Doukas by Demetra Georgiou
Epilogue
Doukas
“You might be my son, but that doesn’t mean you get a free pass. I was told you’ve been giving your mother trouble, and that’s unacceptable.”
My son, Athos, has my eyes, and sometimes I feel like I’m reprimanding myself, but he’s fast becoming his own person, and I’m proud of him. That’s why it’s surprising when he gets out of line.
“I command men who respect my every word, and one day, you’ll take my place as a Lord, possibly sit in my chair in the Council. As you realize, Athos, discipline is essential. Am I understood?”
A small giggle from behind me draws my attention, and both my son and I turn to the sound of Ria. I’ll never get tired of the sight of my pregnant wife as she makes her way towards us.
“Doukas, he’s barely one. He doesn’t understand a word you’re saying. For all we know, he thinks you’re talking about milk.”
Funnily enough, I was talking about milk or the fact that Athos makes eating a rather tedious affair.
“You’re never too young to learn basic principles,” I affirm, and my boy coos his agreement.
Ria shakes her head as she bends down to kiss our son’s little head. “Your father is incorrigible, but I love him.”
“How’s my daughter?” I ask, caressing my wife’s pregnant belly.
Almost immediately after Ria gave birth to Athos and the doctor cleared her, she got pregnant with our second child.
“You’re so sure it’s going to be a girl, aren’t you?”
“I’m hopeful for a girl that will look like you, but I’ll be grateful for every child you give me.”
Picking up my son, I lead them both to the living room to get them settled.
In a few hours, my brothers, sister, and a whole bunch of family will come to spend Christmas Eve with us, and I’ll have to share Ria and Athos with them.
I pass Ria a throw blanket, and as I put Athos on his spot on the floor, he makes a sound, stopping me dead in my tracks.
Did he just…?
Ria is next to us in an instant, kneeling by his side. “What did you say, sweetie?”
“Βa…” Athos replies.
“So, you could have chosen Ria or Mamά, and you go for babά?”
“Babά,” Athos affirms, and she picks him up, blowing raspberries on his throat.
Athos chants Babά over and over again and lunges at me when I finally join my wife on the floor.
“It’s all because of you,” I say to Ria, clutching her close to me, mindful of her pregnant belly. “You make me complete.”
Almost two years have passed since Ria’s picture fell at my feet, and not a day goes by that I don’t feel grateful for that moment.
Everything in my world is determined by force, but Ria’s love supersedes that. I never claimed to be a good man, but I want to be worthy to stand by her side and hold her in my arms.
A man like me shouldn’t know heaven, but I do, and there’s nothing that will keep me away from it.
My love.
My reason.
My Ria.
The End