“By the way, here’s my business card.” He added.“Lee Tung.”Audrey took his card.“You are a Michelin-rated chef?! I can’t afford it.”She was surprised.“And I am not Mrs Reynolds.” Audrey added.“No worries, you don’t need to pay me. Lucien called me to prepare dinner for his wife.”The door suddenly opened, Lucien was coming back from the grocery store, with two bags on his hands.“Oh, you’re awake.How’re you feeling?” He looked at Audrey.Emma took a glance at the chef, and said nothing.“Lee,I bought everything on your list.” Lucien said.“Especially the vinegar from your hometown, ZhenJiang.” He added.“Are you sure it’s the right one?” Lee asked.Lucien picked up the bottle to show Lee.“Not the brand I always use, but it’ll do the trick. Now let the magic begin.” Lee walked towards the kitchen, and closed the door.“You don’t have to do this.” Audrey looked at Lucien, and walked towards the couch.Before he said anything,she felt her baby was kicked .Lucien noticed Audrey migh
“You call that a place setting?” Lee scolded. “Have you ever set a table in your life?”“No, I actually haven’t. Pampered, rich brat upbringing and all that. You know?” Lucien teased.“Ugh. You poor little rich boys,” Lee shook his head. “At least you’re trying, I guess. Here. Use this photo as a guide.”Lee shoved a phone at him, and Lucien did his best to replicate the picture.‘A baby,’he thought.’I’m going to be a father.’The thought both excited and terrified him. But more than anything, he knew he would be a good parent. He had to prove to Audrey that he was capable of loving someone. That he could pour his whole heart into caring for another person.‘BUT WE ARE NEVER EVER, EVER, EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER!’The song played loudly suddenly, startling Lucien and Lee.Tracy chuckled behind the door.“Seriously?” she teased her friend. “That’s your ringtone?”“It’s my favorite song,” Audrey groaned from behind her hands. Her face was hot with embarrassment.“Sure, it is. Sounds mor
“No! I wasn’t!” Her hands fell to her mouth. She had never admitted that out loud.Lucien felt an icy stab in his chest. Jealously, anger, pain, betrayal all swirled within him. But the worst is that he knew he had no one to blame but himself.“Lucien.”she squeaked. “I wasn’t going to tell you. I was afraid. You hurt me so much. To protect myself I thought it was best to never see you again.”“You’ll never know how much I regret that.”“I wanted to hate you… but I…” she gasped. A sharp pain shot through her belly. She grabbed the edge of the table for support.“What is it?” Tracy and Lucien shot up and said in unison.Another stab of pain shot through Audrey, taking her breath away.“I think… I think I’m having contractions.”“Don’t panic,” Audrey stood, taking control of the situation. “The go bag is already packed. I’ll call the doctor and then Damian on the way there.” She delegated.“No!” Lucien yelled. “Why him? Why does he get to be a part of this? Why do you need him and not me
Goddamnit,Audrey! I’m trying to do what’s right!”“What’s ‘right’ would have been if you hadn’t left me in the first place!”“It’s what you wanted! Why are you fighting me on everything?”“Because I don’t need you!”“I’m not saying you do,” He countered, trying his best to pretend that statement didn’t hurt. “But I am going to take care of you. And our baby.”“My baby!”“Our baby, Audrey,” Lucien repeated. “Our baby. No matter how much you hate me, you can’t change the fact that I am that baby’s father. I want to do this with you, alongside you. Don’t use this child as a weapon against me.”Audrey gasped, and she wiped the tears off her face.‘Ooh, that one hurt.’Tracy thought.Lucien waited for a retort, but Audrey didn’t say anything.“I’m going to arrange a better room for you,” Lucien walked out.“Is that what I’m doing?” Audrey whimpered, looking over at Tracy. “Am I using the baby as a weapon against him?”“Em, you’re overly emotional right now with months of repressed feelings
How is that going?”“About as well as you’d expect.”“When are you coming home? Carl and I miss you.”“I miss you both too. I’ll go home after she has the baby. I want to be here for her.”“Okay. Tell Lucien I said hi. I’ve called him and he hasn’t answered. I imagine he’s preoccupied.”“Yeah, he is. I’ll tell him. Kiss our baby good night for me.”Tracy hated being away from her son, but she had to be there for her friend. She could only hope her child had a friend like that someday. Someone to watch over him no matter what.The three of them slept in the hospital room. Lucien slept on a pullout sofa, and Tracy shared the bed with Audrey. The night was peaceful, quiet. Each of them slept, their dreams taking them in very different directions.Suddenly, Tracy felt something squeezing her hand.“Audrey?” Tracy rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What’s happening?”Audrey’s eyes were screwed shut, and her hold on Tracy’s hand tightened.“My water broke. Everything hurts. I think… I think t
Tracy narrowed her eyes at him. Something was wrong. His tone was… off. She couldn’t quite place it, but something didn’t seem right.“Tell me something,” he said.“Did Mark feel like this? Like the center of his universe suddenly shifted? Like he was willing to walk through hellfire, if it meant keeping this little person he’d just met safe?”“It’s remarkable, isn’t it? How quickly they take over us?” Tracy was starry eyed. “When Carl was born, Mark was someone else. Every priority just changed. Nothing else mattered.”“I’d do anything for her. Be anything for her. I never knew I could love someone so much… so completely. I’d… destroy anyone that even thinks about hurting her.”“Is… everything okay, Lucien?” Tracy asked. His stance was rigid, as though something else had taken hold of him.“Yeah, it’s fine,” he answered. “It’s just… I want to be good enough for her. I need to be good enough for her.” He was thrilled to be a father, but terror had crept into his heart. There was more
“I know this seems like a lot. But you’ll see,” Minnie winked. “You’ll be thankful for the help.”“And the company,” Kelly said.Audrey quickly learned they were right. Kelly was sweet, attentive, and caring. Minnie was snarky, sarcastic, and funny. She liked them immediately. It was clear that they knew what they were doing, as they were an immense help to just that first night alone.Audrey had no idea that babies got up every two hours, and by morning she was a frazzled mess. It would have been a million times worse if Minnie and Kelly hadn’t been there.Bella’s first week home, Lucien was there every day.Audrey had begun to get used to his presence and actually looked forward to his visits.“Sorry I’m late,” he said one day.“Just in time for dinner,” Minnie said, ushering him to the table.Bella’s bassinet had been set up by the table.“Hi, Lucien.”Audrey said as she emerged from the nursery. “Look, she opened her eyes.They were right.Lucien looked at his daughter and bright h
We have a lot of history here,” she said. “In the schoolyard. It’s where you kissed me for the first time, where you first told me you loved me… do you remember?” Her voice was high pitched and far away. He looked back at her. Her eyes were red, puffy and her pupils were dilated.“Are you… okay?” he raised an eyebrow.“I miss us. I know I pushed you away and did some things I’m not proud of. But it was all because I love you.”“Mia—”“Please let me finish,” she put a hand up. “No one is ever going to know you or love you the way I do. No one.Audrey is nothing and no one compared to me. I’m willing to forget everything that happened if you do. We can start over. Run away, just you and me.”“You’ve got to be kidding.”“Please,Lucien. I know you love me! I know you want to be with me!” she cried. Tears streamed down her face. “You want me!”“I tried to be as clear as I could,Mia. I do not want to be with you. I do not want anything to do with you anymore. Ever.”“Then why are you here?”