Chapter 10.
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Quietly she shut the door behind her, the house in darkness, and locked the door. As she turned around she glanced up the twisting staircase and sighed, sleeping on the couch would be easier. She was exhausted and the last thing she wanted to do was wake someone up. The couch was about as comfy as the spare bed anyway, she hadn't slept in her own bed with Andrew since she'd told him she was pregnant. Having kicked her shoes under the stairs and placed her coat on the banister she quietly heads to the living room, shutting the door silently behind her. The room was so dark and she was so exhausted she hadn't seen him.
"Do you have any idea what the time is?" Jumping out her skin was an understatement, what was he playing at?!
"Jesus Christ Andrew! What are you trying to do to me?!" It wasn't his intention to scare her, he'd decided to wait up but had fallen asleep on the couch and the tv had switched to energy saving mode and turned itself off.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I fell asleep and didn't have a chance to put the light on before you came in." Her hand remains on her chest as she tries to catch her breath, he couldn't help but look her up and down. The light jumper she wore did little to hide her changing figure if anything it seemed to bunch up around her bump.
"Okay." She didn't want to talk to him that was the whole point of going out with Colette and the reason she was only coming home at 2am. "Look Andrew I'm exhausted, I don't want to argue again. I just want to sleep." He sighed, he honestly thought they'd made progress today but then she'd misunderstood a situation and now they were right back at the beginning. He hated this but what could he do to fix it?
"You're not sleeping on the couch again are you?" Rolling her eyes she pulls off her jumper in the hope that him seeing her in her now tight vest top would be enough to get him to leave her alone.
"What's the difference? The spare bed is not anymore comfy." Sighing again he gets to his feet, placing both hands on her shoulders. Couldn't she see he loved her and he was worried about her? Why anytime they didn't see eye to eye did she insist on turning into such an ice queen?
"Lisa come on…" Although exhausted her eyes filled with disgust as she pushes him away.
"Don't Andrew." Shaking her head she backs away from him. "How many times do I need to say it? I"m done talking Andrew. I've had enough hiding. I'm telling everyone, I can't do this anymore."
By the time she'd eventually got to bed she knew she'd pushed herself too far. She wasn't in the habit of doing long shifts then staying out until 2am never mind doing that whilst pregnant. Andrew refused to listen to her pleads about not being up to a serious conversation so she eventually went to the spare bedroom to finally get some sleep not to mention away from him. Thankfully she had the next day off, if she hadn't she wasn't sure she'd have made it through work. She finally forced herself out of bed at midday, just in time for Andrew to leave the house for work. Perfect timing. Heading down the stairs just as she heard her husband shut the front door she couldn't help but sigh with relief. That relief however did last long as her eldest son was in front of her near enough instantly.
"Mum! There you are!" Yawning she smiled as she continued to walk towards the living room with Peter.
"Where else would I be?" Eyeing her suspiciously he wasn't buying it.
"You weren't in your bed…" Still smiling she began to usher her son into the living room, she knew she should wait until Andrew was around but she'd had enough.
"I was in the spare room, I got home really late and didn't want to wake your dad. Now come on through to the living room. There's something I want to tell you and Jake." As his mum followed him into the living room he couldn't help but worry, was she finally going to admit whatever it was his parents were hiding?
"What is it? You're dying aren't you?" That statement was even enough to distract her youngest from his gameboy, something that was near enough impossible.
"You're dying?!" Tutting she shakes her head at the pair of them.
"No! Peter! Don't be so overdramatic. Of course not." Reaching into the pocket of her dressing gown she hands a small picture over to the boys. "Why don't you look at that."
Jake just looked terribly confused at the blob in the photo whereas Peter suddenly could make sense of everything.
"What's that mum?" Before she could answer Peter got in first.
"It's a baby isn't it?" Smiling at her boys part of her felt guilty Andrew wasn't here but then again it was his own fault.
"Yes. Your dad and me are having another baby…" Jake's face turned from confusion to shock whereas Peter's finally relaxed in the comfort knowing his mum wasn't sick.
It was sometime later before she'd answered all the questions both boys seemed to have thought up regarding the baby. Now however she had a harder task at hand, telling Andrew's parents. She had always left Andrew to do this she could hardly say she got on terribly well with his parents. Now they both adored the boys but as for her they blamed her completely for the fact they didn't meet Peter until he was four and she knew deep down Andrew had fed them a pack of lies surrounding their break up. Dialling the familiar number she takes in a deep breath.
"Hello?" Andrew's mother was a typical old fashioned consultants wife, she knew her place in the world and that was to do what her husband told her. Andrew had expected Duffy to follow suit and never quite forgave her for refusing to do so.
"Hi Catherine. It's Lisa." Using her given name always made her groan internally but she knew better than to use her nickname with Catherine. It would only result in a lecture on how her last name was no longer Duffin so she should no longer be using that silly name.
"Oh hello dear. How are you all?" She didn't see much point in beating around the bush, no matter how she tackled it this was going to be a shock.
"Oh everyone is fine, I take it you both are too? I have some news to share with you." News? What news? Lisa did have a habit of shocking her so much so she was instantly full of dread. What was she about to come out with now?
"Yes, both fine. Oh? News?" She knew Catherine agreed with her son on the matter of work and she suspected that Catherine had already assumed this news was to do with that.
"Well I hope you're sitting down for this…I'm pregnant." What?! No? She must have misheard her surely?
"Excuse me?" Trying not to giggle down the phone Duffy instead settled for a smile.
"You heard me right. I've had a scan and everything seems to be fine. I would have told you sooner but we wanted to make sure everything was going as well as we can tell." She considered telling her the truth but what use would it be? He was going to be upset she'd told her without adding in that she'd told her the whole story. Not to mention Catherine would still probably take his side in the matter, somehow. Andrew was a typical only child, he could do no wrong.
"Wow. Well congratulations. No don't apologise for that my dear. I bet the boys are excited! Oh that is lovely news." As Catherine continued to chat excitedly she only wished telling the family would solve all her problems.