Page 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

HUDSON

I’m exhausted, but I’m awake before my alarm the next morning. I don’t remember the last time I was this excited to be up at the crack of dawn, and I practically sprint down the hall. When I make it to the living room, Lucy is on her hands and knees in front of the tree, scouring the presents. She signs something to Madeline, then gives me a big smile and a wave.

“ That’s how you sign Merry Christmas ,” Madeline tells me, and she repeats the hand movements Lucy made. “ I’m not sure if you’ll use it again, but now you have it .”

I hope I have a reason to use it again, so I mimic what Lucy just showed me. I’m not sure I’m doing it right. I’m not nearly as fluid as they are, but Madeline doesn’t correct me.

I take that as a win.

“Did I miss anything?” I ask.

“ We’re about to start the presents ,” she says, signing at the same time. I’ll never not be in awe of her ability to hold a conversation two different ways. “ We’re going to do half of the presents now , then the other half after breakfast so no one gets cranky .”

“Uh oh. Is this based on past experience?”

Madeline grins. “Unfortunately. I’ll do anything to avoid a meltdown, and that includes taking a twenty-minute break for eggs and bacon.”

“I like this plan. Do you want some coffee?” I ask. “If you’re as tired as I am, it might help wake you up before we dive in.”

“Do you mind? I can hold her off for five minutes so we can be revived.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Could you make mine with a?—”

“Splash of milk and a little bit of sugar.” I smile at her. “I remember, knife girl.”

“You do?”

“I told you I notice things. Your coffee order is one of them.”

Madeline blinks, holding a couch pillow close to her chest. “Thank you.”

I make quick work with the coffees, and by the time I get back to the living room, Lucy is buzzing with energy. I hand over the coffee to Madeline and knock my mug against hers as I take a spot on the couch.

Lucy’s patience runs out seconds later, and she drags the largest present to the center of the room. She opens the first gift, and it’s a new bike, bright pink with sparkles on the spokes and ribbons hanging from the handlebars. She rides it down the hall, giggling when Gus and Millie chase after her.

“Genius idea,” I say to Madeline. “Now I don’t have to take them on eight walks a day. Give them an hour with her, and they’ll be wiped out.”

“It goes both ways. Twenty minutes of playing with them, and she’s exhausted. I’m glad they’re not going to daycare as much these days. It makes putting her to bed way easier.”

The rest of the gifts follow. Lucy gets some school clothes, a new backpack, and a Barbie doll. Santa brought her a board game and a puzzle, and soon the floor is covered in wrapping paper and bows. The dogs are having a field day with the discarded boxes, ripping them to shreds and littering the rug with chewed up cardboard.

“Holy shit.” Madeline laughs and shoves a red and green plaid bow into a trash bag while Lucy checks out her new pencil case. “It’s like a tornado went through here.”

“Don’t worry about it. I like it.” I toss Gus a ball of rolled up paper, and he fetches it. “Besides. I have gifts for each of you.”

“What?” She looks up from where she’s sitting on the floor and narrows her eyes. “You do?”

“Yeah. Can you have Lucy check the back side of the tree?”

Madeline wraps her arms around Lucy’s middle and kisses her cheek. “ I think there’s a surprise hiding for you under the tree from Hudson. Can you find it? ” she asks, and Lucy sorts through the remaining gifts.

When she finds the two bags I snuck out here after everyone went to sleep, she nudges the smaller one to Madeline and keeps the larger one for herself.

“I hope you like them,” I say.

“ You first , baby ,” Madeline tells Lucy, and tissue paper is already flying in the air. Lucy digs through the bag and pulls out the first gift. Her eyes go wide when she sees the two stuffed animal dogs that resemble Gus and Millie. “ Oh , how cute . It’s the doggies , Lucy .”

Lucy runs over to the dogs with her gift. She holds up the stuffed versions of them next to their heads and laughs. She looks at me while she signs, and Madeline interprets as she says, “ Thank you, Hudson .”

