once upon a time
3 hours a week. supervised visits. restraining orders. he had to be told to stay away. she had been just approaching her 7th birthday when he had been asked to leave. when she turned 7, he had bought her a packet of chocolates as present. when she turned 13, he had bought a red bunny. when she became a woman, he had bought her a pink doll. when she turned 18, he offered her a lace handkerchief.
he goes home and cries because he doesn’t know her enough to buy her the right presents. he cried into his pillow late into the night. he cried because she accepts each of them with the same smile she gave him when he had left. with the same hope that he is coming back.
today she got married. he had decided to buy her a bunch of flowers. but, he had been full of doubt. all girls like flowers, so his daughter would like them too. but would she really? is she a tomboy? will she be wearing sneakers under her wedding gown? no, she is a lady.
he had seen her for a total of 176 hours in all her adult life. he didn’t know what her favourite colour was. there had never been enough time for that. but he knew her. he was sure of it. when she had looked up at her tall mother, who had refused to acknowledge age, and said, “i invited him.”, he knew that she had been counting the hours too.
