“You have learned that some things aren’t—and will never be—in your control. Sometimes, we need to let go of the wheel and let God take control. He will lead you to the right places, but his pace isn’t always what we want. He goes the speed limit,” her comforting voice scolds me, cutting through me in a way no other person will ever be able to.
One thing about my mom is that she’s a powerful woman. Wonder Woman is real—because she is my mother.
After all the emotional and physical damage my father inflicted on her, she found the bravery to leave, move away to Greece and start fresh, and still keep us as her number one priority. She has a strength that I wish to carry in myself.
To be honest, I might have been buried six feet under if it wasn’t for my mother.
“If you were in my position, what would your next steps be?” When I slide down to the floor, the back of my head bangs against the closed door.
She coughs over the line before responding, “I would be honest with Lily. You want to help, then act fast. By the time most people get over their hesitation, it’s often too late. Release a statement defending her honor, call out your idiotic old record label publicly—better yet, sue them for everything they’ve done over the years. If you love her, be louder than the lies.”
“What if my voice is not loud enough?” I whisper, imagining her wanting to claw off my skin and walking away from me.
I hear her shaky breath, the kind you take when your heart is too full. “I’ll scream with you, but love is always louder than hate.”
“I wish I could give you a hug right now.”
When was the last time I saw her? It was months ago, but feels like years. Our last show is in Athens, Greece. It’s going to be the most special show we have done yet. We wanted to give them something different, seeing how being Greek is a big part of our identities. Knowing my mom is going to be in the crowd makes it that more special.
She whispers, “Soon,agapi mou.”
“How are you doing, Mom? Is everything okay on your end?” I’m stalling on hanging up because I don’t want to face the real world.
She sighs. “I just feel a bit under the weather; I’m probably coming down with a cold.”
“You can still get those in paradise?”
“It gets cold here too!” she scolds. “Listen, I’m meeting up with some friends. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I frown at the sudden change of tone. “Okay, bye. Have fun, and I love you.”
“Love you, honey.”
The phone disconnects. Unease pools in my stomach. Holding the phone up to my ear, I swallow hard because life is about to turn upside down—I know it.
FORTY-FOUR
LILY
“Don’t pay attention to anyone, just dance!” Twirling in the VIP section, Stella sways back and forth like no one is watching, even though thousands of people are probably taking pictures of us right now.
Crouching so I’m at her level, I grab her hand and start spinning her like a ballerina. The laugh I’m rewarded with is just like the music playing from the giant stage in front of us.
“That’s what Daddy tells me,” her scratchy voice yells right into my eardrum, almost making me fall back.
Blinking back stars, I hug her from around the waist, gazing up at Times Three. Leonidas catches our eyes and winks at the edge of the stage.
No one has it in their heart to correct Stella. However, I don’t blame her. Levi might just be her big brother, but he raised her at a time in his life when he didn’t know how to take care of himself.
When the twentieth song of the night slowly dies down, a bright light shines down on Elijah. Stepping forward, he keeps strumming his long fingers on the guitar, sending a somber tune across the arena.
“For us, The Revenge Tour has been a long time coming.”
Looking up, he gestures to Leonidas and Amelia, who stand back and let him have this moment.
“We have had so much fun putting on our shows. Just like our newest album, we wanted to make it real to us—from the set list, to the venue, to the aesthetic. Our goal for this concert was for you to feel like you were diving into our minds.”
Stella winds her arms around my neck. Pulling her closer to me, I stand, holding my breath for the nervous energy I feel radiating off my boyfriend.
