That morning, she entered the living room with a wide smile on her lips and roses in her hands, he put down the coffee cup when she sat in front of him and stared long at the radiant girl.

“So?” he raised his eyebrows questioningly, there’s no need to ask where she went all night and with whom—he knew and he trusted that person to take care of his precious baby.

“So…” the young lady giggled, a blush rising on her cheeks, “He proposed!”

“Oh…” he replied almost nonchalantly, shifting his attention at the big bouquet of red roses, “…and those?”

“He gave me this, a hundred stems of roses. He said that it’s because red rose means unconditional love... And that he’ll always love me no matter how much time passes, or whatever happens in the future,” his beautiful daughter said, sighing with dreamy look in her eyes. “He’s just so cheesy, isn’t he daddy?” she continued, chuckling in both happiness and embarrassment.

“Hmm. He is his son after all,” he mumbled, appearing stoic even though his heart skipped a beat. Absent-mindedly he touched the velvety smooth petals of the roses. He sighed deeply—like father like son indeed, the same gesture spanning decades. Was it in their genes to be so cheesy? But silently he admired the bouquet of a hundred roses, just as beautiful as the one he got so many years ago

“And that...?” he asked, pointing on his daughter’s hand, reflected light had caused the precious gems to glitter, catching his eyes with a dazzling glint.  

“Ah this?” she showed him her left hand, a platinum band circling her ring finger, “Obviously, I said yes to him dad…” she smiled happily, staring fondly at the ring, beautiful in its simplicity.

“Will you… I can’t marry you or anything… But will you…  Just please…  Just be mine?” he asked, opening the small box in his hands, offering the platinum ring sitting in the middle of black velvet.

“We are finally getting married,” her daughter said excitedly with complete joy for she had not realized her father’s brooding silence as she was drowning in her own happiness.

“Marry huh…” a sad and bitter smile curled on his lips.

“I can’t… You know we can’t…” gently he closed the box with his trembling hands, even if it meant rejecting the man he loved.

“Dad… Are you okay…? You don’t look too happy…” carefully she asked, nervously biting her bottom lip after finally catching the look of sadness in her father’s eyes.

“Ah? No… Of course I’m happy for you love, congratulations,” he forced a brighter smile and stood up to embrace her daughter in a tight hug—and he was genuinely happy for her... But he couldn’t help to be reminded of what he had missed, even after all these years.

“Thank you daddy, I’m going to get a vase for the flowers now,” she beamed at