Page 33 of In Love with Lewis Prescott
He smiles slightly. “Maybe I will. Thanks, Harper.”
My phone rings, and I crawl to the other side of the floor to see who’s calling. When I see it’s my mom FaceTiming me, I answer.
“Sweetheart! Hello! I know you’re probably so busy working on your grandma and grandpa’s house, but I wanted to see how things are going and make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
Her crystal-blue eyes shine as she beams at me before leaning down to catch my great-uncle Pedro in the frame.
“Also, someone misses you and wanted to say hello,” she says.
“Uncle Pedro! How are you?” I do a quick scan of his face as he says hi, relieved that he looks better rested than the last time I saw him just a few days ago. Even his deep brown eyes are clearer and brighter.
“Pretty good,anak. Still a little tired, but I’m walking around more. And my appetite’s back too.”
“He had two servings of my chicken and broccoli casserole,” Mom announces proudly, her wavy silver-blond hair bouncing as she turns to look at Uncle Pedro. He affirms that it was delicious and much better than any of the hospital food he ate.
“He even ate more than your dad did!”
“Way to go, Uncle Pedro.” I chuckle. “How’s Dad?”
“Still working way too much.” Mom tsks. “I tell him he needs to cut back on picking up all those extra shifts, but he swears they’re what keep him young.”
I roll my eyes. “Sounds like something he’d say.”
He’s worked as a technician for an electrical company ever since I was a toddler and hardly ever says no to an offer for overtime.
“It’s in his blood to work hard,” Uncle Pedro says to Mom in a good-natured tone. “That’s what we do. Look at our Harper. So successful that she could take a break from her job to fix up herapongs’ house. So brilliant,anakko. I brag to all my friends about you every week at the senior center.”
“It’s true,” Mom says. “Every time I drop him off and pick him up from there, all of his friends tell me to bring you over someday so they can introduce you to their grandsons and nephews. They’re very impressed by you, honey.”
Mom winks at me, and I let out a groan-laugh. I hope Lewis doesn’t notice the flush creeping its way up my cheeks at his overhearing my family as they offer to set me up for the millionth time. I glance over and catch him smiling to himself as he pries another floorboard loose.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m good.”
“How’s the house?” Uncle Pedro asks.
“It’s coming along well so far.” I opted to keep my parents and Uncle Pedro out of the loop when it came to the disaster with Vlad. They’re already dealing with enough on their plate now that Uncle Pedro is living with them while he fully recovers from his bout of pneumonia.
“I know we’ve said this a million times before, but we’re so proud of you, taking on the renovation,” Uncle Pedro says.
Uncle Pedro is myapongVivian’s younger brother, and I know just how much it would mean for him to see his sister’s house updated after all these years.
“Thanks, Uncle Pedro. Oh hey, let me get your guys’ opinion on something.”
I hop up and walk toward the far wall in the living room, which boasts the two color squares I’ve been obsessing over all day.
“I painted these samples earlier this morning. Which one do you like best?” I ask, holding up the phone so they can see the swatches on the wall. I explain how I’m trying to capture both ofApongVivian’s andApongBernie’s favorite colors.
“Oh, honey. How thoughtful. That would make them so happy,” Mom says.
She and Uncle Pedro chat about the merits of a neutral like the light gray-green hue in the middle versus the slightly more pronounced color of the green-gray one. These are obviously my people.
“You know,ApongBernie never much cared for decorating, not like yourapongVivian.” Uncle Pedro chuckles. “He’d always let her take charge, so I say go with the one she’d like. That’s what Bernie would have done.”
“You’re right.” I turn the phone around and beam at the screen. “I remember that about them. Green-gray it is.”
I run to the kitchen to show them the cabinets, then give them a quick view of the finished part of the hardwood flooring, careful to keep Lewis out of frame. Mom and Uncle Pedro don’t pay attention to celebrity gossip, so I’m certain they wouldn’t recognize him even if they were to see him, but the whole reason why he’s here is because he’s hiding out. I want to respect his privacy.
“Wow!”
