Page 122 of Pieces

I pull out my phone to check the time and see two missed calls flashing on the screen. Both from Daphne.

Frowning, I unlock it and check the first voicemail. Her voice comes through, calm but serious. “Hey, Hudson. It’s me. Can you call me back when you get this? It’s important.”

The second voicemail is different. Her voice is shaky, panicked. “Hudson…my water broke. I’m in labor. Please call me.”

The blood drains from my face. I glance at Coach, my heart hammering. “It’s Daphne,” I say, shoving my phone into my pocket. “She’s in labor.”

His eyes widen, and he doesn’t waste a second. “Let’s go.”

We’re in the car a moment later, my phone pressed to my ear as I call her, speeding back toward campus. My thoughts are a chaotic mess, but Coach’s words keep echoing in my head.You’re not your father, Hudson. You’re already enough.

And I believe it. I have to, because the baby is coming.

***

I practically skid into the hospital lobby, nearly taking out a potted plant in the process. My heart’s racing, my palms are sweaty, and I can’t remember the last time I took a full breath. The nurse at the front desk points me toward Daphne’s room with a sympathetic smile, and I’m halfway down the hall before I realize I’m still wearing my jacket.

By the time I reach her door, I’m bracing myself for screaming, crying, doctors shouting things likepush!but the scene I walk into is…not what I expected.

Daphne is sitting upright in bed, a Styrofoam cup with a straw in her hand, sipping on what looks like juice. Her face is relaxed, her cheeks flushed, and she’s smiling like she just won the lottery.

“Hudson!” she exclaims, waving the cup in my direction. “You made it!”

Stopping in my tracks, I can only stare at her. “Wait. Did it happen? Did I miss it?” I look at her belly, and it’s still swollen, but the baby books said that could happen even after baby is born, since it takes time for organs to shift…but I think I’m wrong anyway.

She looks at me like I’ve just asked if the sky is blue. “Miss what?”

“The baby,” I say, gesturing wildly. “Did the baby come already? What’s going on?”

She laughs, a light giggle that’s so unlike her usual sarcastic chuckle, it throws me completely off. “No, silly,” she says, drawing out the words. “The baby’s still…inside. But the nurse gave me this thing for the contractions, and now I feelawesome.”

My eyes narrow, and I step closer to the bed. “Daphne, are you high right now?”

She grins, her head tilting slightly to the side like she’s trying to decide whether to take the question seriously. “Probably. I feel kinda floaty.”

I laugh, because seeing her all chilled out like this is the polar opposite of what I thought I’d find here.

“Okay,” I say slowly, pulling a chair closer to the bed and dropping into it. “So, just to clarify: the baby hasn’t been born, there’s no issue with your placenta, and you’re on some kind of happy drugs, and you’re…fine?”

She nods enthusiastically, the straw in her cup bobbing as she takes another sip. “I’m great. Doc said that everything is fine, even though it’s a little early, they aren’t worried, isn’t that nice? But they need to make sure we’re both happy which is why I’ve got this thing on my belly, beeping away. Contractions were super sucky, but now it’s like…pfft, whatever.” She waves a hand dismissively as her smile grows even wider. “Hudson, did you know my legs feel like Jell-O? But, like, the fun kind of Jell-O?”

This is not how I imagined this moment going. It’s so much better. I look at her, a grin on my face I couldn’t wipe off if I tried. “You’re so cute, you know that?”

Before I can say anything else, the door swings open, and Coach walks in. His gaze darts between me and Daphne, his brow furrowing. “Everything alright in here?”

Daphne’s face lights up even more. “Daddy!” she exclaims, throwing her arms wide. “Did you and Hudson fight again?”

I choke on air, glancing at Coach, whose jaw tightens just slightly before he exhales and shakes his head. “No, sweetheart. We didn’t fight.”

She frowns, her bottom lip sticking out like a pouty child. “Good. ’Cause I don’t like it when you fight. Hudson’s a good boy, Daddy. He’s trying really hard.”

Coach glances at me, and for once, there’s no tension in his expression, just a flicker of amusement. “Yeah, I know, sweetheart. We’re good.”

Daphne nods. “Good. That’s good. I love you both, you know?”

Coach looks like he’s biting back a smile, and I’m barely holding it together myself. “We love you too, Daphne,” he says, stepping closer and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She sighs contentedly and leans back against the pillows. “You guys are the best. Theabsolutebest.”

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