Morrison Street
Sacred Ground
The plane touched down on the wet runway, taxied, and soon was chocked. Catrina called out from the door to Simo, asking if it was ok to open the door.
“One minute,” Simo said as he saw Eleni pull up in Annabeth’s black Escalade, get out, and check the area. “Ok, all clear.”
“Simo? Mind if I call Eric now?”
“Sure. Better to get this all done with.”
Halo turned on her phone, scrolled through her contacts, found Eric's number, and hit the call button.
She held her phone to her ear and walked back to the rear of the jet.
“Hello? Is this Eric Rose? Eric, this is Halo Raines.
Yes, yes, thank you. Hey, Eric, could we meet at your office today?
Yes, I just landed in Portland; I don't mean to inconvenience you…
I just have a few questions for you while I am visiting up here.
You are there now? Yes, I'm sure. Meeting you there is perfect. We can be there soon. If you would give me your address? Yes, I have a pen. Go ahead.”
Halo quickly wrote the address on the palm of her hand. “Got it, we should be there soon. Thank you so very much for seeing me on such short notice. Goodbye.”
Simo collected her bag and walked ahead of her down the ramp to Eleni, who was patiently waiting in the rare but chilly Oregon sunshine.
“Yasou, Eleni,” Simo called out.
Eleni gave him a hard look for a moment. “Yasou, Simo,” Eleni replied flatly, then turned her attention to Halo. “Miss Raines, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, Eleni.” Halo held up her hand to Eleni, “Can we please go here first?”
Eleni read the writing on Halo's palm. “Yes, I know this place. Simo?” Eleni said, looking to Simo.
“Indaxi.” Simo went to the back and stowed Halo's bag away. Eleni opened the back passenger door for her, as Halo thanked her and got in.
Once underway, Halo sensed tension between the two intense Greek people who sat in the front. She watched Eleni's impassive face. She did see her give sidelong glances to Simo occasionally. The plot thickens, Halo thought. Were they lovers? Interesting...
Soon they entered southeast Portland. Halo thought back and remembered her visit here over three years ago.
She liked all the green, but not all the rain so much.
Suddenly, she recognized where she was. “Eleni! Turn left up ahead. This one. Oh, my...” She ignored Simo's look as Eleni found a spot at the curb.
“Pull over here, there's a space. Thank you.”
“Halo? What is it?”
“It's Morrison Street. I have to go across, just for a minute.” She was out of the car before Simo could answer, jogging into the wide grassy stretch across the road, spinning once with her eyes closed like she was checking the place was real.
Simo motioned Eleni to follow. “I think she has been here before.”
“You just now think that?” Eleni said flatly.
They watched Halo stop, retrace a few steps, then go still, staring at a red smokestack across the way. Eleni touched her shoulder. “What is it you see?”
Halo's smile fell. “This is where I first saw Xander.” She pointed at the sidewalk.
“He was standing right there: sunglasses, that jacket, looked like he'd walked off a film set. He caught me staring and smiled. I walked toward him without deciding to. He glanced back once.” Her hand came up to her mouth.
“Then he was gone, and someone called me back to set before I could go after him. I still have the picture I took of this exact spot and him.” She wiped at her eyes before the tears could fall.
“Two years later he auditioned for me, and I knew his face and couldn't place it.
He never told me we'd almost met… I think he was afraid to. I only put it together after a few months on the island, staring at his photo on my phone.” She looked toward where he'd walked away, like she could still see it happening.
“First time,” she whispered holding her hand over her heart. “The first real time.”
Simo saw Halo's tears fall as she stared off silently into the past. Simo turned to Eleni, lost on what to do.
Eleni stepped in and wrapped an arm around her.
Halo leaned into it. “The first time is sometimes the deepest,” Eleni said.
“I know from his daughter he's a good man.
I'll pray you see him again, and that he loves you back with everything he has.”
“I hurt him badly, Eleni. So badly.”
“Yes. But I see the love you carry for him. Like Athena does.”
Halo looked up. “You know Athena?”
“A very good girl. Kouklitsa. Beautiful.”
Halo managed a small laugh. “Efaresto, Eleni.” She hugged her, held on a moment longer than she meant to, then straightened and wiped her face. “Sorry. Rough week.”
“We should go,” Simo said.
Eleni side-eyed Simo. “Give her time to fix herself.”
Halo took a few pictures of the spot, then handed Eleni her phone for one more of herself, standing where she'd almost met him. Then she got back in the car, pulled out her compact, and put herself back together for the meeting ahead.
