The workers begin to filter through the large kitchen about half an hour later, claiming their plates and their cups of coffee and tea, each giving Matilde and me warm greetings in whatever language is their native tongue. When Frankie comes for his plate I beam at him, marshalling all the self-cont
Matilde is immediately at my side, gasping and rapidly asking me questions in Portuguese – questions I don’t understand or don’t have time to process as my whole body shakes with the realization.That I’m…I’m…That I apparently have been the entire time I’ve been here, and that I have just been to
But I just shake my head, burying my face against his chest, wrapping my fists in the fabric of his shirt and trying to find the words, trying to figure it out – how to tell him this – how to break it to him – how not to ruin everything –“Bambi, please,” he begs, his voice breaking as he folds his
“Well, what’s really different?” he asks, looking at me seriously as he heaves a simple shrug.I gape at him, suddenly worried that he…misunderstood.But something about this just makes him laugh. “Seriously, Iris, I thought you were running out here to let me know they’d…found us or something.”Dre
The rest of my pregnancy passes happily, with about as much trouble as the first two months gave me. Which is to say…not very much at all.“I get the feeling I’m being rude,” I murmur, drifting my hand over my very-pregnant stomach and glancing out over the vineyard, which has come so far in the pas
“Come on,” he says, tugging me in towards the house. “Let’s feed you, get you off your feet.” I smile up at him and nod, letting him lead me inside, but I take a last glance out over the gorgeous vineyard that has become our home in the past few months, my heart filling with joy to see it.As soon a
Frankie sighs, betraying his inner anxiety even beyond his jokes. “I don’t like that,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “Seriously, Bambs, I wish you’d reconsider and let me take you to the city to wait it out – have little Franquette in a hospital, where you’ll be safe.”“This child,” I say, putting d
Seven hours later, I’m all exhausted and sweaty, leaning up against the headboard of the bed and reaching for my little baby boy as the midwife wraps him up and leans down to place him in my arms.“Seven hours from start to finish,” she says, shaking her head at me and then up at Frankie, who stands
A small smile creeps on Leo’s lips. “Yeah, okay,” he says, relaxing back against our chair. “Our secret.” I grin at my baby, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, because my boy can’t resist a secret.“What’s all this?”I turn to see Christian standing at the open door, peering into the dining
The danger. It’s…it’s far too poignant.My heart breaking, I open a private browsing tab on the web browser and quickly search for Craigslist in both this city and Athens, Greece. As I do my memory goes back to a conversation I had with Frankie, when he told me that this is the best way he knows for
I stand frozen, staring down at the letter as it sits on the little hall desk, my breath coming in fluttery little gasps.The words are very simple.There are vineyards in Greece as well. I’ll take you there.I read it again and again as my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing with a mix of h
“You don’t know anything about my life,” I whisper, my voice barely audible, turning my eyes back down to the dishes. “I had no choice.”“You think you’re the only one who suffered?” Lucy whispers. “You think I wanted to be in this position? We were friends once, Iris. We were good to each other. Bu
“Mommyyyy,” Leo says, looking anxiously towards the kitchen door, shifting from foot to floor. “Hurry up! Aunt Bianca says we have to go!”I laugh, glancing down at my little boy, who looks so adorable in the private school uniform he wears to Kindergarten – crisp white shirt, navy blazer, his dark
But…was it? Was it me, missing Chris? Wanting to have yet another piece of him, even if I long denied wanting any ties to my past life?I look down, my heart heavy, not truly understanding what I think or what I feel.“I mean it, Iris,” Chris says, his voice steady and cool. “I’ll be a father to her
My heart sinks as I look Christian in the eyes – because beyond all hope, I had been praying that he hadn’t noticed that Leo is his son. But how could I have been so naïve? Leo looks just like him - dark hair, striking grey-blue eyes. The resemblance is unmistakable. I feel a wave of guilt crashing
“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”Christian opens his mouth to resp
Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I