Page 127 of Unrecognizable Player

I’ve had a good day with my future in-laws. They loved the BBQ restaurant. Loved the tour of Nashville. And they seem to love this bar.

The second Stef comes out onto the stage with his violin, their faces light up and Tolis whistles and shouts his name.

Stef looks down into the audience and waves at them.

The singer steps up to the mic. “I hear we have some very esteemed guests in tonight. Are our violinist’s parents around?”

Tolis waves his hand.

“Stand up for us please.” The singer, Larry says.

They stand up, Althea fixing her skirt.

“Can we get a round of applause please for our amazingly talented violinist, Stefanos Lilai’s parents, in all the way from Queens, New York City!”

Everyone applauds and Tolis gives them a big grin while Althea looks like she wants the ground to swallow her up.

When they sit back down, she leans over and asks, “did you know they were gonna do that?”

“No, I swear.”

She squints at me, but then the band start up and her attention is thankfully taken away by her son.

He’s amazing. As always. I know their set off by heart now. They play mostly covers of old country songs, but the singer writes his own stuff too and Stef composes the violin partshimself. I’m always blown away by his talent. And I can see his parents are blown away too. Once they can see Stef isn’t nervous and is actually having a blast, they get into the spirit and relax. Tolis stamps his feet like the people around us and Althea taps her knee in time to the beat.

One of Stef’s good friends brings us some drinks, leaning closer to tell us what it is.

“Ouzo,” she grins.

I raise my glass to Tolis and Althea.

“Yiamas!” I say.

Tolis gives me an approving grin before clinking his glass to mine.

“Yiamas!”

The drinks keep flowing, and I think Stef told his work friends to make sure they take good care of his parents. By the time the gig is over, they’re both a bit tipsy and Tolis’ cheeks are red.

They squeeze Stef hard when he comes down to join us, telling him how proud they are and how amazing he was.

“I think I like country music now,” Tolis says. “We’ll have to get some of that into the restaurant.”

“Baba, people don’t go to a Greek restaurant to listen to country music.”

“They do now!”

I hold Stef’s hand while we sit and catch up and drink and listen to the music playing on the old-fashioned jukebox.

I try to tune into the conversation, but I can’t stop looking at him. How happy he is. My horror boy has come so far. He’s not hiding behind a computer. He’s not letting assholes like his ex walk all over him. Even if I wasn’t around anymore, I know he wouldn’t look twice at that loser now. He knows he deserves so much better.

And I’ve come a long way too. I’m not hiding anymore. Never again.

After we drop his parents at their hotel, we go for a walk down the strip like we did all the time when we first moved here. Staring in awe at the big neon lights and listening to all the new sounds coming out of the bars and stopping to watch the buskers on the corners.

We must have looked like tourists in Times Square. But we didn’t give a shit. I don’t think I could have done this without him. I don’t even know where I’d be without him. Definitely not in Nashville. Working a job I like. Volunteering doing something I love. Getting to watch live hockey and have it be a perk of my job. And most importantly. Being myself. No more lies. No more pretending.

Stef lets us into the apartment with his key and puts his violin case in its place by the door.

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