“I don’t have many fond memories of my last glimpse of this airport. It’s like…” She shook her head. She wasn’t going to tell him that everything was coming back to her. The overwhelming anger and fear. She had been so afraid when she’d realized she was pregnant and on her own.
“Everything’s different this time,” Christos said.
“You’re right. I’m being silly. I think I’m tired from all the traveling.”
“I expect you are,” Christos said. “You have my mobile number?”
“Yes.”
“Call me if you need anything,” he said.
“But your meeting…” she said.
“Today I can make time for you. If I’d planned our arrival better I would have saved the day for you and Theo.”
The chaotic feelings from the past started to melt away as she realized that things really were different this time and Christos was going to be by her side. She’d been alone for so long; it was hard to accept that she wasn’t anymore, especially when what she usually saw of Christos was his back as he walked away.
The roomthat Ari had prepared for Theo was every child’s dream. It was actually a suite of three rooms, the sleeping quarters sumptuously painted so that it seemed you were in the middle of the Aegean Sea with the bed a big sailboat in the middle. The mural on the wall started with the sunrise, continued around the room to the big bay windows that overlooked the lushly landscaped back garden and then, on the other side of the window, night fell and stars filled the sky.
“This room is…”
“Fitting for the Theakis heir,” Ari said from the doorway.
“Yes it is. Thank you for doing so much for my son.”
“I didn’t do it foryourson, Ms. Monroe, I did it for my heir.”
“Mr. Theakis…”
He went to the adjacent room before she could say anything else. Damn. She hated the way he kept dismissing her.
She followed him into the playroom, which was almost bigger than her entire little house in Florida. Theo stood in the middle of the room just staring at everything. He couldn’t tell where to start first in his play. Finally he just sat down in the middle of the room and looked up at her.
“Mama? Where’s my Rescue Heroes?”
“I’ll get them.”
“While your mother goes to get those things, let me show you this area, Theo. I had a state-of-the-art plasma-screen TV installed for you. Each morning you will watch your lessons in Greek history and the history of the Theakis family.”
Ava paused in the doorway. “Mr. Theakis, we need to talk before you plan out Theo’s days.”
“I’m not planning his days, Ms. Monroe, I’m teaching him to be a proper Theakis. Unfortunately those lessons are ones he’s been lacking.”
Ava glared at the older man. She wanted to say,Whose fault is that, but couldn’t, not in front of Theo.
“We can discuss this later.”
“Check with my secretary and have him put you on my schedule,” Ari said and left the room.
Ava grabbed a pillow off the couch in front of the TV and threw it against the wall. Theo grabbed one and did the same, laughing. She started laughing with her son, feeling some of the tension ease out of her.
“Do you want to watch Greek lessons?”
He shrugged. “I do want to be a good Theakis.”
“You can’t be anything else. Youarea Theakis.”
Theo nodded.
