I don't think in the six months that I have known Katerina Drivas I have I ever seen her speechless. Standing, she smoothed out her hair and smiled.
"Well, it appears I've been put in my place."
Sighing, I dropped my head. When I glanced back up at her, she was moving around the desk. "I'm not trying to put you in your place. I'm simply asking that you not interfere with my business. I've worked very hard to make this bakery what it is. I know you wish I was Greek, and I'm sorry I'm not."
She smiled. "You're three percent."
Slowly shaking my head, I smiled softly. I could tell her the test was false, but what good what it do.
"I'm very proud of my Italian heritage, just as you're proud of your Greek. I'm very passionate about my cooking, like you're passionate about yours. It's okay to be different. It's okay if Nic loves an Italian dish. Because no matter what I cook or what I bake, you'll always be his mother and he will always love you with every ounce of his heart and soul. I'm not competing with you on that, Katerina. We both love the same man, but in two totally different ways."
Katerina glanced away for a few moments while she cleared her throat before focusing back on me.
"You are a strong woman, Gabriella, and I see why my Nicholaus loves you so."
Smiling, I walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "You raised an amazing man, Katerina. I'd be lost without him."
With a quick pat on my arm, she stood up straighter. "Now, if you'll bring me back to my . . . er . . . Nicholaus's house, I will get my car and head home. I have some planning to do for the shower." Narrowing her eyes, she flashed me an evil smile. "Kilyn thinks she snuck in the bakery today without me seeing her, but I saw her. I also saw her taking all the desserts! I knew that girl loved my kariokes."
I covered my mouth to hide my smile as Katerina marched out of my office.
With a deep exhale, I looked up and said a quick prayer. As I made my way out of my office, I couldn't help but chuckle. Life with Katerina Drivas was going to be interesting.
Exhausting.
But very interesting.
"THIS WAS SUCH a bad idea," I mumbled to myself while I climbed up one step at a time.
Swinging my leg over the ladder, I stepped up onto the roof. Smiling, I let out the breath I'd been holding.
"Oh, wow."
The view was breathtaking. Charity was right. This would be the perfect place. Reaching for my phone in my back pocket, I pulled up her name.
Me: I can see the mountains perfectly.
Charity: Told you!
Me: This was a great idea!
Charity: LOL. I'm surprised you got up there.
I stared at her text like it was a snake about to bite me.
"Oh God."
I closed my eyes and sank down onto the roof. Pulling my knees to my chest, I dragged in a deep breath. This was my karma. Coming back to me for the way I snapped last week at the bakery when Katerina put the Greek desserts in. I quickly typed my response back.
Me: OMG! Charity. I'm on the roof. I'm on the damn roof.
Charity: Okay. I thought you had already made that clear but . . .
Me: No! I'm ON THE ROOF. I'm afraid of heights.
My phone rang.
"H-hello?"
"You didn't go all the way up alone, did you?"
"Well of course I did! I had to see what the view looked like."
"I said, put the ladder up and climb up as far as you can and look! I didn't tell you to go on the roof."
I gulped as I looked around.
"I'm so high! Oh, my gosh. I'm going to die!"
She laughed. My jaw dropped open as I pulled my phone out to stare at it. Putting it back to my ear, I huffed. "You're laughing?"
"Yes. You're barely one story up. Just climb back down."
Standing, I walked over to the edge of the roof. My knees instantly hurt when I peeked over.
"I can't do it. I can't!"
"Lord almighty. Do I need to come over and help you?"
"No! You're five months pregnant. You can't be climbing a ladder."
"I climb onto Cole every night."
Gagging, I shook my head to erase the image. "Throw up. In. My. Mouth."
Charity giggled. "Oh stop. I'm only trying to make light of your freak out moment. Just hold onto the ladder, swing your leg over it, and step down."
"It is not that simple, Char."
"Really? I'm pretty sure it is. Christ, I'm on my way over."
She hung up before I could argue with her.
I pushed my phone back into my pocket and slowly backed away from the edge.
"Hi, Gabi!" Mrs. Hawk yelled from her front porch across the street.
Waving, I called back, "Hey, Mrs. Hawk."