Catch Me If I Fall

by AB

Epilogue

Of loss and new beginnings

Andronicus could feel the void singing to him, the abyss calling him, a weird sad calmness overtaking his lethargic mind as it slowly shut down from oxygen deprivation. He was ready to die, his only regret that he had not told Vasilis Romanos and his mother that he loved them.

Then someone or something was pulling him back from the dark abyss, from the fringes of his consciousness he could feel someone pushing on his chest, someone crying, then being covered with something warm. Sleep overtook him.

When he woke up he was lying in a hard mattress in a white room with light coming in from the curtains from two different windows, he was in a corner room of some sort but not in his house. Groaning he coughed, having difficulty breathing, something was stuck in his throat.

He fluttered his eyes, feeling so hopeless and vulnerable, trying to focus in.

"Mum! Mrs. P, he's awake." A familiar voice called out next to him squeezing his hand.

"Baby, relax, you're safe, everything will be okay." Andronicus turned his head to see Vasilis standing next to his bed. His voice sounded strained and under a lot of pain.

Andronicus tried to talk, he coughed, his eyes rising to meet those of Vasilis he saw his mother enter the room. A few seconds later Vasilis' mother with a nurse in light blue. She looked to be middle-aged. Her dark hair was caught up in a bun behind her head under her nurse's hat.

"Easy there, love, let me get that catheter out of your throat." She told him in a bed-side manner tone. "The doctor will be right in to inform you all." She said and left the room after removing the tube from his throat.

"What… what happened? Last thing I remember a wave capsized the boat and sent me flying, must have hit my head onto something." He asked clearing his throat. His whole body felt heavy as he tried to stretch his arms and legs.

Vivi looked just as bad as Vasilis, his mother looked relieved. She hugged him giving him a kiss on his forehead.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in Ydra's medical center sweetheart, everything will be okay." Katerina replied caressing his hair.

"He knew instantly that she was avoiding something, he was about to ask what just as a doctor, a young-looking man entered the room, a stethoscope across his neck.

"Hello, Andronicus, glad to see you're doing better, we were worried there for a moment. So I suppose you'll be wanting to know what's happened the last couple of days?" The doctor asked him, he was pleasant but smileless.

Andronicus nodded.

"Well, the coastguard brought you in, you had a severe concussion and you were had a subdermal hematoma on the back of your head from where you hit a rock. We had to open up a small hole there to let the blood out and relieve the pressure to your brain and prevent any brain damage. We could not be sure that we had succeeded until you woke up. For a while there you had trouble breathing on your own so we intubated you and decided to keep it in until you woke up and we could see that you could breathe on your own. We will keep you in for a couple more days to make sure everything is alright and then god willing you can go home. I'll leave you four now, I guess… you have things to talk about." The doctor left.

"Tell me everything." Andronicus demanded first of his mother. When she would not speak, now actually looking sad he turned his gaze to Vasilis.

Vasilis took a deep breath. "I got an alarm on my smartphone that you were in danger, you know from the app we installed a couple of months ago?" Andronicus nodded. "Well it notified me that you were in danger and the GPS coordinates it gave placed you in the middle of the sea, away from the shore so… I first called Romanos… then I called Iraklis' father who works in the coastguard. I tried to force him to let me on the coastguard rescue ship but he would have none of it… " Vasilis sat on the bed's edge, a hand on Andronicus' hand.

"Three hours later they managed to come in, the weather was… no one has ever seen such a storm before, the news channels in Athens are calling it the worst storm of the century so far… When they managed to dock, I saw them carrying you out in a gurney and I almost felt the world go from under my legs. I saw Iraklis' father and ran to him, our mothers as well. He told us of what happened when they got there and what must have happened before that… " Vasilis was tearing up.

"Romanos got to you first, he fished you out of the raging sea and tended to you as best he could, he knew he could not go back to Gaidouronisi as it would kill you, the distance the coastguard would have to travel to get you and come back to port would be… and he knew that with that weather and his fishing boat he would not make it to the port… so he made circles around Palamidas island where he had found you waiting for the coastguard rescue ship he knew was coming." Vasilis paused obviously emotionally troubled.

"What happened? Where's Romanos?" Andronicus tried to raise himself higher on the bed, sit up more rather than lie on it.

