Grieving My Father: Walk Alone or Reconnect After 15 Years?

I need advice about something very personal. My father died of cancer 15 years ago when I was a young teenager. During the last year of his life, he had a very close friend. I’ll call him Steve. Steve helped take care of him. I became close to Steve and his wife. I felt safe around them. I knew how much Steve loved and supported my dad.

After my father passed away, I never heard from him again. I was only a teen at the time. He also did not care for my mother very much. My parents were going through a nasty divorce. Later, Steve moved across the country. He had always talked about retiring there. Out of respect for my father, my mother won't walk me down the aisle. I love her, but she's not the right person who should walk me down. I recently found Steve’s contact information after some searching online. I am torn about whether to reach out.

Part of me wants to reconnect. I want to thank him for being there for my dad. I also want to thank him for being there for me. Another part of me worries about putting him in an uncomfortable position. I do not want him to feel obligated to walk me down the aisle. I do not want to disrupt his life after all these years. If I do not reach out, I will walk alone. I am at peace with that. I just do not know if I will regret staying silent. What would you do?