Professor Astor (Off-Limits)

I pin my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I open up my laptop. “Are you really not going home?” Thor asks. “You’ve been at your sister’s house for a week now.”

I shake my head, even though he can’t see me. “My dad told me not to return until I came to my senses, and I never will. I won’t leave you just because he’s scared of what people might say about us.”

“Why don’t you just come stay here? I miss you. The kids hate the new nanny, and they’re so sulky I can barely take it. It’s obvious they miss you too. Maybe we should just put them out of their misery.”

“They miss me, really?”

He chuckles and I hear the sound of rustling sheets. I let my eyes fall closed for a moment, imagining myself in his bed. I miss him, but we’ve had to be cautious lately. The last thing I want to do is aggravate the college’s board, or my father.

“They do. I see Lucy staring at her phone for hours every day, and I don’t think it’s her mum she’s scared to text. Those two still talk on the phone regularly. Colton can’t even play the games he’s so obsessed with without his expression turning somber. Honestly, it’s like I’m watching them go through their first heartbreak, except the one they lost is you. I hope they snap out of it soon and reach out to you. I told them I won’t do it for them.”

I click on the Discord app that Colton and I often use to chat on, and my heart skips a beat when I see a message from him.

“Adrian,” I whisper.

“Wow, full name, huh? What happened?”

“You let Colton go to bed without checking that he doesn’t have his laptop.”

“I… how do you know that?”

“He messaged me. He’s online right now. Don’t go intervene, please? I want to talk to him.”

“Is it chat or audio?”

“Usually we start off on chat and then we use our microphones.”

“Can you put me on speaker, Ley? I want to know what this kiddo is thinking.”

I nod and do as he asks, placing my phone next to my laptop. I’m nervous as I click on the chat.

RblxColt: Ley?

I transcribe for Thor as I type my reply.

PrincessLeia: Hi Colt. Everything okay?

RblxColt: Yes. I couldn’t sleep, and I just wanted to message you to tell you that I don’t hate you at all. I keep thinking about you being sad because you think I don’t love you anymore, and it makes me sad too.

Oh, this kid. My voice wavers as I tell Thor what his amazing son just messaged me.

“Told you, baby. The kids miss you like crazy. I knew Colt would be the first to cave. How are you going to respond? You’re going to give in immediately, aren’t you? Make them sweat a little. We should help them build some character. They should learn that there are consequences to all their actions, and that they can’t get away with hurting feelings so easily.”

He’s probably right, but I can’t do that to my Colt.

PrincessLeia: I know you don’t hate me, Colt. It’s okay. I do miss you, though. Is your new nanny nice to you?

“Leia,” Thor warns me when I read out my message. “You can’t let the kids get away with the way they treated you.”

I ignore him. They’re kids who were heavily influenced by their mother. I won’t punish them any further. I just want to restore our relationship as best as we can.

RblxColt: she’s okay but she’s not you. I miss you too. I know Lucy does too. Can’t you just come home? Please, Ley?

I sniff loudly, my heart clenching tightly. Home, huh? “Thor,” I murmur. “What do I say?”

I hear him chuckle over the phone and let my eyes fall closed for a moment, imagining his smile. “It’s up to you, Princess… but I’d also like you to come home.”

“Should I say that I can come see him? I don’t know. What about Lucy?”

“I don’t think you should, to be honest. I don’t want them to think that you’ll always forgive them. I doubt Alice is done messing with us, and I want to be sure they won’t respond this way the next time. They need to learn that they can really lose you. I don’t want this to become a vicious cycle.”

“I get it,” I tell him. “I do, but how can I possibly deny him? I miss him too. I want to see him, Thor.”

He sighs loudly, the way he does when he’s trying to be patient. I get what he’s saying, but my heart hurts at the thought of Colt sitting in his room with his laptop, mustering up the courage to message me. I just want to hug him and tell him everything is okay.

“I’ll just tell him that I would love to see him, but that I’m still a little hurt and worried that Lucy won’t want to see me. How about that?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” he agrees. “They’re blessed to have you, you know? We all are.”

I smile as I type my message to Colton, hoping it’ll set him at ease while still teaching him what Thor wants him to learn.

Colton turns his mic on, and I warn Thor to remain quiet while I speak to him. I’m more than willing to let him in on this conversation with his son, but I don’t want Colton to feel betrayed.

“Ley,” Colton says. “I miss you. I’m sorry that I went along with Lucy and ignored you like that. It was mean, and you always tell us to be kind.”

“I miss you too, Colt,” I tell him honestly.

“If I talk to Lucy and she wants to see you too, will you come? Lucy was really shocked when she heard Mum say that she’s the one who asked for a divorce. I never believed that anything was your fault, but Lucy did. I think she feels guilty. When she gets like that she just gets quiet because she doesn’t know what to say, but I’m so sure that she really misses you.”

“You really know your sister well, huh?”

“We’re twins, Ley.”

“All right, Colt. Talk to your sister, and if she wants to see me too, I’ll come over. How does that sound?”

“Yes!” he says, his relief and excitement evident in his voice.

I chuckle, I can’t help it. “Shouldn’t you be asleep right now, sweetheart?”

He groans. “I’m going to bed now, Ley. I promise. I just wanted to speak to you.”

I love this kid. I really do. “Okay, go to bed now then. I’ll speak to you soon, okay?”

“Can I message you tomorrow? Will you play Roblox with me tomorrow after school, like we used to?”

Thor would probably want me to hold back a little, but I can’t. “Yes,” I tell him. “I’ll be online. I promise.”

My heart is overflowing with happiness when I close my laptop after making sure Colton went offline. “You couldn’t help yourself, could you?” Thor asks the moment I unmute him.

“Nope,” I admit. “I can’t wait till I see them again!”

He bursts out laughing, and I snuggle into my pillow, imagining myself in his arms. “I love you, Leia. You’re already the best mother to my kids, but I still can’t wait to have a daughter with your eyes and smile. I bet she’s going to be beautiful.”

I bite down on my lip, speechless for a moment. “It won’t be easy,” I whisper. “We might never have a child.”

Thor sighs, the sound of sheets rustling coming through the phone. “Princess, I didn’t even believe in fate before I met you, but how could this be anything but? I met you two years ago and never forgot you. Within days of me returning to the country, you showed up in front of me. Each time I fought our connection, you showed up in another part of my life. This was inevitable. You and I are meant to be, and you know it. I’m certain we’ll have a child together. I can already see her when I close my eyes.”

I swallow hard, my emotions getting the best of me. “I love you so much, Thor. I’m so worried about everything. The kids, my parents, my education… everything.”

“Don’t be, baby. I called your sister today. My family and I are going to see yours tomorrow.”

“What?”

“Asha recommended that we sort of ambush them, which I’m not sure I agree with, but I’m going to follow your sister’s lead on this. I get that it won’t be easy, baby, and yeah, right now it does feel like all the happiness we fought so hard for is turning against us. But here’s the thing… all relationships have ups and down, just like life does. We’re going to face obstacles together, and the ones we’ve faced so far would’ve broken up most couples, but not us. If anything, it just made us stronger. I’ve never felt more certain about anything in life. You’re it for me. I might not be the man your parents might want for you, but I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that no one could ever love you like I do. I swear to you, Leia. You’ll never regret choosing to be with me. I might not fully understand your culture, but I’m willing to learn. You won’t miss out on anything by being with me. I’ll make sure of it.”

Hot tears stream down my face as I clutch my phone tightly. He’s right. Through all these trials and tribulations, my heart has stayed calm. He’s the one for me — now we just need to make the world accept it.