Sitting by the edge of the pool, I dip my feet in the clear water. It feels warmer than it looks. The Greek flag matches the coloring of the white houses and the blue sea as it waves in the gentle breeze. Sometimes the wind blows exactly right. Then the flag dances in the golden light.
“Kalimera Margaret,” Dimos greets me and I almost drop my Kindle in the pool. At least it’s waterproof.
“Kalimera Dimos. You scared me!” I laugh before continuing. “It’s such a beautiful morning to be here.”
“Yes, yes, indeed. Would you like some company? Your brothers will be up soon. Then the circus starts,” Dimos chuckles and looks at the spot near me. I nod and look back at the water.
We sit in silence, listening to the early morning sounds of the island before its residents and visitors wake up. Another cruise ship arrived on the island just yesterday, bringing hundreds of people with it.
Looking back at Dimos, I open my mouth to apologize for my past behavior. But before I can speak, Dimos takes my hand and squeezes it. “I know, little flower. Don’t you worry about me. It’s your mother that worries me sometimes. It would help if you talked with her more. She’s been missing you ever since I met her. ”
There’s a stabbing pain in my chest at those words. It feels weird to hear it from him—the person I used to blame for all the problems my family had. I understand that Dimos wasn’t the person to blame. My parents just grew apart, as many other couples do too.
Considering my words carefully, I smile and turn to face him. “I only know one side of the story, but I have no idea what happened. And I feel like you’re the right person to help me figure out some details and fill in the blanks.”
“Yes, of course, little flower. I would be honored to tell you the story from my point of view. Remember, it’s only that. You still need to talk with your mother later.”
“I will.” I must look pensive as I turn to him again. “Dimos, why do you call me a little flower?”
“The word margarita means daisy in Greek. It’s close to Margaret. Your mother thinks it suits you.”
I feel happy after hearing his explanation. It’s such a sweet little thing that we share.
Dimos starts his story of meeting my mother by sharing that they connected online through a mutual friend Olympia. Dimos had lost his first wife in a tragic boating accident just months before and needed someone to talk to. My mom was that person.
As Dimos began to talk with my mom more, their connection deepened over the weeks that followed. He was starting to have stronger feelings than friendship, but he didn’t want to make the first move as he respected my dad and our family. He just couldn’t stop messaging my mother, his close friend who was becoming calm in the chaos called life.
Even though their chats were sometimes ethically gray, I still understand him.
Dimos looks at me, “Your mother hated leaving you. It broke her heart. But your father didn’t understand why she would help her friend she hadn’t seen in years. Then one day, she booked the flight and told your father that she would leave in a week. He had the choice to send you with her, but he wanted you to stay Stateside. Rose couldn’t say no to Olympia, so she left everything she knew behind her to be here. It wasn’t until she’d already spent a few weeks in Greece that she told me about her feelings.”
Taking a deep, relaxed breath, Dimos continues. “And that was the moment our story continued beyond friendship. We were two broken souls trying their best to feel love again. Your mother saved me, Margaret. I wasn’t sure I would survive the first year without my Angelina. Then your mother came into my life. It’s like Angelina sent her to me to keep my heart safe.”
I don’t know what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it. I turn to Dimos, tears in my eyes, ready to apologize for everything—all the mistakes and the years I have spent hating him and my mom. But before I say anything, he takes me in a tight hug and tells me it’s okay. We sit there until we hear my brothers’ giggles coming from the house.
I guess my stepfather could be much worse.
* * *
“Chris, stop taking Leo’s candy. You can’t just take from his bowl if you’ve already eaten all yours. It isn’t how it works, you little monkey.”
I tickle Chris under his armpits to make him stop teasing our brother. He tries to tickle me back. The good thing about being a grown-up is that I have longer arms than my brothers do. At least that is until Leo decided to team up with Chris for a tickle fight. I announce them the winners while gasping on the floor.
These two are the most awesome kids out there. I can’t believe they’remybrothers. It still amazes me. But to be honest, babysitting the twins has turned out to be much more challenging than I expected.
My mom and Dimos are out having a date night. It’s a rare occasion for them since their business and boys keep them busy. That’s why I’m standing here in the family room with a mess all around me—there are toys everywhere I look. Trying to clean the mess, I start piling the toys. It doesn’t take more than a minute before the twins chase each other and run around.
How do these two have all that energy? I wish I had even one-fourth of what they do. “Boys! Mom said you aren’t allowed to run inside the house. If you want to run, let’s go outside for a while. ”
So far, we’ve played with Legos, gone for a swim, built a fort of cardboard boxes we found around the property, looked for bugs, and had a quick dinner of chicken nuggets and French fries. The plan was to watch the latest Disney movie—the boys have been asking Dimos to watch it with them for days, but he wanted to have something for us three to share.
He also knows his sons well. It shouldn’t take them too long to feel tired once the movie starts. They will zone out at some point. It would make my night easier as the tired twins are no fun.
When I open the door to the yard, I catch a glimpse of movement on the other side of the building. That is odd. Nobody should be here as it’s our restricted area. Before the boys can run outside, I tell them to stay put and wait until I have checked the surroundings.
When I turn around to see if someone is there, I freeze when I see him.
Eli.