"The coastguard rescue ship arrived and tried to block the worse of the weather off with their bulk so that the fishing boat could dock next to it and they could get you and Romanos on board but the wind was constantly changing direction, the waves, from what Iraklis' father told me the waves… he has never seen such big waves before in his life, some surpassing even thirty, forty meters in height… One of them… just as Romanos had given you to one of the coast guard officers… a wave… a wave… " Vasilis' breath was now ragged fast and irregular, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"What… where is Romanos, I want to see him, now! Where is he?" Andronicus demanded in a state of rising panic.

"Sweetheart… " Vivi spoke sitting on the other side of the bed, a hand on his shoulder. "A wave tore the fishing boat off the coastguard vessel, practically broke the ropes holding it and threw the fishing boat onto the rocks… Romanos… they could not see him, or find him so the ranking officer… he ordered them to abandon the search or you could end up dying as well before they could get you to the medical center… the next day after the storm had eased off the coastguard sent a helicopter from Athens and the rescue ship to continue the search, they had divers in the water for almost ten hours but… but… they did not find his body… " Vivi's voice trailed, her hand wiping her tears from her eyes.

"No… no… NO! YOU ARE LYING TO ME!! WHERE IS HE!? WHERE IS ROMANOS! I… I… Nooo… please no… no… no… " Andronicus tried standing up. He wanted to run to Romanos' house, he was sure, yes he would be there waiting for him. He tried to stand up but Vasilis stopped him wrapping his hands around him, enclosing him in his embrace. Andronicus tried to fight him off in vain eventually surrendering to Vasilis' warmth and strength.

He wailed and cried and cried and cried. Katerina tried to sit next to him, to comfort him. He reacted almost violently removing her hand from his face.

"No! It's your fault… my fault, our fault!! If you hadn't… if… " He started crying again, burying his face in Vasilis' neck.

"Sweaty… I, please forgive me, I should have listened to you… I… Vivi explained it all and… how could I believe that Romanos could have hurt you… it's just… you don't find this easy and as a mother I was afraid of you getting hurt or having been hurt and I ended up hurting you so much more… please forgive me for denying you this… someone who was there for you in such a way… a father… I wish I could give you your father, I wish that… I cannot take back what has happened, I can only promise to listen to you from now on. Please, can you forgive me?" She rubbed his hair and back, trying to show her remorse at the turn of events.

For a moment only Andronicus' crying could be heard. "Leave… "

"He really meant this much to you… " It was more of a statement of something that Katerina just finally understood than a question.

"LEAVE!" Andronicus screamed amidst hiccups.

Katerina lowered her head and left the room.

Just then Vasilis' phone rang. He looked at the screen. "Hey, love, I have to take this and I'll be right over okay? I can lie next to you then and snuggle?" Andronicus nodded and curled up on the bed.

Vasilis exited the room and came back a few minutes later looking sad and yet not as much as before. He lay next to Andronicus and hugged him close.

"I'll be outside if you guys need me for anything." Vivi told them and left the room.

When Vasilis returned he lied down next to Andronicus and snuggled next to him with Andronicus holding him tight.

Andronicus was released three days later, his head still bandaged.

Vasilis, his mother and sister helped him home. Christina was silent the whole way from the medical center to the house.

Vasilis helped him change clothes and they left for Romanos' funeral.

They met up with Vivi, she was with Iraklis and his parents.

"Aren't we going to the cemetery?" Andronicus asked.

"No, this is going to be a naval funeral like they did them in the days of old. We are going to the harbour." Vivi responded.

They walked in silence, dressed in black. Iraklis and Vasilis helped Andronicus and Christina aboard the coastguard search and rescue ship. Christine even mumbled something like "thank you."

"Is this… " Andronicus could not finish his sentence but Iraklis' father new what he was asking.

"Yes, this is the coastguard vessel that saved your life. I only wish we could have saved Romanos' but he was nowhere to be seen, visibility was non-existent and you had a nasty looking wound on the back of your head." Harilaos stated. He was not apologising. He knew that if he had stayed there, with the worst storm of the century upon them he would have endangered not only Andronicus' life but that of his crew as staying more than he had to would have or might have endangered the lives of his crew. There was something he had not told anyone. He had left the bridge and gone to the deck outside, he had seen Romanos and the coastguard personnel securing Andronicus aboard the vessel, the wind was far too powerful for the chopper to attempt to drop a diver into the sea and pick them up, and just before the wave smashed on Romanos' fishing boat he saw the man signaling him with his hand to leave as if he knew his fate and had accepted it. Harilaos, even under the almost-zero visibility, had seen Romanos' face and the man was at peace. Now it made sense after Vivi had told them of the close almost-father – like bond Romanos had developed with Andronicus.

