Page 43 of Doctor Billionaire's Surprise Baby

"Thank you, Mom. That means the world to me."

No matter what awaited us in the future, I knew I had my mother's support – and that was all I needed.

"Simone, my dear," she replied softly, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. "I may not understand all the decisions you make, but I trust your heart. If you believe in this, then I'll stand by you every step of the way."

"I can see how much you care about Hugo and how important he is to you," my mother continued, her warm brown eyes meeting mine with a gentle intensity. "I trust your judgment, and if you believe that this marriage is the right choice for both of you, then I support it wholeheartedly."

"Really, Mom?" I asked, hardly daring to believe that she was giving me her blessing so easily.

"Absolutely," she replied, her voice firm but loving. "You're my daughter, and I will always be here for you, no matter what life throws our way. And if Hugo is the one who makes you happy, then I welcome him as part of our family. And it's actually quite easy because he has been part of our family for so long."

I felt a warm glow spread through my chest at her words. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted my mom’s approval. But on the heels of all my grandmother’s concerns – this meant everything to me, knowing that she was genuinely happy for me.

"Thank you, Mom," I murmured, tears brimming in my eyes.

"Of course, sweetheart," she said, reaching across the table to give my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Now, why don't you tell me more about Hugo and your trip to Italy? I want to know all about the man who has captured my daughter's heart. I last saw him when he was younger and he was bad news then," she saidwith a teasing smile. As we shared stories about Hugo and our time together, I could feel the weight of my secret lifted from my shoulders. My mother's unwavering support allowed me to relax in the conversation, and I found myself laughing and smiling more freely than I had in weeks.

"Mom," I said after a while, feeling a renewed sense of confidence, "I promise you, Hugo is a good man. He's kind, intelligent, and incredibly dedicated to his work as a neurosurgeon. I truly believe that we can make each other happy."

"I believe you, Simone. And I know that you will face any challenges that come your way with strength and grace."

As we continued to talk late into the night, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. My relationship with my mom was sometimes strained, but it felt like this was progress forward. I felt closer to her than I’d felt in years, and it made my heart glow.

We cleaned up the dinner dishes and moved to the living room and her comfortable couch and some trashy reality television. That was one thing my mom and I had always agreed on – we loved our shows.

"Work has been keeping me busy," my mother admitted, her tired eyes betraying her exhaustion. "But I've also been taking some art classes at the local community center. They're quite therapeutic, you know."

"That's wonderful, Mom," I encouraged, smiling at her newfound passion. "I'm glad you've found something that brings you joy."

"And what about you?" she asked, her gaze softening with concern. "What have you been doing for yourself lately? I’d hate to see you lost in a relationship.”

I fought a grimace at her choice of words and took a deep breath.

“Well, I’m starting school in the fall and I anticipate that will keep me pretty busy. So I just want to take it easy this summer. Spend some time at the beach, read some good books. And, honestly, this relationship has been for myself, too. I've learned a lot about myself in this process, and I've grown stronger because of it."

"Simone, you've always had that strength within you," she replied gently. "You just needed to believe in yourself."

I hesitated before sharing the next part with her.

“Hugo’s family has been – well, they’ve been less than welcoming of me. They were pretty brutal to me when I was there.”

I sighed, allowing the flood of memories to wash over me.

"When we visited his family in Italy, they were cold and distant. They treated me like an outsider, especially his sisters, Giuliana and Giorgia. Even his parents didn't approve of our relationship."

"Simone, I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Mom said empathetically, her grip on my knee tightening. “Just remember that it says more about them than it says about you. You can choose your reaction, but you can't control what they say to you. How does Seth feel about all of this?”

“Well –” I paused before continuing, trying to collect my thoughts and figure out how to tell my mom that Seth was mostly clueless. She felt a lot of loyalty toward Seth and I was worried this part of the story might hurt our fragile reconnection. “So about Seth. He doesn’t know that I have feelings for Hugo. And he definitely doesn’t know that Hugo has feelings for me. He knows about the fake marriage and isn’t quite supportive but also isn’t against it, since it helps me with school and keeps Hugo in the U.S.”

Mom’s brows pinched together in confusion.

“Why haven’t you told him that you two are exploring a real relationship.”

“I wasn't sure if what we were doing was a real relationship, but I haven’t told Seth anything because I don’t want him to think I’m rushing into things or being impulsive. Plus, Hugo’s his best friend and I’m his sister. I can’t imagine he’d be thrilled about all of this.”

Mom sat back on the couch and thought about it for a minute. I held my breath, waiting for her to say something – anything.

“Simone, you’re a grown woman. And Hugo’s a grown man, for that matter. You both have every right to make your own decisions. If you’re in love with Hugo, that’s all that matters. Seth will understand. He’ll have to understand. What would he expect if he was supportive of you getting married, even if itwasfake, that you wouldn't start developing real feelings?”