Chapter 21: Family Surprises
Quinn's heart pounded in his chest as he stood in front of the door, waiting for his mother to answer. He hadn't told his parents he was coming home. Part of him liked the idea of surprising them, especially with his new car and… Lisa. That part, though, made him more nervous than anything. Would they suspect something about his life? Would they notice how much he had changed?
When the door finally opened, his mother stood there, her eyes wide in shock. For a moment, she seemed frozen, her gaze darting between Quinn and Lisa. "Quinn?" she exclaimed, her voice full of surprise. "What are you doing here in the middle of the semester?"
Before Quinn could answer, she noticed Lisa standing slightly behind him. Her eyes grew even wider, if that were possible. "And who is this beautiful girl?" she asked, recovering quickly but not without a hint of curiosity and excitement in her tone.
Quinn opened his mouth to explain, but his mother wasn't done yet. "You didn't tell me you were coming home! I could have prepared something! Look at me," she fussed, smoothing down her apron, "I'm a mess, and I haven't cooked anything special. If I'd known, I would've made your favorite dish, Quinn."
Her words came in a flurry, barely giving Quinn time to respond. His father, hearing the commotion from the living room, walked over. "What's all this noise about?" he asked before his eyes landed on Quinn and then shifted to Lisa. His eyebrows lifted in surprise, but unlike Quinn's mother, he recovered quickly. "Well, well, look who decided to drop in." He gave Quinn a firm handshake and patted his back before glancing at Lisa with a raised eyebrow.
"Hello, sir," Lisa greeted politely, her voice soft but confident, despite the tension that had briefly formed.
Quinn's father smiled warmly. "Good to see you, son. And you've brought company, I see. Come in, come in." He stepped aside, motioning for them to enter the house. Quinn could see that his father was trying to maintain a calm demeanor, but there was definitely a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. Still, he wasn't one to make a big scene like his mother.
Quinn and Lisa entered the house, taking in the familiar surroundings. The smell of home immediately enveloped him, reminding him of simpler times. His mother, now clearly flustered, wiped her hands on her apron and started fussing again. "I'm going to run to the grocery store. We don't have anything special for dinner, and I need to prepare something nice for your friend here."
Before Quinn could protest, his father stepped in. "I'll go with you," he said, already grabbing his coat. "We'll be back in a bit."
"Wait—" Quinn started, but his father was out the door before he could finish his sentence. His mother, however, stayed for a moment longer, marching over to him and grabbing him by the ear. "You brat!" she scolded, pulling on his ear just hard enough to make him wince but not really hurt. "You didn't even tell us you were coming! I almost had a heart attack, you know."
Quinn tried to laugh it off, though he was slightly embarrassed. "Mom, come on. My girlfriend is watching!" he said, lowering his voice as he tried to pull away.
The moment he said the word "girlfriend," he felt Lisa freeze beside him. His mother stopped pulling on his ear and looked back and forth between him and Lisa. Lisa's face was bright red, her cheeks flushed, and she was staring at the floor, clearly flustered by Quinn's sudden declaration. Quinn hadn't even realized what he'd said at first, but when he noticed Lisa's reaction, he mentally kicked himself.
His mother's expression softened instantly, her eyes now filled with a different kind of surprise—one mixed with joy. She released his ear and stepped closer to Lisa. "Girlfriend?" she repeated, her voice softening. "Oh my! Well, aren't you just full of surprises, Quinn."
Lisa, now blushing even harder, shyly nodded her head, but didn't say anything. She didn't disagree either, and that was all the confirmation his mother needed.
"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Lisa," Quinn's mother said, her tone now warm and welcoming. "You must be something special if my son brought you home. He doesn't bring just anyone to meet his parents."
Lisa smiled nervously, still recovering from the awkwardness, but she managed to reply, "It's lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Parker. Quinn has told me a lot about you."
"Oh, has he?" His mother gave Quinn a playful glance. "I hope it was all good things."
Quinn, finally regaining some composure, smiled sheepishly. "Of course, it was, Mom."
His mother nodded approvingly before heading toward the door. "Alright, you two stay here and get comfortable. We'll be back in a little bit with groceries."
As soon as she left, the house felt quieter, leaving Quinn and Lisa standing in the middle of the living room. Lisa finally let out a breath she had been holding. "Girlfriend, huh?" she teased, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
Quinn rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah… that just slipped out."
Lisa laughed, her blush starting to fade as she relaxed. "Well, I don't mind," she said quietly, giving him a smile that made his heart skip a beat.
They sat down on the couch together, the atmosphere shifting from awkward to comfortable. The familiarity of the house seemed to help them both unwind. Quinn gave Lisa a little tour of his childhood home, showing her old family photos, his dad's collection of tools, and the garden his mother tended in the backyard. Lisa listened with genuine interest, asking questions and laughing at some of Quinn's more embarrassing childhood stories.
"Your parents seem really nice," she said as they returned to the living room. "I can tell they really care about you."
Quinn nodded, feeling a warmth in his chest. "Yeah, they do. They've always been there for me, even when things were tough."
Lisa glanced out the window. "They're going to be so surprised when they see the Range Rover. That was a huge gesture, Quinn."
Quinn shrugged modestly. "It's nothing. They've done so much for me. It's the least I could do."
As they waited for his parents to return, the conversation between them became more personal. Lisa asked Quinn about his time in university, about the moments he struggled with, and Quinn found himself opening up more than he had anticipated. He told her about how he felt like an outsider for a long time, how he'd been working so hard to change his life and rise above the challenges. Lisa listened intently, her eyes never leaving his, offering support in the way only she could.
By the time his parents returned, Quinn felt a deep sense of connection with Lisa. His father came through the door first, bags of groceries in hand, followed by his mother who was still excitedly chatting about all the dishes she planned to make. They barely noticed the Range Rover sitting in the driveway—until they turned to bring in more groceries.
"Wait a minute," his father said, stopping in his tracks. "Is that…?"
"Surprise," Quinn said with a grin. "It's yours, Dad."
His father stood there, speechless, staring at the car for what felt like forever. His mother let out a gasp, covering her mouth with her hands. Finally, his father turned to him, eyes wide with disbelief.