Andronicus nodded and walked to the bow of the ship, standing there alone until Vasili, his mother and Iraklis joined him.

When the empty casket arrived from the funeral home with the priest that would be performing the ceremony they departed.

It took them half an hour to reach their destination.

"Why here?" Andronicus enquired when they came to an almost stop, the engines working only to keep the current from dragging them away.

"Beneath us… is the wreck." Vasilis replied.

"Oh… " He turned his head to his mother standing nearby. "Were their bodies recovered? Grandad's and Grandmum's?" He asked her.

"No, sweetheart, I'm sorry." Katerina replied nodding her head negatively.

"I see… well at least maybe he'll have company then." Andronicus replied.

"Come on, the ceremony is about to start." Vasilis told him and taking his hand in his they walked to the rear of the ship.

The priest started chanting from his holy book, shaking a golden bowl-like vessel that hang from golden chains with fumes emitting from it.

The ceremony lasted for a good thirty minutes until four coastguardsmen took the coffin in their hands lifted it and with some reverence threw it in the sea with the priest ending his chanting with words like "Here rests Romanos, may our Lord Jesus Christ king in heavens, the holy spirit and the Lord's mother rest his immortal soul."

Andronicus hugged Vasilis crying into his embrace. Vasilis looked sad but cried not.

As the coffin sank slowly beneath the surface Harilaos gave an order and four different of his crew fired into the air. This repeated three times more.

Vivi came closer to the ship's edge and threw in a flower-clad wreath. "You whipped the sea with iron and then threw them in, when they died… as they did in the days of old to express your grief. I chose to send you off with their and my favourite flowers, with the white lilies that grow wild near the beaches of our island. Rest well my brother, it has come early but you have earned it. I will always remember your name and your actions in this life." Vivi spoke with a heavy voice, trying to not break into crying.

Vasilis walked up to her and hugged her now unable to restraint his tears. She held him there kissing him on his forehead.

They travelled back to Ydra mostly in silence with some small talk here and there.

"Andronicus, if you would come with me to our house, there's something of Romanos I have been tasked to give you, it is private so I did not want to bring it to the funeral." Vivi told him and motioned for the rest to not wait for them.

Andronicus furrowed his brows and crossed his hands in front of his chest. He nodded and they started walking. He followed her and Vasilis to their house.

When they got there she unlocked a small desk drawer and removed an envelope. "Romanos had kept a diary… since Pavlos and Niki died, I convinced him to do that, to have something to do each day. I have kept the rest of it, for now they are only for me to see, but he gave these pages in this envelope to me to give to you if ever anything was to happen to him. I think this qualifies." He took the envelope from her hand.

"I suggest you read them at home, you should not be alone when you do." She tried smiling. He nodded.

Vasilis squeezed Andronicus' hand. "Come on, let's go to your place, I can spend the night if you want?" Andronicus nodded smileless.

Andronicus closed the door behind them, sat on his bed cross-legged and opened the envelope with shaking hands.

He unfolded the pieces of paper.

The first one was from May before they met.

"<… > another day gone by, meshing my nets, not much else to do around here. I pass my days lost in my memories of happy days, reading a book until the sun goes down. I was always an early sleeper, now I do not like being alone with my thoughts after dark, they scare me. <… >

The second one must have been the day they met.

"<… > Curious how things come to be. I am accused by the villagers of molesting my own flesh and blood, as if I could have ever done that to my Pavlos. I met this boy today. He said his name was Andronicus, he swam to the island, swam! I don't think anyone knew he was here. I could have done a lot of things if I was the monster I am accused of being.

There was something about this boy, he looked so sad and yet his eyes pierced me like fiery daggers. I do not know what has happened to him but underneath the hurt I can see a fire burning inside him. He asked me if he could come tomorrow and despite my better judgement I did not tell him no. If only those idiots knew they would probably crucify me alive without need of evidence."

The next one must have been after he had told Romanos and Vasilis he was gay.