“The office is down this road; it is only two minutes away,” Eleni said to Halo.
“Ok, I'm as good as I can be.”
Eleni pulled out into traffic and looped around a nearby café. Soon, Eleni pulled up to an older, gray-colored, eleven-story building. “The entrance is right there. I will drop you both off. I will find parking, then come up.”
Halo watched Simo open his mouth to say something, but instead he closed it, speechless.
Simo helped Halo out and they headed into the entrance.
They found the elevator and hit the third-floor button.
The doors opened up and Simo stepped out, looking for the right direction.
He motioned for Halo to follow him; they turned the corner and Eric was outside his office door, pacing, red hair standing up like he'd been running his hands through it.
He spotted the big man coming toward him with Halo in tow and hurried over.
“Uh, hello. I'm Eric Rose, and you are?”
“Simo. Her security.” He shook Eric's hand hard enough to make the point. “Greek?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“Oh no, no, I…” Eric caught himself, then squared up.
“You're with Evie Kostinos. We know.” Simo said. That seemed to steady him more than rattle him.
“Right. Good.” His eyes landed on Halo and stuck there, mouth slightly open, like he was checking whether Xander had been exaggerating about her eyes he mentioned so long ago.
He wasn't. “Miss Raines. Thank you for seeing… well, for letting me see you, I mean… I mean…” He stopped, looked at his own closed office door, and winced.
“This is a bad time. Yiayia's in there. And Evie.
And Athena. We're supposed to go light a candle for Xander at the church up the street, they just got here, I didn't know they were coming, I swear…”
“Do they know I'm here?” Halo asked.
Eric shook his head, apologizing with his whole body. “Would you like me to ask for you to meet the family?”
Halo took a breath, brushed her jeans flat, and checked her hair with her hands. “If I ever needed a drink.” She straightened. “Time to pay the piper.”
Eric slipped inside first, and after a moment waved her in. After a brief conversation. Eric and Simo were left in the hallway after Yiayia promised Halo would be fine. Eric leaned against the opposite wall like it was the only thing holding him up.
“So,” Simo said. “How long have you known Xander?”
“Ten years, give or take. Met him when he was taking care of my mother, end of her life. He was the only one who could handle her toward the end.” Eric managed a sad smile. “I think I was his only real friend before all this.”
Simo grunted. “I knew of his father, before he came to the States.”
Eric's eyebrows went up. “You did? All I ever got out of him was that his dad was a cook, Greek army, before he passed.” He shrugged. “Sore subject. Xander doesn't talk about him much.”
Simo said nothing to that, filing it away, noting that Xander had no idea what or who his father had actually been.
“People underestimate him,” Eric said, suddenly.
“They see a handsome guy who’s polite and nice then take him for granted.
That man doesn't quit once he's set his mind to something… I made him sign up for an acting class years back, and he took the final exam dead serious. Had me running lines with him in some gay bar downtown at midnight because he wanted his character right. To make his role absolutely real. Smart. Just plays it off.” He shook his head, like he wasn't sure why he'd said it out loud.
Simo filed that away without comment.
After a time, muffled through the door, Yiayia's voice rose sharply: “Malaka!”
Eric flinched. “That's for me. Occupational hazard, dating Evie.”
“You do know what malaka means, right?”
Eric let out a snort. “It means asshole. I've made my peace with it.”
Simo laughed despite himself. “You survived Yiayia. Nothing left that should scare you.”
The elevator chimed, and Eleni came around the corner. She and Eric traded a nod like old acquaintances.
“You two know each other?” Simo asked.
“Yes, and everybody up here knows Yiayia,” Eleni said. “Is Halo alone in there?”
“Yiayia's rules,” Eric said. “Women's business. She said it'd be fine.”
Eleni considered that, then nodded, apparently satisfied that Yiayia's word was law.
A few minutes later the door opened and Eric waved them both in.
Halo sat in the middle of it all, eyes red but her face calm, Athena beaming at her from across the room.
Yiayia clapped once. “We all go to church now! Light candle for Xander. Come, come, no more talk, too much talk!” She hauled Halo up by the hand before anyone could argue.
Athena leaned toward her mother. “Would it be okay if I ask Halo if I could ride with her?”
Evie's smile was thin, but after a moment’s consideration, she relented with a nod.
“Can I ride with you?” Athena asked Halo, already lit up before the answer came.
“Of course,” Halo beamed.
Yiayia grabbed Simo's arm on the way out like she was steering a boat. “We go. Now.”
