26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

JET

“Jet.” Harper ran up as Annie and I rounded out the last of the group heading inside. With only a look, she was asking, begging to be included. I debated, popping my knuckles with my thumb against my leg. I didn’t know what we were about to learn. Did I protect her from it or own the fact that she was getting older? Annie squeezed my arm, and with a slight nod, I was gowling and jerking my head for my little sister to come in. The younger siblings were left outside in the aftermath.

I shut the door behind us, and we followed the rest of our families down the back hall into the room I’d just snuck out of with Annie. She sent me a look as we all found chairs or pulled up seats, settling onto different parts of the furniture. She and I shared an armchair next to Izzy and Tucker, the girls in our laps, and I tried not to wince when my parents and uncle took a seat directly on the couch we’d just violated.

Nic sent us a strange look and perched against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, but I wasn’t in the mood for any of his cryptic looks or attitude. They way he’d gone off outside? Everything he’d been hiding? I was reserving my judgment for when we got the full story. Something he should have done.

While tempers were no longer flaring in every direction, tension could still be felt around the room, dense and palpable as we waited for my parents to begin.

Mom leaned forward in her seat and ran a slightly trembling hand over Harper’s hair at her knees as she looked around at the rest of us. Taking a deep breath, a nervous laugh escaped as she exhaled.

“I’m sorry, everyone. It’s just strange to talk about this. It’s been over twenty years since Stef and I really discussed it before going to Greece back in March. Well, perhaps a few times in between when old demons became too much, but I’ve gotten better at holding those in.”

The glance she sent me with that comment was like a cattle prod to my memory of last summer with all of their fighting. How Dad had finally relented and explained it related to their past in Greece but also how strongly they’d tried to hide whatever it was.

“Helen…” Uncle Dimitris leaned forward on the sofa to see past my dad. “If it’s going to be too much for you, I can explain.”

“No.” Nic’s cold voice rang out. “It needs to come from her.”

My jaw set, protectiveness building up inside me for my mom, even though I really had no idea if it should. Nic could actually be right. Annie’s fingers brushed along my arm, helping to ease my tension and nerves, and I squeezed her waist, pressing my nose to the back of her shoulder to drink her in. Instantly relaxing .

“It’s okay. I’ll do it,” Mom finally answered my uncle. He studied her face for several moments before giving her a nod and sitting back.

“Back in Greece,” she started. “Back when Stef and I were still children in many ways and Dimitris was new to married life and adulthood. Very close to your age.” She paused to look at Nic. “Well, that’s when things got confusing, but it’s not when it all began. It was generations before ours that started the torch of hatred between our families. Our great grandpas grew up as best friends, even standing up for one another at their weddings, but things fell apart quickly after that. We’re not entirely sure of the real story. It varied from both sides, but it was dark and ugly, and it doesn’t really matter here.

“What matters is that a feud broke out between two very close families, and over time and generations, anger turned to hatred, the resentment ran so deep. It festered and spread for a long time. Until I met Stefano.” She smiled lovingly at my dad.

“My father, while he hated the Thanos family just as much as his own father and brothers, thankfully, didn’t want his own children to grow up near the feud, so he moved us away to another island even before I was born. I spent the first sixteen years of my life knowing about this horrible family but never actually meeting any of them, until my grandpa got sick and my father decided to return home.

“It was right after the funeral that we met.” She squeezed Dad’s hand he held against her leg. “My family was still at the burial site, talking and planning who’s home we’d go to feast at first, as the Greeks do, but I needed space and took a walk along a path I found to clear my head.

“It wasn’t long before I was nearly trampled by some stupid boy running out from the trees. We collided, and he toppled over me, sending us both to the ground. I was just about to yell at him when I looked into the most handsome face I’d ever seen. When he held his hand out to help me up, I couldn’t think. There he was, apologizing and telling me his name was Stefano, but his friends called him Stef, while I stood there stammering and forgetting my own name. He smiled at me, and I’d swear to this day that my heart skipped a beat. It was several seconds before I finally blurted out my name. It was an awful first impression.” Her expression pulled in a grimace.

