Page 126 of All for her Forgiveness

"Are there other women besides you in the country, Kennedy? I didn't even notice."

"Good answer, sir. Excellent answer."

An hour later, I look from the doctor to my husband with teary eyes. "Is it certain?"

"Yes. Congratulations, Mrs. Kostanidis," he says with a thick accent. "Children are true blessings."

Minutes later, the man says goodbye, and the employee who will take him to the exit hasn’t even closed the door before I run into Hades' arms.

"We are gonna be parents!"

He holds me in a bear hug for a long time. I feel his heart racing against mine and the way his breathing seems shaky. "Thank you."

"Hey, we did it together. It wasn't exactly a gift," I try to joke, but I'm emotional.

"No, I meant thank you for giving me a second chance and the right to be the father of your child again. I love you, Kennedy."

Hades

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

"I knowyou're going after him, Hades," Kennedy says, a few days after we arrive in New York when I warn her that I will need to go away.

"I'm not going to talk to you about that, wife."

She doesn't need to know that I'm going in order to attain closure. Now that she's pregnant again, more than ever, I need to conclude this part of my life.

"Just promise me you’ll be careful."

"I will. And you also have my word that I will grant your wish to look that bastard in the eye when he is brought to justice."

"I wish I could remember what's still missing before then."

"I'm sure your memory will return completely. Now, don't be anxious. It won't do either of you any good."

"Promise me you won't be gone for long."

"No longer than a day, Kennedy. And soon after I return, one of the people responsible for what you went through will be brought to justice. Unfortunately, Pam was a victim of her own madness and won't be there to pay her dues."

"If she was alive, would you demand her punishment?"

"You can bet on that. Now, tell me how you convinced Ernest to consult with Athanasios today?"

"Actually, he was the one who said he would do it, as soon as he found out I was pregnant."

The same day we returned from Greece, Kennedy had an appointment scheduled with the obstetrician who had handled all the births in our family. Even though it was still too early to do an ultrasound, I wanted to make sure everything was okay with her.

That same night, we gathered the family for dinner to share the news, and I'm wondering what my grandfather would have said if he’d seen that his four male grandchildren, who swore they would never get married, with the exception of Zeus, not only did so but are now producing more Kostanidou.

I try not to think of him with disappointment. I never imagined that he had been Vina's lover, and I would be lying if I didn't say that the idea bothers me.

Not the relationship between the two of them per se, but the fact that he never committed to or released her. He should have made a decision, because the woman found herself in a situation where, it seems, she depended on him emotionally and financially, which ended up leading to resentment.

Not that this is a justification for her immeasurable ambition, for the way she influenced Pam, convincing her that she had a chance with me or pushing Kennedy towards Ares, but was he aware that he had an enemy inside his own house?

"He didn't agree to have surgery if Athanasios says there is hope in his case," she continues, "but it's progress that he at least agreed to go to the consult."

"Yes. Send me a message as soon as you leave the doctor’s office. I might be unreachable for a few hours, but not all day," I say and see the concern on her face. I pull her towards me and kiss her forehead. "I won't take long, but I need to do this."

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