Page 39 of Oops, My Professor Got Me Pregnant!

She would talk to Nico soon. She just needed a little time to decide on the best way to tell him. And to get used to the idea that in just a few months’ time, she was going to become a mother.

Even though Céline had told her to be honest, it was better to tell Nico the right way than just to blurt out her news. Surely he would understand if she delayed for a day or two.

CHAPTER 15

NICO

Lauren sat on the living room floor beside Louis. The two of them were assembling a da-Vinci-themed puzzle, which Nico thought might be a little advanced for a seven-year-old, but Louis had been so excited that he had gotten it for him anyway. It was a gorgeous rainy Sunday. There was a fire in the fireplace, the two people Nico cared about most were near him, and everything should have been perfect.

Something felt off, though. Nico couldn’t quite put into words what it was, but Lauren had seemed distant all week. And she’d decided to sleep at her own apartment last night, even though she’d been over for dinner last night and was here again today.

This morning, while Louis had been doing a little homework at the kitchen table, Nico had pulled Lauren aside to ask what was wrong. She’d shrugged and told him that everything was just fine, but it didn’t seem fine to Nico. Perhaps she was homesick. Maybe dating a single father was turning into a little too much work. Or she could be sick — Nico had noticed that she looked a little pale and tired, though she was still as lovely as ever.

Whatever it was, it bothered Nico a little that she didn’t want to talk to him. Although they hadn’t been dating long, and although they’d agreed to take things slowly, he and Lauren had always been able to talk to each other. It was worrying that she wasn’t talking to him now.

“Is it lunchtime?” Louis asked from the floor. Nico chuckled, distracted from his worries about Lauren.

“It’s almost lunchtime.”

“Can I have it here on the floor?” Louis made puppy eyes. “I want to finish the puzzle.”

“You can get right back to the puzzle after lunch,” Nico suggested.

“Ah, man.”

“Don’t worry, the puzzle will be waiting for you right here.” Lauren patted a pile of pieces. “It won’t run away.”

Louis chuckled and reached for another piece. “I think this is part of the Vesuvian Man,” he said.

“I think you’re right; that looks like the arm of the Vitruvian Man.”

Nico smiled at the way Lauren gently corrected Louis, and at the way his son fitted the piece easily into place. The fact that Lauren was still here, playing with Louis and spending time with the two of them, gave Nico hope that whatever she was sad or worried about would pass.

“Lauren, would you like to help with lunch?”

“Sure.” Lauren got to her feet, ruffled Louis’s hair, and followed Nico to the kitchen. “What do you need help with?”

“Nothing specific. I just wanted to kiss you.” Nico leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on Lauren’s mouth. When she leaned against him, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her another, deeper kiss. In that moment, with his lips on hers and her soft curves pressed against him, Nico felt that all would be well.

“You can tell me anything,” he said when the kiss ended. “You know that, right?”

“Of course.” Lauren rested her head against Nico’s chest. “I was wondering… you… you’re happy with how your life has gone, aren’t you?”

Nico pulled away so that he could look at her. Her expression was shuttered.

“Of course I am. I love Louis. I lo— I’m very glad I met you.” He’d almost slipped there. Even if he was ready to tell Lauren that he loved her, and perhaps he almost was, this wasn’t the time or place. The first time he said he loved her needed to be perfect and romantic, not in his kitchen on a random Sunday when she was clearly distracted.

“So, you’d do it all again? Meet Léa, and raise Louis, and everything?”

“I suppose — so that I could get to where I am now. This life is getting more and more perfect, especially the older Louis gets. But it was very hard when he was a baby and a toddler. It would be hard to start again at this point.”

“Yeah.” Lauren bit her lip. “Of course.”

Just like that, Nico realized what must be bothering her. If Lauren, like Nico, was considering a future together, she might be questioning what that future would look like. Since Nico was already a father, perhaps she was questioning whether he wanted more children down the road.

“If you’re worried about us,” Nico said, pulling Lauren closer, “don’t be. Just because I don’t want to dive back into the newborn days doesn’t mean that I won’t want another child eventually.”

“Right.” Lauren gave a slightly thin smile, and Nico kissed her quickly on the cheek.

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