Chapter Five.

Two days go by, and Pietro doesn't call, or give any news, this makes Cibele distressed...

Cybele wakes up a little late and walks more sleepy than usual because of her pregnancy, a pregnancy she didn't tell anyone but Apollo, well her sisters knew, but she begged them not to say anything, she didn't know how to react, none of that seemed real .

She stretches as she gets out of bed, and notices her hair all messed up. She takes a long shower, but when she leaves the bathroom she notices a familiar voice coming from the room, ''It can't be'' She thinks, puts her foot in the slipper quickly goes down the stairs, so fast make the wooden stairs, make a loud noise.

She widened her eyes and couldn't believe what she saw, her cousin Iris was there and everyone gathered in the room to welcome her.

"Iris, what are you doing here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, approaching them.

— Scusi? I can't visit my family. — She asked with a superior air, and then she makes a mocking face, puffing up the corner of her mouth. — Scusi, sometimes I forget I'm not in Milan, and I end up speaking Italian, but I came to visit my dear family! Your cheeks lift a little, but your lips are pressed together, as if you couldn't smile at that moment of debauchery you held.

This was because Iris knew that her cousin was pregnant, and knowing Cybele well, and her grandmother also knew that she didn't want to tell, knew that she could use it against her if she told the ''Little incident at the Milan race'' How Iris liked to think what that was.

(Translation of what she said: Sorry? I can't visit my family!)

"I thought you were too busy with your new job. — Cybele says narrowing her eyes, and raising her eyebrows and with her hands on her hips, she was about to explode.

"Oh, my two granddaughters here! That deserves a special lunch, I'm leaving for the table. — Says her grandmother adjusting the apron hanging around her waist, she smiles wide and goes to the kitchen to get the dishes.

Her mother and aunt accompany her, leaving only the two of them in the room, Cybele approaches her and her eyes burn, her blood boils with anger, but she holds back.

"I can't believe you have the guts to look me in the face after what you've done. — She said pointing to her cousin firmly.

"Cybele, for the last time, I didn't steal your pieces, let alone your drawings, and that's not the reason I came…" She clenched her fists.

But, she is interrupted by Athena who enters the room accompanied by her fiancé Sebastian. The sister interrupts to say goodbye, have lunch out with her fiancé.

"Anyway, I'm going to call Apollo to have lunch with us today. — The blonde adjusts her lipstick, with her hands.

She drew her head back. — Which? Apollo?" Cybele asks with a frown, confused by what her cousin will just say.

She clasped her hands. "Oh, didn't I tell you?" So, I came back last night, but Apollo ended up welcoming me, if you know what I mean." She winks.

Cibele doesn't understand anything when she sees her cousin act that way, she doesn't recognize it but, and that makes her very sad, she checks her cell phone, no more messages or signs of life from Pietro, she sits on the couch waiting for lunch.

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Paolo Apollo's brother and Alexia's best friend. He enters asking for Alexia, who is still in her room, the boy goes up to her room.

He knocks on the door, and face the door. "Alexia it's me, open the door!" He leans his head against the door.

The girl opens the door, causing him to fall a little. He looks at her. She tries to crack a shaky smile, but to no avail.

— What are you doing here? She rolls her eyes. "Unless you've finished your research, don't talk nonsense to me!" She sat up in bed, making the mattress sag.

He walks into her room, and looks around, and smiles. "Well, according to the records I got from my father's drawer, when he was manager of the ship, there were only two men working that night, plus both married and old. He glances at the wall full of poraloid photos, and leans against the furniture beside the bed.

She looks down at him. "It has to be someone who was a guest. She writes it down in her scribble notebook, and then bites the cap off her pen.

"Why don't you have any pictures of me?" He points to the photos, and raises an eyebrow looking at her.

She gets up from the bed, "Because you're not very photogenic. — She adjusts her blouse. —But as a thank you for the research, I invite you to lunch do you want to? she asked, knitting her thick brows together, and opening the door.

He laughs. "Wow, isn't this face here photogenic?" You are crazy. — She raised her shoulder. — But yes I accept lunch, lunches with your family are always exciting!

"Hey, wasn't that cool? I know what you mean by ''exciting''! And I bet it won't be too much, okay? My family's shack days are over. Let's go down.

The two of them go downstairs, and see the table set, everyone sits at the table, Paolo and Alexia. Apolo is next to Iris, in front of Cybele with her grandmother at the end, and her mother and aunt at the side.

