Page 105 of The Island Villa

“No. They’re driven by fear, and in your case, your mother and I are responsible for that fear. I’m responsible. You saw me brokenhearted and you decided you didn’t ever want to let yourself be in that position. I should have done a better job at hiding my feelings when you were around. You were just a child, but you were always so mature and wise that I treated you like an adult. I’m not making excuses. I’m saying that I can see now that I was a terrible parent to you.”

“Stop...” She put her hand on his arm. “You are a wonderful parent. You were always there for me. And I didn’t expect you to sanitize life. This is how it looks. Messy. Imperfect. Complicated.”

“But you saw the misery and the pain, but not the love. You never understood that part.”

“I liked being treated as an adult. And you wouldn’t have been able to hide your feelings from me. I would have known you were faking it, and I would have hated that. I like the fact that we’ve always been able to talk about everything. I like the fact that we’re talking now.”

“I like that too. Still, you’re dating people like Mark because of me.”

She stared down at her legs. She actually had a little color in them. They weren’t exactly bronzed, but they weren’t white either. “I’m not actually dating Mark. We had a disagreement before I came to Corfu. We broke up.”

“You did?” He brightened. “That’s the best news I’ve had in a long time.”

“My broken relationship is good news?”

“I think it might be. Are you sad?”

She stared at the blank hospital corridor. “I—no. I’m not sad.”

“And that doesn’t tell you something?”

“Dad...”

“Of course it does.” He patted her hand. “You’re a smart girl. He was wrong for you. But Stefanos—”

“Dad...”

He ignored her warning tone. “Stefanos is the kind of man you need. He’s not afraid of feelings. He’s not afraid of life. He’s perfect for you. Have a wild affair. Enjoy yourself.”

She felt a rush of exasperation but also humor. This conversation was almost a relief, given the one that they could have been having if something had happened to her mother. “Are you really supposed to be saying that to your daughter?”

“If you want to be treated as an adult, yes.”

“It’s about boundaries, Dad. If I’m not allowed to meddle in your life, you’re not allowed to meddle in mine.”

“It’s a parent’s duty to meddle,” he said. “And also to fix a mistake. I made a mistake with you.”

She paused. “You mean that time you dropped me off at school when school was closed?”

His shoulders shook. “Did I do that?”

“You did. They’d allocated the day for teacher training. School started a day later.”

“How was I supposed to know that?”

“I think they sent you a letter.”

“Did it look official? I was never good at reading anything that looked official,” he said. “I’m not sure that counts as a mistake.”

“How about the time you tried to braid my hair and we had to go to the hair salon to have it untangled?”

“That probably was a mistake,” he admitted. “But not as big as some of my others. It’s a wonder you’re not scarred, Addy. And maybe you are. If I don’t see you happy and taking a risk with your heart, I’ll assume you are. And I’ll blame myself forever. It’s only fair to warn you I might die of the guilt.”

“Ouch, that’s a bit strong.” She smiled, as he’d intended. “So I’m supposed to take no end of romantic risks just so that you feel all right about yourself? That doesn’t sound fair.”

“Life isn’t fair. But it can be good, if you’ll make it so. There are going to be lows, whatever you do, so why not put some highs in there too? I love you, Addy. I hope you know that.”

She felt a lump fill her throat. “I do know that.”

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