to see you, Ashley. Bridesmaid duty calls.”

I follow Hallie as she weaves through the tables back to ours. My dad and Sandra are just rising from their seats and making their way out onto the dance floor. I plop down on my chair to watch them waltz, realizing I never even grabbed a drink.

I remember my father having no sense of rhythm, but apparently it’s something he rediscovered along with some paternal instincts. They sway in time to some song that sounds familiar but I can’t name.

The music ends, and Sandra walks over to her father. He rises, and they head back out onto the dance floor. I expect my father to walk over to his mother’s chair, but instead he strides in the opposite direction.

Toward my end of the table.

Toward me.

“Dance with your old man, Saylor?”

My gaze leaps to Hallie, but she doesn’t look the least bit surprised. She knew. She knew he was going to do this.

“Sure,” I manage, standing. What else can I say? We’re in front of a couple hundred people. On his wedding day. No wonder Hallie dragged me off the patio earlier.

We head out onto the dance floor, and my father’s lost his Fred Astaire impression. We sway awkwardly.

“I’m happy for you, Dad,” I finally say, when the silence is so thick it’s choking me.

“That means a lot,” he replies, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

Silence falls between us again.

“Maybe we’ll be doing this again one day. At your wedding.”

I tense. “I doubt it.”

“There’s no… special guy?” my father asks, and if I wasn’t immensely uncomfortable, I would laugh. My father checked out back when I thought boys had cooties. We’ve never had a conversation about a guy. I doubt his newfound parenting skills would be thrilled to know about the ways I took advantage of his absence during my high school years.

“Nope.” I almost leave it at that, but then I add “Not a big fan of relying on people.”

“You don’t have to do everything alone, Saylor.”

“Well, I didn’t really have a choice.”

He sighs. “I know. But I hoped you’d learn from my mistakes.”

“I have.”

“Relying on people is not a mistake. Relying entirely on someone who doesn’t rely on you is. That’s what happened with your mother and me. I relied on her for everything, and she didn’t rely on me at all. You’re strong, Saylor. So, so strong. You don’t need someone to hold you up, but it’s nice to have someone to lean on.” He looks over at Sandra, who’s laughing at something her father is saying. “It’s really nice.”

I don’t say anything.