Sophia sat in the plush chair across from Alexander, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of her glass. The tension in the room felt almost suffocating, every word hanging heavy between them. The sunlight from the window cast long shadows on the floor, painting the room in an almost ethereal glow. Yet, no amount of light could ease the darkness that had settled in Sophia's chest.
"I don't know if I can do this," she confessed, her voice a whisper, as though saying the words aloud would make them real. "I've spent so long running, keeping this secret buried."
Alexander, who had been watching her closely, leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on the polished surface of his desk. His eyes never left hers, his gaze intense yet strangely understanding. "You don't have to do this alone, Sophia. I'm not going to push you. But I need you to trust me."
Her chest tightened at his words. Trust him? After everything that had happened, after the years of hiding? Could she really trust him with the one thing she had vowed to protect?
"I don't even know where to begin," she admitted, her voice shaky. "There's so much you don't know about me. About what happened."
Alexander's expression softened. "Start wherever you feel comfortable. We don't have to do everything at once."
Sophia took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The words had been there for so long, waiting to be said, but the fear of what revealing them might mean kept her from speaking. But now, in the face of Alexander's unwavering gaze, she realized that holding back would only cause more damage.
"Two years ago," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "the night we... met. It wasn't just a one-time thing for me. It wasn't just a random encounter. I... I got pregnant."
The silence that followed felt deafening. Alexander didn't speak, but his eyes widened slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. He wasn't interrupting, though—he was listening, waiting for her to continue.
Sophia felt a lump form in her throat as she gathered her thoughts. "I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't even know if I should. I didn't want to complicate your life, especially when you didn't know anything about me. So I left. And I raised him on my own."
Alexander's expression remained unreadable, but his jaw tightened slightly. "A son?" he asked, his voice low.
Sophia nodded, tears welling in her eyes despite her best efforts to stay composed. "His name is Leo. He's two now. He's everything to me."
The weight of her words hung in the air between them. She watched as Alexander processed the information, his face unreadable. It was one thing to know he had a child out there—it was another to hear the words from the woman he never thought he'd see again.
"I didn't want you to feel obligated," she continued, her voice trembling. "I didn't want you to feel like you had to be part of his life. I thought I could do it on my own."
For a long moment, Alexander didn't speak. He simply sat there, absorbing the truth she had just laid before him. Then, slowly, he stood and walked around the desk to stand in front of her. His expression was a mixture of something unreadable—surprise, confusion, perhaps even awe.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice quieter now, as though he were searching for an answer that made sense of it all.
"I was afraid," she whispered, finally letting the tears fall. "I was afraid of what you might think, what you might say. I didn't know how to explain it. I didn't know how to be a mother, let alone... share that part of my life with you."
Alexander reached out, gently brushing the tears from her cheek. His touch was soft, tender, almost like he was afraid of breaking something fragile.
"I can't promise you that everything will be easy," he said, his voice steady. "But I can promise you this—I'm here. For you. For Leo."
Sophia's breath caught in her throat. This wasn't the response she had expected. She had expected anger, rejection, maybe even disappointment. But instead, there was understanding, a willingness to fight for something that neither of them had anticipated.
"I didn't think you'd want anything to do with us," she said, her voice breaking slightly.
Alexander gave a small, reassuring smile. "You didn't give me the chance to decide."
A quiet moment passed between them, before Sophia finally spoke again. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. For keeping him from you."
"Don't apologize," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "This is as much my responsibility as it is yours. And I'm not going anywhere."