Forked Roads Back

3 - TESSA

WHEN I GET DOWNSTAIRS, Dad has already put the kettle on for me, and made the tea, and is just setting up the iPad on the kitchen table.

"You ready? Tea's already brewing," he says as he hits call on Mum and Mark's name on the screen.

I quickly run over to the sofa, and within seconds of me sitting down, it connects and Mark's smiling face is shining back at us, albeit slightly distorted due to the fact Dad's internet here is rubbish.

"Hey Mark!" I call, my voice sounding so overly-chirpy that Dad gives me an odd look.

The last time I'd seen Mark he had short, cropped hair and a shaven chin. Now he has a thick bush of hair on his head and an equally bushy beard. I didn't know when they got back, but I expect it was relatively recently if he hadn't had the chance to shave it off yet.

"Hey guys, how you doing?" He asks, his face as cheery as ever.

"We're alright," I say, answering for both of us. "Beard looks great Mark," I joke and he scratches his chin.

"Ah yeah, thanks," he laughs, rolling his eyes. "You've caught me in between tasks. Beard trim was next," he jokes.

"I thought we'd catch you in a different country?" Dad asks, and I look at him. He seems confused that Mark and Mum were even at home, but I wasn't sure why.

"Well... we, erm..." Mark looks just off camera where I'm guessing Mum is. "Something... kind of happened unexpectedly that made us have to cut our trip short."

He's smiling, so it can't be anything bad. And when I hear him whisper what sounds like a "you ready" to Mum, I look at Dad, who just shrugs back, not knowing what's going on.

"What's happened?" I ask, confused.

"Well, Tess... we've had some good news," Mark tells me, leaning close the camera. His grin is huge and I can see the joy and ecstasy in his eyes. "Some good news."

"What is it?" I ask, smiling just as wide as Mark is. I have no idea why I'm smiling, but his grin is so infectious I can't help it.

Just as I'm about to repeat my question, Mum comes onto camera, and I immediately know what had unexpectedly brought them home and my hands fly to my mouth in shocked excitement.

"Mum!"

She laughs at my reaction, and even through the blurred picture in front of me, I can tell she has tears in her eyes.

"You're pregnant?!" I squeal into the screen. "Oh my God, guys, you're going to have a baby!" I stamp my feet up and down on the floor in front of me and squeal again.

"We are!" She says, cradling her bump. It isn't a huge bump but it's large enough for people to notice. "Six months now, and complete shock... to both of us!"

Mark kisses the side of her head as I look at Dad, tears coming to my own eyes. A wide smile decorates his face. He's incredibly happy for her, and I can tell it means the world to both Mum and to Mark.

"Mum, you look so beautiful," I tell her, tears coming to my eyes. I was even more happy we were asking them to come down now because it means I can hug her, and this new bump. I never dreamt I would be able to have the chance to be a sister again... But now it seems I was wrong. And this time I am so glad I was.

"Aw, sweetie, don't cry!" She says, dabbing at her eyes. "You'll set me off!" It seems I already had.

"I can't help it!" I sob as Dad puts an arm around me. "Did you know?" I ask him quietly, turning to him.

He shakes his head but I have a feeling he's had a suspicion. Flying home five months early from a trip to the Amazon rainforest that had taken two years to plan, it either screams of a tropical disease... or a baby! In any case, I am beyond ecstatic and I lunge forward and wrap my arms around Dad's neck, squeezing him, only letting him go when he coughs after a minute as I'm squeezing too tight.