“Kalinikta, I kóri mou polytima.”
* * *
Good night, my precious daughter.
The love in Nico’s voice caused Alexa’s eyes to close tightly for a moment. Nico would never know what those words had to mean to Dimitra, let alone to Alexa herself. He really did love his daughter! From the moment he’d known about her, he’d devoted himself to her. With the amount of time he gave her, you’d never know he was the famous Angelis CEO with huge responsibilities.
Dimitra lapped up that love like any child starving for a father’s affection. There was a new glow about her that came from enjoying the security he gave her. Nico did something no one else could do.
Alexa realized he would have been just as attentive to Dimitra whether Alexa had contacted him the moment she’d known she was pregnant, or after she’d told him about Monika’s revelation. It was too late to wish she hadn’t kept them apart, but one thing she did know. Life was going to be wonderful from here on out for her daughter.
As for Nico, there was no doubt in her mind that whatever his circumstances—even marriage to another woman—he would have moved heaven and earth to have a relationship with Dimitra. Nico was a prince among men.
“Mama? Do you mind if I ask you something personal?” She’d come into Alexa’s stateroom.
“Of course not. What is it?”
“Do you wish you could be with my father again? You know what I mean.”
Alexa couldn’t believe her daughter had asked her that question now, just after Alexa and Nico had shared that shattering kiss in the pool. “Oh, honey. That’s all over with.”
“I don’t know. I’ve been watching the two of you and get the feeling you’re both in a private world of your own half the time.”
She bit her lip, pricked with guilt. “Has it worried you, because—”
“Worried me?” she cut in on her mother, sounding bewildered. “That’s an odd thing to say. You should have been together and married as soon he’d returned from the military. That insane Monika wanted Baba for herself and did a monstrous thing to you.”
“But that’s old history, honey.”
“You’re right. Now that I know all the facts, how could I blame you for what you did? Your circumstances were horrendous at the time. Papoú agrees with me. So does Kristos’s mother. She said she would have hidden the truth too if she’d been pregnant and had thought Kristos’s father had only been having fun with her. But remember this: Monika hasn’t won yet.”
Those words staggered Alexa while Dimitra kept on talking.
“I hope you’ll get back together with my father. Kristos wants the same thing for the two of you. Those other men who asked you to marry them were never good enough for you. And you couldn’t have been interested in the man you went out with!”
“I’m not, honey. I said goodbye.”
“Thank goodness. There’s only one Baba. It’s no wonder no other man ever came close.” The words continued to pour out of her daughter’s romantic soul. “You were right about him at seventeen. No other man is like him and never could be. Promise me you’ll think about getting back with him.”
Probably nothing could have shocked Alexa more. Not only had Dimitra forgiven her, she wanted her parents to get back together. It shook her to the foundations, leaving her speechless.
“I feel the same way about Kristos. He’s my one and only. Good night, Mama.” She gave her a hug and left the stateroom.
Besides Alexa’s grandfather, Irena had a lot to do with Dimitra’s ability to understand and forgive something so earth-shattering for her at the time. Alexa would have to find a way to thank her for what she’d done to help heal a wound she’d thought couldn’t be healed.
She shivered after getting in bed, rememberin
g what Nico had told her in the pool earlier. This evening he’d asked her to marry him. Dimitra’s instincts hadn’t been wrong about noticing the undercurrents between Alexa and Nico. But Alexa couldn’t forget that this proposal had been prompted by a far different reason than the first one.
Nineteen-year-old Nico had been madly in love when they’d planned their marriage. Now everything was different. Since that time, Nico had lost his wife and unborn child. Furthermore, he’d be losing his newly found daughter to Kristos.
Tears poured from Alexa’s eyes. She understood that nothing could ever take the place of Nico raising his own child from birth. Alexa had deprived him of that experience. If she did agree to marry him to give him another child to love, maybe that could help make up for what had happened.
But even if the unimaginable happened and they did marry, there’d be no guarantee she’d get pregnant again. Worse, Alexa could never expect the kind of love he’d once showered on her. She doubted they could get back the pure magic they’d shared.
She could imagine the question her grandfather would ask her. Can you survive in a marriage where you don’t believe Nico will ever feel for you what he once did? Be careful before you say yes.
* * *