Father Daughter Dance

• Ann Obcemia, Grade 10
• Poetry
• 2009

It’s been 10 years since her father had left. She was only 15 and doing her School Certificate when it happened, and now ... she was getting married. Audrey Lockheart slipped into her white wedding gown. Her bridesmaid helped her style her hair up. They giggled and gossiped about the exciting event. Audrey, however, wasn’t that overwhelmed. She felt empty and incomplete, the joy and thrilling event wasn’t enough to get her father out of her mind. Her heart pounded with fear, she wanted to cry, but she knew that her wedding day was her day. Nothing is going to ruin it for her or her future life that’s waiting for her by the altar.
She smiled gleefully as her 3 best of friends sighed with awe as they admired her with her wedding dress on. Audrey turned to face the several mirrors and smiled, she looked absolutely beautiful. She patted her hair lightly, the hairspray kept her long black hair in a stylish, gorgeous bun, with silver glitter and a pretty blue flower. Then she turned to her bridesmaids, who wore silk blue gowns and curled hair with blue glitter on their hair.
Audrey’s tears came running down her cheeks. She smiled and said, “I don’t know what I would do without you three.” She stepped down the little stage she stood on and hugged her 3 friends.
They all hugged her back tight and reassured her that she was the most stunning bride in the whole world. The encouraging words made her feel better; she giggled and joked about how great it was to have waterproof mascara on.
Her mum walked in with her 3 sisters and younger brother. They all looked stunning in their gowns and her little brother was as handsome as a gorgeous movie star in his tuxedo. They all walked over to Audrey and hugged her, each giving her encouraging words and told her how amazing she looked in her gown.
“Now let’s go, they’re all just waiting for you,” her mum said.
Everyone left the room and Audrey looked at herself one more time. She wiped away the tear that streamed down her cheek. “I love you dad, thanks for everything,” she whispered to her reflection. She inhaled a deep breath to try and remove her painful feeling that stabbed her in the heart, every time she thought about her father.
She made her way out the door and toward the church entry. She took another deep breath and began to walk down the aisle. The music played and everyone stood. The audience gasped at how stunning Audrey looked. She smiled at them all then looked straight, where she met the eyes of her future life. He looked back at her, smiling, happiness filled his eyes. She giggled and remembered the first time they met. It was an amazing event.
After the wedding, they all gathered at a hotel venue and celebrated the newlywed’s future. They drank wine, they laughed and dance the night through. Audrey and her new husband Jeffrey went on the dance floor and had the DJ play a slow song and so he did. Jeffrey held his new beautiful bride around her waist and Audrey wrapped her arms around his neck. They looked deep in each others eyes, forgetting the audience that awed at the scene.
The music stopped and Jeffrey and Audrey pulled apart. Diana, Audrey’s younger sister, wanted to dance with Jeffrey. Audrey walked back to the table to take a rest but then suddenly a warm touch held her hand. “May I have this dance with the most beautiful girl in this room?” a male voice asked.
She turned around and saw a man around about his 60s or so. He smiled kindly at her and spoke her name. In that instant she knew who he was, she recognized that voice. It was the voice she’d been praying to hear. Her heart pounded with glee and danced with him. With her dad.
“My wish finally came true,” she whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder.
“This is the perfect ending,” he whispered soothingly in her ear. “The perfect father daughter dance.”
It was her perfect happily ever after.