"Memories haunting her, laughter chasing her, sweet talks stalking her. Everywhere she go, everything she does, it all leads back to him." ― S G
...........
[Athena's Yvonne's POV]
I woke up in the middle of the night with my Mom wailing. I gently and slowly carried my limbs out of the bed and made my way to her room across ours, with the only dim light our night light provided.
My little sister is still sleeping and I knew she's exhausted and still has a jet lagged after long hours of flight from Brazil. We had to move since my dad's family is all against us and would not stop bullying our family. Now that my dad is gone, it will surely go worst.
Dad passed away three years ago and until now mom hasn't recovered. Since dad's passing, she started losing her appetite in eating, living and even lost her job since she can't work very well. She's always spaced out so the manager had to fire her.
And a year ago, she tried to kill herself. It was horrifying to witness her in the washroom, filled with her own blood from her slashed wrist. The blood was splattered all over the floor.
I just came from work that day, when I saw her in the washroom, bloody and unconscious. I and my sister thought we had lost her. But, thank God, she survived. Although for the three years, I felt like I lost her too. She was never herself. Gone the mom we know. The happy, carefree and loving mother.
For three years, my savings and all the money we received from dad's inheritance went into her medical expenses. Since she suffered from depression, and until now. The reason we left Brazil is to live our life away from my father's devilkin, with the only money left from his inheritance.
We don't know exactly how much is his inheritance, but we just accepted whatever they handed to us without a word. It would only worsen the gap between my mom and dad's sibling if we fought back.
Dad came from a rich family, but with 4 siblings and mostly snobbish. Dad was the second among the four. His older brother who was the CEO of the De Rossi Construction company and Dad as the Vice President, but mostly, on the site working.
I don't know what really happened the day he died. Some say he tried to help his brother, but then he was out balanced, throwing himself out of the under construction building 200 ft. to the ground.
Some speculated he was pushed and I knew the two had a heated argument the day before the accident. But, no one can tell what really happened that day. They just assumed it was an accident. But, in my heart, I knew it was all planned.
I know his brother wanted the company all by himself. Dad's family never like my mom because she came from a poor family. Dad's siblings have been indifferent to us. I never felt being treated as their blood, but a servant to them. Mom had tried to woo their affection, but it never happened.
After dad's burial, they gave the money, my dad's inheritance and from then on, we are on our own. I grew up hating them. Even my grandfather. He sees us nothing but a trash. Dad died not knowing how they treated us behind his back.
And since, I'm the eldest of the two, I became the breadwinner.
I had to work my ass off to make ends meet. Just yesterday, we arrived from Brazil to my mom's hometown. Athens, Greece. We are now living in her parent's house. A bungalow with three rooms. Nana and Dado were sleeping in the other room.
I saw her door was ajar. I peeked into her room and saw her sitting on her bed, with her shoulder shaking as she sobs. I walked in quietly and sat on the edge, reaching her. "Mom ..." I murmured. My heart clenched at the sight of her.
I've seen this scenes many times. It's like a broken disk to me, kept replaying each night. Me waking up with her crying and I walked into her room trying to comfort her. I know it hurt and I was hurt too.
The pain is still there. Losing my father was like losing half of myself. But what can we do? I had said every comforting word to her and now I don't know what to say. No words would ever comfort her.
"I wish he took me with him!" she sniffed as she looked through the windows in oblivion.I had heard that countless times too. And sometimes, I hated her how weak and selfish she is.
When dad died, she had forgotten us. Me and my sister, Gabriella.
"You can't say that mom. Gabriella and I are still here..." I said with a clenched jaw. My eyes are starting to well up.
Then, she looked at me, dazed. "I'm sorry, you had carried all the burden," she murmured as she croaked.
I was stunned. She talks differently. For three years, I never heard that. I hope this is her start.
I leaned my head on her shoulder with my hand around her waist. I let the tears free fall, for the first time since dad's burial.
"I was too hurt and broken when Lucas passed, that I had forgotten you and Gabriela. I'm so sorry Yvonne," mom cried and soon she was hugging me.
I cried with the pain she felt and the happiness that finally, she realized she has another family that was left. "We are always here for you mom. I know dad left us, but his memories still remain. He may not be here, but I believe in my heart he was watching us. And, I know he will be sad when he sees you grieving and losing this battle." I said deeply.