Athena sat in the back of the SUV with Halo as they pulled away from the curb and headed toward the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Glisan Street.
Athena turned toward Halo, who was already watching her, and whispered, “I need to tell you something important.”
Halo leaned in, caught by the sparkle in Athena’s green eyes, and nodded.
“I—I saw my dad,” Athena said softly. “He waited for me at home after school…” She paused and let out a small sigh.
“He looked really tired… and I could tell he was hurting.” She swallowed.
“But he smelled clean. Like he’d just showered somewhere.
I think his favorite client helped him… Nola.
” Athena’s mouth curved faintly. “We hugged for a long time, longer than ever before. He wanted to talk more, but Mom came home early. He didn’t want to stay and snuck out.
” Her eyes lifted to Halo’s. “He asked me not to tell Mom or Eric he’d been there.
He didn’t mention you, so that’s why I’m telling you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t.”
She held up her phone and showed Halo his last text: I’m fine. Changing numbers. Message soon. I love you. Dad.
Halo’s hand flew to her mouth. She leaned in and hugged Athena tight. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“He sent that yesterday; he always texts me around noon,” Athena said. “I don’t think he’s in Oregon anymore.”
Athena glanced up and realized Simo was watching them and had heard everything. She sighed and handed him the phone.
Simo studied the message, then nodded. “Encrypted burner app running through a virtual SIM. Number’s meaningless.” He handed the phone back. “Unless he re-authenticates to something he used before, he’s a ghost.” His gaze shifted to Athena. “Smart move.”
Athena took her phone back and turned to Halo. “Do you think he’ll come find you next?”
Halo’s expression faltered. “I don’t think so. I said things in the letter that I shouldn’t have. If I’d only known then that I was…”
“Yeah,” Athena said gently, nodding.
Simo was still watching them. “That you were what, Halo?” he asked.
Halo shot him a look. “Simo, do you tell Ari everything you hear?”
“I’m required to,” he said bluntly. “It’s my responsibility.”
“Then never mind.”
Halo saw Eleni smack Simo’s leg and shoot him a sharp look. Simo sighed. “Fine. Too many women. Fine,” he raised a hand. “Unless you’re dying or planning to kill someone, I won’t say anything.”
“I’m pregnant,” Halo said flatly.
The SUV lurched as Eleni hit the brakes a little too hard at the stop sign.
“Shit,” Simo muttered, then exhaled. “Well. Congratulations. You just found out today, nea?”
“Yep.”
Eleni looked at them through the rearview mirror. “Na zisete.”
Simo shook his head, smiling despite himself. “No more fighting for you. Yes. Na zisete.” He faced forward again, muttering, “More work for Simo…”
Halo turned to Athena who translated. “It means congratulations, sort of. ‘Long life,’ more or less.”
“Do you think your dad can ever forgive me?”
“I think he will,” Athena said. “I can tell you love him. Coming in and meeting my mom? I don’t think I could’ve done that. It was brave. And kind of crazy.”
Halo laughed. “No kidding. I expected to be tarred and feathered. Your dad told me stories about Yiayia…”
“And you still went in!”
“Yeah,” Halo said softly. “Love makes you do weird things. One day you’ll see.”
Athena laughed, then gave her a wink. “Maybe I’ll find a handsome actor someday.”
Halo laughed with her. “Careful. We actors are a handful and a half. You might not want to dip your toes in those waters.”
They laughed together.
“Halo,” Athena said after a moment, “I’m really glad you came. I hope you and my dad find your way back to each other. That would make me happy.” She paused, then grinned. “Damn. I’m going to be a big sister.”
“You good with that?”
“Totally. I’ll be going to UCLA, so I’ll be close. Would it be ok if I came to visit?”
“Athena!” Halo blurted, reaching for her hand. “You can come anytime. Anytime you want.” She laughed, overwhelmed. “If you get sick of your dorm, come stay with me. Even if your father and I…” she trailed off. “You can always come stay with me.”
“Really?” Athena asked, wide-eyed.
“Of course. Here, call me so I’ve got your number.” Halo smiled and tapped her belly. “And hey, your brother or sister is in here.”
“Sister,” Athena said confidently as she dialed.
“Sister?” Halo asked, surprised.
Athena smiled. “Yiayia said so. She’s always right.”
Halo laughed softly. “Well then. A little girl.” She rubbed her stomach and squeezed Athena’s hand. For the first time in days, she felt happy. It might be fleeting, she thought. But she would take all the happy she could get.