My son-in-law married my daughter with a smile

I walked through the house, past the living room where I had taught Caitlyn to walk, past the kitchen where Britney had made Sunday dinners for thirty years, and opened the front door.

Cody Jenkins stood on my porch in a pressed sport coat, smelling like expensive cologne.

Behind him was a woman in a blazer carrying a leather portfolio.

The notary.

And beside her stood my daughter, looking as though she had not slept in two days.

Caitlyn would not meet my eyes.

In that moment, I knew one of two things had happened. Either she knew and had gone along with it, or she had only just found out and was horrified.

I told myself it was the second one.

I kept telling myself that.

Cody looked at me with the expression of a man who believed he held every card in the room.

“Nathan,” he said, “do you mind if we come in?”

“Sure, Cody,” I said. “Come on in.”