I pulled myself off her. "If he's here, he wants you to be happy..." I uttered looking at her melancholy.
"I know.." she uttered softly as she hangs her head low.
"We want you to be happy, mom. Gabriela and I wish you to be happy." I kept repeating like a mantra.
She looked at me for a while, then she reached for my face. She cupped it with her hands. "You remind me of him. With your dark brown eyes and golden brown hair," she murmured, as she looks at me with a forced smile, with traces of dried tears under her eyes. "I'm happy. I'm still happy that I had a reminder of him, with you and Gabriella." she laughed bitterly. Then, she pulled me and hugged me real tight like I was her energy.
I reciprocated her hugged with the same intensity, as I stifled my tears. "We love you, mom, so much!" I murmured audibly."I love you, honey," she replied.
Then, she pulled me away. "Go back to sleep." she urged softly and I nod in agreement. I am exhausted and I need more sleep, as I had to think what to do after the next day.
"Good night mom," I said before leaving her room.
--
[Demetrio's POV]
"God, I just arrived, Shelly!" I groaned on the phone. "Don't get me wrong Shel, I love Shaina, but I'm beyond exhausted!" I winced as I felt a pinching pain in my temples. I knew I'm starting to get a headache. I didn't have any decent sleep since 24 hours. I just arrived from Maldives.
"Please, Demi! She will be crying when nobody's there to pick her up, the centre closes at three," she explained briefly, begging at me.
My older sister, Shelly, is stuck in a meeting and her 3-year-old daughter is in the center and she was supposed to pick her up, but she needs to be with her client to win the case. My sister, Shelly is a defense lawyer by profession. And her husband is in New York for a business conference.
I slumped on my chair in my office inside my penthouse as I massage my temples to lessen the growing pain. "Fine. Do I have to go now?" I asked not bothering to check at the time. I should be there at exactly three.
"Yes please, Demi. I owe you one!" she said in urgency.
"God, I hate you!" I uttered in frustrations. I don't really mean it. It's just that my headache is really bothering me.
"I love you Demi!" she chuckled and then she hung up the phone.
And, I hate it when she called me Demi. She is obsessed with Demi Lovato that she even called me with her name. It's not that I don't like the singer. I just hated the name.
"Demi? Skatá!" I hissed as I stood up and yanked my coat hanging on my swivel chair and put it on as I walked from my office to my door.
Not long, Augusto was driving me to the center, 20 minutes away from the hotel. I leaned my back on the back support and closed my eyes. I should have taken some medicine for a headache, I thought.
I battled with my eyes to sleep until I felt the car jolted to stop. I snapped my eyes open and realized that the car was already parked in the parking lot.
With a scowl on my face, I made my way to the door of the big center. Shelly is right. The center was so quiet.I walked along the hallway to where her room is when I heard Shaina's soft voice in a heated argument. I quickly paced to where the directions of the two voices, of a male and her.
I saw my niece wiping her eyes, looking at the young boy angrily."You're such a crying baby!" the boy said mockingly.
I stood in the doorway, frowning."I'm not a crying baby.." Shaina yelled passionately as she looks at him defiantly.
"Shaina.," I called as I walked closer to them.
"Theois Demetrio!" Shaina cried, running to my direction. I scooped her up, and gently wipe her eyes with my thumb and kissed her cheeks.
"What's wrong, moro mou?" I asked.
Then, a lady of 40 came out from a room and saw me."Oh, Mr. Pallos. It's nice to see you.." Mrs. Kokinos walked in with papers on her hand.
Then, I put Shaina down.
"Shaina, did you just cry sweetheart?" Mrs. Kokinos asked sweetly to her as she squats to her eye level, in front of her.
I raised my eyebrow.
Where was she the time the two were arguing."Nicolaus made me cry." she pouted as she wipes her tears.
Then, she stood up and face the young man. "Why did you make her cry, Nico?" Mrs. Kokinos asked nicely.
I scooped up Shaina again in my arms as I watched the old lady interrogated the young boy.
"She called me bas—"
"I'm sorry I was late," suddenly, a happy voice interrupted the conversation, making Mrs. Kokinos' head whipped to the direction behind me.
I looked around, with Shaina on my hand, to see his mother. I was stunned to see her. She looks so refreshing and beautiful. She must have been young when she had him, I thought.
She walked past me and not even a spare a glance.
For some reason, I felt offended. But why?
