Page 10

TEN

MADELINE

Hudson

Hey, I’m here. I left the dogs at home. Didn’t want to create too much chaos.

I’m sitting on a bench under a tree.

Me

We’ll be there in just a second. Sorry to make you wait! We accidentally went the wrong way on the Metro and it took me three stops to realize my mistake.

Hudson

Happens to the best of us. At least you didn’t end up in Shady Grove. I did that once after a night out with my teammates. Never again.

Me

I don’t think I’d be able to find that on a map.

Hudson

I definitely can’t, and I’ve lived here for years.

Is this the way to the frozen yogurt shop? Lucy asks as we walk down the sidewalk.

It is . And remember how I said we’re meeting someone special today?

You said I’m going to know who he is! Is it Elmo ?

I laugh and pull her close to my hip. It’s not Elmo , but I think you’ll like him .

Who could be better than Elmo?

I didn’t say he was better , I tease, and she giggles. We’re going to meet him at the park then walk to get ice cream .

Okay. It’s warm today, and I have on my boots. She lifts her leg and shows off the rain boots she demanded to wear to school this morning even though there’s not a raindrop in sight. We can walk as far as we need to.

We make our way into the park through an iron gate, and I spot Hudson right away. He’s scrolling on his phone, and when he looks up and our eyes meet, he grins. He gives me a wave and flips his hat backward before walking toward us.

Jesus Christ .

Shit like that should be illegal for men to do in public.

His gray joggers hug his thighs and his plain white T-shirt stretches across his chest. He slips his phone in his pocket, smile never wavering.

Do you know who that is? I ask Lucy, and she covers her mouth with a hand before answering me.

He plays hockey! What is he doing here? Are we going to play hockey?

No hockey today, sweetheart. Remember how I told you I was starting a new job? I’m working for Hudson , and he offered to let us live in his apartment .

Wow . Lucy stares at Hudson, and she giggles. He’s famous!

He is famous, I agree. Should we say hi?

Duh . We have to!

“There y’all are. Glad to see the Metro didn’t defeat you.” Hudson stops a few feet away from us. He squats and smiles at Lucy. “Is it okay if I say hi? Except… I’m realizing I don’t know any sign language. Fuck . Could you—is it rude to ask you to say hello for me? I’m sorry. I should’ve thought about this ahead of time.”

“It’s not rude at all.” I stroke Lucy’s hair and bend down to her level. She’s staring at Hudson like he’s the coolest thing she’s ever seen, and it’s hard to break her attention away from him. “ This is Hudson ,” I tell her, making sure to speak at the same time so he can understand. “ He doesn’t know sign language, but he wants to say hi .”

Hudson waves, and my daughter lights up. She giggles and waves back.

He looks just like he does on TV.

“ She says you look like you do on TV ,” I explain. “ She watches the Stars games while I cook dinner .”

“I’m flattered.” He reaches in his pocket and hands Lucy something. “I brought her a gift. It’s nothing big, but I figured she might like it since she’s a fan.”

What is it, Mommy? Lucy asks.

“ It’s a trading card ,” I say and sign. “ And it looks like… Wow, baby . It’s signed by all the boys who play on the Stars .”

I’m going to be the most popular person at school! Thank you… She frowns and looks at me. How do you spell his name again?

“ H-U-D-S-O-N ,” I say, going slow so she can learn it.

H-u-d-s-o-n , she signs, and I kiss the top of her head.

“Thank you so much,” I say when she examines the card, not caring about us anymore.

“Happy to do it.” He stands upright and rolls his shoulders back. “The frozen yogurt shop is around the corner. I thought we could get our bowls then hang out here. It’s nice enough to sit outside.”

“Lead the way, hockey guy.”

It takes us forever to make it back to the park. Lucy loaded up her cup of yogurt with eight different toppings, and Hudson and I had a disagreement at the register over who was paying before he tapped his phone against the card reader and told me better luck next time .

He stopped to sign an autograph for a young fan who held up a napkin and a pen, and thirty minutes later, we finally get comfortable on a wood bench beneath a large oak tree. Lucy sits in the grass, content and happy with ice cream on her face, and I sigh up at the late afternoon sunshine.

I scoop out a bite of my vanilla ice cream and eat it. “I can’t wait for her to meet your dogs.”

“They’re going to go crazy. I’ll do my best to keep them under control.” Hudson looks at Lucy and smiles. “Was it difficult to learn sign language?”

“It was. I still get tripped up on words from time to time. When she was younger, we did a lot of flashcards and picture books. I relied on resources people in the Deaf community sent my way, but it’s a curve. I can’t do it all. I’m so grateful she gets to go to a school that has students and teachers who communicate like her.”

“I want to ask a question, but I’m not sure if it’s insensitive. She’s the first deaf person I’ve met, and the internet only gave me so many answers.”

“I’ll tell you if something is offensive,” I say, but no part of me believes he’d ever make an inappropriate comment. “You can ask anything you want. We’re going to be living with you, and I want you to feel comfortable.”

“I’d never not feel comfortable with her around.” His eyes flick to me before bouncing back to my daughter. There’s softness there. A hint of tenderness no man has ever shown her. “Was Lucy born deaf? Or did it happen over time?”

