Page 26 of Oops, My Professor Got Me Pregnant!

Yet it probably wasn’t a good idea to tell her about Louis’s mother right now, either. Especially based on the blank expression on Lauren’s face. He’d already surprised her with a seven-year-old son, which she’d handled surprisingly well. The image of Lauren reading to and laughing with Louis during his bedtime routine wasn’t one he’d soon forget.

“Louis’s mother?” Lauren asked. Nico left the salad and came to sit with her at the table.

“Yes. Léa. She passed away almost five years ago, and I’ve been raising Louis as a single father ever since.”

“I’m so sorry.” Lauren put her hand on Nico’s and squeezed. Her eyes were now full of compassion.

“The book is about how, even when the people we love aren’t with us, they’re still looking down on us from the stars.” Nico smiled, though even he could feel that it was a little tight.

“That’s why you were so empathetic about my grandfather,” Lauren mused. “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to lose your wife, especially when Louis was so young.”

“Oh, we weren’t married. I should have clarified. We dated for a short time in college before deciding we’d be better off as friends. When Léa found out that she was pregnant, we both wanted to be involved in Louis’s life, but we agreed that we were better as co-parents than trying to force a romantic connection we didn’t feel. We were very close friends, but nothing more.”

“Still.” Lauren shook her head. “I feel so bad for Louis. And for you.”

“It’s been hard sometimes.” Nico released a breath. “But I didn’t ask you here so that I could tell you a sad story about my past. I asked you here to give you dinner and to apologize.”

“Apology accepted,” Lauren said. She gave Nico a small smile. “I was upset with you, but now that I know you had a good reason for leaving, I’m not upset anymore. Just don’t do it again.”

Nico felt hope stir in him at the mention of the word again. Hopefully, it meant that Lauren might be willing to spend more time with him. Yet it didn’t seem right to ask about her feelings so soon after telling her about Léa. He would wait.

“I won’t,” he said instead. Then he squeezed her hand once before getting to his feet. “I’ll just grab dinner and we can enjoy a more relaxed meal. I promise, no sad stories from this point on.”

“There’s no need to make that promise,” Lauren said as Nico reentered the kitchen. “I’m the one who brought up the sad story of my grandfather at our first dinner, after all.”

“What a pair of tragic people we are,” Nico joked.

“We are.” Lauren made an exaggerated sad face. “And if I don’t get dinner, I might get even sadder.”

“Well, there’s no need.” Nico slid the first platter onto the table. “Dinner is served.” He brought over the last two trays. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Maybe just a soda, if you have one. I have work tomorrow.”

“Right.” Nico offered her cola, which she accepted. “How are you finding teaching?”

“Well, I’ve only been doing it for one day.” Lauren grinned. “But I like it so far. The students are really interesting, and my boss, Céline, is wonderful.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I always liked Céline, although I haven’t spoken to her much.”

“How long have you been a professor?”

“About four years. When Louis was younger, I worked at a consulting firm. But when I became his sole parent, I knew I needed a more flexible job with more reasonable hours, so I started looking around. Now I’d never want to stop being a professor.”

“I’ve heard that from both you and Céline today.” Lauren leaned forward. “What do you like so much about teaching?”

“There’s something really wonderful about opening a student’s eyes to a whole new world. That can be teaching a French learner their first few sentences or helping a native speaker enjoy a classic text for the very first time. I also love watching my students grow. I’ve taught some students from their first year to graduation and seen how they developed a love of writing and reading that they didn’t have before. It’s really magical.” Nico reached for the dish of green beans. “Would you like some?”

“Yes, please. I definitely see how that could be magical. My favorite part of my last job was always talking to people and getting to know them. But it was in such short interactions.”

“And what was your last job?”

“I worked at a bank.” Lauren wrinkled her nose. “It wasn’t very exciting, if I’m being honest. Could I have a roll?”

“Of course.” Nico handed her the bread basket. “How long did you work there?”

“About… five years?” Lauren wrinkled her nose again. “Gosh, I can’t believe it was that long. But it was worth it, because it meant being with my grandfather. I’m still glad I have a new job now, though. I get the feeling teaching will be a better fit for me.”

“I would think it will be. Just remember, it can take a while getting used to working with students. Don’t worry if not everything clicks right away.”

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