“No.” Dad shook his head, smiling. “I remember thinking I was lucky that I remembered mine when I’d just fallen over an angel.”

Mom blushed. “Anyway. After our clumsy start, we found some rocks to sit on nearby and ended up talking for a while. He explained to me that he’d been visiting his older brother with his new wife and had decided to see how fast he could make it home if he took a direct path instead of using the roads. I’d thought it was strange, but I was fascinated, and I explained that I was trying to clear my head. He asked me if it had worked. I’d smiled and told him, ‘Not until you came along.’

“That was when I heard my father calling for me. Stef jumped up, helped me down from the rock, and said, ‘I guess that’s our cue for this to end.’ I’d looked at him, my heart falling in my chest, and asked if it had to be an end. He’d smiled that heart-stopping smile and said, ‘We’ll see,’ before he took off the way he came.

“I didn’t understand it then, but I do now.”

“You knew who she was, Dad?” Harper asked.

“Yes. Not at first, though. It wasn’t until she’d told me she was there for a funeral that I figured it out. It hadn’t escaped my family’s attention that the head of their rival’s had passed away.” He stared at the floor with his jaw fixed.

Harper couldn’t see it from her place against Mom’s legs, and she smiled proudly. “But you saw Mom again, anyway.”

“I did.” Dad smiled. “When I left her that day, I knew I had to see her again, but I didn’t know how I could, either. I couldn’t just go home and tell my father that I was falling for the enemy. He’d have forbidden me from ever seeing her again without another word. I ran to my brother for advice instead.”

“And I told him to stay away from her,” my uncle cut in. “I warned him that it would only cause trouble. But did you listen?”

Dad laughed. “Nope. I saw her browsing fruit a few days later at the market. She was with another girl that I’d never seen before. I’d guessed it was her sister. I knew all the other girls on the island. With who she was, I knew I had to be careful, but I was dying to talk to her again, and I stopped to talk to some friends of mine at another stall while I waited for an opening.”

“I’d seen him staring.” Mom picked up the story. “And so did my sister. She asked me if I knew him, and I told her about bumping into him that day on my walk. She smirked and offered to leave so we could talk, and sure enough, just a few minutes after she left, that gorgeous boy was looking over the fruit with me.

“He wanted to meet me in private that night, and I knew I shouldn’t meet with a boy alone, at night. But, of course, I was saying yes after one flash of that smile.

“The whole way home, I couldn’t stop wondering how he could be wanting to meet in secret with me , but every nerve in my body was alive with excitement. I worried that my father would be able to tell when I got home, but I ended up with the perfect cover for my mood. It was the same evening my father announced that we wouldn’t be returning home. We were going to stay and live in my grandpa’s house.

“I was a mix of emotions over leaving my old home and friends, but by then, I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing that boy again. He had such a firm hold on me already.

“My sister was excited for me that night, helping me sneak out and agreeing to cover for me so our parents and older brother wouldn’t find out, but she did warn me to be careful. She didn’t have a wild bone in her body, but she loved to live through mine.

“Stef was waiting for me on our rock. I remember thinking how funny it was that I already thought of it that way. He’d laid out a picnic for us under the stars, and we ate and talked and laughed for hours, though it felt like it was just minutes. It was the most romantic, wonderful night of my life, but I couldn’t help feeling like something was off. I’d thought he might be frustrated that we couldn’t do this again if I was leaving, so I told him my news. He’d smiled but still looked so sad, confusing me even more. I finally just asked him what was wrong.”

“I was terrified when she did,” Dad continued. “I was falling for her more and more every second I was with her, and even though I was ecstatic to hear she wouldn’t be leaving, I was terrified she’d run or look at me in disgust after she found out who I was. Who we were to each other.

“But I knew I had to tell her. None of what we were feeling would have been real if she didn’t know. If I didn’t know she could see past who I was, the way I saw her. Because at that point, I didn’t care about our families’ feud. All the hate I’d been brought up with was nothing compared to what I felt with her.

