Adrienne
One Year Later
I stretchmy legs on the balcony of my Athens apartment and sigh. Kacia sighs next to me. She takes a long sip from a glass of wine. “You know what I love the most about that sound?” she asks.
“What, the sound of wind and people talking on the street?”
“No, the quiet. That’s the sound of nobody needing me.”
I grin at her. “Motherhood.”
“Exactly, and you’re not too far off now, are you?”
I touch my baby bump. “I have another few months to go.”
“Are you guys discussing names?”
“We’re discussing them. He wants Greek names. I want American names. We’ll probably end up splitting the difference.”
“Are you going to raise the baby here, in Greece?”
“We can’t go back to the States,” I say gently and I note Kacia’s visible disappointment. “So long as the Calimeris family is back there, we can’t go home. It’ll be a war.”
“I know, I know, it’s just—” Kacia sighs and tilts her head back. “I just hoped one day. Libby and Ceris keep asking when you’ll come home.”
“I’m constantly on Zoom with those two and you’re in Greece, like, once a month. How much more of me could you possibly stand?”
“Somuch more. An infinite amount of more.”
“Well, tell Lib and Cer they’re welcome here whenever.” I laugh and stretch before sitting up. “Peter’s going to be home soon. Do you think he and Luca killed each other?”
“Nah, Luca got over hating Peter a while ago.”
“I assume getting into business together didn’t hurt.”
“Well.” Kacia grins at me. “It helps that the pair of you have built something pretty impressive.”
She’s not kidding. I stand and walk to the railing and look down at the neighborhood below. We’re in one of the nicest areas in all of Athens in a multi-million-dollar home purchased with the proceeds of our hard work. I’ve barely had to touch my trust since Peter and I started our own little crime business. Work from Reina has exploded, and we’ve been importing absurd amounts of drugs, and exporting even more. Money’s flowing in and out of Greece, and the crime lords have been fat, dumb, and happy.
Life is good right now. But life doesn’t always stay this way. I tell myself I have to enjoy it, but there’s always a new fire to put out and always something minor to stress over, and I have to admit, I’m afraid of becoming a mother. I don’t know what that’ll do.
Peter hasn’t even punched me in the face for like six months and Ihateit.
Not that I can tell Kacia those details though I suspect she understands the general idea.
A car door slams down below and I hear the sound of the boys coming home. “Ah, well, it was good while it lasted.”
Kacia laughs and we head inside together. We’re both wearing flowy cover-ups over bikinis, and I love the way our men stop and stare at us when they get into the door. Luca looks at Kacia like he wants to devour her, and Peter stares at me like he’s a moth mesmerized by a flame. He comes to me and kisses me, pulling me up into his arms.
“How’s my wife doing?” he murmurs in my ear. “I missed you.”
“You were gone for three hours. Did you and Luca get along?”
“So far so good.” He glances over where Kacia and Luca are speaking quietly with each other in the kitchen. “How’s she doing?”
“Adjusting to motherhood, but good.”
“And how are you adjusting?” He touches my belly softly. “Kicking today?”