by Brandy Blake
“I can’t believe it’s true,” Mateo told her as he spotted her stomach. She gave him a hug before sitting down, ice water already full at the table. There certainly wasn’t the same warm and cherry atmosphere on the island that there had been when Imani first stepped onto Mykonos, but at the same time, she enjoyed seeing a different side to the city she might not have had she returned to America once Darius started school.
“I know. I can’t either. You’re like one of the first people I’ve told, so don’t confirm it just yet,” Imani explained.
“Secret’s safe with me. even though it’s not really a secret anymore,” Mateo laughed.
“I know. It’s messed up right?” Imani told him, clearly frustrated.
“So is it like,” Mateo started, just as a server approached.
“Pós eísai?” a small girl said as the waitress approached the table. “Oh, I’m sorry, but are you…?”
“Imani,” Imani told the waitress who clearly recognized her as the girl that was married to the richest man on the island.
“Congratulations,” the waitress told her.
“Thanks,” Imani said, a little embarrassed. What exactly was she being congratulated for? She had been put into a situation that many would dream of, though it still didn’t feel completely right.
“What can I get you two today?” the server asked, and Imani still felt pretty uncomfortable. She was ready to go back home already; not sure she was going to be able to handle all the extra unwanted attention.
“I might need a minute,” Imani said. The server gave her a strange look and walked away.
Imani spent the rest of the lunch just catching up with Mateo, wanting it to get over a little quickly since the server had recognized her. She received a congratulation from her, but what hate might she end up getting from others.
Imani and Mateo just discussed how strange it was that she had wound up with Stavros. She went from getting yelled at by him and walking out to getting married and pregnant? She didn’t reveal the truth to Mateo, and like her father, let them believe that she had fallen in love with Stavros, that being the reason for their marriage.
The strangest part was, that Imani didn’t even know if that was a complete lie. He certainly turned her off at times, being a little rude and certainly outspoken. Their chemistry was still undeniable, and every night when she closed her eyes, he was the last face she saw. Mateo didn’t seem fully supportive of Imani’s new relationship, another reason that she desired to end the lunch as quick as possible. The server asked to take a picture with Imani as they finished up, her declining, deciding she wasn’t going to get caught up in that sort of lifestyle.
“Just be careful with him. He certainly has a temper,” Mateo warned as they hugged each other goodbye outside of the restaurant. Imani didn’t say anything back, not feeling completely comfortable with what he said. She didn’t need to be warned to take care. She could certainly care for herself, and the last thing she would do was end up letting herself get hurt. It was everyone else she was worried about, not sure how things were affecting those around her.
Was her father just putting on a nice face? Darius incredibly confused? Not everyone knew about Stavros’s temper either. Petra, Mateo, and Imani had all seen how easily Stavros could get angry.
Imani knew that this was true. She had seen it twice herself. If there was one thing he was good at, it was getting mad. What was causing him so much built up anger? He clearly didn’t do a good job of properly expressing his emotions. Was the loss of his wife being source of anger, or was it all the work he was constantly putting in? He didn’t have much to be angry about in his life, so Imani wondered if it was just in his genetics. Would Imani have to worry about having a child with a temper?
The more she got to know about Stavros, the more she learned about the baby growing in her stomach. She didn’t know what she was getting into by moving into the mansion, but now she was going to be raising his child, and who knew what that would entail. Darius certainly had his fair share of problems, eventually getting kicked out of school. Imani worried that she might have to deal with something like that when it came to her own child. she would do her best not to spoil the unborn baby, but that would also be hard when she knew that she could provide it with whatever it wanted or desired.
Imani passed by his bedroom when she got home, seeing that his door was locked. Imani couldn’t remember the last time she saw his door wide open, any sign of him being open or welcome to having someone come in his room. Would her child be closed off like him? Imani lingered on the stairs for a bit, admiring the view that the staircase offered before splitting either way. Imani wondered what might happen if she decided to just pop right into Stavros’s room, jump into bed with him and kiss and hold him. Perhaps all he needed was love, affection, and intimacy, but not the kind derived from sex. He didn’t have a mother, father, or a long-term relationship with someone who showed that they loved him unconditionally. He had Darius, and of course there was plenty of love shared between the two. At the same time, Imani worried that he was to authoritative with Darius, and that he needed a gentle soul in his life to remind him how could it felt to be in love.
Imani couldn’t bring herself to walk up his staircase, and instead when to the right. She went into her own bedroom, wondering how big her baby was. She loved holding her hands over her stomach, anticipating any time she’d be able to feel her baby move. The baby stayed pretty still in the first few months, Imani not feeling too many symptoms once the morning sickness passed. Now that she was growing rapidly, she felt her baby more often, comforting her knowing that everything was going OK so far. Though the baby was healthy, that didn’t mean everything else in her life was.
She never would have imagined she’d be in this situation. She imagined she’d do everything in order. She figured she’d find a man, become his wife, and then plan to get pregnant. She at least hoped she’d be in a loving relationship with the person, not sleeping in separate rooms. They had barely slept together at all, only one night after hooking up the first two times. Imani and Stavros had been living together for a while, but they had yet to really get to know each other. Imani had made a few break throughs, and there were things Stavros and Darius did that gave her a good look into how their personalities were shaped and a few glimpses at how their minds might work.
