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Chapter fifty-four

Hudson

“Happy Birthday,” Daphne says, reaching up to press her lips to mine.

I smile, holding her in one arm and Rosie in her car seat in the other.

“I’m sorry I derailed all our plans,” she says.

“I’m not,” I reply quickly. “This is the best birthday ever.” Playfully, I tap her butt and tell her to get in the car.

I carefully buckle Rosie’s car seat into the back, double-checking the straps and then triple-checking them for good measure. My hands linger, tugging once more to ensure everything is secure. Daphne sits in the passenger seat, watching everything I do, her hand resting on the open door.

“Do you always triple-check everything, or is this a new-dad thing?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

“New-dad thing,” I admit as I glance over my shoulder at her. “This kid is precious cargo. Can’t take any chances.”

Daphne huffs a soft laugh. I climb in and start the engine as she leans back against the seat, the diaper bag perched on her lap.

“Ready?” I ask, keeping my tone casual.

She narrows her eyes, catching something in my voice. “Where are we going? To the dorms, right?”

With a smirk, I put the truck in drive. “Just sit back and trust me.”

Her brow furrows, but she doesn’t press, just rests her head against the window as we pull out of the hospital parking lot. Rosie’s little sounds drift up from the back seat, soft and sweet, filling the quiet.

The drive is short, but I keep an eye on Daphne as we get closer. Her gaze sharpens when we pass the turn for campus, her suspicion kicking back in.

“Hudson,” she says slowly, sitting up straighter. “You missed the dorms.”

“I know,” I reply, keeping my tone light.

She turns to me, eyes narrowing. “What do you mean? Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

When we round the final corner, the apartment building comes into view. It’s nothing flashy, but it’s clean and quiet, with a little patch of green out front that makes it feel welcoming. I pull into the lot and park, turning off the engine.

Daphne sits up, her eyes fixed on the building. “What is this?” she asks, sounding more curious than anything.

I grab the keys from my pocket, stepping out of the car. “Come on. You’ll see.”

She hesitates for a second, but climbs out, grabbing the diaper bag. I take Rosie’s car seat from the back and fall into step beside her as we head up the walkway.

When we stop in front of the door, I turn to her, grinning. “You ready?”

“For what?” She looks up at me, searching my eyes.

“For home,” I say simply, then unlock the door and push it open.

She steps inside, then freezes. I set Rosie’s car seat down gently and watch as Daphne takes it all in. The small but cozy living room, with a couch that arrived just this morning. The clean little kitchen with a few appliances but we don’t need much. Across the hall, the nursery door is cracked open with light spilling out. Her steps are slow, like she’s afraid to touch anything. When she finally turns to me, her eyes are glassy.

“Hudson,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. “What is this? Where are we?”

“Our apartment,” I say, leaning against the doorframe with my hands in my pockets. “Your parents helped me set it up. I thought you and Rosie deserved better than a dorm. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere real. And your dad offered to help us for a year, until I get a contract.”

Her eyes dart around the room, unable to focus on one thing. “You—this—how?”

“Had some help,” I admit with a shrug. “Your dad knows a guy who can get shit done within two days, which is great timing. And Liv’s been blowing up my phone about coming to see Rosie since your baby shower was delayed, so she might’ve thrown in some ideas too. She and some of the guys are coming tomorrow, by the way. Hope that’s okay.”

Daphne lets out a shaky laugh, covering her mouth with one hand. “Okay? Hudson, this is… This is perfect. I don’t even know what to say.”

Crossing the room, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. “You don’t have to say anything. Just tell me you like it.”

She presses her forehead to my chest, laughing softly. “I love it.”

I hold her tighter, breathing her in, letting the quiet of the apartment settle over us. For the first time in weeks, there’s no chaos, no noise…just us.

“Oh,” I say, holding my hand up. “There’s one more thing.”

“There’s more?” Her voice follows me as I quickly grab the two boxes from the bedroom.

Rosie starts snuffling, which means she’s hungry, and as I step back into the living room, the sight in front of me stops me in my tracks. Daphne’s curled up on the couch, cradling Rosie close as she feeds her, completely in her own world. And damn, she looks beautiful. Not just in the way that always knocks me sideways, but in a totally different way now. She’s been through so much, pushed through every obstacle, handled everything thrown at her without a second thought, and here she is, calm and steady, taking care of our daughter like she was born for this. I’m in complete awe of her.

I drop onto the couch beside her, watching the way she strokes Rosie’s tiny fingers, how peaceful she looks even with exhaustion tugging at the edges of her features.

And I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kiss her more than I do in this moment. Not because of desire, but because of who she is.

My girl. My family.

I clear my throat and slide a small box from my pocket, nudging it toward her. Then place the bigger one on the table.

Her gaze flicks up to mine.

“There’s really more?” she echoes, her voice warm with something soft as she watches me.

I nod, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck as I lean back against the couch. “Yeah,” I murmur. “Just…wanted you to have this.”

Before she can open it, Rosie starts snuffling again. Daphne huffs a little laugh, shifting to get Rosie latched again, completely unbothered by the interruption.

And I swear, I could sit here forever. Just like this. Watching the two of them.

“What is it?” she asks, undoing the ribbon.

“Open it and see.” I try to sound casual, even though my heart is pounding harder than it should be.

She manages to lift the lid, all while keeping Rosie on her. The second she sees what’s inside, her breath catches. A delicate gold rose charm, with a tiny pink gem nestled beside it.

Then she swallows, her voice thick when she finally speaks. “Hudson…”

I shift closer, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Figured you deserved something to remind you how incredible you are,” I say, my voice lower than I mean for it to be. “Took a gamble that she was a girl, and you’d go for Rosie, honestly, but it paid off.”

She blinks a few times, but it doesn’t stop the few tears falling onto her rosy cheeks. I swipe them away and hold her gaze.

“I love you,” she says quietly, her eyes shining still.

“I love you too, princess,” I say, pulling her in for a quick kiss. “You and Rosie are my family now. I’d do anything for you.”

I mean that more than anything.

“One more thing,” I say, grabbing the other gift.”

“You realize it’s your birthday, right? I should be giving you your gifts, they’re in my dorm though.” She sniffs.

I chuckle. “They’re probably in a box somewhere, because the guys have all been packing up our dorms. I’ll open this one, for now, will that make you feel better?”

She nods and I tear through the packaging that Quinn helped with, revealing my scrapbook with the words, Pieces of Us .

Inside, there’re polaroids from the last nine months, things that I’ve found from moments we’ve shared, some stickers that remind me of us, like with fries, candy, milkshakes. And of course, pink heart tape everywhere.

“Oh my god,” she sobs.

Because all the pieces, the messy, chaotic, beautiful pieces, finally make sense.

Me. Her. Rosie. They’re mine and I’m theirs. Nothing has ever felt more right.

We fit. We belong.

And I know, without a single doubt, I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure they never question that.