Page 168 of The Golden Hour

Their parents are the last to go, lingering to hug Mason. They knew what was going on in his head, and he almost lost the battle with his tears when Phil hugged him tightly and rumbled, “I’m proud of you, son.”

When Mason closes the front door behind them, the house falls quiet except for Honey softly humming their wedding song from the kitchen as she starts cleaning up.

Small footsteps sound behind him. Mason turns to find Daisy stumbling toward him on chunky little legs, dragging Ellie the Elephant behind her by one floppy ear.

He crouches and opens his arms, his girl walking right into them and letting him scoop her up against his chest with no hesitation.

“Dada,” Daisy mumbles sleepily against his chest.

His heart squeezes at the words.

She said it for the first time last week. Mason had been convinced she could say it for months and was purposely withholding it because she found it hilarious whenever he tried teaching her Dada and she responded with an emphatic Mama!

But now, she says it all the time.

Of course, Honey is still the center of Daisy’s universe, but he’s fine with being second place. It is a wonderful place to be with the Carpenter girls.

“You ready to go night-night, baby girl?”

Daisy whines and nods against his chest, the excitement of the day finally becoming too much for her little body. Mason feels eyes on him and looks up to find Honey watching them from the kitchen doorway.

“I’m going to put her down,” he says, pressing a kiss against Honey’s cheek. “Don’t worry about cleaning anything else. I’ll finish it. Go shower and relax, baby.”

She’s been the hostess all day, and it’s time for her to relax.

“Hm…” Honey hums, lifting one hand to cradle his cheek. “You’re a wonderful man, Mason Carpenter.”

He turns his head and kisses her palm. The words strike him like a missile. He wasn’t the man Honey deserved for a long time. But he did the work to become that man again. And he will keep doing it every day because that is what his girls deserve.

Honey kisses a sleeping Daisy against his chest before they walk upstairs as a family. Mason quickly changes Daisy and gently lowers her into her crib, switching on the little flower-shaped nightlight beside her.

She’s already asleep.

“Goodnight, baby girl,” he whispers, just staring down at her with her little button nose, soft blonde hair, and chubby cheeks. “Daddy loves you so much.”

Mason finishes cleaning the kitchen and backyard before heading upstairs. He finds Honey sitting on their bed in yellow-striped pajamas, brushing her wet hair while distracted by some home-improvement show playing on the television.

For a long moment, he just stares at her.

The fading sunlight shines through their bedroom windows, casting the entire room in a warm, golden glow.

When Honey catches him watching her, she smiles.

“What are you staring at?”

“You.”

Her cheeks flush so pretty. Mason crosses the room and kneels in front of her, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a deep kiss. Honey melts against him, her fingers sliding into his hair as he gathers her safely into his arms.

The golden hour used to mean chaos, life or death, control, adrenaline, and a fleeting rush.

Not anymore.

The golden hour means his daughter sleeping peacefully down the hallway and kissing his wife’s soft lips as she’s wrapped in his arms.

The golden hour is quiet, warm, bright, and peaceful.

He used to count the minutes until the golden hour ended.

Now he wants it to last forever.

And when Honey smiles against his lips, Mason believes it just might.