What would the future hold after the case was finished? Once Stavros had custody of his son, what was Imani to do? She didn’t discuss this with Stavros, admittedly a little afraid about what he might end up saying. She didn’t know if she was in love with him and figured that was a hint that she was just feeling attached because of the baby rather than actually in a loving and romantic relationship with this man. She certainly loved Darius, and she was warming up to Petra more with each interaction as well. But it was Stavros’s baby she was holding, and little was known about where they would live once the baby was there. She had purchased a few outfits, but when it came to baby furniture, there wasn’t anything there that she could say she had purchased specifically for her unborn child. Imani was starting to get a bit worried, the due date rapidly approaching. Since it’d be after the case, would she have to worry about doing this all alone? Now more than ever, she wished she had her mother in her life to give her advice and answer all the questions she couldn’t get a straight response from her doctor for. Everyone said different things online, and even published books differed so much that she didn’t know what to expect. If she had a mother or sister that had a child, they might be able to give her a little advice about how to do everything right and easily. Imani was on her own when it came to her pregnancy yet again.
She thought she might like to stay in Greece, but it seemed the world had many options for her and her future child. She had plenty of money in her account form Stavros after she agreed to marry him. It still was enough that she wouldn’t have to worry about paying her bills for years, and probably enough to buy a house wherever she pleased if she needed t
o. Her child would certainly be taken care of, so Imani understanding that money would not be one of her worries was certainly a relief. She still feared everything else, and with finances out of the way, she could endless agonize over all the details.
Imani started to drift off in her bed, after-lunch naps becoming a regular thing. She was sore, pregnant, and tired. Although the nights hitting clubs with Mateo certainly helped her to feel better even though she wasn’t drinking in the past few months, this brunch visit just got her thinking and worried. He asked too many questions, ones that Imani hadn’t even asked herself yet. As she closed her eyes, she touched her stomach, remembering that the beating heart close to hers was more important than anything she’d find in the answers to her infinite amount of questions for Stavros.
Chapter9
The court case was just the following week, Imani over eight months pregnant and ready to pop. The case was supposed to happen after she gave birth to her little baby, but it finally got moved back up, an ever-changing date that kept the whole family anxious. Darius was doing well in school, Imani there to help him when he got home from school.
Petra helped cook and clean, always making delicious meals that was helping Imani add on the pounds. She would usually have breakfast, a brunch snack, a huge lunch, more snacks, and one or two dinners. She went for plenty of walks around the house, the property, and the island. Stores were cleaning up preparing for the summer rush, and Imani was loving the gorgeous flowers popping up in every corner. She wanted to start a garden of her own, but she wasn’t quite sure where she was going to end up, so she wasn’t ready to plant any roots, literally.
She was pregnant and emotional and still getting very little from Stavros. He barely popped into doctor’s appointments, and Imani realized that even when they were together, she felt so far behind in their relationship that she had no idea where to start. They were married and expecting their first child. Stavros had clearly been able to do whatever he wanted throughout his life, the massive wealth making him able to do pretty much whatever he wanted. This might not seem too huge to him, being the second time, he’d done that, but Imani was starting to freak out a bit.
She didn’t have a name picked out, because she wanted one that was gender neutral but still had no idea what she was actually going to end up with. She and Stavros didn’t have conversations like that. She was still barely speaking to him, used to a pattern of sitting down to dinner once a week at the most, but usually every other.
He was spending time with Darius at least, Imani feeling cold carrying this man’s other child. Would they be able to bond easily when the newborn came? He took Darius out to dinner alone plenty of times and still tucked him into bed every night. He took more days off, but those were usually spent taking his son out, leaving Imani and Petra at the house alone. The maids still popped in, but they only spoke in Greek, leaving Imani wondering if they were gossiping about her. It’s not like she would ever really know.
What did he think of her? She couldn’t help but wonder if he looked at her with disgust, or if he was more distant because he had feelings like she did. That’s what she hoped for at least. She feared that he didn’t want to see her, or that he wished they’d never met. Who knew if this was really going to help the court case in the end, but Imani at least hoped that Darius still believed in her.
The case was looking good for Stavros, but they were certainly still worried they were going to lose custody of Darius. Darius had been talking about his father more, Imani learning more about Stavros from the mouth of a child than she did the actual man she was married to. She had certainly formed a friendship with him and Petra, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to leave either two, no matter where she wound up. Darius was going to be a big brother, so he was always going to be around, but Imani wondered if she’d move away from Petra.
Her and Petra would joke often, and she would tell Imani what it was like to grow up a Greek child with ten brothers and sisters. Having so many siblings made her realize she never wanted kids. Being the oldest, she had to take care of all the younger kids, getting plenty of childcare in. The only time she ever had to herself was when she was cooking, which was why she decided to pursue that as a career. Imani told Petra the opposite. She was alone so often she never got time to spend with any kids. She wondered if she’d have any of her own, not interested in setting down with a man too early. Childcare seemed like the best option, and she loved every second of inspiring young minds.
