She just felt so ridiculously proud about the way her husbandneverfailed to thank everyone, and addressing them by names, too!
Paul pulled a chair out for her, and that was when she saw the placement holders.
Mr. and Mrs. Mitropoulos.
She couldn’t take her gaze off it as she took her seat. She was so, so tempted to reach for her phone, but...hesitated at the last second.To take or not to take a photo.That was the question, and—
Paul’s hand rested on the small of her back, distracting Andie from her thoughts as she turned to face him.
“I need to leave you for a moment,” he murmured.
“Oh, um, sure.” Andie smiled at him reassuringly, but as soon as he walked away...she took her phone out, having realized that it was his presence alone that had been holding her back. But now that he was no longer there—
Of course I’m going to take a photo of this, duh!
Andie took her phone out of her purse, but just as she was about to take the sneakiest little photo—
Her phone buzzed, a text message coming in...from Paul?
I’d like a copy of the photo, too, please.
Andie’s face went dark as she dropped her phone back in her purse and crossed her arms over her chest.
Ha!
Did he think he was funny, reading her mind like that?
Did he?
Well, she had news—
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of someone tapping a microphone for attention startled Andie out of her thoughts, and she quickly turned her attention to the stage. The event’s host was already there, and after giving the usual spiel to thank everyone for their attendance and support—
“And now, a word from our keynote speaker and this year’s biggest benefactor—ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Paul Mitropoulos.”
Andie couldn’t understand why her heart suddenly started pounding as Paul took his place behind the microphone.
“As you know, I love being the center of attention—”
Everyone laughed, Andie herself included.
“—so I’ll keep this brief.”
While Paul was no introvert, he was also rather notorious for keeping the press out of his personal life.
“My reason for donating toFull Termgoes almost four decades back. Lack of support, mental health problems, financial challenges—there was a lot of factors were in play, and so while I don’t condone her decision, I can understand why my biological mother, a young girl herself, not even eighteen—attempted to have me aborted—”
Gasps broke out from the crowd at his revelation, but this time, Andie was unable to make a sound.
“And failing that, she gave me up to Social Services instead.”
Andie bit her lip hard, but this didn’t stop it from trembling.
“I’ve been pretty open about growing up in foster care, so that part of my life shouldn’t be new to most of you. But what I’ve never shared until now is how I’ve always knownwhyI ended up that way—and I know I’m going to sound like a vengeful bastard in admitting this, but that also caused me to have a distorted view of the opposite sex in general. I was even convinced that I’d never trust any woman. But I was wrong.”
As Paul slowly turned her way, everyone also followed suit, and Andie could no longer keep the tears at bay.
