The Prince Edward Hotel sat high above the port city of Hora on the white-washed island of Mykonos, overlooking the harbor and the town below. Mykonos, the most cosmopolitan city of the southern string of Greek islands, has been called the pearl of the Aegean. It is the most popular Greek island for tourists because of its quaint shops, harbor side restaurants, nightclubs, and bars.
The five-star Prince Edward Hotel was built six years earlier by a big American conglomerate who thought it sounded more European to name it after British royalty.
The hotel was a little bit of America on Grecian shores, complete with central air conditioning, a full-service spa, lap pool, and fitness center. The menus in its bars and three-star restaurant reflected the tastes of its tony patrons—shrimp, caviar, steak, and potatoes, and with only a few native Greek dishes thrown in for authenticity. The rooftop bar offered a panoramic view of the entire city and the downtown area, spectacular at night.
It was built to resemble an ancient building complete with Grecian blue–painted shutters and windows, with a large blue dome affixed at the very pinnacle of the building. The lobby bar was a perfect location to meet up with other guests, have a cocktail, and catch up on news from the states from any one of the three big screen TVs located there.
After checking in, Jack went to his room and found a note from his in-charge sister-in-law, Joanie.
Jack-
Welcome, wayward traveler!
We are having cocktails at the rooftop bar at seven, and dinner at eight o’clock. Sharp! After hearing of your travails in Petros and of you losing your belongings, I took the liberty of getting you a tuxedo and all the proper fixings for this evening’s celebration. See you at seven!
Don’t be late!
Joanie
Joanie set the note next to a photograph of him with Gabi and Heather. It was Heather’s birthday next week. He retrieved the photo from the shelf and ran his fingers over their images. “Hello, sweetheart. You both will be here today, in my heart.” He missed them and it didn’t seem right, him being here without them. He kissed the photo and gently set it back down.
Gabi’s sister was always a stickler for everyone being on time and dressed in what she considered appropriate attire. Jack loved his sister-in-law, but she drove him crazy. But first, since he had cell phone service again, he was going to call Ravenna. It was time to let her know how he missed her and that he had arrived safely on Mykonos.
It took him twenty minutes to get through to the hotel, but his spirits soared when he heard her voice.
“Hiya! My God, you sound so far away.”
“I am far away. I just called to tell you I was thinking about you and to make sure I could get through. It was not easy calling you.”
“I know, I know. We have terrible phone service here on Petros, but I consider it one of the islands many charms. It’s so great to hear your voice. Enjoy your time with your family.”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Talk to you tomorrow?”
“Yes, indeed. Bye.” He missed her as soon as he hung up. This was not going to be easy.
His hotel room was quite large. Large enough for five people to live in. He felt lost inside it. There was a king-sized bed, a chest of drawers, armoire, shower, tub, and a large, red-tiled balcony with a wooden table and four chairs all painted in deep Grecian blue, plus central air conditioning. He could look out over the harbor and watch the fishing boats drift in from a full day of fishing. It reminded him of Petros.
Jack dressed and wandered upstairs to the rooftop bar around 7:30 that evening, having overslept during his long-overdue nap.
He had been tempted to just wear local attire: t-shirt, shorts, sandals, and a smile but thought better of it. He was looking forward to seeing his brother and Gabi’s family tonight. Getting together with everyone, including Sarah and the twins, was such a treat.
The twins, seven-year-old Brian and Brianna, saw him first and ran to him. “Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack! We missed you,” they both squealed as they rushed at him, hugging him.
“I have presents later for both of you, but only if you are good.”
“Can we have them now, can we, can we?” they said in unison.
“Leave your uncle alone, children. He’s had long trip. He will give the presents to you later,” said Sarah, trailing behind them. Her husband, Terry, was carrying both of their drinks, walking behind her.
“Good to see you again, Jack,” she smiled, kissing him on the cheek before relieving her husband of one of the drinks so he could shake Jack’s hand.
“Welcome back, Jack. Good to see you.”
“The kids have been asking about you all day. We’ll catch up later. I am going to get them situated so the adults can enjoy the view and some martinis.”
“Well, there he is, my long-detoured brother,” said Jack’s older brother Michael, all decked out in a tuxedo. He stood there, a drink in his hand, with his gorgeous, perky British wife Darby on his arm.
