Page 131 of The Golden Hour

This is the answer to all of their problems.

All he has to do is remain loyal to St. Mary’s. Convince Honey to drop the lawsuit.

And everything will be perfect.

He’s already at the finish line, so close to that life he can taste it.

This is what the last twelve years have been for. This is why he worked so hard to secure a future for his wife and children. All the sleepless nights studying in medical school, all the stress and the debt, all the clinicals, all the anxiety.

All of it would be worth it with just one signature.

So, Mason chooses the most obvious, rational, and logical choice to secure his future, Honey’s future, and Daisy’s future.

He picks up the pen and writes.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

HONEY

“Miss Honey! Miss Honey!”

Honey beams as she walks into the toddler room at Little Acorns Daycare to a bunch of loud cheers.

She feels a little like their Beyoncé with the way all of them stop what they’re doing and rush over to her with screams of her name.

Penny, the director of the whole daycare, follows her into the room, holding a sleeping Daisy in her arms. The teacher, a substitute they hired while keeping Honey’s position open for her to return, looks a little frazzled and takes a very grateful break with Penny’s encouragement.

Honey can sympathize. Toddlers are a whole different beast. Most people want babies who don’t talk back, but then they get hit with some sass from a three-year-old, and it takes them by surprise.

She loves them at this age. Loves their little personalities developing, their very staunch opinions, and their big feelings. The way everything is either the best thing that has ever happened or the end of the entire world. It’s dramatic in the funniest way possible.

This is what she was made for.

“Oh, my little babies,” Honey squeals, bending to gather them all in a hug. Tears sting her eyes when she sees how much they have grown in only months. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Little Acorns used to be a safe place to escape to in the very early stages of her pregnancy, before the sickness got too bad. She loved the smell of construction paper, crayons, Play-Doh, and lemon cleaner. She loved the chubby hands reaching up for her to hold them. She loved singing to them and hearing them try to sing along with her. She loved snuggling the babies. She loved cuddling the toddlers.

She loved every single thing about this job. Even the blowouts, the tantrums, the attitudes, and the sticky messes.

Now she’s happy she can bring Daisy to meet her coworkers and friends, who were supportive from the get-go.

As soon as she walked into Penny’s office, the older woman immediately hung up whatever conference call she was on and pulled Honey into the longest, most healing hug. Then she saw Daisy in her car seat and immediately asked to hold her. Honey gently placed her in Penny’s arms and watched as her former boss’s eyes shone.

“Oh my God, she looks just like you,” Penny said, amazed as she cuddled Daisy to her. “Hi, little sweetheart…”

Honey smiled and gently brushed some of the soft blonde hair on Daisy’s head. It’s amazing how fast she’s grown in two months—amazing and scary. Time moves so quickly with babies, measured by milestones that seem to come one after another relentlessly.

Dr. Adonis told her to enjoy and savor every second, and she is.

But also as Dr. DeNunez advised, don’t let motherhood swallow her whole.

Which was the reason for her visit today.

Of course, she wanted her friends to meet her baby, but she also wanted to have a talk about returning to work. She discussed it with her mother, who was encouraging and told her to return to work because she should always have something that is hers alone. And that she should do the things she enjoys—not what Daisy enjoys, not what Mason enjoys, but what Honey enjoys.

Dr. DeNunez said much the same, with softer words and gentler guidance, and firmly told Honey that her relationships, her mental health, and her self-worth will be healthier with purpose and a stronger sense of her own identity.

“So, when are you coming back?” Penny asked eagerly after she lifted Daisy into her arms, before quickly amending, “Only when you’re ready. But selfishly? We miss you like crazy.”