Page 110 of The Rebound
“I did.” He nods.
I try to keep my voice gentle. “You don’t need to tell anyone else for a few weeks but youwantto tell Mam and Dad, remember? This means you win.”
“What?”
“The first grandchild,” I say solemnly. “That’s a big deal. That’s like a hundred sibling points.”
She blinks at me as the ringing continues. “It beats buying them a house in Portugal?”
“It does. The emotional value is like…” I raise a hand to my head. “I can’t compete with that. This is your moment.”
She looks suddenly thoughtful but Tomasz has had enough.
“You two are strange,” he mutters, and leans forward to tap the keyboard, accepting the call.
“Hello,” he calls, cheerfully waving at the laptop.
“Tomasz!” Mam’s voice sounds through the speakers. “You look very sharp.”
“Thank you.”
“Louise, you look flushed.”
“It’s warm today,” she says.
“The weather report says it’s mild.”
“Why are you looking at the weather report for here?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
I hide my smirk, giving the two of them a small wave as I head to the door.
“Abby’s here too,” Louise says loudly.
Mother of…whyI mouth as she makes a rapidcome heremotion with her hands. Tomasz just smiles, scooting to the side as Louise pulls me down between them.
“Hello,” I say at the screen. My parents sit in the same spot they always do. It’s a cloudy day in the Algarve. Mam’s wearing a blue blouse and my dad is in a polo shirt. They look as bewildered as I am.
“Out for a run, Abby?” Mam asks after a moment.
I glance at Louise but she’s not looking at me. “Just about to.”
“Have you heard back about the interview yet?”
I shake my head. “I’ll tell you when I do. Though I think I might—”
“I’m pregnant,” Louise blurts out.
Okay then.
“Good job,” I whisper, wincing as she pinches my thigh.
“I’m pregnant,” she repeats. “I’m…we’repregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”
Tomasz holds up his hands in a ta-da motion.
Mam’s hands move from her lap to her chest and back again. “A baby?”
