Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
RICH
What did I want to do? That was easy. I wanted to be the sensible, decent man and take care of the woman I had impregnated. To stand by her, love her, and raise our child with her. But with my ‘permanent’ arrangement years ago, this didn’t seem like a conversation we needed to have just yet. Not beyond the basics we had covered at the start.
Apparently, I was wrong, and what I didn’t want to do was get it wrong all over again. “I can’t sway your decision one way or the other, Lucy. I’m older, I’ve had a child. I’ve done all that, and it’s your body. Ultimately, it needs to be what you want. But I’m here, whatever you choose.”
Lucy’s eyes got glassy again.
I took her hands in mine. “I know we talked about you having had the idea of all this cross your mind, but facing the reality of it is different. I know you want a career, too. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything. I will be here to support you, no matter what.” I reiterated my comments from earlier, wanting Lucy to know without a doubt I was there regardless of her decision.
“I know what I want.”
I nodded and braced myself for something I might not want to hear. It had to be what was right for Lucy because this was her life too, and this was huge.
“There has never been a single doubt in my mind that I want to keep this baby.” She glanced down at her still unswollen belly.
Relief washed over every inch of my body, and I couldn't help but grin at her.
“Then we keep our baby.” I beamed and put my arm around her, pulling her towards me for a kiss. I didn’t think I was going to be so happy in my life ever again. The woman I loved was carrying my child inside her. A child I didn’t realise that I was still capable of having.
“What about Annie?” she asked, bringing me back down to earth with a bump.
“She’ll come around, Luce. She loves you too much to fall out with you for too long, and she loves me and will eventually forgive me. It’s fine.” I knew the first part of my statement was true. I just hoped the last part would come to fruition. I didn’t want to gain a girlfriend and a child by forsaking my firstborn.