“So, I took a deep breath and asked, ‘You don’t really know who I am, do you?’ She looked at me, confused, and then asked what I meant.

“I tried to smile, though I think it turned out more like a grimace. As nervous as she sounded, I felt it tenfold, knowing how my angel already had the power to crush me. She just stared at me at first when I told her, and I could see the disbelief then the fear on her face. I waited for her to get up and leave, to yell at me for tricking her into meeting me, but after a few torture-filled seconds, she smiled and said–”

Mom looked at Dad as she repeated her own line. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care what our families think. We’ll find a way.”

“I kissed her then. I never wanted to stop. But we had to. It was getting late, and her sister was waiting up, so we came up with a plan for how to continue meeting without getting caught.

“It worked out well for the first few months. I’d sneak out of my bedroom window most nights and spent the night at my brother’s house when I could. It wasn’t so hard to get out of the house there. Dimitris didn’t ask a lot of questions.” He grinned at his brother.

“You’re lucky I didn’t listen to my wife on that, Stef. Sophie told me I should ask where you were going, but I didn’t think to worry about it too much. It was summer. I was letting you have your fun. I figured you were off to see some girl, but I’d also thought you’d taken my advice. You usually did.”

“I’m glad he didn’t,” Mom murmured.

Uncle Dimitris smiled. “Now, I can say that, too. But when I first found out who he was going to see, I wasn’t happy. Being the amazing brother that I am, though, I listened and eventually realized that I couldn’t stay mad. It was clear to me that he was in love, and I couldn’t imagine if anyone had wanted to separate me from Sophie.”

“How did you find out?” Harper asked next.

I watched my uncle share a look with my mom and dad, and something in their expressions told me that the story was about to take a sharp turn away from happy.

“My brother came home much earlier than usual one night. Sophie and I were still up watching a movie when we heard him climb back through the guest room window and start slamming things around.

“I found him crying, about to crawl out of his own skin in distress. It took ages to convince him to tell me what was wrong. I was shocked when he finally confessed but also even more worried when he told me they’d been caught.”

“By who?” Harper breathed.

“By my sister,” Mom answered and took a deep breath. “She’d been helping me sneak out all those nights. There really was no other way. We shared a bedroom. She was so excited for me in the beginning that she helped with no questions asked. I’d come home, and we’d lie in our beds talking about my nights out with the mysterious boy from the market.

“I was always careful about what I told her. She had no clue who Stef really was, and she never bothered to ask why I had to sneak out to see him in the first place. She was more naive than I was, and one of us having a boyfriend was exciting. Our father was very strict.

“But that night before supper, she pulled me into our room to confront me, and I was shocked and completely terrified when she asked if I knew that Stefano was a Thanos. When I didn’t answer, she knew that I did.

“She was furious with me, telling me I’d betrayed her trust and the entire family for seeing Stef when I knew who he was. I dropped to my knees when she wanted to go tell our father, begging her to keep it to herself. Telling her I promised that if she’d help me sneak out just one last time, I’d never see him again. I had to at least tell him goodbye.

“She finally agreed, and that night I left my house wondering if I was ever going to see the love of my life again. My heart was breaking.

“Stef knew something was wrong the moment he saw me, and when I told him my sister knew about us and what I’d had to promise her, he pulled me into his arms. I remember feeling so safe in his embrace, so loved, and I couldn’t imagine never feeling his arms around me again. But he told me not to worry. That we’d find a way to make it work. I made him promise me, and he said that he promised as long as I promised I wouldn’t give up. ”

Dad’s voice was rough when he cut in. “That was when her sister showed up.”

“She followed you?” Harper asked in whispered disbelief.

Mom nodded. “She didn’t believe that I’d really tell him goodbye, and after hearing us, she knew she was right.”

Dad frowned, squeezing Mom’s hand in his. “She stayed just long enough to yell at me for forcing her sister to betray her family. Then, she ran off, screaming over her shoulder that I’d never get to see her sister again.

