Page 78 of Here's to Tomorrow

“Okay dude, you ready?”

“Ready Freddy!”

Hudson’s deep voice fills the room and Joey becomes entranced. She was right; he’s good. He uses different voices for each character and sometimes uses his hands to make a point. Entertaining doesn’t begin to cover it.

I take a moment to glance around Hudson’s bedroom. It’s simple, as plain as the rest of the apartment. I don’t even see a dresser. The only thing giving it life is the striped blue bedspread and the photographs of Joey and her drawings tacked to the walls.

“Okay, that’s it for tonight.”

“But Dad! Things are happening! Important things!”

Hudson chuckles. “As great an argument as that is, you need sleep if you want to have movie night tomorrow.”

“Movie night! Okay, hurry up and kiss me then. I need sleep!”

Hudson tucks the blankets tighter around Joey, careful not to disturb Rocky, and gives her a kiss on the forehead. She puts her little hands on his head and kisses his forehead right back.

I can feel my chest tighten for the millionth time tonight. If there was ever a perfect moment between a father and daughter, it was that.

“Goodnight, bug. Sleep good, have good dreams—no weird ones,” he tells her gently, backing away from the bed.

“Mmkay. Goodnight, Daddy. I love you.”

“I love you most.”

“I love you mostest.”

His smile lights up the room and my heart stops.

In the future, if I’m ever asked when exactly it was that I fell in love with Hudson Tamell, I’ll tell them right now. In this exact moment, I fall in love with his smile, his voice, and the way he loves his daughter all at once. Because this moment? It’s perfect.

“Goodnight, Rae. You’re my fourth favorite person in the whole world.”

I not sure if that was a compliment or not, but I go with it anyway. “Thank you. You’re mine, too. Goodnight, Joey.”

He flips the light off and leaves the door cracked open. I look to Hudson for an explanation of Joey’s ranking as we walk to the kitchen. “I’m assuming you come after me, my mother, and Rocky,” he whispers.

“Makes sense.”

“Did you want to stay a little longer? Or did you need to be going? Also, what are you doing here? No offense or anything, but I thought you had to work tonight,” he questions, leaning against one of the counters.

Laughing quietly, I hop up on the counter opposite him. This was all something I told him earlier when I opened the door. Guess he was too busy freaking out over me discovering Joey to listen. Can’t blame him, because I clearly checked out for a moment too.

“I was cut early. We were dead. I figured I’d come surprise you. Guess that one worked out well, huh?”

He reaches up and cups the back of his neck, giving me a small grimace. “Yeah, sorry again about that, Rae. I really didn’t intend to keep it from you. And sorry about the Perry thing.”

I realize then that I’m not even mad any more. I feel like I should be, but I’m not. Hudson had his reasons, and they are valid.

“You know what? It’s okay. I get it. I’d want to protect that little girl, too. She’s something, Hudson. You’ve done really well with her on your own.”

“I can’t take all the credit. My mom has been a great help. My father was as well when he was still alive. He loved the shit out of that kid. I’m just mad he didn’t get more time with her because we were both stubborn.”

Something clicks. “Joey’s the reason you got in a fight and you moved out.”

He nods solemnly. “Yeah. Missed out on a lot of good years because of it too.”

“I’m sorry, Hudson. That has to be hard.”

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