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Chapter 36 - Tattoos
Ruby
For all my talk about wanting space, I couldn’t wait to see him.
Jace slept over at Vander’s for the first time, and I realized, belatedly, that I didn’t worry about him at all. They’d been together for almost twenty-four hours. They spent yesterday morning and part of the afternoon with Gus and Alex, and then Vander took Jace shopping.
Jace hated shopping.
After breakfast, Amber and I left Minty and headed straight for Yiayia’s. We invited Minty to join us, but as usual, she declined. We got there long before we expected any of the boys.
Yiayia was already busy in the kitchen when Amber and I rolled in. We took our places at the counter and grabbed our cutting boards.
“What are we making today, Yiayia?” Amber asked softly.
“We gonna make pastitsio for Gus,” she answered. Then she turned and lightly pinched Amber’s cheek. “I gonna make roast beef and lemon potatoes, too, koritzaki mou. Yes?”
Amber nodded and I detected the sheen of tears in her eyes. She cleared her throat. “Yes, Yiayia. That sounds good.”
Yiayia looked up at Amber and patted her face before turning away to get something from the fridge. “Is good he is coming home, poulaki. Is no good to leave a man out in the cold like a dog.”
Amber flushed bright red, then all colour drained from her face. I reached down between us and grasped her hand. She interlaced her fingers with mine and breathed slowly through her nose.
I needed to change the subject, fast, to get Yiayia off this topic. I wracked my brain, and before I could think it through, I threw Vander under the bus.
“Vander got tattoos.”
Amber turned to look at me, incredulous, and I gave her big eyes. She shook with laughter, and it was worth it to bring her out of whatever place she’d sunk into.
“What you mean, ‘Vander got tattoos’?”
I shrugged, regretting my bucket mouth.
“He got tattoos.”
“How many?”
“Does it matter?” Amber asked.
“Oxi, no. It don’t matter. Is against God to get tattoos.” She muttered something under her breath then spoke again. “What he get?”
“My name over his heart, his sons’ birthdates on the inside of his bicep.”
“Humph, maybe he need to add a cross at least.”
“And the evil eye?” Amber suggested.
Yiayia stopped in her tracks, glared at Amber, and made the sign of the cross over her chest. “Stop yourself! Evil eye! Cross is all he need.”
I laughed. Amber elbowed me in warning. Yiayia did not find it quite so humorous yet. She looked at us sideways and I chortled. I couldn’t help it.
She raised her hand in a motion to spank. “I make you like the onions, Ruby!”
She shuffled over and laid a tender hand on each of our faces. “You are good girls. Yiayia is very proud.”
An hour later, Amber and I were outside sitting on the step when Vander and Jace pulled up and parked across the street. Our driveway had barely enough room for one car when mine was in the garage, and right now Amber’s car filled that space.
I stood up when they got close and held my arms out for Jace. He leaned in and gave me a quick hug then pulled back, his face animated.