“I knew she was going to tell their father, and I knew that, if I let Helen go without making her promise to see me again, her sister might just make good on her threat. But I couldn’t get Helen to agree. She was too scared. So, before I ran home, I promised her that I’d never give up. That I’d find a way for us to be together.

“I raced back to my brother’s house after that, completely out of my mind. I knew it was only a matter of hours before my parents would find out and that the only chance I’d stand against them was having Dimitris on my side.

“He was furious after I found the guts to tell him. Sophie was reasoning with him while I begged before he finally seemed to listen. I still wasn’t sure what was going through his mind when our parents showed up. They were angrier than I ever could’ve imagined. I was in deep.”

“You weren’t the one that told them, were you, Uncle Dimitris?” Harper asked.

“No,” Dad assured her. “When your mom’s dad found out what happened, he showed up at my parents’ door, yelling at them and demanding to see me. It didn’t take them long to figure out what had been going on. We both ended up grounded for the rest of summer.”

“Some of the hardest weeks of my life,” Mom said sadly. “When school started a few weeks later, we were able to catch a few glimpses of each other but not many. Stef was a year ahead of me, and finding a chance to talk was almost impossible. My sister and brother kept themselves and their friends on constant watch.

“I’d heard from others that Stef wasn’t allowed away from home except for school, and once he was home, he was given a mountain of chores until bed.

“I was under lock and key, too. My parents and my siblings watched me like a hawk at home. I couldn’t sneak anything past them, but I was dying to see Stef again. I felt empty without him, kicking myself that I hadn’t promised to meet him. I would have found a way if I’d known for sure he’d be waiting for me.

“The next week at school, one of Stef’s friends bumped into me, knocking me sideways, and I nearly cried, thinking even our friends wanted us apart, but then I realized he’d slipped something in my pocket, trying to be discreet. I hurried to the restroom to read it, hoping and praying, just knowing it had to be from him.

“There was an address inside with a date and time for that Friday after school. A short note at the bottom gave me instructions to tell my brother and sister I was meeting up with someone for help in class. His friend would meet me outside the school first to get them to believe me, and then I could sneak away.

“That Friday took forever, but I clung to that note like it was my life, following its instructions until I found myself in front of a small house that was tucked away from the road. I was nervous, hoping I was in the right place, but Stef opened the door and pulled me inside before I even had the chance to knock. We were kissing before he could shut the door, and too much of our time passed in each other’s arms before I even thought to ask where we were or how he’d managed it.”

“It was my brother’s house. He was at work, and Sophie had taken my mom out for the afternoon to buy me some freedom. It wasn’t much, but even a short amount of time was heaven when we’d been kept apart for so long.”

“Did you know they were in your house?” Harper asked our uncle.

“No, but my wife did.” Uncle Dimitris laughed to himself. “She’d arranged it with your dad. She just couldn’t get how upset he’d been that night off her mind and wanted to help.”

“And I wasn’t about to turn her down.” Dad grinned at him. “I was ecstatic when she offered to do it again, and it became something we did once a week, giving Helen a designated tutoring day to trick her family.”

“It worked for a while,” Mom cut in again. “But eventually, we were caught when my brother saw my tutor at the beach instead of helping me at school. My parents tore apart my room, finding Stef’s first few notes I’d hidden under my mattress.

“My father was absolutely furious that I’d gone behind his back, and he pulled me out of school the next morning, ordering my mom to homeschool me where they could always have an eye on me until he could arrange for us to move back home.

“I cried and begged for him to let us stay. I knew if we moved back home, I might never see Stef again. But he ignored me, like I barely existed anymore, he was so disappointed in me. I was stuck, but I needed to see Stef. I’d been waiting for our next stolen hours together on pins and needles, and I couldn’t believe how quickly things had turned. I was angry at myself for hiding his letters instead of throwing them out. I could have lied my way out of things if the proof hadn’t been there.

“If I could just see him one more time, I knew he’d find a way to fix it. I couldn’t imagine my life without him or what was going to happen if my dad managed to move us back home. By the time our next day to meet finally came, I had thought through every possible chance I might have to sneak away, praying that Stef would still be there waiting for me.

