Now I needed to change it.
“Who should I put down instead?” Mrs. Larson asked.
“Duane Ostrem. Her grandfather.”
There was a small pause.
“That will be lovely.”
Then she asked gently:
“Is everything okay at home, Jodi?”
“Yes. Kaylee simply wants her grandpa.”
That was true.
It just wasn’t the entire story.
Wednesday evening, I called Dad.
He answered on the fourth ring, as he always did.
I explained everything.
Kaylee’s request.
Travis’s refusal.
The words about real fathers.
Dad listened without interrupting.
When I finished, he didn’t criticize Travis.
He asked only one question.
“Does Travis know you’re calling me?”
“No.”
Dad was silent for a while.
Then he said:
“Well, what time should I be there?”
I nearly cried.
“The ceremony starts around six forty-five. Could you arrive by six?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Dad, it’s a long walk across the gym. You’ll have to use your cane.”
