Page 34 of Oops, My Professor Got Me Pregnant!

“Of course I will.”

“Excellent.”

And so that night, as was happening more and more, they fell asleep in each other’s arms in Nico’s bed, dreams of meadows and forests and the future floating through their heads.

CHAPTER 13

NICO

“Papa!” Louis shot into Nico’s arms like a cannonball. His school backpack was slung over his shoulder and he was wearing his uniform of dark blue pants and a white shirt, but from the flushed excitement on Louis’s face, Nico would have guessed he’d spent the day having a grand adventure instead of sitting in class.

“Louis!” Nico gave his son a hug, then gently set him down. “How was school?”

“Good. Are we meeting Lauren tonight?”

“I am.” Nico smiled at Louis. “But you, my little man, are having a sleepover at your grandmother’s house.”

“Oh.” Louis’s shoulders slumped. “Okay.”

“We love hanging out with you, but so does Mémé,” Nico reminded him. “She’d be sad if you didn’t come for your sleepover.”

“I know. But I wanted to give Lauren my present.”

“Your present?”

“Yeah!” Louis’s eyes lit up again and he let go of Nico’s hand to swing his backpack off his shoulder. Inside was a mess of papers and notebooks that made Nico wince — he really needed to have a good deep clean of all Louis’s school things. From the mess emerged a small paper box.

“What’s this?” Nico asked when Louis handed him the box.

“It’s a present for Lauren,” Louis repeated in a slightly annoyed tone.

“I know, I know, but what’s the present?”

“Oh. I drew her a picture of the three of us together eating ice cream. And I made a frame with macaroni and glue. I know her birthday isn’t until next week, but I finished it today and I’m too excited to wait!”

Nico paused. “Lauren’s birthday is next week?” She hadn’t mentioned anything to him about a birthday coming up.

“Yeah. It’s on Wednesday. I asked her how old she was and she said she was going to be twenty-eight soon. And I said how soon and she said on Wednesday.”

“Wow.” It was going to be Lauren’s first birthday since her grandfather had passed away, and her first birthday in a foreign country. Nico had to imagine that she might feel lonely or homesick on such a special day so far from the people who loved her. He bit his lip in thought.

“Did you get her a present, Papa?” Louis asked.

“Not yet. But I will. Also, I’m wondering if we should plan some kind of celebration for her. Maybe a nice dinner at our house or at a restaurant.”

“We should take her to Amazing World.” Louis began to vibrate with excitement. “She’d love it! And I don’t think she’s ever been!”

“Don’t you think Amazing World is a little more in line with your interests than Lauren’s?” Nico asked. Amazing World was an amusement park on the edge of Paris. Nico and Louis went occasionally, and Louis was always over the moon about the fun and scary rides. This year he had finally been tall enough to ride the Haunted Elevator, which he’d been wanting to do for years.

Louis shook his head firmly. “Lauren will love it. She loves fun things, just like me.”

Although Nico wasn’t sure he agreed, a plan was starting to take shape in his mind.

“Let me see what I can do, buddy.”

That Wednesday, Nico was waiting for Lauren outside her first classroom.

“Good morning, beautiful.” He smiled and handed her a single red rose. Lauren grinned, but she looked a little confused.

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