Page 85 of Slightly Married
“I don’t know if your father and I can fix what’s broken between us,” I confessed to my daughter. “But you deserve for me to try.”
I might not know exactly how to bridge the distance between us, but I was here now. And maybe that was the first step.
A week later, I made my way toward the front door, mentally reviewing all my decor plans for Thalassía. The villa’s restoration had been completed three weeks ago, and I couldn’t wait to begin adding furniture.
“Kayla,” Irida called, her voice uncharacteristically hesitant. “May I speak with you for a moment?”
She was standing in the doorway of the library. Her expression, typically guarded, looked resigned.
“I’m already running late for—”
“Please,” she said, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “I won’t take much of your time.”
I hesitated, glancing toward the front door. I needed to get to Yiorgos’ place for my Lamaze class with Simone before heading to Thalassía. Still, something in Irida’s manner made me pause.
“Alright,” I agreed, moving toward her. “A few minutes.”
Irida sat across from me, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “I wanted to apologize,” she began. “I kept Matthaios from his father out of my own pain. It was to protect myself, but also to punish your father. I never intended for you to be caught in the aftermath, but that doesn’t erase the harm caused to you and your sister.” She looked up. “I passed my bitterness to my son, and your marriage paid the price for my choices. I can’t undo that, but I needed you to know I see it now.”
I rested my hand on my stomach. “We all make choices thinking we’re doing what’s best.”
Irida’s gaze softened as she looked at my stomach. “When I found out I was pregnant, everything changed. Despite my heartbreak, I loved Matthaios from the first moment.”
“I understand that feeling,” I admitted, feeling my daughter move beneath my palm. “It’s overwhelming sometimes.”
“It never goes away,” Irida said softly. “Even when they’re grown men making terrible decisions.” She sighed and then straightened her shoulders. “This baby shouldn’t inherit our complicated history.”
I felt unexpected emotions rise in my throat. “That’s all I want for her, too. To be surrounded by love.”
“Then perhaps we can move forward,” Irida suggested. “Not forgetting the past, but not allowing it to determine our future either.”
I considered her words, the possibility within them pressing heavily on my mind. “I’d like that.”
The sunbathed the veranda in golden light as I settled onto my yoga mat. The terrace offered a breathtaking view of turquoise waters, but my thirty-two-week pregnant body was more focused on the ache in my lower back than the scenery.
“Alright, ladies, let’s start with our centering breath,” Leni instructed, adjusting her position on the mat beside us. I’d hired Leni before even returning to Greece, determined to be prepared.
Our last session had been at Yiogos’s house, where Simone was currently staying. I much preferred Thalassía and would make this our spot for future classes.
Simone sat cross-legged on my other side wearing a yoga fit. “I still don’t understand why I need to learn these breathing techniques when you have a whole husband.”
“Because,” I explained for the tenth time, “Konstantin works during the day.”
Not that I’d asked him. The truth was, he was maintaining the distance I’d demanded months ago, and using his work schedule as an excuse spared me from admitting what I really wanted. Him by my side.
Leni demonstrated the patterned breathing. “In through the nose for four, out through the mouth for six.”
I was midway through a particularly dramatic exhale when the sound of footsteps made me glance toward the villa. Konstantin stood frozen in the doorway, his expression cycling from surprise to confusion when his eyes locked on my sister.
“Konstantin!” I scrambled awkwardly to my feet, one hand supporting my lower back. “You’re supposed to be in Sweden until tomorrow.”
“Sent Andreas instead,” he replied, his gaze still fixed on Simone.
“You can’t tell Matthaios,” I hissed.
His jaw tightened. “Fine. But I replace your sister as,” he gestured at the setup, “whatever this is.”
Simone shot me a meaningful look. “This is my Hail Mary,” she said, already gathering her things. “I’ll be swimming in the meantime.”
