“What else?” Mr. Daniels chuckles. “Don’t tell me you’re dating Cullen or something.”
Hudson and I share a glance. He takes my hand and threads our fingers together. “Actually… that’s exactly what I’m going to tell you.”
The humor drains from Mr. Daniels’ face. His eyes drop to our hands, his posture stiffening. “What the hell do you mean you're dating Cullen?”
“We’ve been together a couple weeks,” Hudson answers, voice steady.
Mr. Daniels’ glare swivels to me. “Since when areyougay?”
I flinch at the tone. “I’m not gay. I’m bisexual. I’m attracted to both girls and guys.”
“So, you’re greedy?” He scoffs. “Sampling everything on God’s green earth?”
“No, sir. It’s not about sampling anything. It’s about loving someone and having the guts to stop lying about it.”
Mr. Daniels’ eyes flick between Hud and me, his mouth tensing like he’s biting back words.
“Dad, come on. You just agreed it didn’t matter who I was with, as long as they made me happy.” There’s a sharp edge of panic in Hudson’s voice now.
“Mr. Daniels,” I say carefully, “can I ask why this bothers you?”
“Why does this bother me?” His voice rises. “Because youjustdumped my daughter, and now you’reexperimentingwith my son. You’ll break his heart, too. And what then? You ruin a near decade-long friendship?”
“I get it,” I acknowledge. “But Hudson isn’t some test run. Hadley and I weren’t right. We never were. Hudson and I… we’re built on something solid. Years of friendship. And now we’re more.”
“Yeah? And what happens when Hudson crashes into a depressive episode and can’t get out of bed for a week, huh? Has he told you about that yet?” he snaps, flinging a hand toward us.
“Dad…”
“Eric!” Mrs. Nora snaps.
“No, Nora, let me finish. He needs to know what he’s signing up for. Hudson isn’t always going to be sunshine and roses.”
“I know about his mental health.” I keep my cool, only because I need Mr. Daniels to see the truth. “And I want to be his support. Whatever he needs.”
Mr. Daniels chuckles darkly. “You say that now, but you have no idea how hard it is to care for someone struggling to get through each day.” He stands, hands on his hips. “Whatwill you do when you want to go out or even have a night in, and Hudson’s shut down, crying or sleeping through everything? Give him a pep talk?” He scoffs. “His mental illness is lifelong. You’ll get tired of trying. You’ll leave. Then both my kids will be heartbroken.”
“Dad, please…” Hud whispers brokenly.
“Eric,” Mrs. Nora snaps harshly. “That’s not fair. Hudson has every right to choose who he wants to be with. And Cullen’s always been a good friend to him. Hadley and Cullen weren’t a fit, and we both know that. Don’t take this out on him.”
Mr. Daniels shakes his head. “What’s not fair is that our son has to live with this… thismental disabilitythat steals parts of him from us. And Cullen will decide one day that it’s too much. Or worse, realize he wants pussy instead. Either one will break what’s left of my son!”
“That’s enough!” Dad’s voice booms through the room like thunder. Everyone goes silent. Hudson’s dad tightens his jaw, eyes shining with unshed tears. He sits back down on the couch, posture stiff.
Hud is staring at the floor, face blank. I can feel him trying to pull his hand away, but I hold on.
He’s shutting down.
And I get it now. Mr. Daniels isn’t angry. He’s terrifiedbecause he’s seen Hudson’s worst days, and he’s scared that if this falls apart, it could destroy him.
I guide Hudson to the coffee table and sit us both down. He moves like a marionette, silent, compliant. I keep our hands linked and face his dad.
“Mr. Daniels, I love Hudson.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes, arms locked over his chest.
“Ilovehim. I love him in a way I never loved Hadley. And he loves me. I’ve already seen him at rock bottom. Before we were together—I stayed. I held him through the darknessbecause that’s what you do when you love someone. I know it will be hard, but it’ll never be as hard as what he faces. He’s not a burden. He’s my everything. I know, deep down in my bones, that Hudson is my forever.”