Darby ran to Jack in her shimmering evening gown, grabbed his arm, and stated, “Now the party can really begin.” Her broad smile told it all: she loved her brother-in-law and was sad he had no one in his life. “Jack, it is so good to see you. We just got here ourselves,” Darby confided to him, gushing with enthusiasm and still clinging to his arm with one hand and a glass of champagne with the other.
Although Michael had been Jack’s best man at his wedding, they had not been close growing up due to their ten-year age difference. After Jack lost both Gabi and Heather in Paris, the two of them grew closer as Jack called him every day, just to talk. He was a lifeline to Jack in a time of need.
Gabi’s family had a tradition of annual family reunions, but as the circle of family grew smaller, Jack invited his brother Michael and Darby to join them. They were a welcome addition to the yearly gatherings staged around the world. Darby cared deeply for the younger Branigan and thought of him as the younger brother she never had. She looked forward to these family reunions—he made them fun.
“Jack, tell me everything you have been up to, and don’t leave one thing out. Promise?” she said, hugging his arm.
“Okay, I promise.”
The two of them had flown in from Hong Kong, where Michael ran an investment company for a consortium of Chinese banks. Michael and Darby traveled the farthest to attend the reunion and from the looks of it, Mike already had a pretty good head start with three glasses of champagne under his belt.
“That airline strike was settled just in the nick of time, my friend. Thank God! We almost had to cancel our trip here,” Darby told him.
“No, I don’t believe that.”
“Yeah, it was terrible. All of the flights were backed up.” Darby left to get snacks for the three of them from the bar.
The whole group was there, the men all decked out in tuxedos or white dinner jackets and the ladies all adorned in their glimmering evening gowns.
Joanie was fuming at Jack being so late, but Carson greeted Jack with open arms. Joanie’s brother Derek and his wife Samantha rounded out the annual gathering. Derek was a painter who traveled around Europe and sold his work to art galleries for the past seven years but lived mainly by suckling off the trust fund his parents had set up for him.
The entire top floor of the restaurant at the Prince Edward and the rooftop bar was reserved by Joanie for their reunion. Jack had been the last to arrive.
“Cheers,” they all shouted in unison, and soon they were sharing stories and catching up on each other’s lives and what happened to them over the past year since the last reunion.
“Mike, you’ll never guess who I ran into.”
“Who’s that?”
“Ravenna Morgan.”
“Ravenna Morgan? Ravenna… Morgan?” He was trying to remember the name from his distant past and place the face. But regardless, whoever this Ravenna was, she was obviously good for his brother. Jack was smiling and he had not seen him this animated in years. Not since…
“Yeah.”
“You mean the tall, skinny redhead with braces, from St. Louis? Is she the one who lost her parents in some freak accident?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
“Where did you see her?”
“I got off on the wrong stop on the ferryboat. A tiny island called Petros. She runs a small hotel on the island.”
“Who runs a hotel?” asked Darby, returning with a plate of finger food and napkins for the assembled group, which now included Sarah and Terry.
“Jack ran into an old childhood sweetheart on one of the other Greek islands. She runs a hotel there.”
“Oh! So what are you doing here?”
“Well…”
“Darby,” her husband Mike interjected, smiling. “She was a tall, skinny redhead, with knobby knees and had a mouthful of braces the last time I saw her in St. Louis. That’s why he is here, my dearest.”
“Well, she is still tall and still has the most beautiful red hair you’ve ever seen, but she has lost the braces and the knobby knees, and she has filled out rather nicely, I might add.”
“Oh, my, what do we have here? Is Jack in love again? Tell us more, brother-in-law,” Darby questioned him with a devilish grin. Jack could see Joanie in the distance, buzzing around the nearby tables, getting the kids to settle down.
“Well, we did have a great time, and leaving there was one of the more difficult things I have done in a long while, but there are a lot of…”
“Attention, attention, everyone,” Joanie’s voice rang out. “Time for dinner. Bring your drinks.” She waved everyone to the table.
The table was set with one empty seat next to Jack. It was left for Gabi—Joanie’s idea. The empty chair with a plate made everyone at the table feel awkward and saddened Jack.
“Everyone sit down and relax and enjoy yourselves. Jack, you sit here next to the honorary place setting for Gabi. A schedule of events is on each of your plates for the next three days. Waiter, you can bring us our shrimp cocktail now, if you please.”
“Also, bring us a large order of saganaki for the table to share,” Jack told the young waiter.
“Sackanike?” Joanie asked, mispronouncing the name. “What the hell is that?”
“It is a flaming liqueur cheese dish that is very popular here in Greece. It tastes great. When the fire dies down, you spread it onto fresh bread. You should try it,” interjected Joanie’s older brother Terry.
