Count on Me

Chapter Three: Not Another One

"So come on, tell us about him," Nikki insisted all but jumping on Katrina when she stepped through the front door, everyone had been waiting for her to get home to hear all about her soul-mate. 

Blinking surprised at the sight of her loud cousin, Katrina found herself being dragged into the living room where everyone was waiting to hear all about what had happened; everyone was eager to celebrate the fact that Katrina had finally found her soul-mate. 

Her parents were already preparing for another wedding, the last one they'd thrown was Toula's wedding and that had been a few years ago; they were excited at the idea of marrying their last daughter off. 

"What does he do?" Aunt Voula demanded wanting to know how such a young man could afford a fancy car, it was a good one and she was a little worried Katrina had ended up with some playboy. 

Maria looked at her sister-in-law, everyone was barking questions wanting to know everything that had happened while Katrina had been out with her soul-mate. 

"He plays football for Arsenal?" Katrina replied not knowing much about it, her relatives all whispered excitedly and she knew that they would all be watching the matches from now on; she had a feeling that they would never let this go. 

Sitting down on the couch, Katrina tried to keep up with everything that was being said; she wasn't even going to tell them that she was seeing Mesut in a couple of days. 

"Where is he from?" Kostas asked smiling at his daughter, he was so happy right now and he was sure that this would all work out well; he now just had to wait for his only son to find his soul-mate. 

The room suddenly seemed to fall silent, Katrina knew what her father wanted her to say but there was no way that she would lie; he had learnt to like Ian and he would learn to like Mesut. 

"Gelsenkirchen, Germany," Katrina admitted softly, she knew that her family had been hoping on a nice Greek boy for her but it clearly hadn't happened; it didn't bother Katrina and she hoped her family could accept this.

The room was silent and Katrina wondered if she would be able to hear a pin drop, she looked around at the stunned faces knowing this wasn't what anyone had expected. 

"Not another one," a relative whispered and Katrina couldn't help but flinch, she couldn't bring herself to look at her parents; she remembered how it had been for Toula and Ian when they had first met. 

It had been a nightmare with their family involved and it had taken time for everyone to accept Ian; however, there were moments that made Toula wonder if her family truly liked her husband. 

"Why is it always your lot?" another announced staring at Kostas and Maria, the family had been completely Greek until Toula had met the Englishman and now it seemed the curse was spreading with Katrina ending up with a German. 

The entire room suddenly broke into uproar, Kostas was trying to strangle the relative that had spoken while Maria was screaming at the man's wife; everyone was quick to take sides and Katrina could only watch. 

Quietly getting to her feet, Katrina slipped out of the living room and headed out to the back garden; she looked up at the sky and wondered when everything was going to calm down. 

Sitting on the back step, Katrina doubted that her parents were going to warm to the idea that she was with someone who wasn't Greek anytime soon. 

"Nice Greek girls are supposed to do three things in life: marry Greek boys, make Greek babies, and feed everyone... until the day we die," teased a voice making Katrina peek over her shoulder, she smiled at the sight of Toula glad she had a sister like her right now. 

Toula had been through all of this and she knew that it wasn't going to be easy for her younger sister, it would take time for everyone to come around.

***

"So when do we get free tickets?" Nick asked handing Katrina some dinner, it was late and the house was practically silent now with everyone leaving after the fighting had stopped. 

There had been no signs of Kostas and Maria, who had disappeared upstairs after everyone had gone and not spoken to Katrina since it had come out that her soul-mate wasn't Greek. 

"Nick," Athena scolded helping serve food, she had arrived late and missed the fighting but she could care less about the fact that Katrina's soul-mate wasn't Greek; it had happened for a reason and she was sure that it would all work out like it had done with Toula. 

Katrina smiled knowing that her brother would be the first person that she asked when she went to one of Mesut's matches, he knew football and she was sure that he would be able to tell her what was going on. 

"What everyone's thinking it?" Nick replied shrugging and taking a bit of his sandwich, he would never say no to football tickets; he wanted to look out for his baby sister, he didn't want to see Katrina get hurt by anyone.

It wasn't going to be easy for her, she was going to be in the lime-light a lot when it got out that she was Mesut's soul-mate; it wasn't going to be easy and the media were bound to take an interest in her. 

"Mesut said he'd like me to be there in a couple of weeks," Katrina said shrugging her shoulders, she was a little curious about what the fuss was about but she would certainly be watching Mesut's matches from now on. 

Nick grinned excitedly, he could already tell that he would be going and he was excited; he hadn't been to a match in ages because of work and it would be a great day out for them.

Toula smiled getting out some champagne, she had been saving this since she had met Ian and she knew now was the right time to use it; Katrina had been so supportive when Toula had found Ian. 

"I think a toast is in order," Toula announced while Athena got out some glasses, the two quickly poured out some champagne into the glasses before handing them out. 

It had been a while since they had anything to celebrate and they both knew that no one else was going to congratulate Katrina anytime soon; it was a wonderful thing that had happened. 

"To Katrina and Mesut... may your life together be wonderful," Athena said raising her glass, she couldn't believe that her parents had started all this again after what had happened with Toula; she had been so sure that they had learnt their lesson. 

They had very nearly pushed Toula and Ian to elope and it had broken their family quite a bit with Toula running around with Ian behind their backs; Kostas was a proud man and he had grown quite fond of Ian since he had married Toula. 

"Don't let anyone get you down," Nick said patting Katrina on her shoulder, he was worried about what people would do when they found out; it could all end in tears and Nick wanted to protect her from that. 

There would be people that lashed out and said horrible things about Katrina because she was living a life that they wanted; it would be a rough time for all the family when it came out. 

The four siblings celebrated together unaware that Maria was watching them, she sighed wishing that everything could be so simple; Kostas was sulking upstairs and she doubted that he would come around to this anytime soon.