Page 44

Chapter forty-three

Daphne

15-16 weeks

The house smells like cinnamon and pine when I walk through the door, the familiar scent wrapping around me like a hug. Christmas music hums faintly in the background, blending with the clatter of pots and pans from the kitchen. For a second, I close my eyes and let it sink in. I’ve missed this place.

Hudson suggested I come home for Christmas break. He thinks it’ll help my dad and me smooth things out. I hope he’s right.

“Daphne!” Mom calls from the kitchen. “Is that you?”

“It’s me!” I shout back, kicking off my boots by the door. My bag slips from my shoulder, landing with a thud on the floor. I’m exhausted, but the sight of twinkling lights strung up around the staircase makes it worth it.

“About time,” a voice says, and my head snaps up so fast my neck protests.

Standing in the archway to the living room, arms crossed and grinning like he’s been waiting all day to surprise me, is Finn.

“What the hell?” I blurt, my mouth dropping open. “You’re supposed to be in Australia!”

He shrugs, the grin widening. “Decided to come home for Christmas. Thought I’d give the waves a break and check in on my little sister.”

I stare at him for a second, still processing the fact that he’s here.

“Get over here, you idiot,” I say finally, throwing my arms around his neck.

He laughs, lifting me slightly off the ground as he hugs me back. “Missed you, Daph.”

“I can’t believe you’re here. I need to know everything you’ve been up to,” I say, stepping back to look at him. He’s tanned, his hair bleached from the sun, and there’s a new ease in the way he holds himself. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Wanted to surprise you,” he says with a wink. “Looks like it worked.”

“Understatement of the year,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Seriously, though. How was Australia? You’ve been crushing it, right? I love all the pictures you send me.”

He leans against the doorframe, looking every bit the relaxed surfer he is. “It’s been amazing. But I wanted to see you and Mom and Dad, obviously. Figured it’d be nice to spend some time together before I head back for the next round.”

I roll my eyes, still grinning. “Well, you’ve been missed. And Mom must’ve been thrilled when you showed up.”

“She cried,” he says, smirking. “Not that I’m bragging or anything.”

“Of course not,” I reply dryly. “You’d never do that.”

His gaze drops to my belly then, and his grin softens into something more thoughtful. “Speaking of missed… I think I missed a lot, huh?”

My smile falters slightly, and I glance down, resting a hand on the small curve of my stomach. “Yeah, I guess you did.”

Finn steps closer, his hand hesitating for a second before he gestures toward my belly. “Can I…?”

Nodding, a lump forms in my throat as I guide his hand to rest lightly over the bump. His palm is warm, and for a moment, we just stand there in silence.

“Daph,” he says finally, his voice lower, almost reverent. “You’re gonna be a mom.”

The tears I’ve been holding back threaten to spill over, but I blink them away quickly. “I am.”

“The kid’s already luckier than most. They’ve got you for a mom, and me for the cool uncle.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Don’t forget Hudson.”

Finn’s grin widens. “Yeah, I’ve gotta meet this guy who thinks he’s worthy of you.”

“He’s more than worthy,” I say, my chest swelling. “You’ll love him.”

“You’d better be right.” His tone is teasing, but his eyes are serious. “Because if he’s not everything you say he is…”

“He is,” I interrupt, smiling. “Trust me.”

“Good,” Finn says, stepping back and letting his hand fall to his side. “Then I’ll focus on being the fun uncle. We’re talking surf lessons by the time they can walk.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I say, laughing.

Before he can respond, Mom appears in the hallway, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Daphne, sweetheart!” She pulls me right into a warm hug. “It’s so good to have you home.”

“It’s good to be home, Mom,” I say, leaning into her embrace. That cinnamon smell envelops me from her hug, and I realize she’s probably baking.

As she pulls back, her gaze drops to my belly. “You look wonderful. How are you feeling? And Hudson? Is everything okay?”

“We’re good,” I say quickly, brushing my hair behind my ear. “Everything’s good.”

We walk into the kitchen, where she busies herself again, and I spot the baby scan photo printed and stuck on the fridge. A ball of emotion wedges itself in between my ribs at the sight. “Your dad’s in his office. He’ll want to see you.”

I glance at Finn, who gives me an encouraging smile. “You’ve got this,” he says. “And if he says something dumb, just yell for backup.”

Chuckling, my nerves settle just a little. “Thanks, Finn.”

“Anytime, Daph,” he says with a loving grin. “Go knock some sense into him.”

***

Spoiler alert: I chickened out and waited to talk to dad for another hour. In my defense, I was enjoying watching Mom bake cookies, and then sampling them, of course. But now, there’re no other distractions.

The door to Dad’s office is closed, and I pause for a second, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I knock lightly.

“Come in,” he calls, his voice steady.

I push the door open to find him sitting at his desk, a stack of papers in front of him. When his gaze lifts, his expression is unreadable. Then he stands, his features softening slightly.

“Daphne,” he says, stepping around the desk. “You’re here.”

“Hi, Dad,” I say, shifting awkwardly in the doorway.

“Come in.” He gestures to the chair across from his desk. “Sit.”

I nod, then take the seat, resting my hands on my lap and fidgeting. He sits back down, and for a moment, the room is filled with the sound of the heater humming softly in the corner.

“You look good,” he says finally, his gaze flicking to my belly. “How’s everything?”

“It’s…fine.” I choose my words carefully. “School’s a lot, but I’m managing. I’ve got a segment on the CLUSports social media team and it’s doing really well so far.”

