Read Online Here's to Forever by Teagan Hunter - Free Book Online Page A

stop it.
    “You ready to go, kiddo?” I call up the stairs to my daughter.
    I hear her shuffle across the hall, her head popping around the corner at the top of the stairs. Her eyes are bloodshot and puffy—a sure sign she’s been crying. Fuck. Guess I’m too late in the whole breaking down thing.
    “I’m…I’m not going until Rae comes home,” she sniffles.
    Sighing, I walk halfway up the stairs, hoping to coax her down. “Joey, baby, we’ve talked about it. Rae is just staying with Maura for a couple days. Girl time. You get that, right?”
    Her face crumbles and she begins to sob. My feet fly up the stairs on autopilot and I wrap my arms around her.
    “Shh…shh. What’s wrong? Why are you crying? She’s coming back.”
    I want to take the words back as soon as they leave my mouth. Because what if she doesn’t come back? Then what? Then not only have I lost the woman I’m madly in love with, but Joey’s also lost the only person she’s ever seen as a mother. I have to fight back my own tears at the thought.
    “She…she won’t,” her voice trembles. “She’s not coming back.”
    I pull back and cradle her face in my hands, wiping away her tears. “Why would you say that?” My voice is a little stern, but I have to know if there’s something she knows that I don’t.
    “Because I made her leave.”
    I tip my head and wrinkle my brows in confusion. “What makes you think so?”
    “I…I…” She struggles to get the words out, hesitant like she’s scared she’s going to get in trouble for saying anything.
    “Joey, I need you to tell me why you think you made Rae leave. Please. ”
    “I…asked to go swimming again.” She starts shaking, her little body wracked with sobs. “I’m sorry! I…I didn’t mean to. She got real scared when I asked and I knew I was in trouble. I know you don’t want me swimming with Rae, daddy. I’m sorry.”
    I squeeze my eyes shut and turn my head into my shoulder, breathing deeply so I don’t completely lose it at just the thought of what happened almost one year ago. When I feel like I have myself composed, I turn back to Joey.
    “First, you can swim with Rae. That’s perfectly okay. What happened last year wasn’t your fault or hers. Okay?” She nods. “Second, you did not, and will not, ever make Rae leave. Do you understand that, Joey?”
    “But…I… She…”
    “No, okay? No. Rae loves you so much. She will never, ever walk away from you.” I look into her eyes, imploring her to listen to me, to hear me, to understand me. “I promise, bug. I promise. ”
    When she shakily bobs her head up and down, sniffling away the rest of her tears, I know I’ve finally gotten through to her.
    I gather her in my arms, holding her tight, hoping to squeeze away all of her worries. She hugs me back just as fiercely and, just for a moment, I let my own tears flow freely.
    I did this. I made Joey feel like she’s the one to blame for Rae not being here. Not only did I screw up my relationship with Rae, hurting her beyond belief, but I’ve also managed to make my kid cry in the process. You’ve really fucked this one up, Hudson. Fix this. Now.
    Pulling away from Joey and smoothing her hair down, I give her a small smile. She returns it. I tap the end of her nose and she swats at my hand.
    “There’s my smiling girl.”
    Expectedly, she scowls. I laugh at how much she acted like Rae just then. My joy is only momentary as I realize I just laughed for the first time since Rae left. I don’t like that. I don’t like laughing. It makes me feel like I’ve forgotten about what I’ve done. And I don’t want to forget.
    I stand, looking down at Joey, whose shoulders are no longer sagging. “Now, are you ready to go? Did you pack a bag? Nanna has clothes and stuff for you still, but I know she doesn’t have your favorite pillow or pjs.”
    Joey darts down the hall and I make my way down the stairs. She returns just seconds later with a Finn Adventure Time