She shrugged like it was kind of a dumb question. “He has no issues. He’s just glad he got Faith and Bob Matteo for parents. He really had a charmed childhood—lived on the water, in a small town, superstar in high school and college.”
And what child wouldn’t want that?
“How did…Tessa find them?” Was that a weirdly direct and stupid question? She didn’t know, but again, Lacey didn’t seem to think much of it.
“I think Tessa’s father—you’ve heard them talk about Artie? I think he handled it for her. Apparently, he was awesome and gave Roman the fishing gene. But as far as being adopted, it was the best thing that ever happened to him.”
The words settled like a stone in Meredith’s chest.
“And Tessa?”
“Oh.” Lacey leaned back. “There was drama. She was upset that I’d broken my promise to her and that she’d spent weeks getting to know him under false pretenses, but she forgave us, and all is well.”
“How did she feel about…giving up a child for adoption?”
“It must have left a hole in her heart because I actually guessed,” Lacey said.
“How?”
“I could see her expression change to wistful sadness whenever the subject of her not ever having children came up.”
Meredith shifted, eyed the untouched wine, and took another drink of water.
“Do you think,” she said carefully, “that Roman ever felt like…something was missing?”
Lacey considered that. “We’ve talked about that, obviously. He said no. That he always felt chosen, not abandoned. And now that he’s met Tessa, it just added to the good in his life. It didn’t replace anything, but he says it made his world bigger.”
“And his parents agree?”
“They’re grateful to her, too. She was twenty-five, you know, so not a scared teenager. She could have had a baby and, knowing Tessa, who is smart and accomplished like you? She’d have slayed motherhood. But she made what everyone thinks is a very unselfish decision, and so many people benefited from it.”
Meredith blinked against the sudden sting in her eyes. “Sounds like he got lucky.”
“He got loved,” Lacey said. “And he’s the kind of guy who makes the most of what he’s given.”
Meredith’s chest tightened. Her fingers moved to her stomach without thinking. Still flat. Still secret. Still hers…for now.
Lacey leaned across the table, reaching toward her. “You okay, Mer?”
“Oh, yeah,” she said quickly. “It’s just…quite a story. And, hey, I’m a little jealous of that NFL box.”
“You? Jealous of me?” she scoffed. “I’ve looked up to you for so long my neck hurts. You’ve always had it together more than anyone I’ve ever known. To hear your father talk about how you run Acacia Architecture for him? Nothing’s changed.”
Oh, but everything had changed. One mistake and—poof—all changed.
“I mean, Meredith, you’ve been the gold standard forever—school, career, style, ambition…”
Meredith gave a soft laugh to cover the ache inside. She sure wasn’t going to be the gold standard when they all found out how dumb she was.
Maybe she could go somewhere, take a long trip, give the baby up for adoption, and come back and be like Tessa.
Meredith swallowed hard and looked away.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lacey pressed, a frown pulling over her big blue eyes. “’Cause you seem…off.”
“I am off,” she admitted. “Probably because I haven’t had a vacation in, well, ever, and this place feels like I’m living on vacation.” She rooted around for a good and safe subject as she picked at what was left of her dinner. “So, Aunt Vivien. Your mom juggling two men? Now that’s something I never thought I’d see.”
The two of them had spent endless hours discussing Lacey’s parents’ divorce, her father’s classic mid-life crisis, and her mother’s incredible strength through the trauma of it all.
