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She licked her lips. “You know what? I’m good.” Letting out a long breath, she nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do it.”
I felt horrible that she’d walked into this. Reaching for her hand, I brought it to my lips and kissed her fingers. Then I walked over to the door to open it.
CHAPTER 43
Sig
Track 43: “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago
My parents were dressed as if they were going to church rather than a casual lunch at the inn. I nodded once. “Mum, Dad, good to see you.”
My mother reached out to kiss each of my cheeks. “Always good to see you, son. And such a rare treat to be invited to lunch. Hopefully, Lavinia’s not going to offer us Fireball again, though.”
“Your mother won’t stop talking about that one.” My father chuckled as he patted me on the back.
“Hello again,” Lavinia spoke from behind me. “So lovely to see you both.”
“And you.” My mother gave her a once-over, likely horrified by Lavinia’s Birkenstocks with socks. “You’re looking…gorgeous.”
“Ah, you’re a fantastic liar, Rosemary. But I’ll take any compliments I can get these days.”
My father offered Lavinia a hug. “A pleasure to see you again.”
My mother blinked when she finally looked over at the beautiful, young brunette standing behind Lavinia. “Hello.” Her gaze fell to Abby’s round stomach. “And you are?”
“I’m Abby.” Abby swallowed. “Nice to meet you.”
I hated that I was putting her through this. But there was no other way but through the fire at the moment.
“Abby. Very nice to meet you, too, dear.” Mum tilted her head. “Are you a guest here at the inn?”
Abby nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“You’re American. Where did you travel in from?”
“Rhode Island.”
“Is your husband here with you?”
As Abby’s face reddened, I couldn’t take it anymore. “No, she’s not married,” I jumped in. “Abby is not just a guest here, Mother. She’s someone very important to me, and I need you and Dad to sit down so I can explain.”
My mother’s face paled as she connected the dots, likely assuming I’d gotten Abby pregnant the natural way. I wasn’t sure which situation she’d consider worse.
I spent the next several minutes laying it all out—from the moment Phil and Kate had arrived at my apartment that morning to Abby’s recent return from looking after her father in the US. My mother tried to intercept the conversation multiple times, but I insisted she let me speak. Abby and Lavinia sat quietly on either side of me, and when I finally opened the floor to my parents, my mother’s first question came as no surprise.
“How could you not have told us before you decided to do such a thing?”
“Would you have been receptive to the idea?”
“Absolutely not,” she huffed. “But—”
“Then why would you expect me to tell you? It wouldn’t have changed my decision.”
She looked over at Abby a moment. “It was a reckless decision. This child needs a mother. I don’t know what Phil and Kate were thinking, making such a selfish decision.”
“Rosemary,” my father interrupted. “We have no choice but to accept it. You must save your breath and calm yourself.”
“I can’t calm myself when my son has been keeping such a monumental secret from me.” She scowled. “What would your nan have thought, Sigmund?”