Because no women have ever ignored your god-like face. From young to old, divorce to a spinster, from bugs to animals.. swooned at your presence? my subconscious mind mocked.
Then, I remember how her son treated my niece.
"Yvonne!" Nico called out and ran to her, hugging her. That kid is just too impolite, calling her mother by name only, and judging by how he acted to my niece, he wasn't raised very well.
I saw her carried him.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kokinos," she apologized and the old lady just smiled and gave her his backpack. My eyes darted to her fingers and she doesn't wear any ring.
For some reason, I felt relieved. I shook the thoughts off. Can't I fantasize a single mother? What will my friends will tell me? I'm going to be their next laughing stock after Stavros.
Then, she left after thanking Mrs. Kokinos.
I took Shaina's backpack and soon I was holding her hand out of the door. Then, I saw her and the boy walking to her car parked three cars away from mine.
I decided to confront her about how impolite her son to my niece. I gave Shaina to Augusto and I made my way to her direction.
She was about to open the rear door of her car when I called her attention.
"Excuse me, Ms," I said, wearing my signature cold face.
"Yes," she raised her eyebrows as she turns to face me. She stood a good meter away from me, with her hand still holding the boy.
"Your son just treated my niece rudely. I wonder how did you raise him?" I said bluntly, unable to contain my displeasure.
She looked at me for a second with no emotions, then she turned to face the boy. She squatted to his eye level.
"Is that true, Nico?" she asked softly as she looks sweetly at him.
"She called me a bastard, so I called her a cry baby," he explained defiantly, with no remorse.
I was taken off guard. I didn't know my niece called him that. I should have pry more, before jumping into conclusion. I felt embarrassed, but I didn't show any hint.
Keeping my impassive face, I watched her. Then, she looked up at me, I can see the disapproval in her eyes, I, too, disagree of how my niece called him. "She called him a bastard!" her eyes sparkling with rage. I can't believe her asshole of a husband left her.
How can he leave such a gorgeous girl?
Wait? Why am I thinking that? And why would I care?
"Even if she did, she's just young. And, besides when I was his age, I treated girls nicely. A gentleman should!" I retorted acidly.
She snorted.
"You called yourself a gentleman? You approached me and called me a bad mother. How is that considered as a gentleman?" she asked sarcastically.
"I didn't call you a bad mother. I mea—"
"Mr. whoever you are, you have no right to judge me or anyone," she cuts me off with her eyes glaring at me.
Fiery! I thought.
"They are kids. Kids tend to act irrationally because they just start learning to know what is right and wrong. While you? ... You acted like one!" she scowled in exasperation.
"Excuse me?" I frowned. Did she just call me a childish?
"I have no time for this nonsense thing, Mr. Your niece started it, and I know he shouldn't have retaliated, but they are kids," she added flatly.
"Sti—"
"Good day, Mr," she dismissed cutting me off again. I wanted to grab her, and pinned her against her car, and let me talk until I'm done, let her know who she was talking to.
No one had ever dared cuts me off. I was still recovering from being embarrassed when I realized her car was pulling out of the parking lot.
"Gamó̱!" I hissed. I walked briskly back to my car, and slid in beside Shaina's car seat.
"Can we please drop by at the ice cream store, theíos (uncle) Demi." Shaina's sweet voice resonated in my ears, dragging me back to reality. I was zoned out after that heated argument with Nico's mom.
And her face still lingered in my head. She looks so beautiful. "Of course, moro mou(baby)," I smiled.
Then, I remember about their argument and Nico."Shaina, baby, why did you call Nico a bastard?" I asked softly, trying not to scare her.
"He is really a bastard, theios. He doesn't have a daddy," she replied pouting.
"Do you know that you hurt him so much when you call him that? And, we shouldn't call anyone with that, moro mou. That's considered bullying. And, we don't bully, katanoi̱tó?" I explained gently, trying to let her understand that calling someone like that is bullying and it hurt them badly.
"I'm sorry, theios. It won't happen again," she apologized, curling her lips into a pout.
"I'll forgive you now, Shaina, but promised me, you will ever, ever won't say that again to anyone?" I looked at her intently.
"I promise, theios Demi." she replied nodding her head and I smiled.
"Kaló korítsi! Now we can go to the ice cream shop." I grinned and she giggled in excitement.
Then, my head was back again thinking how can a simple one can be so beautiful. Flashing her face back from my memory, I can't get over how beautiful she is. And to think she's not even wearing any face paint.
