Salvatore.

Six

Note γιαγιά = grandmother

Sunday the 23rd - Afternoon 4:30pm

Athena sat in her grandmother's dining room surrounded by her family, they were all speaking at once; their voices melted into one another. Her Aunties were talking about the boys their daughters were dating and her cousins were talking about the boys they were dating. Multiple people were talking to her at the same time, she felt like her head was going to spin off. Small fragments of conversations were thrown around the room, too quick for Athena to catch onto. It was like someone had given her a bucket and told her to catch every grain of sand they dropped, however she didn't have a bucket, it was just her hands and it was a whole beach of sand.

Thea had no idea what they were saying. She was just smiling and nodding as her Aunt Anastasia talking about the plans for her daughter's wedding. Of course Thea couldn't hear any details about it, but the expression she held on her face made it seem exciting.

Today was the day of the funeral her brothers wouldn't tell her about, they mentioned it briefly before they dismissed it. She didn't even know who passed away - all she knew was that he was a 'business associate of theirs'. Whatever that meant.

Klaus explained to her that only the older men of their family would be going to the funeral, meaning her brothers, her father, most of her uncles and some of her cousins. So, in a last minute decision; all the women and children in her family decided to spend the Sunday at her γιαγιά's house. She had been there before the sun had even risen.

"Oh! And Toula is wearing... You have to see it, it's covered in... But the bridesmaids dresses!" Her aunt exclaimed. Thea furrowed her eyebrows, trying to fill in the gaps of the sentences while still attempting to smile and nod.

The smell of freshly baked spanakopita wafted through from the kitchen and made her stomach rumble, she excused herself from her Aunt and crept into the kitchen where her younger cousins Christos and Korra were sitting on the kitchen stools watching their grandmother cut up the pastry. She could see that the pair were bickering and nudging each other, she thought someone was going to fall off their stool.

"You hungry too?" The seven year old asked, she smiled at Christos.

"You bet - but you better be quick cause I don't know; I might eat it all." She teased; reaching over and sneaking a piece off the tray. She hissed quietly as it was hot in her hands and put it on a plate. Her γιαγιά scolded her in Greek; telling her to wait but she just smiled sweetly.

It was moments like these, moments where she didn't have to think about the things that haunted her nightmares. Moments where she could spend time with people and not have a sinking feeling in her chest. She felt her smile falter.

"Ahh! That's so hot!" Christos squeaked, dropping the pastry onto his napkin.

"Nah duh genius, it just came out of the oven." Korra said. Christos stuck his tongue out in response and Korra retaliated by grabbing his napkin with the spanakopita inside and running out of the room; calling out that she was going to eat it. Christos grumbled and chased after her. Their γιαγιά shook her head and yelled at them not to fight; but then a loud crash echoed off the walls and her γιαγιά went to find them; Thea giggled.

As she took a bite of her food her older cousin Melody walked in, holding her toddler Demitri in her arms.

"Oh Thea! Have you seen γιαγιά?" Melody asked out of breathe. Thea covered her mouth with her hand and explained the situation with Christos and Korra. Melody took a long sigh and shook her head.

"Can you do me a favor? I have to get something from my car and I was going to get γιαγιά to watch Demitri for me. But can you do it please?" She asked, already placing the toddler in Athena's arms.