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“Oh my god, we’re going to Disney!”
“Jamey, Jamey, hey.” Hudson laughed, reaching out for his little arm and tugging him toward us. “Pay attention. This isn’t about Disney.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I know, bud. Just listen, okay?”
“Okay.”
“You remember all those times you asked me for a little sister or a little brother?” Hudson said softly, pulling Jamey a little bit closer until he was practically dripping ice cream into his lap. “You remember how much you begged me for a sibling?”
Nausea churned in my gut as Jamey’s eyes grew wide again, understanding slowly settling in. I wanted him to be happy more than I could even imagine; if he wasn’t, if he was upset or angry, it would fucking shatter me.
“I’m going to be a big brother?” Jamey whispered.
Hudson nodded, plucking the cone from his hand before disaster inevitably struck. “Sophie’s pregnant, bud. You’re gonna have a sibling.”
He looked between us, his little mouth open wordlessly. Please say something. Please. Anything, Jamey.
“Jamey?” Hudson chuckled.
“Oh. My. God!” Jamey shrieked, his little body finally moving. He threw his arms around mine and Hudson’s necks, burying his ice cream-covered face between us. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
The relief that flooded me was intense, washing me into shore like the waves before us. I’d felt like I was drowning, like I’d been swimming in a riptide that I couldn’t get free of, but then that… that was enough to bring me to the surface. The backs of my eyes burned heavily, the tears building in the corners. “You’re happy?”
“Yes!” He let go of us, backing up into the sand, raising his little arms above his head. “Did you hear that, world? I’m going to be a big brother! I’m gonna be the best big brother ever!”
Hudson laughed as he watched him, the smile on his face far too genuine for me to ever think it was fake. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me in closer to him. “I told you he’d be excited,” he whispered, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “There was nothing to worry about.”
“Is it a girl? I hope it’s a girl,” Jamey gushed, collapsing on the blanket in front of us. He kicked his legs in the air, excitement and adrenaline flooding his system.
“We don’t know yet,” I chuckled.
“I hope it’s a girl, too,” Hudson beamed, reaching forward to tickle Jamey under his ribs. “Maybe we’ll get lucky, bud.”
I rolled my eyes at the two of them. “I don’t care what it is. I just hope it’s healthy.” I met Hudson’s gaze as I wiped my eyes, too many emotions rolling through me all at once. His eyes shone in the light of the setting sun, that same intensity behind them, and I laughed as another tear escaped. “Sorry, they’re happy tears.”
“Don’t apologize.” His thumb came up beneath my eyes, wiping the last that escaped away. My breath hitched at his touch, at how easy he found it to do in front of his son. “Don’t ever apologize.”
————
Jamey crashed out on the way home. His little snores were the only sound in the car, filling the silence. Hudson had only glanced at my hand once—I’d worn the ring, and now that I actually thought about it, I wasn’t entirely sure why. We weren’t pretending with Jamey.
“Come in,” Hudson whispered, a sound asleep four-year-old in his arms as we walked up toward the house. The way he said it felt more like a request than a question, and I knew if I agreed, I’d either end up fucking him or falling asleep.
“I don’t know, Hudson, I’m really tired…”
“You can stay the night if you want.” He bit his lip, looking between me and the front door. “Nothing has to happen, Sophie.”
“I know.” Jamey was dead weight in his arms, his limbs flopped everywhere and his hair covering his face. Gently, I pushed the strands away. “I just need to get some sleep.”
“Sophie…” Hudson sighed, taking the smallest step toward me. “Look, I… I know everything that’s happened in the last week has been a lot for you. Hell, everything that’s happened in the last couple of months has been a lot. I know you’re overwhelmed.”
Tears sprung to life in my eyes again and I took a step back.
“Just come inside. I’ll put him in bed, we can just chat. We can talk about everything. All of it.” He rolled his lips between his teeth, the words not there, not just yet. “Please.”
I sniffled, wiping the tears from my face. “I need to go home. Unless there’s something you adamantly need to talk to me about right this moment, I’d rather just go to sleep.”
