“Theo,” a familiar male voice said, and she turned her face in its direction.
Kostas marched into the room, holding the arm of a petite lady with striking hazel eyes. Amaya automatically let go of Theo and cleared her throat. A shiver raced down her spine.
Kostas tilted his head, and she nodded at him. Theo stood and hugged his mother. Then, the three of them engaged in a conversation in Greek she had to be fluent to understand. In the past several days, she’d been learning basic greetings and words from an app, but she couldn’t carry a conversation. At least not one that didn’t include some ridiculous touristy line like, Where’s the zoo? anyway.
Amaya sucked in her breath, her fingers fidgeting on her lap. She reached for a lifestyle magazine from the coffee table, but since it was all in Greek, she pretended to look at the pictures as she flipped through the pages.
“Amaya,” Theo called her, and she stood a bit too quickly. “This is my mother, Cordelia Rhodes.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Rhodes,” Amaya said. “I’m sorry about the circumstances.”
His mother straightened her shoulders, then angled her head. “Thank you.”
The same doctor who’d shaken hands with Theo earlier appeared, walking up to them and holding a heavy chart. He proceeded to explain something that must have been good news, for Theo’s mom sighed and looked up at the ceiling as if she thanked God or superior beings for the doctor’s words. Kostas nodded, and Theo remained calm, asking a couple of questions.
“He won’t need heart surgery,” Theo said, translating to her after the doctor left. “With some lifestyle changes and no stress, he should be okay for a while.”
“Oh that’s good,” she said, sighing in relief. She wanted to hug him, to put her arms around his neck and kiss his cheek, but she restrained herself.
“We can visit him when he’s transferred to a room, where they’ll keep him overnight,” Kostas said, in English, looking at her.
A pang of relief loosened her shoulders. She watched Theo’s reaction, and the contours of his handsome face softened. The tips of her fingers still itched to touch him, but she did not, and shuffled her weight from one foot to another. The main thing was his father would be okay. Theo wouldn’t experience the pain of losing a parent prematurely.
The nurse called his mother, and Cordelia rushed to go visit her husband.
Kostas’s phone buzzed, and he dashed off to take the call away from them. She imagined family members had found out about what happened and wanted an update on Theo’s father’s health.
“Are you okay?” Theo asked, erasing the distance between them.
She didn’t resist, and stroked his cheek, her fingers slightly trembling. What if he pushed her away? He’d tried to during their visit to the garden, but she’d been able to reel him back in and have a fantastic time with him. But, this was real life—and his family. “Of course. I’m glad your father’s well. You should see him when you get a chance.”
He kissed the back of her hand and shot her an intimate glance. “I will.”
“I hope he’ll get to go home soon. It’s the best way to heal, really, with your loved ones. I hate hospitals.”
Theo made an invisible pattern on her palm. The gesture soothed her and sent a delightful sensation through her. “I’m sorry. I just realized being here must bring up some bad memories for you.”
“It’s okay.” She forced a smile. His kind words and touch clutched her hard. “It’s okay,” she repeated, more to herself than to him. He gave her a hug, and the irony of him soothing her when she should be the one comforting him wasn’t lost on her. She embraced him back, holding him tight like some powerful force threatened to take him away from her.
Tears prickled in the back of her eyes, stingy and hot. When she’d lost Melina, her parents mourned too. When she’d lost her parents, she had Diego to look after. She grieved, of course, but had to be strong for her brother. And now…now she literally had a shoulder to cry on.
Damn, a month wouldn’t be enough with him, either. A whole lifetime wouldn’t. But what could she do? His father just suffered a heart attack. Was she in a position to ask him to go against his father’s wishes? He kissed the top of her head, and, for a moment, doubts melted away.
The sound of a throat clearing made her disengage from Theo. His mother had returned and said something in Greek to him.
He sighed. “My father wants to see me. I’ll go say hi and check on him. I’ll be right back.”
Amaya watched him disappear into the restricted area, following a male nurse who had been waiting for him. She touched her neck, unsure. His mother sat in one of the chairs. “Is there anything I can get you?” Amaya asked, peering at her. “Would you like some water? Would you like me to go fetch Kostas?”
She stared at her. “No. I’m good.”
Amaya scratched her head. What to do now? Should she keep standing and pretend to admire the minimalist decor of the waiting area? Or sit across from his mother? Certainly, not next to her—that’d be far too bold at this point. “All right.”
“I heard you’ve been staying at my son’s,” his mother said, cutting the silence.
Amaya touched the back of her neck. “Yes. He’s a gracious host.” Among other things… Amaya pressed her fingers into her skin in a silent plea with herself to be proper. Say the right thing.
A ghost of a smile formed on his mother’s mouth. “How do you like Athens?”