“I waited until I knew my sister and brother would be almost home from school. My mom and I had gone out to the garden to gather some vegetables for dinner, and I told her I needed to use the bathroom, exaggerating it to the point she was sure it was an emergency and I’d wet myself if she didn’t let me go.

“I made sure she heard the back door slam, then I snuck out the front and through the trees so my brother and sister wouldn’t see me when I passed them. As soon as I was sure I was far enough away that no one would hear, I ran as fast as I could for Dimitris and Sophie’s.”

Dad ran his hands over his face and up through his hair. “I was so worried when she got there. She’d disappeared from school all week, and she arrived in a panic, telling me that we had to think of something that day or it would be the last time we’d ever see each other. This time I was furious. I couldn’t believe what she’d told me and what her father was doing. The only thing I knew to do was call my brother.”

He looked at Uncle Dimitris who nodded and took over. “So, for the second time in just a few short months, my little brother shocked me to the point I was near speechless. I left work early, having just gotten the call for a new job offer in London earlier that day.

“I arrived home to find Stef and Helen sitting on my sofa, clinging to each other as if their lives were about to end.” He paused. “I guess if I thought I was about to lose the love of my life, it would have felt that way. In fact, I know it does.” He looked over at Bridgette, and I wondered if he knew she’d lost someone, too. Like he’d lost Aunt Sophie. Bridgette looked startled for a moment before looking down, and Uncle Dimitris took a deep breath before he continued.

“I paced, trying to process and work through the details of everything my brother was telling me, but we’d barely had time to talk before two angry voices were bellowing outside my house. Helen’s father and mine were both out there, and they were soon in danger of beating down my door if they didn’t beat each other first.

“They barreled through the door the second I unlocked it, the things coming out of their mouths enough to make a sailor blush. Both dad’s went charging at Stef and Helen, cursing at their own and each other’s children. I stepped into the kitchen to call Sophie. I needed to let her know what was going on and to not come home until I called her back. She was born with a heart condition. Any undue stress on her body was dangerous for her, and I was very overprotective of her at times because of it. That was part of the reason I was considering work in London. It was quite a big promotion, and there were better doctors there. One’s I could afford with the better pay,” he said with an intense stare at Nic.

“I stepped back into the room just in time to see Helen’s father grab her arm and try to drag her out, but Stef jumped forward, pulled her arm free, and moved her behind him. There was such fierce protection in the way he faced that man, and I knew he was worried for her safety.”

“There was that,” Dad cut in. “I didn’t trust him after the things he was threatening, but I was also desperate to keep her there. I knew that if she left, I’d never see her again. I couldn’t accept that. I told her father that I’d never let him take her. He half-roared, half-laughed as he tried to yank her out from behind me. My own father was trying to yank me away at the same time, yelling about how he’d rather die than see me with one of them .”

Mom shook her head. “I reached out for Stefano as we were pulled in opposite directions, tearing myself away from my father’s hands to clutch myself to him. I was crying so hard at that point I could barely see straight. But my dad jerked me back, cursing and swearing he’d never allow me to swim in the disgusting Thanos mud pool. It wouldn’t get me anywhere, and I’d only embarrass him and the rest of our family if I stooped so low.”

Mom rubbed her hands along her arms, making me realize it must have been where her dad had gripped her. I wondered if she was remembering how it felt. She seemed so far off now.

“Stef was literally in a fistfight with his father at that point to get back to me. Dimitris was trying to break them up, but they just kept going. I knew I would have to say something horrible and completely unforgivable if my father was ever going to let me go. If Stef and I would even have a chance at the plan we’d come up with.

“So, I planted my feet and took a deep breath to yell, ‘I’ve been swimming in the mud for months now, and I love it. I love him . I’ll never be with another man but Stefano. Even if you take me away from here, I’ll find a way back. I’d rather betray our family a million times than betray my own heart.’

