Chapter Seventeen
‘Mum! Dad! What are you doing here?’
‘Lisa, darling, it is so good to see you.’ Lisa’s mum smiled a broad, happy smile, welcoming Lisa into a hug. ‘But don’t swear on the intercom; the whole street could hear you.’
Lisa hugged both of her parents tightly, before she stepped back, taking in the sight of them on Nathan’s doorstep. ‘When I called, Dad said you wereat your art class. But … and now you’re here.’ Remembering herself, Lisa hugged her mum again. ‘Happy Mother’s Day. Come in.’ She stepped back from the door.
‘Thank you. We’ve been driving for hours. I couldn’t answer when you FaceTimed, it would have given the game away.’
‘Game away? What do you mean?’
‘Nathan called us.’
‘He did?’ Lisa couldn’t believe it.
‘Yes, he askedif we’d consider coming back a little early. He said he couldn’t tell us why, but that the surprise would be worth it. Your dad thought there might be an announcement.’ Lisa’s mum did an excited grin and squeal combination Lisa wasn’t sure she had ever seen before. ‘So here we are.’
‘Well, if there is, you’ve just spoilt it.’ Lisa’s dad looked at his wife, shaking his head.
Lisa giggledbefore giving her dad a hug. ‘It’s fine, Dad. I’m just so glad you’re here.’ Stepping back from the embrace she beamed at the sight of her parents – still trying to take in the fact they were there. ‘Come upstairs. Nathan’s parents are here, and I think your appearance might explain why we have enough lasagne to feed the entire street.’
As she urged her parents upstairs, a thought occurredto Lisa; she hadn’t cleaned and prepared their house the way she had intended to before they returned from France. She had been staying in their home for almost six months, and she knew her mum was a stickler for cleanliness. With so much else filling her mind, she wasn’t even sure what condition she had left the house in earlier in the day. ‘Have you been home yet?’
‘No, Nathan booked usinto a hotel for tonight. We said there was no need, but he insisted, saying you’d want to make sure everything was ready for us first.’
God, I love that man!Lisa breathed.
To Lisa’s relief her parents and Nathan’s seemed to have plenty to talk about. There were no awkward silences and the meal passed pleasantly. Finally, as they made coffees, Lisa and Nathan prepared to share their announcement.Lisa handed out the wrapped books while Nathan asked them to wait and open them all at once.
Holding Nathan’s hand, Lisa watched in anticipation as bows were pulled off and the tissue paper was removed. For a moment as each couple looked at their gift, confusion flickered across their faces, until at last realisation dawned.
Lisa’s mum gasped. ‘Really? Does it mean? Are you?’
Lisanodded.
Her dad wiped the corner of his eye before standing up to shake Nathan’s hand and pull Lisa into a hug. ‘Congratulations both of you, I couldn’t be happier.’
Still a little dumbfounded, Lisa’s mum followed, clutching her Ladybird book of being a grandparent in her hand. She looked at Nathan’s mum. ‘You know what this means, Valerie?’
Nathan’s parents looked at each other andat the book; as they flicked it open, they noticed the scan picture tucked inside. Valerie took it and held it out so she could see it more clearly before looking to her son for confirmation.
‘A baby?’
‘It certainly is.’ Nathan beamed.
For a moment Lisa thought Valerie wasn’t happy, but as tears sprang to her eyes, she leapt to hug her son wishing him congratulations. And then, muchto Lisa’s relief she hugged her too, asking when the baby was due.
‘That’s the other surprise.’ Nathan cleared his throat. ‘It’s due on July thirtieth. It’s already twenty w—’
‘Almost twenty-one weeks,’ Lisa finished.
Lisa’s Mum looked at her, shocked. ‘Why didn’t you tell us?’
Lisa and Nathan laughed before Nathan answered. ‘We’ve only known a couple of weeks ourselves. We weresurprised too.’
Nathan’s dad topped up their glasses and proposed a toast to, ‘ New beginnings and the baby.’
They all raised their glasses. Lisa chinked her water glass against Nathan’s wine glass and smiled, feeling happier and more relieved than she had for days.
‘I can’t quite believe it, and to think your father thought we were travelling back for a proposal.’ Lisa’s mum blurtedthe words, and the room fell silent.
Lisa felt her bubble of happiness pop as she looked at Nathan’s Mum’s crestfallen face.
Nathan squeezed Lisa’s hand before breaking the silence. ‘Tonight is about sharing our happy, baby news. That’s what’s important right now, but don’t worry, when I propose to Lisa, we’ll make sure you’re the first to know.’ Nathan raised his glass, said, ‘Cheers,everyone,’ and drank.
They all lifted their glasses and drank. As Lisa looked at Nathan, he winked.
When! He said when.Lisa, who hadn’t dared to let herself think Nathan would propose to her again after her youthful declarations against marriage, held on to the word. Her head felt light; her bubble of happiness was well and truly restored.
