Did she feel it? Or did she feelhim?
“It’s the opposite,” I said as Daphne hugged my father tight. “We have been given the best gift. Are you with Mrs. K?”
“I am. Grace is pregnant?” She perked.
“No, she’s not. I… I don’t know how to say this.” My voice shook.
“Just say it,” she demanded.
“They found Baba. Something happened in the blast, and he didn't die. He was unconscious in a hospital, and they didn’t know who he was this entire time. He was literally just brought to the door of my home, and Evan drove him straight to me. Right now, he’s hugging Daphne and Zoie. I wanted to tell you before we take him inside to see Pappous,” I blurted, worried about how she’d take it.
“He’s alive. Nick, my Nick isn’t dead?” She swore in Greek. “He probably blasted himself into another universe. I told him that messing with reality would make people grumpy.”
She had? I didn’t know that.
“He seems okay?” Her voice wavered.
I lowered my voice. “He’s feeling guilty about how much he missed. The last thing he remembers is leaving for work. Be easy on him?”
“I suppose. Can I see? Please?”
“Of course.” I took a photo of him with Evan and my cousins and sent it to her.
She swore again in Greek. “It’s him. He’s back. I… I have him back. I knew I felt him, and sometimes I would feel him eventhough I shouldn’t. Do you know how many times I wished that he was really alive, since we never found a body?”
“Your wish just came true, Mama. I’ll bring him to the party, and you can meet us there? You might need to shield him from everyone. But there are many nice places at the club that you can run off to and talk,” I assured her.
“Yes. Oh, if I’m seeing Nick again after all these years, maybe I should wear the other dress I bought.” For a moment she sounded self-conscious.
“He doesn’t care about your dress, Mama. He just wantsyou.”
“I… I don’t know how to feel about this.” Her voice wavered.
“Happy, Mama. We have him back. You can now travel the world with him just like you wanted and do all the things you regretted never doing.” I saw the door open, and Pappous peered out.
“What are you all doing out here?” he called, leaning on his cane.
“I need to go. I love you. We’ll see you soon.” I ended the call and ran over to my pappous, my grandfather. The patriarch of the Thanukos family.
“Pappous, we got the best present,” I explained. “They found Baba. He wasn’t dead. Just missing.”
“Nick?” He looked startled.
As he should.Please don’t have a heart attack from the shock.
It was a lot. Not only had he and my yiayia mourned the loss of their son a lot, but they’d taken care of my poor battered heart as I struggled with what I’d seen versus what everyone told me, as my mother grieved losing her bonded mate and the love of her life.
They like to say that betas don’t feel the loss of a bond mate like alphas and omegas do. That was pure bullshit because I saw what she went through. Just like I grieved losing the beta I’d bonded much harder than the ‘experts’ thought I ‘should.’
“Baba.” My father’s voice broke as he ran over to him. “You’re still alive, Baba.”
“I should be saying that. Nick. You’re here. How?” Tears streamed down Pappous’s face.
“I don’t even really know. I was unconscious for a long time. But I’m here now. I’m here, Baba.” He hugged him tight.
“What is going on?” Ari, my dad’s brother, came out. “Nick?”
“Ari? You look old,” my father teased as he let go of his dad and hugged his brother.
