Sunsets and storms ✓

Chapter 49

MEGAN

Matthew and I are sitting at the dining table with papers scattered all around us. I figured out the colour patterns and interior design quickly, I wanted to keep like yaya's home as much as possible. The exterior of the house has always been white, it just needs a fresh coat of paint. We decided on keeping most of the interior in shades of blue and white.

Colin and Maya helped me finding workers to do the construction on the house and garden. Now we just need to finalise the building plan. I asked Matthew to design the house since he has a degree in architecture. So far he came up with a way to rebuild the garage with a rooftop terrace that connects to the backyard. The kitchen and bathrooms need a serious update but most of the structure is still up to date luckily.

"So this is your final plan?"

"Yes, I love it. It has everything, the pool, the garden, the rooftop to watch the stars from."

"Alright, then we can send these to Greece and get everything started. They'll need to order the materials and everything and you can start working on the furniture that you want."

"This is so exciting! I can't believe I have a house in Santorini and that we can actually stay there in the summer already."

"I can't believe it either. I'm still kind of surprised Owen just let you have the house."

I never really got over the fact either. I would never say no to a house in Greece but he let me have it. Owen and I have been texting a lot. It's still weird to get to know someone that you share DNA with but didn't know for over 20 years. Talking about our childhoods is quite something. It's amazing how our mother managed to have two families without them knowing about each other and then leaving them both. It feels weird to hear about Owen's memories of her since I have none. There are maybe two pictures stuffed in a box somewhere in dad's house and he never spoke about her but Owen still remembers what she was like as a mom. Sometimes that makes me jealous but on the other hand, I never had to get used to her leaving since she was never there to begin with.

Owen and I easily bonded over our family situation, luckily for him he does have a dad that loves him whereas mine still hasn't bothered to reach out. I even met Owen's family a few weeks ago when we were trying to figure out what to do about the whole legal issue. Another thing we got to bond over. Owen immediately hired a lawyer and he assured us that she has n case at all and will make sure all of this crap disappears. It still freaked me out. If she can find me to send me a letter she could theoretically drop by any day as well. I wouldn't know why she would bother with it after all those years but the drugs already killed enough of her brain so who knows what she might think normal these days.

"Where did your mind go, baby?"

"Family stuff and all that crap."

"You know you have people who care about you all around you, right? I mean of course you have me and my family, but now you have Owen, and Logan loves you like a sister and you have your friends In Greece who would do anything for you."

"I know and I appreciate everyone so much. Sometimes I just wish I still had certain people in my life."

"Alright, that's fair. Come here baby so I can hug you." I climb onto his lap and let my head rest against his shoulder. God I love this guy. He always just know what I need, he doesn't push me and just lets me be. I hate that after all these years I still get sad about missing a mother in my life and missing yaya just adds to that, especially now that I feel so close to her with working on the house and everything.

"Alright, let's finish this project so we can start remodelling my house. God, I love saying that. I already made a mood board with inspiration for the furniture and everything. We just have to narrow it down. A lot."

"You already have ideas for more rooms than there are in the house, haven't you?"

"Yup. Maybe we should ask the neighbours if I can decorate their house. Or even better we just buy that one as well!"

"If it makes you happy, I'll gladly oblige. I mean you're rich now."

"Very funny. Now give me your opinions. This may be my house but I want you to like what I do with it. We're going to spend a lot of time there hopefully."

"I have no clue about furniture or decoration and all that kind of stuff. I just had one idea. I saw you looking at those videos where they stick posters to an entire wall, all within the same colour pattern and everything to create this mood. I though maybe we could use our own photos to do something similar."

"So photos instead of wallpaper?"

"Only if you like it. I mean you have taken so many amazing photos over the year. But if you think it's too much, that's fine."

"No, I love it. It's amazing. We can start picking out photos that we like. We'll need a lot though. And maybe we can sneak in some more private photos as well." By the glint in my eyes he can tell which ones I'm talking about.

"Yeah that's a no. Remember your brother will be staying there as well. All pictures must be suitable for the eyes of family members." The disappointment must be clear on my face because he quickly adds, "But I do have some ideas for those pictures where no family will ever see them."

"Do you now? Hmm, maybe we should see if we can get any more to add if that's the case." I rush off Matthew's lap and run towards the bedroom. By the sound of his footsteps he's just a few steps behind me, just as eager to get this plan in motion. My shirt is on the floor before I even fall onto the bed. He kicks the door shut and looks at me with hunger in his eyes.

It's only been a few hours since we dragged ourselves out of bed but with him I can never get enough.