Chapter 26

“You called,” said Ava, coming into the library.

“Yes, yes, I’ve come up with an idea that might be a wedge into the man’s standoffishness,” said Blake.

“Well, good,” said Ava, “because I sure have not been able to. And, I have been trying.”

“Well, my idea is not fool proof. But let me ask you. What is his main gripe in terms of Candace?” he said. She shrugged.

“Not sure. But mainly because we never let him know she existed until after he was out and not even then immediately,” she said.

“All true. But there is something even bigger underlying his thinking, at least I think there is,” he said.

“And that might be?” she said.

“That he has no place—thinks he has no place, no serious place—in her life. That we were hogging the girl for ourselves, yes, he can make that point even though it is not strictly true. But what he really wants is to be ‘the’ major player in her life, apart from maybe you, because you’re her mother. He sees me as the male faux-equivalent of himself, and believes that he has no say in any of it,” said Blake. “He seriously believes that I have claimed premier fathership of the girl and have cut him out of his rightful place. At least on any practical level.”

“I don’t...” she started.

“He essentially said it himself when he asked Candace if she referred to me as either her uncle or her stepdaddy! He said.

“I see what you mean. But, okay, how do you figure to turn his thinking around? You said you had an idea.”

“What if he were to give her away at her and Daniel’s wedding? What if he were to dance the father-daughter dance with her? The man spent more than twenty years in prison protecting you, and arguably me too. Doing the honors at Candace’s wedding would be little enough, but a start. I mean a start. I mean what do you think?” he said. She had gone pensive on him, but she was nodding. It was dubious nodding, but it was affirmative nodding too.

“Of course, but as sensible and reasonable as everything you say is, there is one small catch-22,” she said.

“Okay?” he said.

“Candace would have to agree to it, all of it, not to mention Daniel,” she said.

“Yes, we do have to ask her, and really do the best we can to convince her. So, what do you think? Should we go for it?” he said.

“Yes, I guess it is the best we can do in the short run,” she said.

“Okay then, it’s a go. Candace is downtown at the office. I’ll give her a call. Kevin can cover for her; it’s been slow,” he said, and he sighed.

“This is one meeting that might take a while, a long while,” she said.

“Hopefully not,” he said. “Hopefully not.”

“Well, you can hope. I can hope. Everybody can hope. But in the end, what we have to do is be really convincing; and I am not at all that certain that we can be. Still, I guess we’ll know soon enough. So, okay, we give Candace a heads up,” she said.

Lunch was grilled cheese sandwiches; well, they were a favorite of Blake’s. Lillian the cook was also the kitchen help overall. She cleaned up the table as the senior Willis’ stared at each other, wistfully.

“She’ll be here shortly,” said Blake, repeating what he’d already said a half dozen times.

Two heads turned toward the new arrivee.

“Candace,” said her mother.

“Hi baby,” said her dad.

“Mom, Dad, what’s going on. Kevin said it was kinda urgent. Your exact words he said,” she said, nodding toward her father. The 24-year-old newcomer took a seat.

“Yes, well urgent in a sense,” he said.

“Yes,” said Ava.

“Okay, I’m here, I’m guessing going by the look on your faces that this, thing, might not be a real good thing,” she said.

“Actually, it might be a real good thing,” said Ava. “But it can’t happen without your okay, and maybe Daniel’s.”

“Mom?” said Candace.

“Candace my brother did a wonderful thing for your mom those many years ago. But instead of praise from law enforcement; he was punished. And, I can tell you, while he was the one who suffered the most and that in oh so many ways, we suffered too; me and you mom,” said Blake.

“Daddy, what do you want from me. I mean it’s clear to me that you want me to be kind to my uncle, and that’s how I see him; but more than that...” started Candace.

“Candace, we would be forever grateful if you would allow that good man to be your daddy at your wedding,” said Ava.

“Huh?” she said.

“You know, let him give you away, do the father daughter dance, sit on one side of you at the family table your mother on the other,” said Blake.

“Daddy, are you actually asking me to have him take your place on the most important day of my life? Is that what you are asking of me!” she said.

“In a word, yes,” he said.

“Well, in a word, no. You are my daddy. That’s not going to change. And while biologically, he might have a claim to that title; he does not have a real claim. He’s a killer, Dad. Yes, he may have saved mom. And yes, he has served his time in prison for that crime. But neither I nor Daniel would ever countenance such a tradeoff,” said Candace.

“Candace you are young. You do not know all of the facts, all of the suffering that that man has had to endure. Neither your mom nor I can ever repay him for his sacrifices, and that’s plural sacrifices. But maybe if you could see your way clear to help us out here; well, maybe we could make some progress in that direction,” he said.

“Dad, give him some money, anything, but your fatherhood!” she said. “You are my daddy, not him, not anybody else!”

“Candace, we have offered him money, a lot of money, but to put it succinctly, he spit on it. It was only by the sheerest of luck, and the intervention of Bea, that we even got him to come to Thanksgiving dinner. We want to try and build on that sliver of hope, luck,” said Ava.