"<… > Andronicus has been coming around and I find myself… no never mind. He told me and Vasili that he's gay today, well to be accurate he screamed it after I denied him basic intimacy afraid of him wanting something completely different, something he was not after. I should not assume but when you've been burned by the porridge you fear even the yogurt as my father used to say. What those boys at his previous school did to him… gay or not gay that is no way to treat another human being. They are lucky he is not my son and I did not know him back then. I would have been less than pleasant.

Funny how things are changing, back when I was a kid these things did not trouble us, we did not think much of it. Guys married women, that was the order of things. I suppose guys liking guys and women liking women have always existed… god knows my ancient ancestors liked fucking anything on two legs… or more. Strange how it matters to me not whether Andronicus is gay or not. Would Pavlos have been gay? Would he have liked boys or girls? I would just want him to be happy either way.

I wonder… ? Maybe… who knows time will tell, they definitely were not knitting under that upturned boat the other day. <… >"

Andronicus could almost hear Romanos' calm voice narrating the diary pages.

"Vasilis came out to me today. I had been suspecting for some time now. It's always the little cues and hints that give it away, not the large things. In his case just how he had been looking at Andronicus. He was undressing and eating the younger boy alive.

All boys are blind, doesn't matter if straight or gay or whatever, I have come to this conclusion, all boys are completely blind. If not Vasilis would have seen Andronicus looking at him as if he was the best kind of candy.

Funny how things turn out, but since I've met Andronicus, since he started coming to Gaidouronisi I've been thinking less of… and yet always there. My son, I shall see you one day again where no shadows lie. <… >"

Andronicus wiped a tear from his cheek and turned to the next page.

"Pavlos used to love my sand baked fish, most boys his age are bored having to go through the bones and stuff but he always loved it, Vasilis too, it was… I liked how Andronicus liked it as well, the joy on his face cheered me up. Funny how a boy from Athens can be so similar to my son. Those two were the best of friends before…

It is interesting how Andronicus does not seem to remember it, but when he would come and visit his grandparents he and Pavlos were inseparable, Vasilis as well. He was a sweet kid then and he's a great personality now. Sometimes I wonder if I should tell him this, his old friendship with my – now dead – son, but perhaps it is best that he remembers first.

Thanos is back on the island, I do not know why but I feel a certain amount of… loathing? Anger? Towards him. I cannot explain it. Maybe it is his personality, all that smug poshness like he's looking down on us from atop his mighty horse, makes me want to strangle him, but back to happier thoughts. Andronicus and Vasilis "are an item" as they say it nowadays. It is sweet seeing them together, the looks they give each other, the love and lust in there. Makes me want to laugh heartily. I barely remember being a teenager but I can remember all that raw energy and need to release. Things are clearer now, less hormones, I just wish Pavlos and Nike were alive. How would it have been? If they were alive, would Andronicus be boyfriends with Vasilis? With Pavlos? Maybe they'd be friends with Pavlos as they were when younger.

The way Vasilis and Andronicus look at each other's eyes, hold hands, it is more than lust with them but who knows how long it'll last, all things end eventually, even love. Why would Nike say these things to me? Did she really mean them? Why would she? I never treated her in anything less than a queen. She and Pavlos were everything to me."

Another page turned over.

"Things are changing I can feel it in my bones. Something is moving, something is about to happen, all the hushed voices, the murmurs. The weather is in a bad mood as well this year, three storms already? I have never seen so much raining before in my life.

The rain blocked off the road to Molos yesterday, I wonder how much time it'll take the morons in the municipality to clear it off this time, six months without seeing my nephew or Andronicus is not what I want. Perhaps I'll start picking them up with the fishing boat, although someone is bound to see us and cause unrequired trouble. How has this come to be though? That I feel so strongly, almost father-like for a stranger boy? Well not stranger anymore.

Yes, very strongly indeed. I felt so proud when he dealt with those thugs from his previous school, that he did not run away, he dealt with his pain, his humiliation and now they lie behind him, he is stronger for it. And Vasilis and the others were there for him. They pummeled on those older boys as if they were sacks of potatoes. Good those thugs should know better than to treat another sentient being so.

Vasilis made me proud as well in that confrontation, that is how one should stand by his friends and family. <… >

It is probably just me, but that look… maybe there is more to why I seem to dislike Thanos so much… if he is the one who hurt my family… there better be some galaxy far away from here he can ran to because there will be no place in this Earth that he'll be able to hide from me.

