In the morning Cybele wakes up early. She had a bad night's sleep thanks to her physiotherapy meds, meds that made her black out, she takes a shower and then leaves for the restaurant.
Cibele booked a restaurant near her home, she sent the address and at the appointed time there she was. She looked around, waiting for him to arrive.
She twists her mouth, anxiety and nervousness take over her body, amidst so many thoughts invading her, she was already on her sixth glass of water, and looking everywhere, with her palms on the light blue tablecloth.
She sees him the moment he enters the restaurant, her body shudders. The rest disappears as her brown eyes linger, slowly, looking at him from head to toe, to his hands, to his lips, those lips...
He takes his time, but then he sees her, and for a second it's just her, and his heart begins to race, a feeling he didn't fully know yet, he approaches her with a wide smile and pulls out the white-colored chair sitting in front of her.
Before she can think what to say, he says Hi, and it's like seeing him for the first time again and her heart can't keep still, because this time she knows how their story will be intertwined forever, or so she thought...
— Hi, had a good trip! — she asks with an embarrassed smile and her head tilted to the side...
— Yes, yes, I woke up thinking about you today, what's so important? — He leans forward in his chair to be closer to her.
She takes a deep breath and puts her hands on the arms of the chair, and holds them steady.
She begins to think to herself. "Come on, Cybele, it's time, don't be a coward" But she continues in silence, she feels her hands sound, while he stares at her without understanding anything. "Come on, say something" Her conscience insisted.
He blurted out quickly, running over a few letters: — I am pregnant, and the child is yours. — she sobs.
He feels a joy in his body, and moves in the chair, putting his hands together. — Gee, what about me, am I going to be a father? — He rubs his eyes, and smiles broadly, and reaches across the table and takes her arms, "This is great, I, I'm a little speechless, but I want you to know that I want this child. Who knew this year I was going to be a father?
— Great, that's what I expected from you, the very least — She picks up the glass of water from the table and turns quickly, and gives a half smile. Then she quickly takes out a piece of paper from her purse. — Here are my ideas, he's staying with me, I'm not giving that up! — She shakes her head and looks at him again with narrowed eyes, she starts talking about all her plans and ideas.
As he stands in front of her still, his eyes rove over her body and stare at her, he seemed to admire her, and indeed he was, but Cybele gets angry with him.
— Hey, are you really paying attention, because if you're not going to take this seriously, I — She says, raising her eyebrows.
He leans back in his chair. — Of course I am, you said that you want shared custody, but he will stay with you for the first 8 months, I can't take him on trips longer than 3 days, you don't want me to expose him on social media, and you want him to study two languages and...
— Arketa, I get it, you proved your point," Cybele says looking at him with lowered eyes, she smiles, pushing her hair away from her face. — So, agreed? — She extends her hand in front of him.
(Translation: Arkéta = Enough already! in Greek)
— Yes, with most of the points, but I want to get to know your family better, you know where my son will live?— She replies, looking deep into his eyes, he barely blinks, spellbound, Pietro caresses her hands. — You could show me Santorini for example, I've never been here... Well, not on a trip. — He looks around, but soon returns his gaze to her.
— Then, come, I'll show you the beauties of Santorini, and of course one of them is the sea. — She smiles, raising her eyebrows, and drinks a glass of water.
— I thought you were the beauty of Santori, is there more? — He winks.
Cybele doesn't answer, coughs, and smoothes the strap of her dress, rising from her chair.
He draws in a breath.— Are you driving? — The brunette gets up and puts his cell phone in his pants pocket.
— Car? We walk here, you don't need a car. — She gives a little wink and a smile comes out of her face almost accidentally...
I want you to know, dear reader, that at that moment there was a wall in Cybele's heart, a wall that she didn't know how to explain why she had built it.
It was a mixture of feelings, fear that it wouldn't work out and that her baby would end up being raised by two parents who hate each other, fear that her heart would be hurt if she fell for his words. Pietro had a reputation for breaking hearts, and she knew it very well, she knew it the moment he walked into that party...
But, dear reader, Pietro could climb walls, oh yes, he could. The brunette knew how to break them down little by little, and he was certainly going to try.
They spend the morning together; Cybele takes him to her part of the villa, to her grandmother's restaurant.
— Grandma, this is Pietro! — Cibele says with a smile without showing her teeth, entering the restaurant, introducing him to everyone.
Until Apollo passes by the door and asks permission and sees Cibele and Pietro together. He passes by them without looking. He looks for Athena, his grandmother answers that she was in the kitchen, he goes there, and tries to ignore that he saw Cibele introducing someone else, probably the father of her son.
Cybele lowers her head. — We'd better go in, Giagia! — She grabs her purse firmly.
(Translation: Giagi = Grandma, in Greek)
— And no need to speak Italian to me, I understand your language. —Pietro says offering his forearm to his grandmother.
Cybele makes an admiring face, and raises her eyebrows. She introduces Alexia to him as soon as she enters the room, the girl is writing on the sofa and is impressed by the tall brunette entering her house.
Everyone seems to be in awe of Pietro, although Cybele was uncomfortable. He says goodbye to everyone and Cybele leads him out.
— I'll tell you, I didn't expect you like this, I thought you were all rich and sampled," she laughs heartily, and rests her hand on the front gate.
— No, I'm not, and I think you noticed it that night, which is why we talked so much. —He stares at her. —Well, you're rich too, rich with love, your family seems to love you very much, he says holding up his hands.
