greek for you.”
A tall man who resembled Vasili stepped to the door. “Please come in.”
I entered as the woman shuffled back into the kitchen.
“I’m Ioannis, but my family and friends call me Yanni. You are?”
“Sarah. I’m a client of Vasili’s.”
“A client?” He laughed. “You’re a friend if you’re here.”
He ushered me into the living room and a woman stood up. “Oh, hello. I’m Sophia. Anastasia’s mom. Yanni is her dad. She has told us so much about you. She’s napping until everyone arrives.”
“Am I early?” I said, looking at the clock.
Yanni laughed. “Most of our family is Greek. As cliche as it is ... we are fashionably late.”
“And by fashionably,” Sophia added, “we mean at least forty five minutes.”
“Are you Greek as well?” I said to Sophia.
“Hard to tell with my red hair, I know. My dad is Greek, but my mother is Ukrainian. I’m an interesting blend.”
“Wow. It must be nice to know your heritage like that. Who knows what I am. A little bit of everything.”
They laughed. I loved this family already. No one acknowledged my scars and it made me forget about them too. I felt normal again.
“Vasili, ella!” His mother yelled from the kitchen. We all jumped. Or maybe only I did.
“Did she just call Ella?” I said.
“No, no.” Yanni laughed. “Ella is ‘come’ in Greek.”
“Oh.” I smiled. “Seems as though I have quite a bit of learning to do.”
Vasili appeared in the living room as we all sat on the couches.
“Hey,” he said. “So glad you made it. Anastasia is going to be so surprised. I see you met Yanni and Sophia.” He looked around. “Where’s Kyriakos and Eleni?”
“Not here yet,” Sophia said.
I folded my hands on my lap and looked around. Vasili sat beside me and my heart thumped in my ears. I am not like Cheyenne. I would never display interest in a taken man, but every time he touched me or sat near me I felt like a fifth grader hoping her crush would sit closer so their arms would touch. I ignored the fluttery sensations.
“So,” I said. “How many siblings are there in your family?”
Yanni cleared his throat. “There’s me, Sophia, Vasili, Natalie, Kyriakos, and Eleni.”
“That’s nice how you consider Natalie part of the family even before the wedding.”
Everyone looked down. Awkward moment. What did I say?
“Is she coming?” I tried to scatter the strange vibes.
Vasili shook his head. “She had to work.”
“What does she do?”
“She’s a cosmetologist.”
“Oh, I should’ve known.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She’s just really pretty, that’s all.” I repositioned myself on the couch. A little closer to the arm of the chair and a little further from the man beside me.
“Looks aren’t everything,” Yanni interrupted. “That girl co—“
“Yanni,” Vasili said. “Don’t.”
“My brother here sees gems in baby poop.” Yanni laughed.
“That’s what the elder says to do,” Vasili said. “Our thoughts determine our lives, remember?”
The front door opened. A dark-haired couple walked in. Looked like movie stars. Everyone stood to hug them, so I followed and waited to be introduced. After a round of hugs and pats on the back, Sophia stood between me and the overly handsome man. “Sarah, this is the youngest brother of the family.”
He took off his sunglasses and clipped them on his slightly unbuttoned shirt. “I’m Kyriakos.” He shook my hand. “This is Eleni.”
“Nice to meet you.” She also shook my hand, but pulled away quick, then perched her sunglasses on top of her head.
“Oh, here she is now.” Sophia bent down and hugged her daughter as though she hadn’t seen her in years.
Anastasia came to me next. A huge grin donned her sweet face. I could no longer see the scars. My mind replaced them with young, unharmed skin. Perhaps that’s how my friends saw me. If only I could look past my own flaws too.
After I hugged Anastasia she thanked
A tall man who resembled Vasili stepped to the door. “Please come in.”
I entered as the woman shuffled back into the kitchen.
“I’m Ioannis, but my family and friends call me Yanni. You are?”
“Sarah. I’m a client of Vasili’s.”
“A client?” He laughed. “You’re a friend if you’re here.”
He ushered me into the living room and a woman stood up. “Oh, hello. I’m Sophia. Anastasia’s mom. Yanni is her dad. She has told us so much about you. She’s napping until everyone arrives.”
“Am I early?” I said, looking at the clock.
Yanni laughed. “Most of our family is Greek. As cliche as it is ... we are fashionably late.”
“And by fashionably,” Sophia added, “we mean at least forty five minutes.”
“Are you Greek as well?” I said to Sophia.
“Hard to tell with my red hair, I know. My dad is Greek, but my mother is Ukrainian. I’m an interesting blend.”
“Wow. It must be nice to know your heritage like that. Who knows what I am. A little bit of everything.”
They laughed. I loved this family already. No one acknowledged my scars and it made me forget about them too. I felt normal again.
“Vasili, ella!” His mother yelled from the kitchen. We all jumped. Or maybe only I did.
“Did she just call Ella?” I said.
“No, no.” Yanni laughed. “Ella is ‘come’ in Greek.”
“Oh.” I smiled. “Seems as though I have quite a bit of learning to do.”
Vasili appeared in the living room as we all sat on the couches.
“Hey,” he said. “So glad you made it. Anastasia is going to be so surprised. I see you met Yanni and Sophia.” He looked around. “Where’s Kyriakos and Eleni?”
“Not here yet,” Sophia said.
I folded my hands on my lap and looked around. Vasili sat beside me and my heart thumped in my ears. I am not like Cheyenne. I would never display interest in a taken man, but every time he touched me or sat near me I felt like a fifth grader hoping her crush would sit closer so their arms would touch. I ignored the fluttery sensations.
“So,” I said. “How many siblings are there in your family?”
Yanni cleared his throat. “There’s me, Sophia, Vasili, Natalie, Kyriakos, and Eleni.”
“That’s nice how you consider Natalie part of the family even before the wedding.”
Everyone looked down. Awkward moment. What did I say?
“Is she coming?” I tried to scatter the strange vibes.
Vasili shook his head. “She had to work.”
“What does she do?”
“She’s a cosmetologist.”
“Oh, I should’ve known.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She’s just really pretty, that’s all.” I repositioned myself on the couch. A little closer to the arm of the chair and a little further from the man beside me.
“Looks aren’t everything,” Yanni interrupted. “That girl co—“
“Yanni,” Vasili said. “Don’t.”
“My brother here sees gems in baby poop.” Yanni laughed.
“That’s what the elder says to do,” Vasili said. “Our thoughts determine our lives, remember?”
The front door opened. A dark-haired couple walked in. Looked like movie stars. Everyone stood to hug them, so I followed and waited to be introduced. After a round of hugs and pats on the back, Sophia stood between me and the overly handsome man. “Sarah, this is the youngest brother of the family.”
He took off his sunglasses and clipped them on his slightly unbuttoned shirt. “I’m Kyriakos.” He shook my hand. “This is Eleni.”
“Nice to meet you.” She also shook my hand, but pulled away quick, then perched her sunglasses on top of her head.
“Oh, here she is now.” Sophia bent down and hugged her daughter as though she hadn’t seen her in years.
Anastasia came to me next. A huge grin donned her sweet face. I could no longer see the scars. My mind replaced them with young, unharmed skin. Perhaps that’s how my friends saw me. If only I could look past my own flaws too.
After I hugged Anastasia she thanked
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