<… > There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect Vasilis and Andronicus, funny how this has come to be but I regret it not anymore, I am not doing anything inappropriate with Andronicus. The kid needed some stability, someone to be a father-figure to him, to show him the path to adulthood. I feel honoured to have done this."

The last entry/page dated to only a few days before the storm. It was the shortest of them all.

"Why did I stay in Ydra? I could have left after the whole rumours and exile incident, could have gone to Athens or anywhere else in Greece, fishermen are needed anywhere, don't need anything more than my boat to live in really. So why did I stay here? Because of death. Death has kept me here, the death of my family and my seemingly inability to part from the place of their demise. If I don't go once every week above the wreck, I become weary. Death kept me here and sadness. I go to that spot in the sea and try to visualise Pavlos' face, what it'd be like if he was still alive. I am unable to move on but maybe for as long as Vasilis and Andronicus are still in the island, before they go to the university and move on with their lives I can have a few moments of peace, after that…

Andronicus if you ever read this. Don't stay in a place, Ydra or elsewhere because of death, stay because of life or change what you need to find life and happiness in your life, because life without happiness, without laughter, without life in it is no life at all. Life for life's sake is no life at all.

Be happy Andronicus, "adopted" son of mine, how I wish that could be true for you have such courage, hope, character, such spark in your eyes. Don't ever give up and always search and try to be happy."

Andronicus let the pieces of paper fall from his hands to the mattress crying in Vasilis' embrace.

"You are not alone Andronicus. I'll always be here for you. Don't feel guilty, Romanos loved you baby, he thought of you as his son." Vasilis whispered to him.

"Why… ?"

"Why what?"

"Why did I have to live? Why did he have to die? I want him alive… "

"No, don't think like that. What would have I done if you had died? I love you. Romanos did not think like that. Yes, I would have wanted him alive as well but… I would not want you dead either, you mean everything to me and I want you alive, I want to make you happy and you to make me happy. Okay?"

"Promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"That you'll catch me if I fall."

"No, I won't but I'll always be there to lift you up, falling on our faces is not the end, we just must always get up again."

"Okay… I love you." Andronicus whispered back.

"Yes, I love you too and I'll always help you back on your feet should you fall."

"I will do the same." Just then Vasilis' phone started to vibrate.

"Oh, I have to get this, I'll be right back ok?" Vasilis left before Andronicus could reply.

Andronicus used a tissue to clean up his nose and face from the tears and snot. Turning his face towards the door he expected to see Vasilis coming back but instead there stood his sister, hands in her footer's pockets looking very awkward and hesitant.

Andronicus just stared at her not knowing what to say or do.

She breathed heavy and turned to leave, then turned again. She whimpered.

She turned to leave again.

"No, please, wait. Is there something you want to tell me? Please tell me." Andronicus stopped her from leaving.

"I… " she took a step inside his room, now fiddling with her fingers outside of her pockets.

"Please, I don't want us to be like this or… how we were before. Can't we… move on? I want to us to be friends. I mean we do share… half our blood right?" He told her.

"Yes… you're right… " She sat next to him, she looked to have been crying just moments before. She had indeed changed drastically since that night and the revelations their mother had made.

"I… have been such a colossal bitch towards you all these years. Why… why did I even behave like this. I mean… I… I hated you for our… my father not talking to me, he has not even picked up the phone to call me on a single birthday in years, hasn't replied to my text messages… nothing. And instead of blaming him I threw the whole thing to you… why?" She spoke quietly, whisper almost looking down at her fingers.

There was a moment's silence. "I guess it's easier to behave badly towards the ones we love, maybe we feel like we have more allowance rather to strangers who don't have to put up with our shit… does that make sense?"

"Yes… I think so, I… am so sorry Andronicus… I should have been there for you, after the death of our grandparents, after those fuckers treated you like that in school… I should have been your sister and not some demon-possessed bitch. It's my fault isn't it?"

"Hmm? What's your fault?"

"Romanos… you… "

Andronicus nodded negatively. "No, it is not, it's not your fault or mine or mum's… I guess shit happens. Mum would have insisted on leaving for Athens with what happened earlier that night and I would have reacted exactly how I did rather than try and convince her otherwise the next morning or make my stand in a different way. No things are the way they are and it's not your fault."

