“Mom has something for you inside.”
“Okay… I can get it later.” He turns his body back towards me, his knee hitching over my thigh.
“It’s from Ashbridge State.”
Hud gasps, then he’s fighting to get out of the hammock, his legs tangling in the net and flipping us both onto the ground. He scrambles to his feet, grabbing me by the hand and hauling me up.
“For fucks sake, Hadley. Why didn’t you lead with that?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer, already sprinting through the yard, me in tow.
We make it to the back patio in seconds, Hudson bursting through the French doors, dropping my hand and looking for his mom.
Hadley brings up the rear, yelling at Hud. “She’s in the kitchen!”
He’s off, turning the corner into the kitchen at breakneck speed. I follow right behind him, coming to stand next to him.
In his hand is a weighty-looking envelope, the gold embossed emblem of Ashbridge shining in the corner. Hud is just staring at it, his hand trembling.
It’s addressed to Hud from the admissions office.
Mr. Daniels comes into the kitchen, his eyes swinging to everyone gathered around Hud. “What’s going on?”
“Hudson got mail from ASU,” Mrs. Nora tells her husband. “Go ahead and open it, love. See what it says.”
Hud stands stark still, his eyes glued to the white envelope.
“We are all here for you, baby, no matter what’s inside.” I rub his back, hoping the gesture gives him the strength he needs.
He looks at me, fear and hope colliding in his blue eyes, and offers me the envelope.
“You want me to read it for you?”
He manages a jerky nod, still at a loss for words.
Hud hands me the envelope and I rip it open, taking a deep breath and unfolding the paper. My eyes scan the sheet, my heart beating harder with each word I read.
“Well?” Hadley asks, impatient.
I peer into Hudson’s eyes—the blue I love so much—and deliver the news.
“You got your spot back.”
Silence.
Hud takes a sharp inhale, then the room erupts. Chairs scrape the hardwood, and laughter and cheers fill the kitchen.
Hadley snatches the letter from me, her eyes reading the words for herself, her smile bigger than I’ve ever seen.
I grab Hudson and yank him into a fierce hug, my hands fisting his shirt. He returns it with a strength I haven’t felt from him in months, his arms locked around me like a vice.
His parents surround us, piling in for a group hug, murmurs of love and joy wrapping around us.
Hud steps back from the hug, his eyes shining bright. “I didn’t think this would happen, not this year at least.”
“You fought your way back to this. It’s your reward for all you’ve been through,” Mrs. Nora says.
Hud smiles, although it’s a little sad. “As amazing as this is, I need to see if my financial aid that was approved for community college can be transferred. I’ll probably need to look for another grant or maybe even get a job to cover the rest. I don’t want to leave you guys in a bind.”
