Revised: 26/10/24

Chapter 14

Victor felt as if the way Caroline had acted when they had first got to Greece was always going to colour the way he looked back on those days. In his head, they should have been so romantic. They should have been so excited.

But as it was, they had been fraught. And they would not get that time back.

Yet as it was the time moved on and the days did grow sweeter. Caroline came more tactile with him once more as her belly grew rounder and their baby grew stronger.

As for the kids, they too became kinder and warmer to him as they knew him more. It felt to him as if Kayla especially would be a daughter to him in time. He was not so sure about the older two, but Kayla he was sure would be his as much as the new one. And so, life begun. He got up in the morning and he went to business meetings in the day and when he got home at the end of it all he had his family there waiting for him.

And it was no lie to say that pleased him.

As for Caroline, she spent her days looking after Roman, Kimmie, Kayla and not thinking about Shawn. She knew it was not going to be very long until the new baby came and what she wanted to do, more than anything just then, was focus on the time she had left just as a mother of three. And if she was thinking of their dad then that was something which she just was not going to be able to do. So she became more focused. But oh how she missed him.

As for the kids, it seemed to her as if they were beginning to get to grips with life in Greece. They no longer asked when they were going to go home as much as to their father but they did ask when they were going to be able to go to their friends' houses to play after school. Caroline had to admit she was impressed with them, Roman and Kimmie both. Language barrier notwithstanding, they had put their best foot forward and made friends. It felt to their mother as if they were settling into life in Greece – all of them. Though she knew from experience the arrival of a new baby was very much likely to throw that, of course - at least they had made what she felt could be called a good beginning.

What she did not realise – could not realise – was that their family was due to grow by more than one that year.

x x x

About four months into their life in Greece, Victor came into the sitting room where Caroline was sitting with a book. The children were at school and she was taking time for herself whilst Kayla napped. She had been perfectly relaxed before she saw the man who would be her life partner enter with a furrowed brow and hurt in his eyes. She did not think she had ever seen her Victor look shocked, but she was sure if he were to, this would be how he would look. Yet he was grave as well and she knew no matter what this was, it was not good news.

"What is the matter love?" Caroline asked from where she had been sitting. Her concern was genuine, no longer marred by anything but the smallest resentment over how they had come to be there.

"My sister is dead."

Over the last few months, due to the fact they were all trying to settle down to what was surely going to be their own everyday life, they had not spent a lot of time with Victors family but as time had gone on it was something which the two of them had been looking forward to.

And she knew that was the sister he had been closest too. He had often spoken of Christina and his love for her. She had seen pictures of the youngest Kiriakis sibling – she was young, sweet, newly married and beautiful… and now she was dead.

"Oh love," she said as she got up and her hand automatically settle on her womb as it always did when she heard bad news. It was as if she wanted to protect the little one from everything which she could before he had made his appearance on earth.

Which of course she did.

"Her husband is also dead," he said and it chilled her how cool his voice sounded. But if she knew him at all, it was not because he did not feel what had happened but because he did so much to deeply – the pain was to fresh. And he knew full well this was something which she was going to have to deal and live with for the rest of his life. "Car crash," he said in explanation to the question she was yet to ask.

But if there was one thing he had to do right then; it was act. He could not be static for he knew there was someone who needed him.

"I am going to have to go and get my nephew."

In his mind there was only one place in the world which Justin could go now and that was into their keeping. He would not ask if Caroline was willing to give him a home – he knew she was and he would do so regardless.

"Of course," she nodded. She was not going to argue with that and she was not going to turn him away when he needed them the most.

"He is so young," said Victor and Caroline knew if he could then Victor would rail against the world for Justin. Caroline did not think that was a surprise – if she could change things for the lad she would and they as it was had not met. From that day on he was one of them.

"Children are more resilient than you think." The fact was she had always known it – but it had rung truer than ever since they had left the states – it had been brought home to her. "and you are going to help him through this."

For the first time Victor doubted himself as a father for he was in no doubt that was what Justin was going to need.

He would need a dad to be there for him. Caroline took his face in her hands.

"You can do this," she whispered as she gently kissed his lips. She hoped more than anything she could give him courage.

For a moment they didn't move…

"Lets go and get him –" she said but he shook his head.

This was something he had to do for his nephew alone.

"I'll go."

"Are you sure you do not want me to come with you? " said Caroline as the two of them stood in the hall.

She did not like to think of him going all that way on his own when the fact was he had not long got bad news. She did not like to think he was going to be on his own with this. And it did not seem wise to let him get in the car alone.

Nor did he liked to think he was leaving her at such a time for he was sure right now the two of them should be trying to be closer than ever.

"I am sure we could leave the children with Henrietta after school." Of late, the maid had got closer to the children and while normally there was nothing in the world which was going to make Caroline want to leave them, this was different. It was grief and if grief was one thing in the world it was cold and cruel. She did not want him to have to deal with the weight of it on his own, for she had had to do that for too long now and she hoped at the end of it all it was just going to make her kind – not hateful.

But when he looked at the way that her stomach was swollen the one thought in his mind was no – he did not want her to be exposed to the grief which he felt, for if she was then he was sure that was going to get back to their unborn children and there was nothing in the world which he wanted less.

It was easy as it turned out for him to shake his head. For her to go with him right then was the last thing in the world which he wanted. After all she was his love and the soon to be mother of his child – and he was going to go to the site of a car crash.

He did not want her to see that.

"No, what I want you to do is stay here with the other children – and for god sake think of a kinder world than this one," he said with a deep sigh. He knew he had had his own part to play in making the world cruel from time to time – but this was on a new level.

Caroline nodded.

"And tonight, give the children extra goodnight kisses," said Victor. That was something else he wanted her to do.

He stood taller. "I should go."

"I do not pretend to know how long this sort of thing takes –" Identifying your dead sisters body, she thought for she knew that was what he had to do.

"But do not be too long," she said to him gently. She did not want him far from her sight right then.

He nodded, kissed her forehead and let his hand linger on her stomach for just a moment and was then gone, ready to find his nephew Justin and bring him home.

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