꧁༺ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓸 ༻꧂

Noah

    "Rosie Amelia, you better be awake, young lady!" I called from the kitchen, the smell of sizzling bacon and warm pancakes filling the air. I smiled to myself as I heard the soft patter of tiny feet approaching, and then Rosie appeared in the doorway. Her curls were wild and tangled from sleep, her eyes half-closed as she rubbed them tiredly. She looked so small and sweet, and my chest tightened at the sight of her.

  "Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty!" I teased, walking over to scoop her up into my arms. She immediately wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder, sighing heavily.

  "I'm hungry." She muttered, her voice muffled against my shirt. I laughed softly, kissing her cheek.

  "I figured as much. Lucky for you, breakfast is almost ready."

    As I carried her over to the table and set her down in a chair, she pouted a little, reluctant to let go. She brushed her messy curls out of her face with her tiny hands, and I caught the faintest smile as she swung her legs back and forth under the table.

    There it was again—that smile. It always stopped me in my tracks. Every day, she looked more and more like Amelia. The curve of her lips, the sparkle in her hazel eyes, the way her nose scrunched when she was deep in thought. She was a living, breathing piece of the girl I had loved with everything in me, and while it hurt to look at her sometimes, she was also the reason I got out of bed every single morning.

    The last four years had been nothing short of a battlefield. When I brought Rosie home from the hospital, I was drowning—completely and utterly lost. I was barely eighteen, shattered from losing Amelia, and clueless about how to care for a newborn. Some nights, I sat on the nursery floor with Rosie in my arms, crying until I couldn't breathe because I didn't know how I was going to do it alone.

    Amelia's parents, Hazel and James, had been my lifeline. When my parents turned their backs on me, they stepped in without hesitation. They babysat Rosie when I stayed late for football practice or studied for finals. They gave me advice, encouragement, and unconditional love when I thought I didn't deserve it. Without them, I don't think I'd be standing here today.

    As I placed Rosie's plate in front of her—pancakes cut into little heart shapes, just the way she liked them—I asked, "Are you excited to go to Daddy's graduation next month?" Her whole face lit up, a grin spreading wide as she looked up at me.

  "Yes! Then you can stay home with me every day!" I chuckled as I sat down beside her and poured juice into her water bottle.

  "Well, maybe for a little while. But if Daddy doesn't hear back from the NFL soon, I'll have to find a job." Her lips pressed into a pout, her hazel eyes shimmering with disappointment.

  "But I want you to stay home with me."

    My heart clenched at the sight of her little face, so innocent and full of hope. I reached out to stroke her soft curls and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "I know, baby. I wish I could. But guess what? If I make it, you can come to all my games with Grandma and Grandpa. How does that sound?" She gasped, her smile returning in full force.

  "Really?!"

  "Really." I assured her.

    As we talked, my mind drifted to my parents. When Amelia and I told them we were having a baby at seventeen, their disappointment was like a slap to the face. My father, in particular, was cruel. He called Rosie a mistake and threatened to disown me if I stayed with Amelia. I tried to push those memories aside, but they haunted me. If only he could see us now—see how amazing Rosie was. How she wasn't just my daughter; she was my savior.

  "Knock, knock!" Hazel's warm voice rang out from the living room, breaking my train of thought. Before I could respond, Rosie was out of her chair like a flash of lightning, running toward the sound.

  "Grandma! Grandpa!" she squealed, her voice echoing with excitement. I followed her into the living room, smiling as Hazel scooped her up and spun her around. Rosie giggled uncontrollably, and the sound was like music to my ears.

  "Good morning!" I greeted them, pulling each of them into a hug.

  "Noah, did you hear the great news?" James asked, his voice buzzing with excitement.

  "What good news?" I asked, frowning slightly. James gestured toward the counter.

  "Check your phone!" Confused, I grabbed my phone and saw an avalanche of notifications—texts, emails, social media tags. My heart started to race as I opened one of the messages.

  "Wait..." My voice wavered, my hands trembling as I stared at the words on the screen. I looked up at them, my eyes wide with disbelief. "Am I really going to the NFL Draft?" Hazel's eyes filled with tears, and she nodded, cradling Rosie tightly against her.

  "You did it, Noah," She whispered. "Amelia would be so proud of you." A shaky laugh escaped my lips as I ran my hands over my face, trying to process what was happening. James stepped forward, his grin so wide it looked like it might split his face in two.

  "Thank you so much, Dad." I blurted out, the word slipping out before I could stop it. My face burned with embarrassment. "I mean—" But James raised his hand to cut me off.

  "Noah," He said gently, resting his hands on my shoulders, "We all know that if Amelia were still here, you two would be married by now. You'd be my son-in-law. But I want you to know something, I already consider you the son I never had."

    His words hit me like a tidal wave, and tears I hadn't realized I was holding back started to fall. He pulled me into a tight hug, and for the first time in years, I felt like I wasn't carrying the weight of the world entirely on my own.

    As we embraced, my eyes landed on Rosie, who was watching us with a curious smile. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but her laughter and joy filled the room, erasing all the darkness that had once consumed me.

Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay.