(no subject)
The past week had been so chaotic that Michael had gotten into a habit of going out for a walk at least once a day, usually after dinner. He'd been in Chicago since last Tuesday, for Thanksgiving, but he was staying so he could be able to attend his niece's wedding on Friday at noon.
Now... Well, now he was tempted to leave early. The tension around the house was so obvious because the wedding had been rushed and because not everyone was happy with the wedding, that arguments broke out over the smallest things. As he made his way back to the house he cursed under his breath, hoped that their latest fight over whose turn it was to do the dishes was over, and was about to open the door when he was suddenly stopped by DJ walking out. Startled out of his thoughts, Michael simply frowned for a moment before asking, "What are you doing out here?"
"It's hell in there, don't go in," his brother said with a weary sigh. "I swear, if I wasn't looking forward to this...wedding before, now I am." DJ shivered, realizing how cold it was, but didn't bother to go back in for his coat. "Listen, Mike... I wanted to talk to you."
Michael was quick to notice that DJ was shivering even more, so he took off his coat and made his brother take it. "What about?" Michael frowned as his brother looked away, apparently finding the ground more interesting than trying to say what he wanted to say. "Deej, I can't...guess what you want to tell me."
"Yeah, that's something only I can do, huh? Guess other people's thoughts, I mean." DJ frowned at his own words, but he turned to look at Michael. Before he could say anything, DJ continued, "Listen, we both...know that tomorrow's wedding..." He waited for a moment, gathering strength for what he was going to say next. "We both know that this could be the only time I'll get to walk one of my daughters down the aisle."
"DJ, don't-"
"Let me finish." DJ's tone sounded final but eerily calm. "I get to be there for Julie's wedding tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I'll be around for my other daughters' wedding. I just... I want to know that, when I'm not around, you will be. I need... I need you to walk them down the aisle for me when I'm not there. I want you to be that man, the one that gives them away for me."
For a moment neither of them spoke anymore, and a thick knot had found its way in Michael's throat. "No," he finally said, sounding choked but trying to smile. "Because you'll be here for their weddings too. You have to be. So I can't promise you that..."
Before DJ could say anything else, the door swung open and Julie was at the door. "Dad! Travis is being an ass-"
"Julie!"
"Well he is!" She sighed in exhasperation before frowning at them. "Aren't you guys freezing?"
Michael felt numb, but it had nothing to do with the cold. Instead of answering he turned to look at DJ, who was smiling at her, as if the conversation they were having was a happy one, and started to go inside. "Michael, are you coming?"
"Yeah, I'll...be there in a minute." He watched them go inside, not noticing that he had started shivering because DJ had taken his coat with him; his mind was reeling. Why was DJ bringing up this now? Why, when that was the last thing he wanted to think about? Why, when he had silently been thinking the same thing, about how this might be the only wedding he could be able to attend? Him saying it had made it real, and it was something that he didn't want. As if, by no one saying it, it'd go away.
He didn't last long, standing out there without a coat, but it took a moment for his body to remember to simply walk inside. When it finally did, he opened the door quietly and made his way in; the sound of laughter coming from the family room welcoming him in.
Now... Well, now he was tempted to leave early. The tension around the house was so obvious because the wedding had been rushed and because not everyone was happy with the wedding, that arguments broke out over the smallest things. As he made his way back to the house he cursed under his breath, hoped that their latest fight over whose turn it was to do the dishes was over, and was about to open the door when he was suddenly stopped by DJ walking out. Startled out of his thoughts, Michael simply frowned for a moment before asking, "What are you doing out here?"
"It's hell in there, don't go in," his brother said with a weary sigh. "I swear, if I wasn't looking forward to this...wedding before, now I am." DJ shivered, realizing how cold it was, but didn't bother to go back in for his coat. "Listen, Mike... I wanted to talk to you."
Michael was quick to notice that DJ was shivering even more, so he took off his coat and made his brother take it. "What about?" Michael frowned as his brother looked away, apparently finding the ground more interesting than trying to say what he wanted to say. "Deej, I can't...guess what you want to tell me."
"Yeah, that's something only I can do, huh? Guess other people's thoughts, I mean." DJ frowned at his own words, but he turned to look at Michael. Before he could say anything, DJ continued, "Listen, we both...know that tomorrow's wedding..." He waited for a moment, gathering strength for what he was going to say next. "We both know that this could be the only time I'll get to walk one of my daughters down the aisle."
"DJ, don't-"
"Let me finish." DJ's tone sounded final but eerily calm. "I get to be there for Julie's wedding tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I'll be around for my other daughters' wedding. I just... I want to know that, when I'm not around, you will be. I need... I need you to walk them down the aisle for me when I'm not there. I want you to be that man, the one that gives them away for me."
For a moment neither of them spoke anymore, and a thick knot had found its way in Michael's throat. "No," he finally said, sounding choked but trying to smile. "Because you'll be here for their weddings too. You have to be. So I can't promise you that..."
Before DJ could say anything else, the door swung open and Julie was at the door. "Dad! Travis is being an ass-"
"Julie!"
"Well he is!" She sighed in exhasperation before frowning at them. "Aren't you guys freezing?"
Michael felt numb, but it had nothing to do with the cold. Instead of answering he turned to look at DJ, who was smiling at her, as if the conversation they were having was a happy one, and started to go inside. "Michael, are you coming?"
"Yeah, I'll...be there in a minute." He watched them go inside, not noticing that he had started shivering because DJ had taken his coat with him; his mind was reeling. Why was DJ bringing up this now? Why, when that was the last thing he wanted to think about? Why, when he had silently been thinking the same thing, about how this might be the only wedding he could be able to attend? Him saying it had made it real, and it was something that he didn't want. As if, by no one saying it, it'd go away.
He didn't last long, standing out there without a coat, but it took a moment for his body to remember to simply walk inside. When it finally did, he opened the door quietly and made his way in; the sound of laughter coming from the family room welcoming him in.