Page 50 of Oops, My Professor Got Me Pregnant!

“Okay. Thank you.” Lauren leaned against the wall, watching the last passengers board the flight. She was exhausted, so much so that she considered just paying whatever exorbitant fee the airline wanted to charge so that she could finally board, sit down, and bring an end to this long week. The thought of leaving Paris, and the people in it she loved, hurt, but it hurt more to drag this out.

Finally, the last few passengers trickled through the gate, and the flight attendant beckoned to Lauren.

“It looks like we’ll have room for your bag overhead,” she said kindly.

“Thank you.” Lauren managed a smile, then handed over her boarding pass and passport once again. As before, the attendant scanned the pass, then checked Lauren’s passport, before waving her through. Yet this time, as Lauren stepped through the gate, no one called her back. She entered the boarding tunnel, then cast one last glance back at the city that had come to feel like home. She imagined that everyone she loved was standing there, waving her off. Céline would be giving her a thumbs-up. Louis would be waving like he was trying to flag down a passing ship. Nico would be holding flowers and watching her go with those dark brown eyes.

Lauren did a double take. There was a flash of movement in the corner of the terminal and for a moment, she’d thought it really was Nico. Lauren shook her head to clear it. Nico wasn’t here. It was just her subconscious trying to give her the goodbye she hadn’t been able to have. Wasn’t it?

“Miss, please proceed down the tunnel.” The same flight attendant who had checked Lauren’s documents gestured for her to keep moving, and Lauren took a deep breath.

“Right. Sorry.” She turned away.

“Lauren!”

In that moment, time seemed to slow to the speed of molasses. The seconds dripped by as Lauren’s breath caught, as she turned back, as she caught sight of Nico standing in the waiting area. He waved to her.

“Nico?” Lauren’s hand flew to her mouth and she took a step back towards the waiting area. At the same time, Nico hurried toward her until he was standing just at the other side of the gate. “What are you doing here?”

“I came here to apologize.” Nico reached for her hands, but they were still a little too far away. “I should never have gone a week without speaking to you. I never want to again.”

“It’s fine.” Lauren’s heart was pounding. Had Nico really come all this way just to clear the air? It wasn’t fine that he’d ignored her at the most stressful moment of her life, but they’d both made mistakes in how they’d handled the baby news. Lauren could forgive him. The question was whether forgiveness was all he wanted.

“It isn’t, but we can come back to that. I can’t let you leave, not without knowing how I feel about you. How I’ve always felt about you.”

“Yes?”

“Lauren… I love you. I think I loved you a little since that first time I saw you on the sidewalk, doing your best to speak French even though you were lost and confused. And my love has only grown since then. You always make me smile. You make me see the world in a new way. You make my heart flutter every time I see you — whether you’re dressed up or in pajamas or covered in mud on a countryside adventure. Louis adores you. And I love you, Lauren. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

These were the exact words Lauren had been wanting to hear all week, and for even longer, yet she hesitated. Her hands clasped the straps of her backpack as she took a breath. Nico misread her hesitation.

“You don’t have to say it back. I want to be a part of your life, but I don’t want to force you into anything you aren’t ready for. I?—”

“Nico. Of course I love you, too. I’ve loved you for a long time. The time I’ve spent as a part of your family has been the best of my life. But the fact that you love me isn’t enough anymore, because it isn’t just me anymore.” Lauren’s hand dropped to her stomach and she lifted her gaze to Nico. As much as she wanted to melt into his arms, she knew that she had to be strong for herself and for her baby. She needed to make sure Nico understood what being with her meant.

“I know that.” Nico reached for Lauren’s hands again, and this time she stepped closer so that he could take them. The feeling of Nico’s large, warm hands on hers felt like a homecoming, but Lauren didn’t drop her guard. Not yet. “I know I reacted badly when I first found out about the baby. And to be honest, I still have a lot of questions. I’m not sure where we should live or how we should reshape our lives so that we’re ready to be parents, again. But what I do know is that I love you, and I love this baby. Louis was one of the best things that ever happened to me, even though he wasn’t planned, and I’m sure that our baby will be the same. We still have a lot of decisions to make, but I hope we can make them together.”

“Are you sure?” Lauren bit her lip. “You didn’t seem excited about diaper duty and sleepless nights.”

“Not exactly, but who is? I am excited about little fingers wrapping around mine, gummy smiles, first steps, and first words. And I’m most excited to experience all of that together, side by side.”

Finally, Lauren’s defenses dropped and she stepped into Nico’s arms. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

“I meant to invite you over for dinner.” Nico’s voice was soft in her ear. “I wanted to give you flowers and cook your favorite dinner and do all this in a much more private setting.”

At that, Lauren turned her head and saw that several flight attendants and more than a few travelers were watching them. She blushed crimson as their audience quickly tried to busy themselves with other tasks.

“Sorry, miss.” The flight attendant from before approached, slightly cautiously. “We really do need to finish boarding and seal the gate. Are you planning to get on or off?”

“Please stay.” Nico looked down at Lauren, his brown eyes full of emotion. “We can work everything out together. I promise.”

“Of course I’ll stay. I love you. Let’s just both agree to be honest with each other going forward — especially when it comes to our children.”

Nico’s face broke into a smile and he bent his head to capture Lauren’s mouth in a kiss. Warmth flooded Lauren, from her lips down to her toes, as she kissed Nico back. It was as passionate as all their previous kisses, yet there was a new dimension now. They loved each other. They were going to be parents together. Lauren was going to stay in Paris.

With that, everything seemed to fall away. The airport was gone, as were the onlookers, as was everything. It was just Lauren and Nico, together, wrapped in the warmth of their love and a long, sweet, lingering kiss.

And Lauren knew it would all be okay. As Nico had said, there were still a lot of questions to be answered, but Lauren wanted nothing more than to answer them all with Nico by her side.

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