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“Mothers know everything, my boy,” she laughs. “You still need my advice even at your age. Let me enjoy the moment.”

***

The conversation with my mother made things glaringly obvious to me. I was the one pushing her away. The doctor said to let her rest, not to abandon her to be alone and feel unwanted. Honesty, it was a stupid mistake.

The night after talking to my mother, I leave a note on Lara’s pillow while she’s sleeping in the afternoon. It’s an invitation to join me for dinner that same evening.

At eight o’clock, when she comes downstairs. I’m waiting for her.

“Hi, I thought you might want to get out of the room for a bit,” I smile, holding my hand out to guide her, not to the dining room, but towards the front door.

“Oh, Nestor, I’m not dressed to go out-out,” she says in a panic, glancing down at her sweatpants.

“No, but you can come and see something quickly.”

I push the door open, and parked at the bottom of the steps is a brand-new Audi.

“Because yours was ruined,” I smile, happy to be spoiling her.

“Oh, thank you, that’s very kind of you.”

“I also know how much you enjoy working on those data puzzles, so I got you this.” I hand her a new laptop, the latest MacBook Air.

“Nestor, thank you, this will definitely help.” She smiles, but her smile is tight.

“Um, and dinner is waiting for us in the dining room. I ordered Chinese, because you never got your chow mein.” As I say, I remember the day she phoned me. I can’t believe I forgot.She wanted to tell me something at dinner that night. Something important that she didn’t want to say over the phone.

She was going to tell me about the pregnancy. How could I have forgotten such an important thing? I can’t believe I’m only realizing this now.

We’re standing on the front step, staring at the car. I turn to face her and smile. “I realized something,” I say quietly, watching her.

“Mm?” She says, her shoulders tense, her arms wrapped around herself.

“I need to apologize.” I sigh.

“For what?” She knots her brows.

“I’ve been so caught up in my own head, thinking and overthinking about why you were hiding the pregnancy from me, but you weren’t. You were going to tell me that night, weren’t you? That's what you were talking about on the phone.”

She nods. “I was. I wanted to tell you in person.”

“I’m such an idiot,” I chuckle. I can’t believe I’ve been worried about all the reasons she was hiding it from me when she wasn’t.

I wrap my arm around her waist and Lara lets me lead her to the dining room, where she sits, too tense, too rigid, poking at her bowl of chow mein.

“Lara, what’s wrong? Please talk to me,” I say gently.

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the gifts, Nestor. It’s wonderful that you are providing me with the tools I need to work with you to solve all the stuff with Miron. It’s just that—"

“That’s not what this was about,” I say in surprise.

“What do you mean?” she looks up at me, her brows knitted.

“I didn’t want to give youtools—I just wanted to spoil you. I’ve also ordered perfume and a beautiful new dress for you for a date I want to take you on when you feel ready. It’s got nothing to do with work or Miron.”

“Oh. I thought you wanted to strengthen our professional relationship,” she says, setting her chopsticks down and watching me.

“Professional—" I laugh. “No, Lara. I want to see you smile. I want to spoil you by giving you everything your heart has ever wanted. I want to give you the world because—because I love you.”