When my father's condition severely worsened, the idea of a big wedding didn't matter anymore.
The hours dragged by. We were waiting for Eric to get back, and hoping my father could hold on and stay alive long enough to see this. I sat with him while we waited. He was lying in a hospital bed in our family living room. I held his hand and cried. Maybe he couldn’t walk me down the aisle, but he sure as hell was going to see his daughter become a wife.
We held the ceremony at my father’s bedside with the judge near his head, and Eric and I facing him, me by his side. The ceremony was short, and after we said “I do” I swear I heard my father — who hadn’t been able to speak — say “Yay!” It was amazing and heartbreaking all at the same time. He had held on all day for this, and I didn’t want him to have to wait any longer to leave us. I wanted him to have his last moments alone with my mom, so Eric and I planned to leave for a little while to give them that peace.Courtesy of Sarah Talent