— Oh, your parents are dead, aren't they? I'm sorry. — She puts her hand on his shoulder, bringing her mouth together.
— Yes, but my uncle raised me, and even though we're not so close now, he is my best friend without a doubt, he looks down. — Well, tomorrow do you want to go to the beach? As friends, of course," he shows his palms up, and takes a step back. — I promise not to force the bar.
— Well, I'll think about it, I promise I'll give you an answer tonight, okay? — She looks him in the eye and nods, he says goodbye to her and walks away.
— Well, I'll think about it, I promise I'll give you an answer tonight ok? — She looks him in the eyes and nods, he says goodbye to her and walks away
Cybele leaves quickly and goes to Apollo's house, her mother sees her from the window and tells him.
— What are you doing here? —He asks, approaching her at the gate, he leaves, standing in front of her house.
He leans against the white wall in front of his house and stares at her, she stares at him while snapping her fingers.
Then she hiccups, she always hiccups when she is nervous.
— Why did you tell Iris that I was pregnant! — She looks at him with her eyebrows.
— Wow, do you really think I told Iris something? Don't you know me? I would never do that. She's the one who came on my boat, to "console" me. He looks at her, making quotation marks with his hands. — Apparently he already knew, but it makes me sad that you think this, he feels his heart breaking into a thousand pieces, but he doesn't want to feel this?
Cibele looks up to the sky and realizes that Iris probably already knew, and realizes how annoying it was to have asked Apollo that, there was still love, that which remains forever. Regardless of the fact that she could no longer see herself by her side, she could only wish for his happiness.
— Forgive me Apollo, this is all very confusing, and I shouldn't. — She looks down, avoids looking him in the eyes, and snaps her little fingers.
—That's just it, because I have things to do. — He says, leaning away from the white wall of his house as he looks at her.
— Not really, I know it's ridiculous to ask you what I'm going to ask you now, but... — She manages to face him and it is incredible how much she still wanted to tell him about her day and say everything that was happening, she says as an outburst: "I hate this situation, forgive me, can't we be friends?
Silence settled between the two of them as a third party in that conversation, she didn't know what to answer. Apollo laughed in a corner.
— I can not yet Cybele, and also will not stay with your cousin, it was all too fast, and honestly do not want your harm, but I'm too hurt ... And today you were at your grandmother's restaurant with him, it was like we were two strangers, Bele.
He closed his eyes, trying not to succumb to the impending tears that insisted on streaming down his face as he watched the woman he loves ask him to just be friends.
— I, I understand," she says biting her lower lip, turning around to face him and looking over his shoulder. — And Apollo, you can stay with Iris, she turns in front of him again, and says, letting the air out of her mouth: —She likes you, I know that since we took a break, I just didn't want to see it, not that she needs my ''Blessing'' — She makes quotation marks with her hands and gives a half smile. — I just want you to be well and happy.
—I'll be fine as long as I have you. — He runs his fingers through her beard, staring at her, his eyes roaming her body.
Cybele sighs, and feels her lower lips twitch, and shakes her head.— Goodnight Apollo, she walks away.
Leaving him there, leaving only him and the silence of unspoken words, and longing, much longing...
His eyes are red with tears, but as he enters his house he remembers Athena's words, he would find a new love.
~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~
Later, Atena and her mother are closing the restaurant, Julia rudely washes the dishes, the noise of the dishes being placed sloppily on top of each other makes Atena angry.
She asks, speaking loudly. — Aretta, Mom! What's wrong with you? — She shoves her hands in her front pockets, looking at her mother, her face frowning at the noise.
(Translation: Aréta = Enough! in Greek)
Julia holds up her plate. — Embittered by the extreme heat, that's all, it'll pass! —She turns off the tap and takes off her apron.
— If I didn't know you so well, I swear I'd believe it," the girl retorts ironically, and turns to face one of the tables.
But her mother goes into a trance, hardly seems to hear the girl remembering what happened this afternoon, an old friend knocking on her door, but not literally, yet...
Hours before (In the morning) :
Julia walks with two bags in her direct hand, the full of fresh fish and fruit intoxicating her when her cell phone rings while she is at the crowded Santorini market when she then answers it:
— Cheírete! — she answered, holding the cell phone to her left ear.
(Translation: Cheírete= Hello (In Greek)
— Julia, it's been a long time, I thought I would never hear your voice again.— The male voice resounds in her ears. — Hello. — I said again after she remained silent.
— Giovanni? How, with... the, the, co, how do you have my number? — She asks stammering heavily, her breathing quickens as does her heart.
"It can't be" she thinks. Her steps quicken, her hands tremble and one of her bags, which were filled with oranges, falls from her hand.
She looks around and turns off her cell phone, she spent the afternoon thinking about this, how did he have her new number? What did he want? Fear settled in her heart, making her think for the rest of the day...
She looks around and turns off her cell phone, she had spent the afternoon thinking about it, how did he have her new number? What did he want? Fear settled in her heart and left her thinking for the rest of the day
— Mom, Mom? Mom, can you hear me? — Atena asks, raising her eyebrows, already at her mother's side, he pushed her hair away from her face.
Julia comes out of her trance. - Hi, hi honey.— She forced a smile, but still had distant eyes.
—She asks, raising her eyebrows, and giving a smile, she puts her hands together, placing them on her chin.
— Yes, yes of course, let's go upstairs, call your sisters. — She says leaning her hands on the stainless steel sink.
Atena and she leave to the house, and Julia, tense, tries to distract herself, but nothing makes her calm, "What did Giovanni want? After all these years....