The Butterfly Storm by Kate Frost Read Free Book Online

‘just proves it. He’s got great ideas
and passion for what he does and is fantastic with people but you stifle him. He’s only still here because
you put pressure on him to stay. He doesn’t want to be a waiter forever. Let him lead his own
life.’
    The spoon she’s using to baste the lamb clatters on to the work surface. She swings around, her
cheeks flushed. ‘You little…’ She doesn’t finish the sentence and instead unties her apron
and chucks it on the side before pushing past Alekos and clattering up the stairs to the
apartment.
    ‘Why did you say that?’ Alekos asks.
    ‘I’m only stating the truth. Something’s needed to be said for a long time. She’s holding you back,
Aleko.’ I reach for him but he shrugs me away.
    ‘Is it really me she’s holding back or you?’
    ‘It’s us Aleko. We’re going to get married, start a family. Surely we’re not going to be living here
when we have children?’
    ‘Of course not.’
    ‘You’ve got to break away at some point, however hard it is.’
    He takes my hand. ‘Come on, let’s try and make peace with her.’ We go together up the stairs and
open the door to the apartment.
    Despina is pacing the living room and talking at Takis who is sitting on the sofa in front of the TV,
looking bemused. As soon as the door closes behind us Despina looks directly at Alekos. ‘I wish you’d
fallen in love with a good Greek girl!’
    ‘Mama!’ Alekos says.
    ‘Well, it’s the truth.’
    Forget about keeping the peace. ‘So you want a good Greek girl for a daughter-in-law. Someone who
will happily live here, no questions asked, and do everything you want her to do. What do you want,
Aleko?’
    Despina and I turn to Alekos.
    ‘I want you both to be happy,’ he says quietly.
    ‘And how are you going to make that happen?’ I ask.
    ‘I don’t think I can.’ He takes hold of my hands. ‘Why did you move to Greece, Sophie?’
    ‘To be with you.’
    ‘Then why’s that not enough?’
    ‘Because I know you’re not happy here. I know you’ve got ambitions. What about your music?
What about everything we talked about on Cephalonia? Do you not want that anymore?’
    ‘Mama needs us here.’
    ‘No she needs you here.’
    Despina tuts. ‘You’re the chef, Sophie, I need you.’
    Alekos’ cheeks flush red and his eyes flicker away from his mother’s. I hate her for that comment.
Alekos is so desperate to please her and prove himself at O Kipos and I know me being in the kitchen
makes him want to impress her even more, because I’m the one getting the praise, from Despina and
the customers. She’s proved that again today.
    Alekos steps forward and holds my face in his hands and rests his forehead against mine. ‘The thing
I want most is to marry you. Let’s concentrate on planning our wedding. The most important thing
right now is you.’
    ‘Your problem, Sophie,’ Despina says, ‘is that you don’t speak to your mother. So how can you
possibly understand what it means to be a close family?’
    ‘Despina!’ Takis suddenly stands and joins his wife in the middle of the room. ‘That’s
enough.’
    She waves him away with her hand. ‘All I mean is our culture is not like yours in England.
Families stick together. Grown-up children live with their parents. All Alekos’ friends still
do.’
    ‘That’s not exactly true Mama. Nikos doesn’t, neither does Demetrius.’
    ‘Nikos works in Athens, that’s different. Demetrius and Katrina live with her parents in
their small apartment, which makes life difficult but they still manage. We have a large
apartment.’
    ‘Lena doesn’t live here,’ I say.
    ‘No but they lived with his parents until they had children. It’s expected.’ She looks at Alekos. ‘You
don’t like living here?’
    ‘Of course I do Mama, it’s just…’ he shrugs and glances at me. ‘I can’t please you both.’
    ‘Then I’ll make it easy for you, Aleko, carry on doing what you’ve always done, pleasing