Mom sat back and took a deep breath, her hands starting to shake, and Dad ran a hand down her arm to calm her, lacing his fingers with hers. He looked at her, a silent conversation passing between them, and when Mom shook her head, Dad continued.

“Everyone in that room fell silent, and the fighting stopped. I remember thinking that my dad was going to kill me any second. Instead, he grabbed my arm, hard, and demanded to know if it was true.

“I looked at Dimitris for support, and when he nodded me on, I faced my father and told him it was true, even though I could see him practically begging me to tell him it was a lie. Helen’s father growled, ‘How long?’ And all I was willing to tell him was, ‘Long enough.’ He didn’t deserve to know more than that, but I did say that I was in love with her.”

Mom seemed to regain some control then, looking at my dad. “And then Stef looked at me when he said, ‘We’re in love. I fell over an angel that day that I met her, and now that I know what life’s like with her, I can’t live without her.’ He smiled at me then, and my heart skipped a beat as always .

“I think my father saw that he’d lost then. He dropped my arms and scowled, but before he turned away, he said, ‘You’ve disgraced your entire family. I never want to see you near my home again. You made your bed, now, lie in it.’ He walked out the door without ever looking back, and I knew I’d just sacrificed my entire family to be with the one I loved. I’ll never forget the look in his eyes when he walked away,” she finished in a whisper.

“My father disowned me that day, too,” Dad said next.

“And me as well,” my uncle added.

“Why?” I frowned. “What did you do that was so terrible?”

My uncle smirked in a way that told me he didn’t think what he was about to say was the least bit funny. “Because, Jet, I gave them a place to stay. I helped my brother betray our family, and in doing so, I betrayed them myself.”

“That sounds extreme.”

“Not in your grandfather’s eyes. You see, I already wasn’t in his good graces. When I married Sophie, he had a hard time accepting her as a suitable wife. Her heart condition made having children dangerous. We’d told my parents before we married that we had decided not to have any. My mum was disappointed, but she understood. My father found it a little harder to accept. He liked Sophie well enough, but the idea of his oldest not continuing the family line was a little much for him. What happened with Stefano and Helen just pushed him over the edge.”

“But you had Nic,” Izzy said, though her words sounded more like a question .

Uncle Dimitris released a bold laugh. “Nic was definitely a shock. He surprised us all.” He looked directly at his son. “ You were the reason I decided to move us to London. I hadn’t landed on a hard decision about such a tremendous move until after we knew you were on the way.”

I looked over at my cousin, curious how that had hit, but Nic just stared at the floor, unmoving, that mask of his set in stone over his face.

“Things were much easier once we got to London,” Uncle Dimitris continued. “Sophie was able to receive excellent health care, which set my mind at ease, and we were all able to escape the scrutinizing looks that had begun before we left. I also made sure that Stef and Helen finished school.”

“How did y’all end up in America?” I asked, watching my parents exchange looks before Dad answered.

“Nic arrived while we were still in London, and we were there his whole first year while we finished school and tried to acclimate, but we couldn’t help but feel like my brother and Sophie needed their own space for their own little family. London was also hard on your mom. Kind of like your cousin, she felt like she needed more space from what happened back home. We all talked it over, and as soon as she and I were both of age, we basically threw darts at the US map, your mom applied and got her acceptance letter to a university, and your uncle helped us get set up here in Texas.”

He locked eyes with his brother, true appreciation seeping through his next words. “We have always been grateful for what you’ve done for us. ”

“The appreciation goes both ways, Brother. I don’t believe I can even begin to imagine where our lives would be today if you hadn’t brought this woman into them.” He smiled at Mom.

“ That’s why everyone was so tense in Greece?” Nic’s angered voice suddenly cut into the reverie.

Uncle Dimitris frowned. “Do you not believe us?”

“I– I don’t know. It just can’t be as simple as that. I heard Aunt Helen apologizing to both my grandmums.”

Mom scooted forward on her seat, but Nic’s glare made her pause, and she placed her hands in her lap. “Nic… You did hear me apologize. I did with Aggie because she’d lost all those years with your father and uncle and all of her grandchildren. It was never my intention that your uncle and father lose their family. Just like I never meant for your mom to lose time with hers. I’ve always felt guilty about that.”