“That’s amazing. I saw your video with Sophie Morres. I had no idea she was a mom…” he drifts off, realizing there’s very much an elephant lurking in the room still.

“Hudson has been amazing too,” I add, because I’m in the mood to shrink that elephant. “Because I’m sure you’re wondering, right? He’s been everything I’ve needed. Supportive. Thoughtful. Present, ” I say with a bite.

He nods slowly. “Good. He’s been playing well. I’m glad he’s stepping up.”

My jaw clenches at his choice of words. Stepping up. Like this is just some obligation Hudson’s filling. Not our lives. “Have you spoken to him much?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

Dad rubs his five o’clock shadow, wincing. “We’ve talked a bit, yeah.”

A flicker of heat snaps inside me. “And what does that mean?” I press. “That you’re being cold to him? Ignoring him? Making him feel like he’s constantly got something to prove?”

His mouth thins.

But I barrel forward, the hurt bubbling over, breaking the dam I’ve been holding together for too long. “From where I’m sitting, Hudson has been there for me a hell of a lot more than you have.”

The silence between us is biting, so again, I continue on.

“You’ve barely spoken to me since that night outside the stadium.” My voice cracks. “And it seemed like you couldn’t get away fast enough, you took that call over talking to me. You haven’t asked about school until today. You have no idea how I’m coping, yet some of the last words you said to me were how you are worried about me, my future.” My throat tightens painfully, but I force the words through. “And do you know what hurts the most? It’s not your lack of communication. It’s the fact that I believed you’d still show up for me. And you didn’t.”

His mouth parts, but I shake my head before he talks.

“I get it,” I say with a sob. “I messed up your plans for me. I didn’t do things in the perfect order. But you’re my dad, and I needed you. I still need you. And you—” Tears burn my eyes as I take a breath. “You disappeared.”

My heart pounds so loudly I can hear it in my ears. I wipe at my cheeks, hating that I’m crying, but I can’t stop.

He rakes a hand through his light hair, and his chair scrapes as he pushes back from the desk. “I’m so sorry, Daphne.” His voice trembles, and his eyes shine in a way I haven’t seen before.

“When you told me, I didn’t know how to handle it. I was angry and scared, and I couldn’t fix this one thing for you.” I stare at him, pulse racing. “I’ve always been able to fix your problems. Band aids and broken hearts before, but this?”

His hands fall to his desk, gripping the edge. “You’re my daughter. My baby. And suddenly, your whole world changed and I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t—” Releasing a breath, his voice breaks again. “I’ve been a damn coward, I know that. I didn’t want my fear weighing you down, but that’s…” He swallows hard. “My biggest regret.”

My chest aches. “I didn’t need you to fix anything,” I whisper. “I just needed you with me.”

He pushes away from his desk, rounding the side and pulling me into his embrace. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” His hold is strong, familiar, and so like my dad that I break all over again. With relief, with pride, with every ounce of strength it’s taken for me to grow up and find myself.

I cry for the moments I felt lost. The moments Hudson saw me when I couldn’t see myself.

I cry for the days I waited for my dad to call me. For every moment that I’ve wanted to share with him but couldn’t.

But most of all, I cry because I’ve learned something about myself. I’m stronger than I ever realized, and this baby, this life I’m building, is going to be the making of me.

I’m not sure how long I stay in my dad’s arms, but I know I’ve soaked his shirt with my tears. When I pull back, I pat at the wet spot, giving a weak apology.

“Daph, I need you to know that I see Hudson work hard, I see his dedication. That’s why I’ve been hard on him. Our relationship has always been push and pull.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“I wanted to see him stand up to me, not for himself, but for you…and he did.”

My heart pounds. “What did he say to you?”

His mouth twitches, almost like a smile. “What he always says when we talk…that he wasn’t going anywhere. That I could throw every test at him, every drill, every cold shoulder…and he’d still be here for you and the baby.”

My breath catches.

“And I believe him.”

Something breaks loose in my chest, warming me all over. The weight that I’ve been carrying around for weeks, finally feels lighter. I need two of the most important men in my life to truly understand each other and that feels like it might happen now. Relief floods me so intensely I almost feel dizzy. I know that Hudson is loyal and his determination is one of the things that I adore about him. But hearing Dad acknowledge it feels like another kind of validation I hadn’t dared to hope for until now. My dad isn’t perfect, but neither am I. I’ve always held myself to such impossible standards and maybe acknowledging each other’s flaws and imperfections is exactly what we both need to heal. Maybe now all the past few weeks can fade away and we can finally move forward.

He sighs lightly. “Listen, I’m still your dad. I’m always going to protect you, probably more than you’d like. But I’m going to step up, and I’m sorry I haven’t already.”

“Gonna need you to apologize to him for real, though.”

“I know. I will.” He moves back to his side of the desk, pulling something out and handing it to me. “Here’s something I got you and him. It’s not much, but I hope you’ll like it.”

I cautiously take the wrapped gift, tearing it with suspicion. When a tiny burgundy-and-white baby jersey falls from the paper, the name ‘Parker’ scrawled on the back, my heart flips over itself. “Dad…” I wobble, unable to look away from the name.

“Figured the baby should have their first jersey,” he says gruffly.

I blink, but the tears are already there, not sure they’ve ever left. “It’s perfect.”

“Think they’ll make the pros?” Dad asks as he steps back.

“If Hudson has anything to do with it, I’d say absolutely.”

There’s a beat of silence before he says, “I'm proud of you.”

I smile. “I’m proud of me too.”