“Ugh! Sounds disgusting, Jack. Cheese? All that saturated fat? Yuck!”
“Joanie, this is Greece, you know. You should try some of the local food. It’s quite good,” said Jack, smiling.
“I will stick with my shrimp cocktail, thank you very much.”
“But you can get that anywhere,” said Terry. “Sis, you should really try new things wherever you travel. That is the whole idea behind traveling.” Terry knew it was fruitless trying to get his sister to try something different. God knows he had tried.
“I know I can and I do. I get my shrimp cocktail everywhere I go. I like to compare how different places prepare it. By the way, Jack, what’s this I hear? You have found another woman? Isn’t it a little soon to be dating?”
“Joanie,” Carson interjected, “it has been over three years since Gabi’s death. I think it is good for Jack to get out a little and see the world.” Carson placed his hand on her arm.
Joanie glared at him and removed his hand, her eyes riveted on her husband, reminding him to remain silent in his chair.
“Yeah, see the world,” she said, turning her attention back to Jack, and continued her attack. “Yes, but my sister is still warm in the grave, and he’s out gallivanting the globe with some old girlfriend. Is this the first time you have seen her or have you been seeing her all along? Did you see her in Paris? Huh, Jack? Well?”
“Enough,” said Carson. He lifted his glass, tapped it with a spoon to get everyone’s attention. “Hey, gang,” he started, “we’re here tonight to gather together and give thanks for all of those who traveled great distances just to be here and give thanks for us, the family.”
Joanie threw her linen napkin onto the table. “I forgot my purse. These thieves will steal you blind here, and besides, I’m not hungry. I just lost my appetite. Goodnight, everyone. I will see you all for breakfast. Goodnight. Carson, are you coming?”
“I will be right up, my dear… after dinner.”
The group watched her stomp off towards her room.
“Sorry about that, Jack, but you know how Joanie can get. She misses her little sister more than ever at these gatherings,” Carson whispered, watching her depart. The mood at the dinner table was subdued with talk of what was on the calendar for the next day. Joanie’s itinerary included three days of scheduled visits to museums and local cultural attractions. The itinerary would last well into the evening.
After they finished eating, Carson left, saying, “I’m going to check on Joanie. She’s had a long day. Goodnight, everyone.”
“We are going to hit the hay as well. See everyone at breakfast,” said Mike.
Darby kissed Jack goodnight. “Tomorrow will be a better day, Jack. You’ll see. Goodnight, sweetie.”
When he got back to his hotel room, Carson found Joanie sitting on the bed, looking through her old photo albums, which accompanied her everywhere she went.
“Joanie, I love you and the ground you walk on.”
“I know that, Carson.”
“Well, Jack adored Gabi the same way. But he’s hurting and trying to move on with his life. And you are not helping him.”
“But he shouldn’t…”
“Quiet! What you did tonight to Jack was horrible.”
“He deserves it and much more.”
“No, he doesn’t. For the first time in my life, I was ashamed of you, Joanie, and what you said to him. You of all people should be helping him heal. What you did tonight was destructive and downright mean. I need you to think about that and how you can make it up to him.” He stopped for a moment before continuing, “I need a drink. Goodnight.”
• • • • •
Jack found himself alone on the rooftop, looking down at the city below, sipping the last of his glass of ouzo. The sweet licorice liqueur went down like velvet, so smooth. Maybe they should stop having these reunions. Or maybe it was time for him to stop coming to them. He loved coming, but Joanie always went out of her way to make him miserable. Maybe he could plan another trip to meet up with Mike and Darby each year.
Jack missed Gabi more than ever after these gatherings, but he also felt guilty with her gone. He felt responsible for her death and could not get that haunting thought out of his mind. Gabi loved these reunions and she always looked forward to them. That was the real reason he continued to come, because that’s what Gabi would have wanted.
The touch of a hand on his shoulder startled him. A voice murmured his name: “Jack?”
He turned and came face-to-face with Joanie. She sniffled after saying his name; her eyes were red.
“Jack…can we talk, please?”
“Sure, Joanie.”
She moved and stood beside him, both of them looking out over the small Greek fishing town below. The green, yellow, and red lights of the harbor town flickered like fireflies and the evening air was punctuated by the high-pitched sound of mopeds speeding by. The boats lay at anchor, listless at their tether.
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?” she said.
“Yes, it is.”
