and put her at her ease. Helen held a mysterious cocktail in her hand as she talked with Sophia, talking about the history of the house. “Come, I’ll show you the gardens before bedlam descends,” she said, leading Helen out of the house and down stone steps directly off the blue salon. “We’ll leave these men to discuss business for a while.”
The drink in her hands was cold and fruity and she sipped it gratefully, relieved that Dimitri’s parents had turned out to be very nice people who seemed to take Helen’s presence with equanimity. Her thoughts of the afternoon were correct, Dimitri must bring all of his girlfriends to his parents house. That realization both relaxed and hurt Helen but she realized how silly she was being and couldn’t have it both ways.
Pushing the jealousy aside, she realized that this meeting was not important and didn’t mean an end to the blissful happiness she’d been experiencing with Dimitri in her life. Helen happily followed Dimitri’s mother, asking questions about the various plants that were landscaped around the gardens, genuinely eager to learn more about the flora and fauna of Greece.
They had been gone for about fifteen minutes when the noises started. Helen wasn’t sure what it was at first, but looking back through the windows into the salon, she saw the children running. There were so many of them, Helen gasped in horror as they all threw their little bodies at Dimitri. But she should have had more faith in Dimitri’s abilities, since he easily caught all four of them in his arms, holding two of them upside down, squealing in delight as he held the other two in his arms.
Helen watched, transfixed, as the children hung onto Dimitri who was glorying in the youthful cries for mercy and then hugging all four of them at the same time.
“He loves them,” Sophia said softly beside her. “Dimitri will be a wonderful father some day.”
Helen swallowed hard, the pain coming at her from all sides. “Yes. He will.” Unfortunately, she would not be able to give him that dream.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure things will work out wonderfully,” Sophia was saying and moving along the pathway back to the house. “It is so wonderful to meet you. We’ve never met any of his ladies before. So this is a very special night,” she said, looking at Helen meaningfully.
Helen almost missed a step but caught herself quickly, thankful she didn’t humiliate herself by falling at Sophia’s feet.
Sophia didn’t know it but she had just signaled the death chime for her affair with Dimitri. He’d never brought anyone else to meet his parents? Did that mean that Dimitri was more serious than she’d realized? Her heart was so filled with love and to think that her love was returned almost blinded her with happiness. She reveled in that moment, glorying in the idea that he might feel more for her than just lust.
She looked up and Dimitri caught her eye, winking at her before bending down to laugh and pick up the children who were still rough housing with him. In that moment, she knew that she had to leave him, for his own good. If he fell in love with her, it wouldn’t be fair. She couldn’t lead him on like that.
Suddenly, gone were the heavenly feelings of joy. Helen’s heart ached. She was so in love with the man and she knew exactly what she would have to do. She would end the relationship, leave Greece, the country she’d come to love so quickly, and allow Dimitri the space to find someone who would be able to give him the children and family that he needed. He was a wealthy man. He would need someone who could give him an heir to whom he could pass on the business. Helen knew she could not give that to him. The accident had seen to that.
But how could she tell him? How could she end this relationship that had fulfilled almost every dream she’d ever had since she was a small girl? It had been so long since she’d felt feminine and loved, needed. Dimitri did that for her. He turned all her insecurities on their head and told her she was beautiful. But how could a woman be beautiful if she could not fulfill the main purpose given to her by God? It was awful to know that she was only half a woman, having all the parts, but missing the ability