No Strings Attached

When Clara saw Anders again, it was on the night they celebrated Alicia becoming her godmother.

He looked like he had lost a ton of weight. His eyes were sunken, and his complexion pale as chalk. He stood in the hallway, forlornly puffing on a cigarette alone.

Clara approached, offering him a bottle of water and said softly, "Anders, have you found Orin's mom yet?"

Anders' red-rimmed eyes met hers. "Clara, I'm sorry. I've let you down."

Clara shook her head with a smile, "Don't beat yourself up. We never really got started. Cutting our losses now is the best thing for both of us. I don't want you to turn into one of those deadbeat jerks I loathe."

Anders closed his eyes in pain, his voice husky and weak. "Orin's had leukemia since he was little. None of our relatives were a match for a bone marrow transplant, and the doctors suggested we have another child."

Even with Orin in the picture, I never gave up on you. planned to find Elle, clear things up, and raise the kid together while chasing our own true love. But when I heard about Orin's condition, I just broke down. He might

took me so

between the girl he'd liked for years and the blood-related son he couldn't bear to abandon, he felt a heartache so intense it made him

warm too, but she kept a calm smile on her face. "Anders, from now on, consider me your sister. I hope you get over this relationship soon and give Orin and his mom the happy home they deserve. She must really love you to have the child on her own, and with Orin being sick all this time, these years must have

walked away, leaving Anders

her a pink-frosted cupcake, "Taste something sweet, and life won't seem so

surprised, "You know

you girls love these

head, laughing, "You are all grown up, understanding girls' hearts now.

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