She had regained some of her composure.
“You need to understand what happened.”
Daniel said nothing.
Lauren placed the scissors on the vanity.
“The stylist said the ends were uneven.”
The stylist’s face changed.
Daniel noticed.
Lauren continued.
“Ava kept moving, and once we trimmed one section, we had to balance it.”
Ava pulled away from Daniel enough to look up.
“That’s not true.”
Lauren stared.
“Ava.”
Daniel’s voice became low.
“Do not correct her.”
Lauren blinked.
“What?”
“You do not tell her what she experienced.”
“I’m not.”
“You just did.”
Lauren took a breath.
“Daniel, everyone is stressed.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No.”
Ava still clutched his jacket.
Lauren glanced toward the doorway.
The wedding coordinator had appeared there.
Behind her stood Daniel’s older brother, Michael.
The hallway was beginning to notice.
Lauren lowered her voice.
“We have guests downstairs.”
Daniel looked at her.
“That is what you’re thinking about?”
“I’m thinking about the fact that we are supposed to get married in twenty-two minutes.”
Ava looked up at him.
Daniel felt something inside himself become perfectly still.
He reached toward his left hand.
Lauren saw it.
Her eyes widened.
“Daniel.”
He removed his wedding ring.
Technically not a wedding ring yet.
It was a simple band Lauren had given him that morning because she thought it would be romantic for them both to wear their rings before walking downstairs.
Daniel had thought it was sweet.
Now he placed it beside the scissors.
Lauren stared at it.
“What are you doing?”
Daniel looked at his daughter.
Then back at Lauren.
“Good thing you said ‘after today.’”
Her face changed.
“Daniel.”
“Because there won’t be one.”
For a moment nobody seemed to understand.
Then Lauren laughed.
A single disbelieving sound.
“You’re not serious.”
Daniel picked up Ava’s cream cardigan from the chair.
“I am.”
“You’re canceling our wedding?”
“Yes.”
“Over a haircut?”
Ava flinched.
Daniel saw.
That decided what little remained undecided.
“It is not about a haircut.”
Lauren’s voice sharpened.
“That is exactly what this is.”
“No.”
Daniel helped Ava into her cardigan.
“It’s about my daughter saying no.”
Lauren’s cheeks reddened.
“I’m going to be part of raising her.”
“No.”
Lauren stared.
“No?”
Daniel looked directly at her.
“You were going to be.”
The wedding coordinator backed away from the doorway.
Michael stepped inside.
“Danny?”
Daniel did not turn.
“Get my phone and Ava’s overnight bag from the groom’s room.”
Michael looked from him to Lauren.
Then to the hair on the vanity.
He understood enough.
“Yeah.”
He disappeared.
Lauren moved toward Daniel.
“You are not walking out.”
Daniel stepped between her and Ava.
Lauren stopped.
“Daniel, think about what you’re doing.”
“I am.”
“We have spent a year planning this.”
“I know.”
“My parents are downstairs.”
“I know.”
“People flew in from California.”
“I know.”
“This wedding cost almost one hundred thousand dollars.”
Daniel’s face remained still.
“My daughter said no.”
Lauren threw her hands up.
“To a haircut.”
“To you.”
Silence.
Daniel continued.
“She told you I had already said no.”
“That doesn’t mean you make every parenting decision alone.”
“We are not married.”