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Chapter forty-seven

Hudson

“Thank you, sir. Enjoy your food.” I accept the tip and walk back to my car. I took more jobs today than normal, and some of them are a bit farther than I’d usually travel, but it means more money, and that’s something I need. Babies are expensive and so is life. I know Daphne’s dad said he’d help us, and I’m grateful, but I also want to provide for them myself too. We’ll manage for a year, then I’ll get signed, and we can plan for bigger and better things together.

My phone buzzes through the car speakers, and I press the button to answer. “Hello?”

“Hudson?” Jay says, his voice urgent, and everything inside me tenses.

“Jay? What’s wrong? Is something wrong? You sound like something’s wrong,” I rush out, unable to keep myself in check. If something happened, I need to know.

“Don’t panic, but Daphne is at the hospital.”

The world stops. The seatbelt suddenly crushes my chest. “Daphne?” I whisper, my voice strained. “Oh god, the baby.”

I’m clinging to the wheel like it’s the only thing holding me together.

Jay’s sigh rattles down the line. “I’m sorry, man. She’s okay, but she passed out. You should get here. I’m still with her.”

A sob makes its way out of my mouth before I can stop it. “Jay, the baby…”

“Is okay, I swear,” Jay says firmly. “She’s awake now and comfortable, but she needs you here safely, okay?”

I choke on a breath, my vision blurring as tears burn down my cheeks. “Okay,” I manage, wiping them with my sleeve. “I’m just out of town, thirty minutes tops.”

“Good,” he says. “Be careful. I’ve got them, okay? I won’t leave.”

I nod, but he can’t see me. “Thank you.”

Then I throw the car into gear and hit the gas because my family needs me.

***

The automatic doors slide open with that sterile swoosh, and I’m hit with the sharp smell of antiseptic…again. Fluorescent lights buzz overhead, and the faint hospital noises around me feel like I’m walking into a twilight zone. Nurses’ shoes squeaking against the polished floors, distant beeps of monitors. Jesus, this is like a bad dream.

My gut twists as I approach the front desk.

“Can I help you?” the receptionist asks, barely glancing up from her computer.

“Uh, yeah,” I say, leaning on the counter, trying to catch my breath. “I’m here for my girlfriend. She came here earlier today. She’s pregnant. I’m the dad.”

“Name?”

“Daphne James.”

The receptionist’s fingers hover over her keyboard as she types Daphne’s name into the system. My heart pounds like a drum, echoing in my ears.

“Room 314,” she says, looking up at me briefly. “Take the elevators to the third floor and follow the signs to the maternity ward.”

Maternity ward. That’s where she is. The words make my stomach clench. I mumble a quick “thanks” and take off toward the elevators.

When I finally step inside the elevator, I stab at the button for the third floor. The doors slide shut, and the silence in the confined space wraps around me, magnifying the roar of my thoughts. Everything is okay. Everything is okay. I repeat the mantra in my head.

The elevator dings, breaking my spiral. As I step out into the third floor, my sneakers squeak on the linoleum, and I glance around for the right room.

I spot Jay leaning against the wall outside one of the doors. His head snaps up when he sees me, and his shoulders sag with relief.

“How is she?” I ask, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

Jay pushes off the wall and shoves his hands into his pockets. “She’s…okay. The doctors are still running some tests. You should go in.”

My chest loosens just a fraction, and I nod. Jay steps aside, but I catch his wrist. “Thank you, man.”

“Of course.” He nods, and I move toward the door, pushing it open.

Daphne is lying in the hospital bed, her face pale against the stark white pillow. Even like this, she looks beautiful, though there’s a fragility about her that makes my throat tighten. Dr. Carter is sitting right next to her, but I’m focused entirely on my girl.

“Hudson,” Daphne whispers, her voice hoarse but warm, like the sun breaking through a storm.

I’m by her side in two long strides, taking her hand in mine. “Hey, baby. I’m here.”

***

Dr. Carter applies the gel to Daphne’s stomach. “Okay,” the nurse says, her tone warm and reassuring as she pulls on a pair of gloves. “Let’s take a look and see how everything’s going.”

My stomach sinks like a house for bricks as I watch the screen blip to life. Every second seems like a lifetime. “Now, just relax.”

