Chapter 26 Chapter 25

When Fotini came to this point, she suddenly felt a great responsibility to describe other people's emotions-it would be better to let the person tell her own story.Although Fotini knew how Sophia would feel like anyone else alive, who could have told it better than Sophia, who had been struck by the truth herself?When her parents told her that August night that they were not her real parents at all, Sophia tried to breathe, but couldn't.She has to face the truth - her real mother is long gone and her biological father is unknown.Since then, she has never believed in anything.Even if Crete was shaken by an earthquake and the ground shook beneath her feet, she couldn't feel any less insecure than this.

Fotini realized there was only one thing to do, and that was to call Sophia in London.She went out quietly, leaving Alexis to stare at the now familiar Spinalonga. As soon as Sophia picked up the phone, she knew who it was. "Fotini, is that you?" "It's me. How are you, Sophia?" "Very well, thank you. Has my daughter Alexis visited you? I wrote you a letter and asked her to give it to you." "Of course it did, and she's still here now. We had a productive time, and I did everything you asked me to do." There was a momentary pause on the phone.Fotini felt that the situation was urgent.

"Sophia, how long will it take you to come here? I've told Alexis everything I can, but there's something else I don't think it's right to tell her. She's leaving soon, to meet her boyfriend, But if you can get here before she goes, we can spend a few days together. What do you think?" There was silence on the phone again. "Sophia? Are you still listening?" "Yes, I'm listening..." What a natural invitation.Sophia had a thousand reasons to say that she couldn't let go of what she was doing and flew to Greece, but she also had enough reasons to come to Crete.Almost without thinking, she decided to put the objection aside.Whatever happened in the next few days, she was going to Crete.

"Listen, I'm going to see if I can catch the plane. It's great to be back in Plaka after all this time." "Okay. I'm not going to tell Alexis, I pray to God that you can come here." Sophia easily caught a flight to Athens.Not many people come to Greece at this time of year, and there was a flight from Heathrow that afternoon.She hastily packed a small bag and left a message on Marcus' voice phone explaining where she had been.The plane took off on time, and at eight o'clock that night, she got into a taxi and rushed to Piraeus, where she caught the night ferry to Heraklion.When the ferry leaned over and headed south, Sophia had enough time to worry about how she would face everything when she got there.She could hardly believe her decision.The trip to Plaka was a journey full of memories and surprising herself, but Fotini insisted on it.Maybe it's really time to face your past.

Early the next morning, less than twenty-four hours after the two women talked on the phone, Fotini saw a small car pull up to the side of the road next to the diner.A buxom blond woman stepped out.Although she hadn't seen Sophia for twenty years, and her blond hair gave her an illusion, Fotini immediately realized who it was.She hurried out to meet him. "Sophia, you're here. I can't believe it!" she said. "I can't believe you're coming!" "Of course I will. I've wanted to come back for so many years, but I just didn't find the right opportunity. Besides, you didn't invite me." She said mischievously.

"You know you don't have to wait for an invitation. You can come whenever you want." "I know." Sophia paused and looked around, "It still looks the same as before." "Not much has changed," Fotini said. "You know these villages. Even if the local shops change their windows to a different kind of paint, there will be protests." Fotini had promised Sophia not to say a word to Alexis that her mother would come.So when the young girl stood sleepily on the steps and saw her mother, she was stunned and at first thought it was a hallucination caused by too much brandy the night before.

"Mom?" That's all she said. "Yes, it's me." Sophia replied, "Fortini invited me, it seems that this is a good opportunity to come here." "Didn't expect that!" her daughter replied. Three women sat at a table under an awning, drinking iced coffee. "How was your trip?" Sophia asked. "Oh, that's it." Alexis shrugged noncommittally, "I didn't find it interesting until I came here. I had a great time in Plaka." "Ed wasn't with you?" Sophia asked. "No. I left him in Hariya," Alexis said, looking down at the coffee.She had seldom thought of Ed these days, and suddenly felt a little guilty.She left him for so long. "But I intend to leave tomorrow," she added.

"So soon?" cried Sophia, "but I've only just arrived." "Hmm." Fotini brought over coffee again, "Then we don't have much time." All three women knew that time was running out.Was Sophia here for anything else?Alexis was dizzy with everything Fotini had said in the past few days, but she knew there was an end.That's what the mother came for.