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But he wasn’t ready to unpack that all to Nora yet. And certainly not over the phone. And so he gave a simpler answer. “Tired.”
“Well, get some sleep then. I should probably go read to Hannah and get to bed myself,” she said. “You have a good night's sleep.”
“You too,” he murmured. And then she hung up.
The rest of the trip seemed to drag on until Hudson finally couldn’t take it anymore. Even the bear inside of him balked at being away from home any longer. He cut short his trip and declined any and all social invitations he got. Normally, those would be the highlights of his trips. But now they were just one more thing standing in the way of him getting back to Hannah and Nora.
The return trip home was only a few hours, but it felt longer than it ever had before. When his house came into view, he instantly relaxed.
He was home.
And for the first time, it really felt like home. Like how a real home should be. His haven with his little makeshift family inside.
It was night, though not quite so late that Hannah couldn’t still be awake. He hoped she still was. He’d missed his little girl more than he ever thought he could.
When he didn’t spot Hannah or Nora in any of the main rooms, he made his way to Hannah’s room. And there they were. Reading on the bed, Hannah was curled up beside Nora as the nurse read.
Hannah was the first to spot him, and her eyes lit up. “Hudson!”
Nora’s eyes snapped to him, and a grin spread across her face. “You’re back.”
A grin of his own formed on his face.
Hannah tugged at Nora’s arm. “Oh, can we try it? Please.”
Nora gave the girl a wary look. “Are you sure you feel up to it?”
The girl nodded vigorously. Hudson looked questioningly back and forth between the two.
“All right, but you hold on to me. Okay?” Nora said softly but firmly.
“I will,” Hannah promised.
Then Nora was gently helping the girl off the bed and helping her stand.
Hudson’s eyes went wide. Although the girl leaned on Nora to balance, she was still standing. And then, slowly, she began to walk toward him, leaning on Nora for support,
She grinned at him, pacing slowly back and forth for nearly a full minute. When her legs began to quake, Hudson met her halfway. Hannah wrapped her arms around him in a hug, and Hudson reciprocated tightly.
“Did you see that?” the girl asked.
He squeezed her tightly. “I did. You did wonderful, Hannah.”
She pulled back from him a little and looked a little sheepish. “I can’t go very far.”
Hudson squeezed her arms gently. “Hannah, that in itself is incredible. You’re doing an amazing job, and you should be proud of yourself. I’m certainly proud of you.”
A small smile formed on her lips. “Really?”
He nodded. “Really.”
She hugged him again, even tighter than before. Over her shoulder, he saw Nora smiling at them softly. “Thank you,” Nora mouthed silently to him.
Hudson scooped the girl in his arms and dropped her back beside Nora on the bed. “Okay, I’ll let Nora get back to reading to you. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You should stay,” Hannah insisted.
“Are you sure?”
