She nestled back into him, her lips brushing softly against his chest—right where his heartbeat thudded beneath his shirt. Then, in a voice just above a whisper, she said, “Eric.”
“Hmm?” he answered, gaze dropping to her.
“Happy birthday.”
Eric froze. His steps faltered, and his whole body stiffened. He reached out, gently cupping her face, eyes wide with disbelief. “You… what did you just say?”
Hadley tilted her head, her cheek resting in his palm as she repeated, slower this time, “Happy birthday, Eric.”
His chest tightened. A surge of emotion rose inside him, too strong to hold back. He cupped her face more tenderly, his voice catching. “You knew? How did you…?” The questions spilled out before he could stop them.
“Phillips told me,” Hadley said, her voice a mix of reproach and warmth. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”
“I was going to,” Eric replied, his expression brightening with boyish excitement. “But you’ve been swamped with work lately. I figured if we couldn’t spend the day together, I didn’t want to make you feel guilty. So I thought… if our date actually happened, then I’d tell you.”
Hadley listened quietly, her nose stinging as emotion welled up. Then something clicked. “You asked me out on the same day last year, didn’t you?”
Back then, she hadn’t known it was his birthday.
“Yeah…” Eric nodded, and for a second, something flickered across his face—faint, wistful.
“Hey, what’s with that look?” Hadley reached up and gently smoothed the line between his brows. “I ghosted you because Joy wasn’t feeling well that day. Our daughter comes first. Any ions?”
At the time, Eric hadn’t known about Joy. And Hadley hadn’t been able to tell him the truth.
“That’s what it was?” he said quietly, the realization sinking in. His smile returned in full. “Of course. She comes first. Always.”
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“Exactly.” Hadley laughed, her hand resting against his cheek. “So… what does the birthday boy want as a gift?”
“That won’t be necessary!” Eric gave a firm shake of his head, not even hesitating. “I’ve got everything I need. You, Joy… what else could I ask for?”
“Alright.” Hadley gave a small nod, her eyes shimmering with quiet feeling. She whispered, “I thought you’d say that, so I decided to put something together myself anyway.”
Upon hearing that, Eric’s face brightened. “You did? You actually prepared something for me?”
He hadn’t expected any gift, but knowing Hadley had gone out of her way for him stirred something warm in his chest. The gift itself didn’t matter—it was her effort that meant everything.
Caught off guard, he laughed nervously and asked, “What kind of surprise is it?”
“It’s not flashy or anything.” Hadley reached for his hand and led him over to the table. Resting on one of the chairs was her Hermès handbag. “You could buy anything you want, Eric. You never needed luxury from anyone. That’s why I chose something that meant more than the price tag.”
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