Relax. The word feels foreign, and I know Daphne feels it too, by the way her hand squeezes mine. I swallow the wedge in my throat.

The transducer glides over her belly, and then suddenly—

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.

“There’s the heartbeat,” she says. “Nice and strong.”

The sound slams into me, breaking something open in my chest. We both exhale long and deep. Tears spill over Daphne’s dark lashes and I swipe them away for her, fighting my own.

“You hear that?” I ask her. “Baby’s fine.”

She smiles through her tears. “Yeah.”

Dr. Carter’s eyes flick to the screen, then back to us. “Everything’s okay,” she says, her voice calm but careful. “Baby looks perfect. But…”

My heart drops for another time today.

“But what?” I press, my voice a little sharper than I mean.

She adjusts the angle, pointing at the grainy image. “Daphne, you have something called placenta previa. It means your placenta is lying low in your uterus, covering or partially covering the cervix.”

I feel Daphne stiffen beside me, her fingers going ice cold in mine. “What… what does that mean?” she whispers.

Dr. Carter’s voice stays even. “It’s not uncommon, especially at this stage. In many cases, the placenta moves up on its own as the uterus grows. But right now, it means there’s a higher risk of bleeding, especially in the third trimester.”

“So what does that mean going forward?” I ask, hoping that I get more answers in English and not just fancy medical terms. I’m a smart guy, but I have limits.

“It means that we’re going to keep a close eye on Daphne and baby. There’s a really good chance this will correct itself,” Dr Carter says. “But her blood pressure was low, and she was dehydrated today. It might be a fluke, but we don’t like to take chances. This is your body telling you to take it easy.”

“And if I feel dizzy again?” Daphne asks, chewing her lip.

“You should call me straight away. Same for any spotting or reduced movements, but I think as long as you rest and take it easy and we monitor you, everything will be fine.”

The way she says it with such certainty has me relaxing ever-so-slightly. Okay, everything is going to be fine. I have to believe that, or I might lose it completely, and Daphne needs me right now. “Thank you, Dr. Carter.”

She stands with a smile and leaves the room.

I blow out a big breath.

Daphne is staring off at nothing, her eyes unfocused. It’s like she’s here, but not really.

I reach out, letting my fingers trail along her cheek, brushing away the dampness left behind from her tears. My thumb lingers against her skin, and her eyes finally meet mine. “Hey.”

Her attention flickers to me, and she manages a small smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

Her eyes fill with tears, and I’m on her in a second, sitting on the side of the bed, pulling her into my chest. “Shh, don’t cry, baby. It’s all going to be okay.”

I hold her as she cries. Her tears soak into my shirt, each one cutting into me Seeing her break like this makes me feel like the ground’s been ripped out from under me.

“I hate this,” she whispers, her voice muffled against my chest. “I hate feeling like this. Like I’m...helpless.”

“You’re not helpless,” I murmur, stroking her hair. “You’re just dealing with a lot right now.”

She pulls back slightly, her red-rimmed eyes searching mine. “But what if something happens? What if I can’t...” Her voice cracks, and she presses her lips together, like saying it out loud would make it real.

Cupping her face, I tilt her chin up so she has to look at me. “Stop. Don’t go there, Daph. The doctor said it’s going to be okay, and I trust her. But even if it wasn’t, you and me? We’d figure it out. I’ll carry you through this if I have to.”

Her bottom lip trembles, and she nods, sniffling. “I just... I didn’t think I’d feel this way so fast.” She looks down at her belly, her voice barely above a whisper. “About the baby. About you. It’s like somewhere along the way, you became my person. And this baby… I didn’t think I’d get attached so soon, but I have. The thought of not having either of you...it’s unbearable.”

Her words settle over me, carving themselves into a part of me I didn’t know existed. She doesn’t realize it, but she’s describing exactly how I feel too. Somewhere along the way, she became the center of my world. It’s not something I planned or even saw coming, but now it’s as certain as the air I’m breathing. They’re both mine.

“You’re not going to lose us,” I finally say, my voice thick. “Not me, not the baby. I promise you, Daph. We’re in this for the long haul. You and this baby... you’re my whole world now.”

A tear spills over, and she leans into my hand. “I’m so scared, Hudson.”

“I know,” I say. “But I’ve got you both.”