Very touching story. I've always wondered why Tom Riddle Sr would leave his pregnant wife and not claim his own son; this story is an excellent take on that question. Thanks for sharing it!

Author's Response: Thank you, Lari and June! In JKR's stories, Lord Voldemort/Tom Riddle almost makes it look as if his mother were a saint, and his father completely evil. I sought to muddy the waters a bit, and make it not so clear-cut. One thing that came up is if this relationship would have worked, even if Tom Sr. hadn't discovered Gelasia's secret, or even if she had been a Muggle. I don't think it would have, not in the long term. There were already cracks in their marriage, mostly in regards to their views on money.