Page 89 of Hot Greek Summer

‘Shall I text her?’

Frankie shook her head. ‘Let her be. It’s hard enough for her already.’

Winnie knew Frankie was right, but it didn’t make it any easier. ‘So,’ she said, to distract herself. ‘What’s going on with you and Gav?’

Frankie stripped the leaves from a sprig of rosemary without looking up. ‘Nothing really. We’re just getting to know each other again, I think.’ Her hands stilled as she looked up. ‘It’s so weird, Win. We lived together for so long, day in, day out, and yet we didn’t even see each other, not really. What a waste, eh?’

‘Maybe not,’ Winnie said. ‘At least you have the boys to show for it. It can’t have ever been a waste, really, when you stayed together to give them the best chance.’

Frankie’s expression softened at the mention of her beloved boys. They checked in with their mum most days, ribbing her about her crush on Seth Manson. What she didn’t know is that they also checked in with their dad too, giving him daily pep-talks about not being intimidated by some yesteryear boy-band member and to stick to his workouts like they’d instructed him. It didn’t matter how old the boys got, they still held on to the fantasy of their parents reuniting.

‘True,’ she said. ‘But I didn’t think there were any feelings left between us. You know, husband and wife feelings.’

Winnie tipped her head on one side.

‘And what about now? Do you still think that?’

Frankie opened her mouth to answer, and then closed it again when someone tapped the kitchen door.

‘Hero,’ she said when she pulled the door open, dusting her hands down on her apron.

Winnie crossed to stand beside Frankie, and they looked out at not only Hero but three strapping men in vests behind her.

‘My yioi,’ Hero said falteringly, and the men all smiled obligingly when she gestured towards them.

‘What do you think she means?’ Frankie said out of the corner of her mouth.

‘No clue. I hope they’re not suitors,’ Winnie whispered.

Hero’s lips twisted as she considered how to convey her message, then she turned to the side, mimed a huge belly and then rocked an imaginary baby in her arms.

‘They’re her sons!’ Winnie said, giving Hero the double thumbs-up to show they understood.

‘Three brides for three brothers?’ Frankie wondered quietly. ‘Someone should break it to her that Stella has already left.’

Hero, however, just seemed glad to have made herself understood. She said something to her sons, and then sent them out of the garden and back out towards the lane.

For a moment, confusion reigned. Hero didn’t try to elaborate any further, just shot them an anticipatory smile and nodded, probably because she had a clue what was going on.

‘At least she’s talking to us again,’ Frankie said. Hero had been at the funeral yesterday, but whenever any of the three women had tried to catch her attention she’d quickly averted her eyes.

‘What’s that noise?’ Winnie said, stepping outside to check out what the rumbling, jangling noise was, just as the first of Hero’s sons rounded the corner of the villa pushing a wheelbarrow.

Frankie stepped out too, and they stood in silence as one by one, the three brothers lined up in front of them, each of them with a loaded wheelbarrow.

Frankie’s hand moved to cover her mouth at the same time as Winnie said, ‘Oh my bloody God!’ because the wheelbarrows were all stuffed to brimming with unopened bottles of Skelidos gin. They stared from the barrows to the brothers and finally to their tiny mum, hardly daring to hope.

Hero touched her fingers to her chest, and then threw her hands out towards them.

‘You,’ she said. ‘You.’

‘Oh God,’ Frankie said quietly, as Hero turned and picked up two bottles and gave them one each, then waved her arm over the barrows to indicate that they were all for them. The brothers began to unload them in ceremonial silence, until there were over a hundred bottles of gin lined up like little soldiers all along the back wall.

‘Thank you.’ Winnie clutched Hero’s hands in hers. ‘Efcharisto, Hero.’

Hero nodded, clearly delighted to be able to bestow such a kindness on them. She held up her hand and then paused, obviously gearing up to say something else.

‘Sorry.’

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