Petra and Imani still didn’t talk too seriously about what was going on between Imani and Stavros. Petra never asked her about their relationship, either knowing more than Imani did or having no interest at all. She was an amazing chef, and when she wasn’t cooking, she was helping take care of the home. Imani felt like she had a grandmother, mother, friend, and sister all in one. Meeting Darius and Petra was strange, as well as Mateo, but she had found some pretty close friends in these three. They were the only ones she talked to, knowing very little Greek still. Petra did try to teach her certain phrases, but there were some Imani had to learn on her own, like swear words, as Petra wouldn’t want to come off like that to Imani. She would certainly hear some of the maids use bad words like that, always screaming on the phones during their breaks likely to their boyfriends.
Imani wanted to teach kids in Greece, missing the chance to get into a classroom. As a young woman who didn’t want to commit to anything long term, it had been difficult for her to find a steady job. She started to feel like she could really raise her child in Greece, not experiencing as much discrimination as she did back home. The people on the island were friendly and happy, always willing to offer help, especially to the pregnant Imani.
She had spent her time relaxing, reading pregnancy books and childcare books, though she knew she was going to make a great mom. As the sun came out, she swam more often, though the indoor pool was inviting all year round. Going on walks was also good for Imani. She could listen to music with headphones or a podcast, just taking in the gorgeous scenery around her.
When she had travelled back home to America to visit her father for Christmas, she was homesick for Mykonos. She loved where she was from, but it was clear that this was where she was supposed to be. She was with Darius a lot, so she had quickly become attached to the sweet little boy. He had really turned his attitude around, Imani realizing he clearly just needed more love and affection to not have to act out as much.
Imani also loved reading outside. She felt like when she could blend in with nature, she could really zone out and focus on the text. There were also plenty of places to read in the house, little nooks and hidden benches that Imani could escape to when she wanted to focus on a certain part of a book. She had read plenty of horror novels that she found stashed in Stavros’s library. He mainly kept his shelves filled with law and business books, but Imani was desperate for a good read, luckily finding a box full of horror novels. She discovered them, luckily in English, while stumbling around the basement one during a particularly boring moment. she was feeling adventurous, looking for something a bit more to fill her days.
She also found an old pregnancy book. That was one that really felt strange to her. Imani assumed that it had belonged to Iliana, a read that she kept around while she was pregnant with Darius. Imani read it but kept it stashed under her mattress so that no one knew she had gone into the woman’s old things. She found a maternity shirt and a few baby things, but she figured those boxes buried in the basement were for Stavros or Darius to go through. The book was her secret, and she was happy she stumbled upon it. Petra was great at taking care of kids, and Imani knew how to raise children as well. She wasn’t worried about that part. It was just the embarrassing stuff about pregnancy that she wishes she had someone to talk through with. Iliana’s pregnancy book was filled with highlighted excerpts and notes, Imani feeling like she had a friend in the person that had read the book before her.
Stavros had been extremely cold and distant to Imani e
ver since the photoshoot. He asked her how she was feeling, but didn’t tell her anything else, not concerned with their relationship but rather his child. She hoped for Iliana’s sake, Stavros had been more supportive during her pregnancy with Darius than he was being with Imani. He didn’t choose to keep the baby, but he certainly encouraged her. They had been happy and on the right track when she announced her pregnancy, but the photoshoot had really thrown them off the rails. After seeing some of Iliana’s things, she wondered if it was still hard for Stavros to move on. Death did make them part, but was he still feeling guilty about marrying another woman? Imani wasn’t sure what to think.
Petra had told her that Stavros had purchased a smaller house a few blocks away that she could move into when the court case was over if she wanted. He also told her she could stay in the house for as long as she needed with the baby as well, Imani figuring this would be the best option while she adjusted to motherhood. She would need someone to help her while she showered, slept, ate, and did everything needed to keep her alive. There was no way she was going to be able to live alone, so though a house of her own on the island sounded amazing, the more pregnant she got, the better living with Stavros sounded.
Imani still wasn’t sure what to do, however. She didn’t want to be alone with the baby, but it didn’t seem like Stavros was interested in being that close with her. Why stick around a house where someone doesn’t want you? She could likely hire a nanny, so she didn’t have to be completely alone.
Stavros was always traveling, so even if they were in a real relationship, it’s not like it’d make any difference. She probably had only seen him a full month out of her almost nine months of pregnancy.
*****
He had gone away again, leaving her alone to take care of Darius. This time, he had also taken Petra, meaning most of the household duties were left up to Imani. He never hired another assistant, using Petra to fill in when he needed her. He still had assistants at the office, and there was always someone willing to do things for him, being the important and influential man, he was, but it was still hard for him to find a replacement assistant after what had happened with Mateo. Imani tried to get him to come back the few times that they hung out on the island, but he was working for someone else and having a much better time. Petra clearly didn’t mind taking on the extra work, but it meant Imani would be completely alone in the mansion for the weekend.
