The man who stepped in when my father refused to walk me down the aisle

if Mom and Dad stayed focused on me…” She stopped. ” Silence. ” There it was. Not an excuse. An explanation. ” I listened. ” Her breathing broke slightly. ” I looked through the workshop doorway toward the oak shelves Franco had built. ” I believed she was sorry. That did not mean I could return to the old arrangement. “I hope you find what you need,” I told her. She cried harder. ” She went quiet.Music & Audio

I expected anger
I expected anger. Defensiveness. ” Maybe she did. Maybe she only understood for that minute.