Plus, it wasn’t my love life that was the talk of our little group. Apparently—and not to my surprise, because let me just say, I CALLED IT!—Em and Reeve had secretly been seeing each other since October. Yep, nearly four whole months. I guess I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. And with Em’s admission came the news that Reeve had swiftly ended things and left town to reconnect with his absent father, whom most of us didn’t even know existed.
I felt like a side character in the romantic dramas Stana and Em always made me watch with everything going on. Unplanned pregnancies, secret relationships… Who knows what’s coming next at this point?
It all led up to where I’m at right now, seven months pregnant and about to spill the beans to my parents. I already hear the silent judgment of many. How could I keep such a secret from them? What kind of horrible person am I?
But I know my mum. Despite no longer wanting to be in London, she’d drop everything and take care of me, and that’s just not what I need.
So, as I stand here in the lobby of their hotel, waiting for them to come, I manage to inhale a few shaky breaths. My jacket and bag hide most of my small stomach and I’m thankful I haven’t exploded yet, but it could still be coming.
“Darling!” I hear my mother across the lobby, her high heels ringing out against the marble floors as she rushes toward me. Her dark blonde hair is pinned atop her head, and she rocks a white skirt suit. My father is behind her, dressed in trousers and a button-down, his silver hair swept back while tortoiseshell glasses sit on the rim of his nose.
“Mum,” I say as I meet her halfway, pulling her in for a hug. My father isn’t far behind, his arms coming around the both of us.
“A little Lottie sandwich.” He grins down at me and for the first time, I realize how much I’ve missed them. I think when you’re away from someone for a long period of time, you can manage to convince yourself that their absence doesn’t impact you. Yet the moment you’re back together, you realize how untrue that is.
“I’ve really missed you guys,” I tell them, the smell of my mother’s familiar J’adore perfume filling my nose.
We pull away, my mum wiping under her eyes, which are now glassy.
“Should we go grab a bite to eat? Are you hungry?” Mum asks me.
Little does she know I’m always hungry.
“Actually,” I begin, “there’s something I’d like to talk to you both about before we go to lunch.”
My mum’s eyes widen, my dad taking a step forward. “Is everything okay, darling?”
I nod. “Yeah, it is. I’m okay. But there is something I need to get off my chest.”
Literally.
“Should we go back up to the room?”
I look to my father and nod. Although I know my parents and am hoping this won’t turn into a screaming match, you never know.
We walk toward the elevator, my dad slipping his large hand into mine. He gives it a tight squeeze, looking me over briefly.
The ride up is silent. I catch my parents looking at me a few times, but they cover up their worry with smiles.
It’s not long until we’re in the sitting area of their hotel room, both of them silent, waiting for me to start. And so I do. I recap everything that happened with Beck, all of which they already knew, and then my coming home to London and finally finding out I was pregnant in September.
Neither says a word as I continue, but I can see their gazes drifting toward my coat-covered stomach a few times. When I finish, my mum has tears in her eyes, but it’s my father’s silence that scares me the most.
“I know this is a lot to take in,” I say, “but I want you to know I kept this from you for a reason. I got myself into this situation and it was important to me that I handle it. I needed these months to process what was happening and figure out how I felt about it. It was never a personal slight against you, but I know you, Mum. You would have dropped your whole life to come help me, and as much as I love you for that, it’s not fair to you or me. I hope you can understand.”
She nods, her big eyes filled with tears.
“I know this is a lot to just dump in your laps, and I don’t expect you to have anything to say immediately. So I’m going to just step outside for a few minutes and give you both some time.”
I stand, their silence scaring me a little more than I thought, and swiftly exit the room. My shaky feet carry me to a chair by the elevator, and I quickly sit down and call Stana.
“How did it go?” she asks immediately.
“Well, I told them.”
“And?”
“They didn’t say anything. Like nothing. Both just sat there in silence.”
She pauses for a moment. “That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They probably are just processing.”
I nod even though she can’t see me. “I hope so.”
“Lottie, it’s Florence and Michael we’re talking about. They would do anything for you and we both know it. Plus, they’re probably the most understanding parents I know.”
“That is true,” I agree.
We speak for a few more minutes before I decide it’s probably best to go back inside. I don’t want them to think I’ve just left. I say my goodbyes to Stana and quickly message Owen before heading into the potential lion’s den.
Both of them are still sitting on the couch, their bodies angled toward one another. They stop speaking when I walk back in, my mother shooting off the couch toward me. She wraps her arms around me for a hug I didn’t know how much I needed.
After she pulls away, we walk back to my
