Page 116 of Lush

Daddy hesitated, looking down for a moment before meeting my eyes again. “Laurene, I love your mother. I’ve always loved her. I’ll tell you that like I told your grandfather when I asked him for her hand. She’s your mother, but she’s my Yvonne, and our relationship isn’t your business to understand.”

“It is when we’re affected. Daddy, for years we’ve watched you adhere to Mama’s plans. All the times you could have stood up for us, you didn’t.”

He swallowed and blinked. “Loving someone doesn’t mean agreeing with everything they do. Sometimes you have to accept the parts of them you don’t understand. And sometimes, to survive, you have to make sacrifices.”

“You’re telling me you sacrificed your happiness to survive with her?” My voice shook, the bitterness cutting through.

“Never. I saw her goal. I always hoped she’d see things my way when it came to y’all, and sometimes she did. But not always, and I accepted that.”

Daddy’s face held a rawness I hadn’t seen from him in years. “Your mother has been scared for a long time. You gotta understand, baby, we’re the exception. I should have said something, I see that now. But you don’t see her like I do.”

The music began to swell faintly beyond the terrace doors, pulling me back to the moment. Daddy offered me his arm.

“That’s not enough.” I looked at his arm. “You’ve been standing by her side, but where’s the support for me? Where’s the support for Erik and Serena and Gigi? Why didn’t you ever fight harder for us against her?”

He let out a soft, regretful sigh. “You’re right. I haven’t been the best father?—”

“You’ve been the worst. A sorry isn’t going to fix this.” I shook my head. “I deserve a full apology. As well as Erik, Serena, and Gigi. You need to statewhyand you need to make a change. Starting today.”

Daddy’s eyes widened and I kept going.

“I refuse to have anyone in my life not serving me well. That includes you. So what’s your decision?”

They were waiting for us, but I didn’t care. I focused on Daddy and I felt the beating of my own heart.

“I apologize, Laurene. For everything I didn’t do. For letting your mom run things instead of this marriage being a partnership. I know my words aren’t enough, but I vow to you, baby. I’ll fix things. For all of us moving forward.”

I swallowed, and Daddy placed a kiss on my cheek and smiled at me.

“Don’t mention this to your siblings—especially Gigi—but you’re the brightest of my kids, Laurene. You’re a leader.” He paused, his gaze steady on mine. “But what I hope you’ll learn—and maybe even do better than me—is how to balance that vision with what’s in here.”

He tapped a finger lightly against my chest.

“I don’t feel like a leader,” I muttered.

“Leaders don’t always feel like leaders, Laurene. They just lead and sometimes they do it scared. Do what’s in your heart.” He offered me his arm. “Let’s focus on you, sweetheart. The rest, we’ll figure out in time.”

I nodded, gripping his arm.

This is it.

The doors open. Together, we stepped forward. A sea of facesturning toward me.

Daddy’s arm was my anchor, the only thing keeping me tethered to anything real. But it wasn’t the music that filled my mind. It washim.

Reese.

There he was, standing at the end of the aisle. My first love. My past. My unfinished story. My future.

The one person in the world meant for me.

Every step felt like a reckoning, like I was moving toward a choice that I couldn’t take back. This was it. I finally choseLaurene.We were finally getting what we deserved. I stopped in front of Reese, and for a split second, everything else disappeared.

The crowd. The noise. The world itself seemed to hold its breath.

My father placed my trembling hand into Reese’s.

“You take my breath away, Laurie.” Reese’s voice was almost a whisper, and I smiled at him, brighter than sun, and tightened my grip.

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