#19: Appendix

Joe never thought of what it meant to marrying into Estelle's family. He'd just assumed he was marrying her, the love of his life. Sure, there'd be Christmas and birthdays, weddings and the inevitable funeral.
Her answer, when he proposed, wasn't what he expected. They'd been scuba diving off the Fiji resort. He gently guided her down to the outer reef. As he watched her, he saw her gravitate towards something that glistened in the morning light. Joe had arranged for the diamond ring to be left on a coral with the sign reading "Estelle, will you marry Joe."
Through the mask, he saw her eyes light up. She gave the signal of wanting to surface. Joe followed her up, and with her mask off, Estelle said he'd need to ask her father. There'd been no discussion of needing to ask permission.
That night, Joe offered to call her father, to ask permission. No, it needed to be done in person. Joe begged her to tell her what her answer will be after he gained her father's permission.
Estelle woke Joe up early to say she's booked their flight and they need to leave. He protested they still had ten days left. No, they needed to go now and ask her father.
As the plane took off, Joe proposed they catch the first flight back, so they can have the last week lying on a beach.
Estelle patted his arm and told him they'll come back as soon as he was feeling up for it.
He should have guessed at her meaning.
Her father, dark rings around his tired eyes, smiled when Joe asked for his youngest daughter's hand.
"You can have her hand once I have your appendix."
Joe thought he was joking, or at worst, wanted to see his penis. He assured his future father-in-law he'd had his appendix taken out when he was a boy.
"Don't worry, we check."
Joe felt a damp cloth suffocate him before he passed out.