--
[Athena Yvonne's POV]
The nerve of that guy. He called Nico rude while his niece was the one who was so rude. My heart clenched for my friend's son. Nico was Katy's son.
For the three months of our stay here since we arrived from Brazil, I helped Katy with Niko once in a while, and we became friends. Katy was only 24, she's a year older than me. She got impregnated by her University teacher, and was her boyfriend during that time, but then he dumped her after revealing that she's pregnant.
She carried the baby without a father and graduated university. When she gave birth with Nico, her parents help her raise him, but last year she both lost them in an accident.
Katy is a nurse at the Athens General Hospital, and her babysitter was on vacation so she asked me if I could do it while her nanny isn't back yet, and I agreed.
I landed a job at 'Pathos Cafe' a week after we arrived from Brazil. The place is five minutes from our house since I have to make sure I'm close to my mom and to my sister. I'm still worried about my mother, although since that night we talked, she had been doing pretty well.
She's now doing gardening and trying to get a job. She's starting to get back on her feet, but I encouraged her to just stay home and fully recuperate, but she's stubborn. That's who she is, and she's starting to smile often since the last years.
Gabriella is still in university trying to finish her last year of accounting. And, I'm trying to find ways to make ends meet.
--
[Demetrio's POV]
"So you got your new secretary, huh?" I asked my friend and my partner Nicolas Petropoulis. We are both in our office, the PP Holdings headquarter.
He just looked at me, looking lost. "Are you okay?" I asked raising my eyebrow.
For the years we've been together, I've known him well, and we are like brothers.
"I heard your new secretary is hot!" I chuckled at my own thoughts.
"SHUT UP, Demetrio!" he snapped glaring at me. He looked serious. I always tease him, and I like it when he gets mad, but most of the time he either just brush it off or laugh it off. But, his face shows nothing today, but seriousness and confusion.
"Adriana De Luca," I rolled the name out of my tongue as I think where did I hear that name before.
"I'm not discussing her with you!" Nick groaned frustratedly and continued on working. I was sitting on the black leather armchair across his desk. My office is adjacent to his at the top floor of one of the grandest office building that we owned in Greece.
"Hey, relax Petropoulis!" I chuckled raising my hands in surrender. "You're acting differently.." I scoffed shaking my head.
"Why are you here anyway?" Nick asked, as he stop reading the papers in front of him and shot me a curious look.
"I can't go to Maldives tomorrow," I said. I'm just hoping he won't asked me why. I need to find out about that single mom who had my thoughts for almost a week now.
"Fine. I'll go. Now leave!" he spat, as he continued reading.
I grinned.
"Thanks, Nick!" I smiled and rose to my feet and left his office. I need some coffee, and maybe call Ted and meet me at the cafe. I want to know more about this girl.
Not long, I parked my car on the side of the road and walked into the cafe called 'Pathos Cafe'.
I walked straight to the cashier and ordered my coffee.
There's only two working. The dirty blonde in the cashier was gaping at me incredulously, and I grinned inwardly.
I know, I get a lot of those kinds of looks. Not to brag, but I'm handsome. Not too handsome, but just enough to make woman swooned and make man shunned.
"Welcome to Pathos Cafe, Sir. What can I get for you?" she asked momentarily in her sexy tone while batting her lashes.
She's cute, but not enough to get my interest. I noticed she has company. Her back was facing me and busy on some machine. She seems to be the runner.
"Give me a medium black coffee with just one milk, and an s'mores donut," I ordered. She punched in with her smiles plastered on her face.
Then, she turned to her company and I noticed she was cleaning the machine, too focused.
I inserted my credit card into the machine and was busy tapping when I heard her voice talking to her companion. "Medium black coffee with one milk, Yvonne," she said.
The last word made my head whipped to her direction and she saw me too.
For a moment, our eyes locked and I saw admiration, but it disappear as quickly as I saw it. Then, she raise her eyebrow and walked to the coffee pot and ignored me.
Did she recognize me?
The Hell?
She seems to not affected by my presence? I was too focused not listening to the dirty blonde blabbering, trying to flirt with me. I was watching the girl Yvonne, busy preparing my coffee.
I'm going to be a regular customer here, for sure!
---
A/N: Hope you will give your support to Yvonne and Demi. Hit the small star button. Thank you!