“You’re welcome,” I say back. “There’s one more thing in there.”

“ Check the bag again , sweetheart ,” Madeline says, and Lucy pulls out an Etch A Sketch. “ That’s fun . Why don’t you give it to Hudson so he can show you how it works? ”

Lucy walks toward me and jumps on the couch. With her head on my arm and the side of her body pressed against mine, she hands over the toy and watches with wonder as I write out her name with the knobs.

“It’s another way for us to communicate,” I say, and Madeline interprets for me again. “Or to draw pictures.”

Lucy flings her arms around my neck, and I smile at the affection. I set the present down and hug her back, running my hand through her hair and squeezing her tight.

“Thank you for her gifts,” Madeline says, and when I look at her, she’s wiping a thumb under her eye.“They’re such thoughtful presents, and this means so much to me. To her. Thank you for thinking of her.”

“Open yours next.”

Madeline reaches into her bag. A cackle escapes her when she pulls out the gift inside. “You’re not serious.”

“Dead serious. Comic Sans and everything,” I say, and she holds up the plain white T-shirt I had printed earlier this week. Fuck Fark is written across the chest, and she covers the curse word so Lucy doesn’t see. “Probably shouldn’t wear it out in public, but if you feel like breaking plates or something, I think it’ll be perfect.”

“This is…” She lets out another laugh and fans her face. “I want to frame it.”

“We can do that. We’ll put it in the foyer so everyone can see it. Forget my jerseys. This will be a great conversation starter.”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever gotten something so funny. You’re a good gift giver, Hudson Hayes.”

“I’m glad you like it. All jokes aside, I was going to buy you some new cookware because I know mine is shit, but I don’t know what the hell the best brand is. The internet is extremely divided over colors and sizes and that sort of thing, so I’m leaving it to you. There’s a five-thousand-dollar VISA gift card at the bottom of the bag, so pick what you want.”

“That’s too?—”

“It’s not.” I smile at Lucy, and she sticks her tongue out at me. “And no givebacks allowed.”

“Fine.” Madeline folds her shirt and tucks it safely back in the bag. “ Luce . Do you want to give Hudson his present now ?”

She jumps off the couch and races down the hall with the dogs right behind her. When I look at Madeline, there’s a twinkle in her eye.

“You got me a present?”

“Lucy did. She’s been working on it for two weeks and is so excited to give it to you. It’s nothing big, but if you could pretend it’s the coolest thing in the world, I’d be so grateful.”

“I’m sure I’m going to love it,” I say, and ten feet charge toward us. Lucy jumps in my lap and hands over a large envelope. I open it, finding a dozen papers inside. “What?—”

“They’re drawings. Of you and her and the dogs. Of you and me at the stove while she watches us make dinner. Of you playing hockey,” Madeline explains as I flip through the pages, and my chest feels impossibly tight.

My throat closes up, my eyes blur with tears. A drop of water falls on the corner of the paper and makes the marker bleed. Lucy touches my cheek and tilts my head to look at her. She starts to sign, and I keep my eyes on her.

“ She wants you to know how much she loves being here. How much she loves the dogs and how much fun she has when you’re around ,” Madeline tells me, acting as my interpreter.

“This…” I shake my head. Words are difficult to find. Impossible, really. There’s a picture of the dogs at the rink and me in stick figure form, and my nose stings. I bring my right hand to my chin with an open palm facing me, and I move it slightly forward toward Lucy. “ Thank you ,” I sign, using one of the only phrases I have memorized.

Lucy lights up. She throws her arms around me again, and her hug is the best feeling in the world. When I look at Madeline, I see her fighting back her own tears.

“I don’t know how long y’all plan to stay, but my home is your home for as long as you’d like it to be. For another year. For five more years,” I say. “You’re both welcome here. If this is what Christmas looks like from now on, I can’t wait to have a whole condo covered in Lucy’s drawings next year.”

“Best Christmas ever,” Madeline whispers.“Nothing’s going to top this.”

“Without a fucking doubt,” I agree.