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“Is it already six?” I asked.
“No, it is half past noon. A neighbor called and said there was a strange woman sleeping on my porch while holding a baby. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered the strange woman turned out to be my own daughter and granddaughter.”
“We know you like surprises, Mom,” I said and smiled tiredly. “Surprise.”
“What kind of dread-inducing surprise is this?” she asked. “Let's get you inside. I’ll make you a fresh cup of coffee. Are you hungry? I have leftover mashed potatoes and fried chicken.”
And suddenly, the world didn’t seem like such a bad place. Maybe there was some truth to the real thing after all. “I’d like all of it. Thank you, Mom.”
“There’s no need to thank me. Just come in,” she said as she entered the house.
After many hours of passing through airports and sleeping upright, the sofa in the living room resembled a haven of comfort. I would’ve loved to crash into it, but Athena slept, so the most I could do was lower myself slowly but surely into the cushiony furniture.
“First, I need you to give my granddaughter to me. Second, go take a shower. You smell like your dad after his fishing trips. In the meantime, I’ll warm up the food.”
I passed Athena to Mom. “This is the cutest baby I have ever seen. Gabriel does have some good genes.”
At the sound of his name, my face soured. Mom being the hawk that she was, immediately noticed. “Go shower. For now, you’ll stay with us. Dad and I need to get our grandparent time with Athena.”
“But. I don’t want to bother––”
“No buts. Now go shower.”
Tears began prickling my eyes. I hugged my mom from behind and whispered, “Thank you.”
“Thank you for what? For being lenient with your stinky-ness. You know what? If you’re not very hungry, go have a long bath. It might help. Go, go. I’m busy here watching my granddaughter sleep.”
I ran up into the bathroom upstairs and locked the door. The reflection in the mirror looked like the most distraught version of myself. Escaping a life-threatening situation could do that to anyone. Even during my uncertain times in Wallachia, I never felt so frantic. Then I knew I could rely on Gabriel for anything, and now I was all alone, running from the man who gave me everything. “But who cares about castle, fortunes, and islands if the most important part is missing––trust.”
I jumped into the modest bathtub, poured bubble solution, and let the hot water take my muscle aches away. After a twenty-minute soak, I was ready to eat an elephant. When I came downstairs, I found Dad holding Athena in his arms. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “You know you both have jobs you need to attend to. I can’t imagine every time I knock at your door, you leave everything and come rushing home to see me.”
“First of all, I found you half alive on the porch. Second, come eat. The food is getting cold,” Mom said.
Dad didn’t even pay attention to my rattling. He was too enthralled with his granddaughter to care. Suddenly, our family’s tectonic plates shifted, and I found myself being replaced by a sweet honeybun wrapped in a fleece blanket, still wearing Zuzanna’s handmade hat.
After the most delicious lunch, I sipped on the best coffee I had ever had. It might’ve been the exhaustion, but I believe it was my mom’s caring hand that had to do something with it. Mom kept scrutinizing me while Dad lived his grandpa fantasy and didn’t pay much attention to us.
“So, what’s been going on?” Mom asked.
“Well, you know. I decided to surprise you with a visit,” I said coyly.
“Last time you arrived here in a limousine.”
“You know how much gas those cars consume?”
“Stop deflecting. Tell me what happened,” Mom said.
I exhaled deeply and said, “Gabriel and I had a fight.”
“All couples fight. Just look at your dad and me. We don’t see eye to eye on almost anything, but you don’t see me running to my sisters every time we squabble.”
“The fight might’ve been more serious than expected. Someone has done something to him, and he has changed personalities.”
“Is he the same man you married?”
“With me, yes. He’s the best man I’ve ever met, but he did something unforgiving, and I don’t know why. Nothing in his character would’ve betrayed such an action. And now I’m confused. He wants for us to return, but I don’t think it is a good idea.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