"Can you ever forgive me… for all these years of shitiness? I mean I'll understand if you don't… or can't."

Andronicus breathed out a sigh. He smiled and extended his hand to her. "Hello, my name's Andronicus, I am your half-brother, what's your name?"

She looked up and smiled. "My name's Christina and you're not my half-brother, you're my brother, I don't care that we have a different father and I am very pleased to meet you."

"Good, then this is a new day and we start anew okay?"

"Yes." She hugged him out of impulse with him reciprocating the hug.

They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, mere seconds in reality.

The doorbell broke their moment of sibling tenderness.

Vasilis knocked on the door, "I am glad you two are starting new but there's… someone that is here to see you." He told Andronicus.

Andronicus broke away from Christina's embrace and looked at his boyfriend with a furrowed look on his face.

"Hmm? Who's here? Here to see me?"

"Yes, come on now, both of you, it's a surprise." Vasilis motioned them and started climbing down the stairs.

"That's ok Mrs. P. I'll get the door, it's someone to see Andronicus." They heard his voice muffled below.

Andronicus looked at his sister who shrugged her shoulders and motioned with her head. He nodded and they climbed down the stairs.

His mother stood near the sofa rooted there looking awkward. Vasilis stood next to a blond-haired man who had just entered the house and was removing his scarf and coat. The man looked oddly familiar.

"Vasili, who's that?" Andronicus asked coming closer.

"Andronicus, Bartleme, Bartleme, your son." Vasilis said with Andronicus' eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"What? How? Who? How… ?" Andronicus was speechless. Christine and Katerina looked equally stunned.

"Let us all sit down and I'll explain." They sat down with Katerina asking Bartleme if he wanted anything to drink. Bartleme just said "some water." In a French-Italian accent.

"So… I first realised that Christine's father was not yours… probably when I saw that photo of yours a few months ago, the man in that photo, Christine's father was not blond and then you said that neither of your grandparents, your mother's or your "father's" parents were blond so I got curious and started searching. I didn't tell you anything at first because I didn't want to get your hopes up until I was sure I had something and afterwards because I wanted to surprise you. I found that your mother had gone to Switzerland as laws are looser there on this matter, she got pregnant and returned, she of course did not know the name or identity of the sperm donour. Of course it was not difficult for me to find that stuff out and after I did I started communicating with Bartleme… took some doing to convince him I was not a hoax or fraud and then to convince him that you were his son and I was not trying to fraud him out of money or whatever. So… you two have some catching up to do I think." Vasilis said falling silent.

There was a moment of silence before Bartleme got up and kneeled before Andronicus.

"I… have a son!" He exclaimed hugging the boy tight. "I never thought it possible. I have always been so… – he searched for the word – dedicated to my career in the bank and my wife never wanted children… that is why I went to that "other" bank. I hoped that at least someone else would… and now I have a son. Yes we have much to talk about. Would you prefer we talk here or go someplace outside? Nice sunshine."

Andronicus scrutinized him from top to bottom and smiled. "Outside is nice, we can go to the sailing club. It has a nice view and coffee."

"Coffee? So young? Ayeee, you are too much like me, dad never liked that I drank coffee so young but eh… " Bartleme shrugged his shoulders grinning.

Andronicus giggled. He stood up and gave Vasilis a hug. "Thank you so much! I love you."

"I love you too," Vasilis whispered to him in the lowest of whispering voices. "Enjoy this, and at night I have something to give you, my most prised possession." Andronicus looked up, Bartleme must have heard him tell Vasilis he loved him but he did not seem to mind or care. He doubted his father or anyone else for that matter had heard what Vasilis had replied to him but it made him blush for he knew exactly what Vasilis meant.

He put on his coat and left with Bartleme. Vasilis had found him his actual biological father.

Yes, he concluded, Romanos was correct, he would stay in Ydra because of life and happiness. He couldn't wait to learn all that he could about his father, and visit him in Switzerland, yes, there would be a lot of stuff to deal with the next few months, Thanos' trial, whatever legal stuff for his father to legally recognise him as his own. He also wanted to have a relationship with his sister which now seemed like a very good possibility, and sooner or later his relationship with his mother would also be fixed, she had to understand he was not a baby anymore and she would his mother was always a work in progress, but things would work out in the end and above all he had Vasilis who would help him stand up again if he fell.

End of the story.