Page 20 of Survival

In some, they were playing in lush, green foliage with magnificent rocks, boulders, and skylines for backdrops. Others showed them out on stretches of light, golden sand, the clear, blue water of the sea brightening the scene. There was even one of Dad with Uncle Dimitris, their arms slung over each other’s shoulders on my uncle’s wedding day, and Aunt Sophie grinned widely in my uncle’s arms in the next photo. She looked so happy. Gorgeous. And in that moment I truly regretted that I never got to meet her, a car accident taking her life just a few years ago.

An unexpected chill raced down my spine, and I held in the shudder. It was the last of the photos before things had gone wrong, and there was a not-so-light coating of dust draped across the display of memories now, like no one had bothered to keep up the care once my grandmother no longer could.

“Helen,” Grandma Aggie whispered, drawing my attention back. She gave Mom the same sad expression she had tried to convey before, and this time, when Mom didn’t look away, she whispered something that I couldn’t quite make out.

At first, I thought the words were just too mumbled to understand, but when Mom responded in clear Greek, andher voice strained like it might break, I realized then that my grandmother hadn’t used English that time.

Tears formed in both women’s eyes, but no sooner had they begun to appear than a short, angry rush of Greek broke through the peaceful silence from behind us.

Mom, Dad, and Uncle Dimitris all stiffened while Grandma Aggie looked past them to emit a slight, pleading whisper, “Alex…” He took one look at her before dropping his angered gaze to the floor once again.

The rest of us watched on, confused, but before I could ask what just happened, Mom was speaking again, her expression beseeching my grandmother’s understanding as her voice dripped with remorse. “I’m sorry, Agatha.”

She then stepped back from the bed. “I think we’ll step out for some air,” she said to Dad before gently pulling my younger brother and sister with her from the room. Grandma Aggie just stared after them with a pained expression and then looked back at her sons, her voice sounding like she was begging and apologizing at the same time, but the words were still in Greek, so I couldn’t understand. The same pained look still there in her eyes and her tears starting to form.

Dad reached over and ran a soothing hand across the mixture of gray and black hair along her head while both he and my uncle quietly whispered reassuring words.

Whatever they said seemed to ease her distress, though, because her pleas stopped, and some of the sorrow eased in her eyes, her sons still speaking softly to her to help her relax.

Nic and I just stood awkwardly at the bedside, watching the crucial and intimate conversation our dads were holding with their dying mom. Our gazes met, and Nicmotioned with a slight tilt of the head towards the door. I nodded, and we both took a step back, but before we could leave, Grandma Aggie’s soft voice cried out in a ragged breath, “Wait!”

We all instantly froze, her desperation ringing clearly through the single word. I stepped up to her bedside again, realizing her effort to speak in English meant that she wanted us to understand, and thankfully, Nic followed.

Grandma Aggie looked around at the four of us, her eyes stopping on Nic and I. “Should know,” she said a little more quietly but with just as much urgency. “Family.”

Dad and Uncle Dimitris shared a surprised look, while Nic and I looked back at one another, confused. Grandpa Alex made a growling sound at the back of the room as he scowled, but again, we ignored him.

“Please.” Grandma Aggie’s voice was ragged as she began to beg. Her eyes moved to her sons. “Family…should be…together.” She spoke slowly as she searched for the right words, but they were clear, even though her voice was worn.

She stared at us until Uncle Dimitris finally nodded his head, and then she looked back at Nic and I again. “Together,” she breathed out a determined whisper.

I nodded and gave her a slight smile to show her I understood, and she smiled back, the tension in her expression finally melting away. I looked at Nic then, an unspoken agreement passing between us.

I sucked in a deep breath, the memory itself draining. That was only a few short days before Grandma Aggie passed and the aftermath of the funeral and my grandfather’s anger commenced. But I’d meant it, that promise. I wasn’t sure if it was completely why Nic had decidedto come to Texas with us. He had a career and a life in England, but I wasn’t passing up the opportunity to try to get to know him. Not when it had meant so much to my grandmother on her deathbed.

I need to explain it to Annie. She and Nic had gotten off to a bad start, but maybe if she knew everything, she’d be willing to give him a second chance.

“Hey, Baby T. Your dad needs you up front.” Rodrigo opened the door to tell me.

“Yeah. Sure.” I shook my head to clear it and headed to the front part of the building. “You needed me?” I asked as I pushed through the door.

Dad glanced over his shoulder and beamed. “Hey. Sure do. I’d like you to meet the new hire, Ruby. She’s going to be helping us out around here for the next few months while she finishes up her certification.” He shifted to the side away from his office door, revealing a tall brunette with tight, low cut jeans, an ACDC t-shirt, and sneakers. Her hair was tied back in a long ponytail, and deep brown eyes blinked back at me with a bright smile.

“Hey.” She stuck her hand out.

“Uh, hi.” I shook it before dropping my hand back down, and her smile dipped. “I’m sorry. That came out weird. I just didn’t realize we were hiring. Nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” Her smile brightened again, and there was a hint of excitement dancing behind her eyes that I couldn’t quite place.

“I’ve gotta go finish up with some paperwork. Mind showing her the ropes up front for today?” Dad asked.

“Yeah, sure. Of course.” I quickly waved him off, and as soon as the office door shut, Ruby sprang forward.

“Holy shit. I am so excited to meet you. I’ve seen you race. That’s your red Mustang outside, right? You are phenomenal for someone who just started. That Charger you beat a few weeks ago? My friends were certain you were going to get your ass kicked, but I knew. The way you’ve been driving the past few months, you had it in the bag. Won that bet. Enough to buy me some new rims. Oh, shit.” Her eyes widened, and she stepped back. “Sorry. That was intense. Just a fan here.”

I blinked, still trying to process for a moment, but I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. Because holy shit. I had a fan. And an eager one at that.

She waved a hand in front of herself. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually this much. I just got excited. Let me start again. I’m Ruby. Love cars. Serious addict. Been working on them with my uncle pretty much my whole life, and I’ve seen you race. You’re great.”

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