“She was born deaf.” I eat another bite of my yogurt and shiver. “She failed her newborn hearing test a few hours after her birth, and she failed it a second time. An audiologist confirmed her hearing loss, so it’s all she’s ever known.”

“When you’re talking with her, you only sign. When I’m around, you sign and speak,” he says, and I like that he’s curious. “Why?”

“It’s called SimCom, which is short for simultaneous communication. It’s to make sure Lucy is an participant in the conversation even though she can’t hear. The last thing I want is for her to feel excluded. When I’m with her or other people who understand sign language, like my parents, Piper, or Lucy’s teachers, I won’t speak. When there are people around who don’t know sign language, I’ll do both so she’s a part of what’s happening around her.”

“Noted.” Hudson nods and tosses his empty cup in the trash can. “Was Lucy’s dad deaf?”

“Nope. No one in either of our families is deaf.”

“Is he still in the picture at all? Your ex?”

“He’s not.”

“Okay.” Hudson nods again, and I prepare myself for the next round of questions. The ones where he asks what happened? Where did things go wrong? How could I ever leave a man who seemed to love me so much? But they never come. “Got it.”

“You’re not going to ask me about my ex?”

He turns to look at me. “Do you want me to ask about your ex?”

“Everyone else does.”

“If you wanted to tell me, you would tell me. People are allowed to keep things inside without sharing them with the world.”

“Do you do that?” I ask. “Keep things inside?”

“Sometimes. There’s a lot I don’t want the world to know.”

“That must be hard with your job. Don’t you have a microphone in your face after every game?”

“I’ve gotten good at deflecting.” He leans back against the bench. When Lucy glances at him curiously, he sticks out his tongue, and she dissolves into a fit of giggles. “I have morning skate tomorrow, then I’m doing a PT session with Lexi in the afternoon. Y’all can come by the apartment whenever you want and move your stuff in. I’m happy to help with bags too.”

“I’m planning on dropping her off at school then swinging by.” I nod at his leg. “How is your hamstring?”

“It’s all right. I’m surviving.” He smiles again. I swear this man is always smiling. A sunshine boy who’s never sad. “Lexi has magic hands.”

“That’s a cool party trick.”

Mommy? Lucy taps my knee. Can I have my Barbies? I dig in my bag for her dolls and hand them over. Thank you!

I finish my ice cream and lean forward on the bench so I can grab Lucy’s empty bowl. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Nope. I’m an only child. I wanted a sibling when I was growing up, but now I have two dozen teammates who are my brothers. They’re more than enough.”

“Are you all close?”

“Yeah.” His smile shifts to wistful. “They’re my best friends. I’ve called them in the middle of the night and they’ve answered. We celebrate birthdays and holidays with each other. When someone is going through a breakup, we’ll all sit on the couch and eat pints of ice cream together.” I laugh, and he accidentally nudges my knee with his. “I’m serious. I’d walk through a fire for them, and they’d do the same for me.”

“That’s sweet. I never knew if you all were people who happened to be on the same sports team, or if you actually got along.”

“We get along. When Emmy played on the Stars, I got in the first fight of my career when I found out what her ex said about her. I decked the asshole in the face, and I’ve never been more proud.”

“I wouldn’t peg you for a violent guy.”

“I’m not. But if you mess with someone who’s important to me…” Hudson trails off and shrugs. “We’re going to have a problem.”

“You’re protective.” I hum. “That’s a good trait to have.”

“That’s what I’m told.” His gaze cuts over to me. “I can’t believe how much Lucy looks like you.”

“She does, doesn’t she? My brown eyes. My dark hair. Her smile is mine, too.”

“I noticed. What’s it like to have a miniature version of yourself running around?”

“Slightly terrifying, but also my greatest accomplishment. I’m proud of a lot of things in my life, but Lucy takes the top spot.”

“I can see why.”

Mommy . Lucy climbs in my lap and rests her cheek against my chest. Can you ask him what his favorite color is?

“ Lucy would like to know your favorite color ,” I tell him.

He rubs his beard and taps his cheek. He pretends to be deep in thought, then he points at the grass. “Green,” he says, and I pass that along to Lucy.

That’s my favorite too! Will you ask him if we can be friends?

“ Lucy would like to know if you want to be her friend ,” I say to him, and the smile he gives me is his biggest one yet.

“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “I’d be honored.”

“ He says yes .” I kiss Lucy’s forehead, and she giggles. “ And he’s very excited about it .”

We spend another twenty minutes sitting together. I pass along Lucy’s questions to Hudson then answer for him. She yawns and rubs her eyes, and I know she’s getting tired. It’s been a long few days, and the last thing I want is for her to get burnt out.

“Do y’all want a ride back to Piper’s?” Hudson asks when Lucy closes her eyes.

“Thanks, but she needs a booster seat in the car. We’re okay with the Metro.” I push off the bench and hold her against my hip. She’s getting so big, but I love holding her. “I’ll be by late tomorrow morning, and we can get this rolling.”

“Big week in the Hayes’ household,” he says. “New roommates. Good food. I’m excited.”

“You are?” I ask.

“Yeah. I could use some fun in my life, and I can tell y’all are going to be great additions to the roster.”

“We’re excited too.” I give him a wave. “I’ll see you soon.”

Hudson stands and looks down at us, that smile still on his face. “Looking forward to it, knife girl.”