Chapter 3: Family

Weddings are beautiful, and nothing is stronger than a Father's love.

At Twenty Six, we had our wedding.

It was a beautiful sunny day. It was a small but close knit group of our friends and family. Both my mother and Emily’s had tears in their eyes.

I vowed that I would always love her, and I meant it. She was perfect. She didn’t care that we couldn’t slow dance properly because I couldn’t dance. She was happy to sway in my arms to the music.

I loved watching her smile as she hugged all our guests goodbye at the end of the night. I was tired. My prosthetic rubbing against my skin in a painful fashion after standing for so long. I knew that it was worth it.

Emily was worth any pain I might have to endure.

                                        *****************

At Twenty Eight. A first time father.

Emily and I welcomed our daughter into the world. She had two arms and two legs, which was the part I had worried about for the last nine months.

She had Emily’s deep red hair but it was in ringlets like mine. Her name was Lacy. All the nurses told us how beautiful Lacy was. Emily couldn’t stop smiling, and when I held Lacy in my arms. It was magical.

She held one of my fingers in her fist and squeezed. She was strong like her mother and I didn’t know I could love anyone as fiercely as I loved my daughter.

Author's Note

Callan finally seems to have everything he could have wanted