AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, Amber. I do not ‘go out’. Nor will I ‘go out’. Get that, at least, through your head.”
Amber’s eyes flashed and I got ready to clear the room. Amber rarely lost her temper, but when she did, she did it up right.
Yiayia clapped her hands. “Okay, is settled. I move into Gus and Amber’s house with Gus. After I move, Ruby gonna sell this house. Gus will help, and you and Vander get what you want where you want so Jace and George gonna be comfortable.”
Amber’s brows lowered and Vander cleared his throat loudly. I looked to him and saw Alex watching his parents with a pained look on his little face.
I leaned behind Yiayia and tugged Amber’s blouse sharply. She spun towards me angrily. I mouthed, ‘Alex’ at her and she composed herself immediately. It was disconcerting how quickly she could pull up that mask.
“Is our house on the same bus route as Yiayia’s house?” She asked Gus, knowing the answer full well.
Gus played along. “Yes. I think it’ll be an easy transition for Yiayia. And, with my business, I’m in and out all day so she won’t be alone for hours and hours at a time.”
Amber nodded and smiled tightly. Turning to Alex, in a bid to distract him, she asked, “How great will it be having Yiayia living with us?” As soon as the words left her lips, her mouth dropped open as she realized her mistake.
Even Gus’s head snapped up at her words, hope so raw and pained in his eyes it hurt to look at him.
“We’re going home?” Alex whispered.
“Um…” Amber sat at a loss for words.
Gus quickly interjected, his hand coming up to cover Amber’s on the table.
This was the first time I’d seen them touch in months. Amber stared down at his big hand on top of hers.
Gus spoke softly to Alex. “Not yet, buddy. No decisions have been made. Your mom and I have a lot of things, private things, to work out before that happens.”
“You won’t let her come home, yet?”
Gus caressed Amber’s hand with his thumb, then moved his hand off hers as he leaned towards Alex to get his full attention. “No digging for information, Alex. This is private between mom and me.”
Finally, I noticed George. His eyes were huge in his sweet face.
“Well, George!” I joked. “There’s never a dull moment around here. What you need to know is that we all love each other. Being a family is not always easy, agori mou.”
“Isn’t that the fucking truth,” George grumbled.
“George!” I yelled.
Vander started laughing first, then Gus joined in, followed by Amber, and the boys. I managed to keep a straight face.
Then Yiayia asked, “What he said?”
Jace and Alex lost it, and Amber dismissed them all from the table, choking with laughter.
George’s flight left early the next morning, and he wouldn’t see us all until the Christmas break. He said his goodbyes, received hugs, kisses, and a hearty cheek pinch, and we headed out to the porch so I could see them off.
Vander suddenly excused himself to run back inside to talk to Jace for a minute.
George looked pensive.
“You okay, Georgie?” I asked softly.
“I always thought my dad was a happy guy until now.”
My heart dropped. He didn’t like me. He didn’t like me for his dad. I didn’t know what to say, but he continued.
“Seeing him with you, I know that he wasn’t happy before, but I think he is now.” He paused, and I swallowed hard. He gave me his eyes, and they were full of trepidation. “Please don’t hurt him.”
At that precise moment, George took his rightful place in my heart.
I reached out and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I won’t. I promise.”
