Page 82 of Committed to You

“Six.”

“And that’s why you wanted to be a real estate agent?”

“Yes.”

I kiss her on the forehead again. “How long were you homeless?”

“Five months.”

“I bet that was scary.”

“It was scarier for my parents. They always took care of me. I was fed first, clothed first, and had a bed first. They didn’t know English very well yet and were trying to figure out how to solve their situation. They met a social worker who spoke Greek, and that was how we got assistance. My father is very proud and didn’t like taking it, but the social worker said that I could be put in foster care if the situation didn’t improve. So we had government assistance for three years. At that time, my parents did their best to learn English. My father received a scholarship from a private donor, and that allowed him to enroll in night school and become an accountant.”

“I can’t imagine how hard that was for your parents.”

“I know.”

“Your parents seem like nice people.” I mean it, too.

She smiles. “They are.”

“You look exactly like your mom.”

“People think we’re sisters sometimes.”

“I can see that. Your parents are really proud of you.”

“Maybe my mom can stop showing people that article now that the event is over.”

“The article from the paper?”

“That one, yes.”

I debate about asking her, but I finally do. “Your parents knew about me?”

Vivian’s face flushes. “Not really.”

“Your mom called me Mr. New York?”

“She knew there was someone in New York I wanted to be with and couldn’t.”

I take a deep breath. “Your mom knows why you wouldn’t be with me?”

Vivian strokes my cheek. “No. It all happened today. I told her I didn’t want to talk about it. She told me we were going to talk about it at Sunday dinner.”

Relieved, I let out a breath. “Please tell me you aren’t going to tell them about my friends with benefits.”

Vivian laughs. “No, I think I’ll skip those details.”

I kiss her. “Thank you.”

“When do you fly back?”

“Sunday night.”

“Early or late?”

“I think around six. Why?”

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