Iris's POV
I heard people murmuring behind me.
"Luke is so lucky. His mom comes to every exhibition."
Another voice chimed in with a laugh.
"Yes. And the couple seems so in love. A talented kid, a perfect family."
My body went rigid.
"His mom comes to every exhibition"---those words pierced my ears like needles.
So this wasn't the first time.
This woman had always been there, always appearing as his mother.
The sounds of the crowd surged back---laughter, congratulations, praise.
They surrounded me, yet none of it was meant for me.
An exhibition themed "My Mother," starring my husband, the son I'd carried for ten months, and my son's "Mommy." I was just the human who'd delivered Luke, the nanny who handled discipline and restriction.
The love and joy of motherhood had long been handed to someone else by Lucien.
