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“I’m ready.”
“You say that now.”
Thano placed his hand on my lower back and began guiding me to the front door. Stopping. I frantically looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing, ladybug. Let’s get this over with.”
My heart began beating harder and I felt like I had just run in a marathon. I started sweating, my breath was labored, and my legs felt like jelly.
This was such a bad idea.
Was that my pulse I felt in my throat? Oh, Christ.
By the time we got to the top step, the massive wood door flew open.
Katerina stood there with a smile on her face. And behind her were all the women from the day they came to the Onion Creek Gardens.
“Are your parents having a party?” I asked in a hushed voice.
Thano chuckled and pushed me in front of him. He was feeding me to the lions.
Walking up, I dragged in a deep breath and smiled. Katerina looked me over and stepped to the side along with everyone else.
Thano followed closely behind me as we walked into a massive foyer. I didn’t dare look around . . . what if that was rude in the Greek culture?
Damn it! Why didn’t I buy that other book? Why didn’t I finish reading the one I bought?
Thano’s mother shut the door and walked up to me. No one said a word.
“She isn’t Greek,” someone whispered as Thano clasped his hand in mine.
When my eyes met Katerina’s, something happened. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew it was good.
Placing her hands on my arms, her face grew into a wide smile.
“Thank the heavens above it’s you he brought home!”
My eyes widened with a dazed look. A rush of adrenaline tingled through my body as I turned to look at Thano. He wore the same expression I was positive I had. Looking back at Katerina, I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out.
“Are you feeling okay, Katerina?” someone asked from behind her.
“I am feeling wonderful! My Athanasios is in love and with the beautiful Irish Kilyn!”
I cringed and waited for the spitting to happen but it didn’t. The rest of the room was in total shock. Too stunned to commence with the spitting.
Grabbing my hand, Katerina pulled me into the house as we made our way into a huge dining room. My eyes about popped out of my head when I saw all the food.
“Jesus, Mama. When did you cook all of this?”
Katerina shot Thano a dirty look before turning back to me. “Kilyn, you sit here with Yiayia. Athanasios, you sit on her other side.”
Thano and I did as his mother said. When I sat down, I turned to Thano’s grandmother. She gave me a polite smile, but then said, “You’re not Greek.”
I smiled nervously, as I replied, “No ma’am, I’m not.”
“You’re the Irish girl.”
Deep breaths. Deep. Breaths.
“Yes, Yiayia, this is Kilyn.”
“Oh! Yiayia is grandmother!” I blurted out. Why was that now just hitting me?
Everyone turned and looked at me.
Katerina leaned over to, whom if I remembered right, was her cousin Maria and said, “The Irish always were a little slow.”
Maria nodded her head. “It’s all that beer they drink. Does something to the brain cells.”
I turned to Thano and leaned closer to him. “They do know I can hear them, right?”
He smiled. “Oh, they know.”
With a nod, I replied, “Just making sure.”
The next thing I knew, every kind of Greek dish was pushed my way. Even if I tried to pass over it, Yiayia was spooning some onto my plate.
“You’re too skinny. Now, Katerina, she could stand to drop a few pounds, but we need to get some meat on you for the babies.”
I glanced down at my already overflowing plate and swallowed hard.
My head popped up.
Wait. What? Babies?
Good Lord what was all of this food? I picked up a skewer that had the most delicious looking food on it.
“Souvlaki,” Thano said. “It’s pork tenderloin and veggies.”
My mouth began to water when I realized I hadn’t eaten since morning and I was starving. Using my fork to slip the food off the skewer, I took a bite and was instantly in heaven.
“Ohmygawd,” I whispered.
Thano wiggled his eyebrows and took a huge bite of something that looked like a pastry-filled delight!
He pointed to it and said, “It’s basically chicken in a patty.”
I dug into that next dish. It was better than the pork.
Shit. I’m going to gain twenty pounds just from this dinner.
Katerina handed me a dish and said, “Moussaka. Get a good helping of that. It’s Athanasios’ favorite.”
Doing as she said, I took a generous helping and then took a bite. Holy crap. It was like lasagna but ten times better.
“Have you ever had Greek food before, Kilyn?” Dimitris asked.
Shaking my head, I replied, “No. I mean I’ve had a Gyro before and what Katerina cooked at cooking class that day, but that’s about all.”
