Dede must have felt the weight of my sardonic glance because she refused to meet my eyes. She busied herself arranging napkins that didn’t need arranging.
“Father?” Chrysanthos said with surprise as he entered. “What are you doing here?”
It had been months since I saw him at his wedding. He had filled out, and his skin, sun-bronzed. His hair was shorter than I’d seen it in years, making it appear more brunette than blond, and his facial hair had grown fuller.
Dede interjected before I could respond. “Your dad was in Florida when your grandmother called him with news about my hospitalization. He flew in to check in on me. I invited him to stay here instead of a hotel.”
I could tell him the truth right now. End this charade. But I wouldn’t do that to Dede, regardless of how angry I was.
Instead, I took a slow sip of coffee, considering how easily the lie slipped from her lips. How smoothly she made me out to be a concerned family member rather than the man who’d been inside her just hours ago.
“Marriage clearly agrees with you,” I said to Chrysanthos. “You look well, yes?”
He moved further into the kitchen, still watching me. “Where have you been?” He poured himself coffee. “You haven’t been home in months, Theia Irida told me.”
“I have been working remotely from the US, yes. I wanted change of scenery.”
His eyebrows rose. “A change of scenery. For four months.” A pause, then a smirk. “Do you have a woman here? A girlfriend?”
I felt Dede’s stillness across the kitchen, the way her hands froze over whatever she was arranging.
“Something of that nature, yes,” I said.
“Good.” Chrysanthos’s smirk widened. “I was concerned you’d adopted monastic habits.”
I allowed a smile to cross my face. “I assure you, I find ample ways to occupy my time.” I took another sip of coffee.“The monasteries, they would find me woefully unsuited to their disciplines.”
I could sense Dede’s discomfort without looking at her, and there was a certain satisfaction in that. Let her squirm a little under the weight of her deception.
“Perhaps someday I will introduce you to the reason I have found America... compelling, yes,” I added with subtle emphasis, knowing the double meaning would sail past my son but land precisely where I intended with Dede.
Tia stood abruptly, glancing at her watch. “Chrys, we should go now if I want to get that driving practice in. The roads will get busy soon for the lunchtime rush.”
Chrysanthos nodded, but before he moved, he turned to Dede. “How are you feeling today, Mom? You need anything while we’re out?”
I controlled my expression, but I was processing this new information. My son called Dede “Mom.” Their relationship had clearly evolved beyond my knowledge.
“I’m good, baby. Just a little tired,” Dede replied, her tone softening in a way I recognized. “Maybe visit Mama Nettie. She misses Tia.”
“Definitely will,” Tia agreed.
Chrysanthos leaned over and kissed Dede’s cheek before turning to Tia. “Let’s go. I’ll even let you take the highway if you promise not to terrify me.”
Tia rolled her eyes. “One time I went too slow merging, and he acts like I tried to kill him,” she said to no one in particular.
“Drive safely, yes?” I said, raising my coffee cup in a small salute.
When the door closed behind them, silence descended on the kitchen. The chef had discreetly withdrawn to the pantry, leaving Dede and me alone.
“Aris,” she finally said. She looked at me, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Can I have a hug? Please? I just... I need...”
My resolve crumbled at the sight of her vulnerability. Despite my frustration, I could deny her nothing. I set my cup down and stood.
“Come here to me.”
She crossed to me without hesitation, fitting herself against my chest. I enfolded her in my arms, one hand cradling the back of her head while the other pressed firmly against her spine. Her body shuddered with silent sobs.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered against my shirt. “I’m so sorry for all of this.”
