Page 32 of Love or Tequila in Unexpected Places

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, a heavy stillness that felt like an eternity. He could almost hear his mother’s heart racing as she processed his announcement.

“Ti?” she finally replied, her voice a mix of disbelief and confusion. “What did you just say?”

Angelo could picture her pacing the kitchen, hands on her hips, as she prepared for the inevitable onslaught of questions.

“I said I’m going to be a father,Mamá.”

The pause that followed was thick with tension. He braced himself for her reaction, knowing full well that her response would be anything but calm.

“Who?”

“What do you—”

“Her name,Ángele.”

Angelo sighed, getting dizzy over the amount of times he’d had the same conversation.

“Allison Lockwood.”

“How could you—? Do you even understand what this means?” Her voice rose, a blend of panic and anger simmering just beneath the surface.

“I do understand. I promise,” he said, his own anxiety bubbling up. “I’m going to take responsibility.”

“Responsibility?” she scoffed, disbelief palpable in her tone. “Do you think that’s the problem? She’s fooling you! She’s your enemy’s daughter!”

Deep breaths. Deep fucking breaths.

“She’s not lying,Mamá. It’s true.”

“Still, I know I taught you better than to shove your dick inside girls without a care in the wind!” She practically screamed into the phone. Angelo didn’t even get to blink, before she continued, “And you shoved it in naked too?!Ángele, ntropi sou!”

His mother used her favorite phrase. Angelo assumed she just enjoyed saying ‘shame on you’, because it was somewhat of a habit of hers.

“Mamá,stamáta,” he growled, stopping her and she hesitated, giving him just enough time to continue. “What’s done is done now. I’m going to be involved in this pregnancy and the child’s life, so you can stop raging. You’re going to be ayiayiá.” Angelo knew that last part would shut her up for good. She’d always pestered him about wanting to become a grandmother.

He was right. His mother stopped speaking—an incredibly rare occasion for Lia Papadopoulou. The woman was constantly running her mouth every second of every day.

She huffed. Hard. And then she just said, “Is she a good girl?”

Angelo’s face stretched into a smile as he thought of his Pinkie.

No, no. Not mine.

He blinked, stopping that train of thought, before saying, “She’s the best. And she’s going to be an incredible mother.”

His mother continued to pester him for a few minutes, asking him the basic two questions of every Greek mom.

Have you eaten? Yes, Mamá.

Are you wearing warm clothes?I’m inside, Mamá.

Then she made him promise to call her soon.Nai, Mamá.

And that was that. Somehow, his chest felt a bit lighter. He knew it was because he talked to his mom. No matter his issues with her, Angelo would always love hismamá.

Even though I wanna punch myself in the eye when I talk to her sometimes.

Nine

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