Epilogue
A FEW WEEKS LATER
‘This is a bit special,’ says Mum as she glances round the interior of Aphrodite’s restaurant.
‘Only the best for you, Mum. And it is your birthday next week, so call it an early celebration,’ I say.
Mum and Douglas have settled into the Apollo and have been blessed with sunny weather that is just the right temperature for Mum.
Mel is here for her long weekend too, and we spent yesterday out on Takis’s boat as he showed us the sights. Mum and Douglas enjoyed a day around the pool, reading their books and chatting with Zeta.
‘He is so fit,’ Mel said as we ate dinner last night at a taverna in Rhodes town. ‘And a nice guy too. Is that a red flag?’ She giggled as we sipped our wine. ‘Could he be too good to be true?’
‘He is definitely not perfect,’ I told her. ‘I have seen him trying to parallel park.’
As I take my seat at Aphrodite’s with Takis, Mum, Douglas and Mel, I feel incredibly blessed. It feels as though I have two families now, one here in Greece and one back home.
‘So, what are your plans for tomorrow?’ I ask Mum as we place our food order.
‘We were thinking of maybe paragliding,’ she tells me.
‘Oh, Mum, really?’
‘No, not really.’ She chuckles. ‘We are going to have a look around Rhodes old town and have some lunch. Is that gentle enough for you?’
‘It is.’ I grin.
I think of the day I explored the mediaeval old streets with Summer, and I cannot help but smile.
‘What’s tickled you?’ asks Mum.
‘Oh nothing, I’m just thinking about a friend I met here at the hotel. She is currently working on a Disney cruise. A happier person you could not wish to meet.’
‘I am sitting opposite someone very happy.’ Mum smiles. ‘And I am thrilled. I feel like you two are made for each other.’ She glances at Takis, who thanks her. She has got to know him in the time she has been here and has decided he is a good person.
‘And I am not usually wrong about people,’ she says with certainty.
We are quiet as we eat our food, the table groaning with dishes of lamb, moussaka and fresh fish.
It’s amazing how life can change so quickly. Mum is now settled with Douglas, although I know she will never forget Dad, and I have Takis. Mel is lucky that she found her soulmate early and is still in love.
‘I think we ought to have a toast,’ says Mum when our meals are over.
‘What are we toasting?’ I ask.
‘Life,’ says Mum. ‘And living it to the full.’
‘To living life to the full,’ we say as we raise our glasses.
I think I am finally doing just that.
* * *
If you were swept away to the sun-soaked Greek island of Rhodes and loved Erin’s story, you won’t want to miss My Big Greek Summer, another gorgeous beach read from Sue Roberts.
Get it here or keep reading for an exclusive extract.