Page 38 of The Pucking Single Dad
Hunter stood there, up on stage, silently for a few moments. He was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude to his team members. He felt so supported. He thanked the team for their support, both throughout the first half of this season when everything was going well and during the second half when his son became gravely ill. He told the audience how much this award meant to him and how he was looking forward to being back as a full-time member of the team as soon as possible when Adam was fully recovered. When he returned to the dinner table after accepting his new award, he looked over at Luna.
“You knew about this, didn’t you?” he asked her with a smile.
Luna played coy and smiled.
“It was so hard to keep it a secret,” she finally said to him.
The couple kissed. The rest of the night went spectacularly. Everyone enjoyed themselves. The night was a success, and when it was time to leave the event, Hunter and Luna decided they did not want the night to end just yet. It had been a while since they were able to be out like this. They were both thankful that Ella was at home, tending to Adam. Adam was in good hands, and they could enjoy themselves as a couple tonight. They walked towards the front door, and suddenly, Hunter saw a slew of paparazzi waiting for them.
Hunter said to Luna gently. “We can go out the back door if this is still too much for you.”
Luna looked up at Hunter.
“No, I'm fine,” she said calmly. “I can handle it now. Just stay with me.”
Hunter grabbed Luna's hand. He was happy that she was growing accustomed to this new life. Fame could be hard to adapt to, but there was a part of him that liked showing her off.He hoped that she felt the same way about him, and thankfully, she did feel that way as well.
Hunter and Luna walked outside. They walked in front of the photographers, and they posed to have their picture taken a couple more times. The paparazzi seemed to have changed their tone towards Luna. Hunter had been right. Within time, the photographers would move on to the next salacious story. For the moment, they loved seeing Hunter and Luna together. It was a new and young love. When they finally got in the car, Hunter asked the driver to take him and Luna to a club on 5th Street. Luna remembered this club; it was the same place where they had danced together the night that they had met for the first time.
“Let’s go out dancing again,” he said to her. “Let’s be together, like the first night we met. I do not want the night to end just yet.”
Luna leaned across the seat and kissed Hunter.
“Let’s go dancing,” she agreed with him. “I need to see those moves on the dance floor again.”
Hunter and Luna walked hand in hand into the club, moving past the lines. Being a celebrity did have its perks. The music was loud and boisterous.
Luna could feel the music running through her body. She loved to dance, and she especially loved dancing with Hunter.
“Come here, you,” she said to Hunter sultrily. “Come dance with me.”
The couple danced. Their bodies were so close together that they could feel the sweat dripping onto each other. Hunter pulled Luna close to him.
He loved the feeling of her hips swaying from side to side. He loved seeing how free she was while dancing. All the stress of the past couple of moments has drifted away for now. At that moment, it was just Hunter, Luna, and the music.
When the two of them stepped out of the club, Hunter grabbed his cell phone from the back pocket of his pants. He had several missed calls and texts from Ella. Luna saw the look of concern grow on Hunter’s face.
“What is it?” she asked him earnestly. “What is wrong?”
Hunter showed Luna all of the notifications from Ella. He felt a pit form in his stomach and a lump form in his throat. He knew what all these missed calls and text messages meant. Something was wrong with Adam.
Chapter Fourteen: Back in the Hospital
Hunter, Luna, and Adam sat together in the hospital waiting room, anxiously awaiting an update from the doctor. Adam had suffered a painful flare-up from his sickle cell disease, and at his young age, the pain was unbearable. Ella had rushed him to the hospital on the night of Hunter’s hockey team event, but they had missed her call while they were at the club. Now, both Hunter and Luna felt the weight of guilt for not being there when Ella had called. But they were at the hospital now, and that was what mattered.
The doctors were working on managing Adam's pain. Hopefully, he would be out of the hospital within a day or two. He had no fever this time, and that was a good sign. The recommended changes the doctor made during Adam's first hospitalization were taken into great consideration by Hunter and Luna. They changed Adam's lifestyle, diet, levels of activity,everything, and thankfully, that prevented him from getting another fever.
“I hate that we weren’t there when he was feeling ill,” Hunter sadly said to Luna.
“We can’t beat ourselves up over it, darling,” Luna reassuringly responded. “We are here now, and that is what matters.”
When the doctor finally came out, he explained to them that Adam's pain was being managed well. However, his temperature was slightly rising. Due to Adam’s previous history of having an uncontrollable fever, they needed to monitor his temperature further. He would spend the night in the hospital. However, the doctor was hopeful that by tomorrow morning, Hunter and Luna could take Adam home. The doctor explained that, unfortunately, flare-ups like this would occur for the rest of Adam's life. He would continue to live a normal life as long as he followed the doctor's orders.
“Can we see him?” Luna asked the doctor.
The doctor nodded, and Ella, Luna, and Hunter walked back to Adam’s room. He was lying on the bed watching cartoons. He looked pale and tired, but otherwise, he was in good spirits. That was Adam; he was a bright, happy boy. He embraced both Luna and Hunter as soon as he saw them. They all spent some time together, and Adam asked Luna a question.
“Luna?” Adam said cautiously.