Page 74 of Unexpectedly In Love

“Give me a sec,” I take my son and place him gently in the playpen.

“He is just so adorable,” Anise scrunches her nose as she stares at Kai.

“We did that.”

Anise moves away from where she sat, her back is now on the arm of the chair, her legs are stretched out.

Not making a fuss about it, I lift her legs and rest them on my legs. She tries to pull them away from me, but I drop them in my lap.

“Part of me always wondered what life would have been like if she didn’t die.” Her tiny toes are painted in a sparkly pink, she wiggles them and chuckles.

“Maybe she and your dad would be together?” The crunch of the popcorn makes me reach over to her for some. As I chew, a part of me knows that even if I wished it, their being together would have never been a thing.

“No. Unlike Nikos, my dad believes this life is not for women. He would say women are a gorgeous complication.” I look at Aladdin lead Jasmine at least I think that what she is called through the city singing a catchy sound.

“So, your dad left her?” Her voice cracked like she was about to cry.

Taking my view from the tv to her, my wife’s hand hangs midair to her mouth and both lips tremble.

“That is so sad. Did they love each other?”

“I don’t know. When my mom had me, she packed up and left. I only spoke to my dad over the phone. Then one day I’m eighteen,” I break off because I have never sat down and spoken to anyone about it.

“She died,” Anise whispers.

I swallow as my throat tightens. “Yeah. She was coming to pick me up from college. It was Spring break. I didn’t want to drive…The police said she skidded and ran off the road.” That was the story I told the police, but I knew someone was trying to kill us off. That someone is my uncle.

A tear catches the light from the tv, and it rolls down Anise’s face. “I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, I lived with my grandmother till college was over. I got shipped to Greece, and then I came back home to take over my mom’s family company.” I feel like a weight has been shifted on my shoulder. It’s not gone, just lighter.

“What about your dad?”

“What about him?”

“Did he grieve your mom’s death?” Anise wipes the tears away from her face.

“I don’t know. He didn’t come to the funeral, and by time I reached Greece, it was like nothing happened.”

The room gets silent; I can tell that Anise’s mind is rolling with questions.

“So, you didn’t meet your dad till you were eighteen?” I can hear the shock in Anise. There was a time when I thought that not meeting my father was normal.

“Yeah. I thought, if I got all A’s, if I work hard enough…maybe he will come here. Maybe I will be worthy.” I feel a spark of rage inside of me.

“No offense, but your father sounds like a fucking coward to me.”

My vision turns to my sleeping son in the play pen at Kai, I make a silent promise to him. He will never have to work hard or do ridiculous stuns to get my attention.

“I can’t recall what my dad looks like or sounds like.” Her head is bent over her bowl of popcorn. I wait for her to say more.

“Rosemary, and Cassie found him on the floor at home. Heart attack.” She begins to stir the popcorn with her fingers.

Shit without a second thought I begin to massage the soles of her feet.

“That feels great. I think Rosemary became a cardiologist because of dad. I was three when he died. I don’t remember much.”

“What do you remember?” Some parts of me needed to know.

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