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"Why?" he asks, his voice raspy with eot a taste as well of the flatness in my voice that happens when I talk about them It's the way I have to keep the emotional distance from the pain they've inflicted on me

"My parents never wanted children," I tell him, and his brows furrow deeply inward at my confession "I was an

accident, born to two cohly successful people who didn't have time to devote to kids when they had to cultivate their success"

"How do you know this?" Luc asks, and I can tell by the fury in his voice and the heat in his eyes that there was no way he'd ever turn his back on his child He may have been scared at first, and he may be a playboy, but Luc is a family man for sure

He'd never want to know that I'd sneak around our huge mansion and spy on my parents just so I could see them Hoitnessed them have millions of conversations with each other, and it was never aboutbad, they would remind me of why they didn't want kids It was a coet me to behave, but all it did was make me act out more so I could be noticed

I can't tell him any of that because it's almost unbelievable that two people who created the lectful

I choose not to answer his question, as it's also too painful for ure, so I deflect "Can I ask you why you decided to junancy?"

"I didn't want to at first," he says soberly "I didn't want to give up my lifestyle, and I sure didn't want that responsibility at this stage in my life I was pissed and I was selfish I can't speak for your experience, but forin the world to me is my family We're so close and supportive of each other Max was the first one I turned to, and he gave me all the reassurance I needed so I'd have the confidence to go forward And I just realized that this little 'accident' we had would do nothing but enrich my family"

I wince as he uses the word accident, because he's not saying it negatively but so I would understand it's a blessing to someone like hih it's a little hard for me to s that he seems so on board with this now

"Don't you have any doubts?" I press him "You just seem so cool with all this"

Luc smiles at me, and my breath catches at how beautiful his face is "I'm still scared, Stephy But I'm also excited too I've alanted kids and it's just happening on a different timetable than what I expected"

Not me Not ever

Well, until now

"Have you told your parents?" I ask him

He shakes his head "I thought we should wait until after your first OB appointet the were to happen early on"

I nod in understanding, and I' excited over this Their son knocked up a one-night stand Why would that cause excitement?

But as I said, fan concept to Luc that I'hten hih so he knows that the only one on my side he'll ever have to deal with is me

"My first cohesive memories as a child are of Hilda, ht at those words I can't hold his gaze, so I put a hand to his shoulder and stare at that "I thought she wastime, and wasn't quite sure who my mom and dad were They would flit in and out, pat ifts, but I just didn't understand what my relationship was to them I can remember one time I called Hilda Mommy and she explained to ot older, it became even clearer to ot sent off to boarding school when I was nine Until I graduated high school, I spent most of my time away from home"

"The summers?" Luc asks softly

"I was enrolled in ca, fencingwhatever rich snotty brats do, I was there"

Luc shifts, settling his frame down onto mine, but still keeps his torso off ht "So you had absolutely no relationship with your parents?"

"They'd say hello to me if we crossed paths in the house, or they'd buy me whatever I needed I had an unlimited credit card froether right after they graduated froe and they worked ninety-hour weeks Then to co vacations without me because they were rich and could afford to My dad was from money anyway, so it was just their lifestyle"

"I don't understand What about holidays? And birthdays?"

"My birthday is in October, so I was always at school," I tell hio flat "At Christmas there were lots of presents, but no parents to open theht all of the presents and played Santa Claus"

"I can't fucking believe this," he says angrily, but it's not in a way that he's doubting me He's pissed on my behalf, and that disconcerts me "You had absolutely no family? Ever?"

"I had Hilda for a long ti to my face as I think of her "She had been rand when I was born, but I guess she stayed on because she knew my parents didn't want me "

"And she's dead now?" Luc asks for clarification