Rudy was in the bathtub— naked, while Eleanor was sitting on Rudy's lap in the bathtub— clothed.
"Is everything okay? You haven't said anything in a while now."
"I am just processing everything and… what comes ahead."
"If you knew that Eric and Erika are your kids, why would you still ask me if they were ours?"
"I just thought of the possibility that they were adopted. As crazy as it sounds… I am my best friend's father. If he wasn't my kid, I could still continue being his best friend, but no, I can't even look him in the eyes.
As you said, I had a faint guess that you were Eleanor, but I didn't want to admit it. And when you asked me to impregnate you, it made me wonder if this is how things were going to work out.
I realized that if I didn't impregnate you, Eric and Erika would never be born. They are an important part of my life, and I couldn't risk losing them. Had it been someone else whom I wasn't acquainted with, I couldn't have cared less, but then again, I wouldn't have been so hesitant to impregnate you if that was the case."
"I guess…"
"We should tell Eric and Erika about me… about us… everything. When will Erika return?"
"Soon. But I don't want to tell them everything."
"Are you seriously throwing all that on me? I can't do it alone… come on."
"No… I don't want to tell them anything. Neither do I want you to tell them."
"Wait, you plan to keep it a secret? Elena, you know I can't do that. It's too much. Eric and Erika deserve to know everything. They are my children. They are the Lord's children."
"They are Rudy's children," Eleanor corrected RUdy.
"It's the same thing."
"Maybe for you. I want to keep my children away from all this. I don't want our children to be exposed to this madness."
"What madness are you talking about?"
"Everything… the truth. The Lord and the powers… the worlds… the races… magic… everything. I don't want Eric and Erika to be involved in all this."
"How else are we supposed to explain to them? How will I tell them about time travel and how we met in the past?"
"Did you not hear a word I just said? I don't want to tell them anything!"
"So you plan to keep them in the dark? Elena, I know this must be tough for you, but believe me… it's tougher for me. And my conscience will feel guilty if I don't tell them the truth."
"Is that all?"
"What?"
"Why do I think that you will feel guilty because you see me as your best friend's mother and not as your children's mother?"
"That's partly the reason, yes. And that's why we have to tell them."
"We don't have to. Please… Rudy. Can't you do that for me? I have done so much for you. Please?"
"You can't use the 'please' card like this. I know you raised them all by yourself, and you naturally have more authority over them than I did, but… if we don't tell them…. then every time I look at them… I will feel… I will feel like shit, honestly."
Rudy stuttered a little as he said that.
"Is that the only reason?"
"Yes."
"Then the solution is simple."
"Please don't tell me that I just don't have to look at them to feel that way, because that's extremely impossible."
"They won't be present for you to look at them."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Erika will return home soon, but she is most likely coming for a short vacation. She will pursue higher studies overseas, so you won't meet her that often. As for Eric, he will also go to the university overseas next year. So the problem is solved, right?"
"Mind you, we are still in the first year of high school."
"That's for others, not for smarties like you and your son."
"Hmm?"
"Because of the apocalypse and the pandemic, five years were wasted. There are eighteen years old who are enrolling in middle school. The education system is more messed up than it ever was.
The world education organization has devised a plan to avoid destroying students' futures. They will conduct a special exam for the students who have met the required age and have an eligible IQ to take that exam.
If students pass that exam, they can skip their way to the university. Erika is already in the university without even giving that exam. While you, your son, and Alice can give that exam and enroll in a university of your choice without wasting your precious youth years."
"First of all, I haven't heard anything about such an exam. And second, would you please stop referring to Eric as my son?"
"But he is your son."
"But you don't have to taunt me. Why do you like teasing the 'fragile and weak-hearted' me so much?"
"Ah!" Eleanor scoffed softly and rolled her eyes. "Yes, weak-hearted."
"Leave it. I am sure you will just tease me more the more I react."
"So…" Eleanor looked into Rudy's eyes and asked, "Now you have no problems, right?"
"I mean… yes, but I seriously think we should tell them, Elena. Don't you think they should know?" he asked calmly.
"If I wanted to tell them, I would have told them when they were kids. Whenever they asked me about their father, I told them that he had gone somewhere. If I wanted, I could have told them that their father died before they were born."
"..."
"And they would have believed me. But I didn't want to lie to them. So I told them the truth. Yes, they hate their father, but it's not the hate you think it is. Also, they might start hating you, too, if they learn the truth.
Your friendly relationship with them will shatter. You will lose both of them from your life." Eleanor held Rudy's face in her hands and continued, "If you think it's best to tell them everything, then you are wrong. Telling them the truth would do more harm than good."
Rudy pondered for a while and nodded, "Okay."
