Gaël could only look at his ex-wife, his heart heavy. "I'm so damn sorry."
"I was so angry with you that night," Laura choked out, "I just wanted to hurt you back, and that's why I didn't deny anything. I let you think I did it deliberately, because I knew then you would always blame yourself—-"
"It was my fault," Gaël said bitterly. "I wasn't there when you needed me—-"
"It was nobody's fault, Gaël," she said painfully. "After all these years, don't you think it's time we both forgive ourselves?"
He could only stare at her, with a part of him still reeling from Laura's revelations.
"Callum needs us both."
Gaël's world spun off tangent at the reminder that he actually had a son. "H-how...how did you find out about him?"
"It was a few weeks after leaving you that I went for a checkup," Laura recalled. "I was experiencing what I thought were phantom pregnancy symptoms, and I wanted to get rid of them. It hurt to go through them, knowing that my baby girl was gone."
"And was that how you found out we had twins?"
"Yes." Laura let out a shaken laugh. "And I couldn't believe it at first, to be honest. I thought I had lost my mind, and it took several days before the truth really sank in, and that was when I got scared."
"You thought I'd take him away from you if I found out about him," Gaël said tightly.
"And you would have. Wouldn't you?"
Shame burned through him, but he forced himself to admit the truth. "Yes. I would have."
But Laura only nodded. "That's what I thought. And that's why I went as far away as I could. I was content to live the rest of my life with just Callum, but then Antonio came..."
"Does Callum think Antonio is his father?" Gaël forced himself to ask.
"You don't have to worry about that." Laura's voice was soft but firm, and the conviction in her tone allowed him to breathe a little easier.
"I told Callum that his father was always busy fighting bad monsters, but that one day he'd be able to meet you."
He gazed at her searchingly. "And did you mean it?"
Laura slowly shook her head. "If I had never met Antonio, I would never have risked letting Callum meet you and have you take him away. But when Antonio and I fell in love, I knew, because you and Antonio moved in the same circles...I knew it was only a matter of time before you'd find out the truth, and that was why I came to tonight's party. I was hoping to talk to you and tell you the truth about our son..."
Laura's voice caught, and his ex-wife started to cry again. "If not for your ward, I would have lost him, and I just..." Another sob rocked Laura's form. "I'm not a bad mother, I promise. He was just there one second, and then he was gone, so please, Gaël...please don't take him away—-"
"I won't."
Laura stared at her ex-husband, terrified to let herself hope. Gaël had always been honorable, but...this was his son. Could she really let herself believe that he meant to keep his promise?
"If you had come to me with this a few weeks ago, I might have done that. But I've...changed."
His ex-wife started crying again. "Do you truly mean that?"
"You have my word. All I want is to know him, and for my son to know me. I will never take him away from you, Laura. I promise you that, too."
Laura could only cry harder, with how her reunion with Gaël was turning out to be so much better than she had ever allowed herself to dream of. "Thank you," she choked out in a sob. "Thank you, Gaël. Thank you." And because Gaël was not the only one she owed Callum's life to—-
Gaël saw Laura's gaze drift to the door of Juliette's room. "Perhaps next time," he said quietly.
Laura hadn't trouble reading between the lines, and she nodded in understanding. None of the Bellecourts would want to see her, and it would stay this way until she had the chance to explain to them what had truly happened.
After several beats, Gaël said slowly, "You can visit her at home, too."
Laura looked at him uncertainly. "What does she know about me?"
"I'm not talking about Juliette."
Laura froze.
"We built a gazebo next to her resting place. Juliette also brings pink roses to her grave every day. I'm sure our daughter will love to see you again." His chest tightened as Laura's body shook at the strength of her weeping.
"What changed you?" Laura sobbed out. "I never thought you'd let her see me..."
Gaël squeezed his eyes shut at the question. "I fell in love again...and lost her like I lost you—-"
"You never did."
His head jerked up, and when his eyes flew open, the first thing he saw was Juliette, her frail body rocked by silent sobs, while the rest of their family stood behind her.