Everything was silent until Tereza asks, while moving her hair:

— So my child, tell all, how is the new job? — She asks looking around, holding her fork.

Iris swallows dryly, she didn't want to touch the subject — Good, mom, good!— She says in a low voice looking directly at her plate.

— Oh, don't be shy! There was only one vacancy, and my Iris was the winner. — Tereza starts talking non-stop.

Cybele can't stand it and speaks loudly: "She only got this because she stole from me! — She drops the spoon on the plate.

Everyone looks at her, she feels sick, with a lump in her throat that she swallows right away. — She stole my drawings and then ended up winning the race, but this job was supposed to be mine. — Her arms remained hanging at her sides.

Iris shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what to say. Paolo coughs, and his veins become exposed in his neck as he held back his laughter at the situation, Apolo looks at the two arguing wide-eyed.

Alexia has locked her feet around the legs of the chair, and stands with her mouth open listening to the two arguing.

He feels that he shouldn't be there, and the two yell at each other, and his grandmother feels bad, Julia gets up and goes to her mother.

Tereza shouts and gets up from the table. — What nonsense, my daughter would never do that, are you upset because you're not the center of attention, Cybele?

— Yes, because you've been disqualified for making such a scandal. — Iris said still in a low voice, her lips turned into a line.

Her grandmother put her hand on her heart and said with a trembling voice: — A mi netas calm down, what is going on here, Cybele is this really true? — She frowns.

— Giagia, do you believe her? — Iris asks, standing up from the table, throwing the chair away with her leg.

(Translation of Giagia = Grandmother in Greek)

— It's not a question of believing her, Iris, I know my granddaughters, and if there's one thing I know it's that they are not liars, I want to know the truth about... — I said with narrowed eyes bouncing back in my chair.

— Well know that Cybele didn't tell you everything. — She shakes her head and looks at everyone at the table. — Cybele is pregnant, Giagia, the best part is that it's not Apollo's.

Cybele's reaction is stunned and her eyes are lowered, she crosses her hands in her lap and her anger is so great that when she faces the glass of juice she picks it up and throws it in Iris's face.

At the same time, Paolo chokes on a fish bone, his face turns red and everyone doesn't even have time to absorb the news, he puts his hands on the table, palms up, asking for air.

Alexia hits him on the back, desperate, Iris cleans herself up and Apollo runs to call for help.

But Paolo manages to spit out his spine, he sits back in his chair relieved, Alexia asks if everything is okay, Agnes his grandmother offers him water.

He holds back his laughter and takes the glass of water and says low to Alexia only: — I told you that the Dinner in your family was something exciting, he gives a little wink. Alexia taps his chest, and looks up frowning.

Cybele rushes to her room, up the stairs feeling a mixture of anger and sadness, she didn't want her grandmother to know about her pregnancy like this.

She enters her room and begins to cry, her lips are trembling from crying, she hears a knock on the door, she opens it and her grandmother enters.

— My dear, why did you come up like that?

— I didn't mean to, I, I don't want to disappoint you. — she says between sobs. — It just happened, Grandma, I didn't...

— Pee, you don't have to explain yourself, okay? I'm not disappointed in you, breathe, breathe! I'm here with you, says your grandmother giving you a hug. — You tell me everything, and you don't hide anything from me in?— Her grandmother says raising her eyebrows.

Cibele tells how she met Pietro, and how everything went. She lays her head on her grandmother's lap, who is sitting on the bed, and she cuddles her.

— I feel lonely, you know, I called him the other day and he was nice but hasn't called back yet. — Cybele explains with her eyes closed.

— Alone? But you're never alone! There's me, there's your mother, and children are a blessing. — She takes her granddaughter's hand. — And as our ancestors used to say, 'The beginning is already half of the whole task'" — she smiles broadly. — That's a Greek proverb, and you know the message, it means that the beginning is the hardest part of any task, but believe me, from mother to mother. -— Your grandmother takes your hand to her heart. — There is nothing more rewarding than to see the little face when it is born, to share life with a child, she squeezes her eyes shut while smiling.

Cybele feels her heart warm, and wipes her tears away with her fists, and stands up to hug her grandmother. She felt so supported.

At that moment her cell phone rings and it's Pietro, and he says charitably that he's been in jail for a few days but he's free for a chat.

She holds the cell phone between her breasts and takes a deep breath, she was going to tell him that she was pregnant...