“You shouldn’t.” Uncle Dimitris was firm before looking at Nic. Your grandmum apologized that day, too. She asked us all to forgive her for not standing up to your grandfather. But at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to go against her husband’s wishes. It took her being on her deathbed before she pressured him into letting us come back to say goodbye.”

“How did they find you if they disowned you? Y’all said it had been over twenty years.” I looked between the three of them when I asked, and then the answer hit me. “Aunt Sophie.”

My uncle nodded. “Yes. Her parents kept in touch, and I brought them out to visit us in London a couple of times a year. They wanted to know their grandson, and I didn’t want my wife to lose all touch with her family, too. Sophie kept them updated on the family all the time. On everyone here, too, with the updates from your parents. So, when my mum found this out, they shared what they knew with her. Even though she couldn’t stand up to my father, she’d been keeping track of all of us for years. I didn’t know that until I spoke with Sophie’s parents after the funeral.”

“It doesn’t sound like the trip to Greece was all bad then.” Annie squeezed my hand from her place on my lap, and Dad smiled as if he was thinking to himself.

“No, it wasn’t. We were able to heal a little that week.”

Nic suddenly shoved off the wall and brushed roughly past Jenna and Bridgette as he cut across the room. We all jumped when he slammed the door behind him, and Izzy quickly stood, taking a few steps to follow before my uncle held his hand up, stopping her.

“Let him go, Izzy. I doubt he’ll be very receptive right now. We just tore apart what he’d latched his anger onto for months. Give him time.”

I could see the war between staying and going playing out over her face until Tucker took her hand. Giving in, she let him pull her back onto his lap, and his arms wrapped around her as he whispered in her ear.

I didn’t miss the glare on Bridgette’s face as she watched them.

I just wished her anger made sense.

Uncle Dimitris looked around at all of us gathered in the room. “I’m sorry, everyone. Nic wasn’t raised to behave this way. He’s had a very hard time lately.”

Chuck shook his head. “Think nothing of it. We’ve brought enough drama today ourselves, and what you said outside helped us all understand a little more. ”

“Still, his behavior is awful. I’m worried about how lost he is.”

Mom leaned over Dad to pat him on the knee. “I imagine getting over something like that will take time. He’ll find his way again.”

“Thank you for telling us what happened to you all in Greece,” Jenna said from her spot across from mine and Annie’s. “We had no idea. All these years and you never mentioned… I’m just so sorry. Chuck and I had a rough patch while dating but nothing like that. Nothing that made us sacrifice our family.”

I watched Izzy glance at Tucker with a worried look, and he squeezed her thigh like he was telling her it would be okay. Catching my frown, Tucker gave a slight shake of his head. Whatever it was, he couldn’t tell me now.

“Don’t be sorry.” The tightness in Mom’s voice caught my attention when I glanced back, and I watched her hard swallow. “I knew what I was giving up, and I knew it was worth it. Look at the beautiful life I have now. Nothing could make me regret my decision, and I’d make the same one today if given the chance to change it.”

She looked imploringly around the room. “But do y’all see now why it’s so important for you to stop fighting? To work things out? A feud tore our families apart, and if you let this fight and all this resentment take over, you’re going to lose each other. We’ve all been too close for too many years to let that happen. Over something like a wedding . Something worth celebrating .”

She looked directly at Bridgette. “If Jet came to me and told me he planned to marry Annie tomorrow , I’d be the first one there. Because I know what my parents’ blessing would have meant to me when I married Stef. I could understand protesting this wedding if Izzy was choosing someone harmful for her, but you’ve known Tucker almost his entire life. What you said to him outside was hurtful and bitter, and I don’t believe for a second that you really feel that way. So, whatever reason you’re holding onto that’s making you protest this wedding, the real reason, you need to let it go. I can tell you from experience that Izzy will put her heart first. If you don’t find a way to accept her decision and be there for her, you may lose your own daughter.”