“I see why Gabriella loved this town so much.”
“Yes, it was one of her favorite place to get away from it all. She loved the museums, the people, and all the different nightclubs. And Greek food. She could not wait to come back.”
Joanie glanced at him, her eyes pleading. “I have a lot to say, so please just listen, okay? I should have told you all of this long ago.”
“Okay.” Jack’s stomach tightened in preparation for another onslaught of her anger.
“First, I want to apologize to you for this evening. I was way out of line.”
Not at all what he expected. Jack was relieved. “I understand you miss Gabi, but so do I. We all miss her.”
Joanie nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. “Please let me finish, or else I won’t have the nerve to go on.”
“I’m sorry. Go ahead.” He could tell that this was tough for her. She was always used to running everything, being the boss, even when Gabi was alive. Joanie never liked to admit when she was wrong.
“You have every right to find someone to help fill the void left by Gabi. She would not want you to be alone and feel sorry for yourself, nor would she want me to keep acting the way I have been toward you. I’m sorry I treated you like that.”
Joanie took a deep breath before she continued, turning to look at the lights of the city. “The lights are beautiful, are they not?”
“Yes, they are.”
She needed to find the courage to tell him. I hope he doesn’t hate me for not telling him this before. I couldn’t take that. Well, here goes…
“That day… that day in Paris… the day of the accident…” She could feel him tense up beside her at the mere mention of that day. She turned to face him.
“Yes?”
“I should have told you this long ago,” she said, starting to sob, “but I wanted you to feel the same pain of her loss I felt, when you took her away from us in Vermont and you moved her to Chicago. God, I missed her, and I blamed you for it all. You took my kid sister away, away from the family. You can’t even begin to imagine.”
“Joanie, I didn’t mean to…”
“Jack, wait, let me finish. That day in Paris, I saw the three of you across the street, standing on the curb, waiting for the light to turn. I was on the other side of the street waiting for all of you. I had come to Pairs to surprise Heather. You and Gabi knew I was in Paris but Heather didn’t. I waved at her from across the street and she was so happy and surprised to see me, she ran across the street to greet me, dragging Gabi along with her. She was coming to be with me and she never saw the truck. She never saw the goddamn truck!” She couldn’t finish. But she had to say it, she had held it inside for so long, it ate away at her and now she had to tell him.
“In Paris, it was all my fault. If I had not waved to have her join me, they might still be alive today. I don’t know what to say. I feel so ashamed that I never told you what happened. Jack, please don’t hate me. Please!”
“I remember that day. I will never forget that day. It wasn’t your fault. You were crying, we both were crying. But I don’t hate you. Every time I see you, I am reminded of her. Every day Gabi comes alive in your laugh, in your smile, and everything else you do. I could never hate you. Hating you would be like hating her, and I could never do that.” He placed his arms around her shoulders to comfort her.
“Okay,” she continued to sob even more.
“But why did you choose to tell me now, after all these years?”
“For years, Carson has been begging me to finally tell you what happened. To come clean. Tonight, after I left the group to go back to my room, I found something Gabi gave me in Paris. I found a note she left me. I never realized I still had it until tonight. After reading it, it touched me so much, it was like she was reaching out to me. Can I read it to you?”
Tears were beginning to well in Jack’s eyes. “Yes, please.”
She unfolded the clipping and began to read:
“As we grow older, we learn that
Even the one person that wasn’t supposed to ever let you down probably will
You will have your heart broken probably more than once
And it becomes harder every time.
You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You’ll fight with your best friend. You’ll blame a new love, for things an old one did.
You’ll cry because time is passing too fast,
And eventually lose someone you love.
Hold on to those loved ones and hold them dear
Life without loved ones is life without sunshine.”
Joanie paused and looked up at Jack, tears rolling down his cheeks, before she continued:
“So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you’ve never been hurt.
Because every sixty seconds you spend upset, is a minute of happiness you’ll never get back.
Don’t be afraid your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.”
Neither of them spoke for several moments, letting the words sink in. “Jack, I don’t know where she got this. Gabi was always digging up these anonymous quotes but it was like she knew what was going to happen and she was trying to tell us that it is time to move on. I just want to say… I’m sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
“I forgive you, just like Gabi would have wanted me to.”
Joanie gave him a warm hug that seemed to signal an end to the conflict between the two of them. They stood there, at peace with the world, at peace with one another, looking out over the ships and the town of Hora below.
“What’s that you have in your glass?” she whispered, wiping the tears from her cheek.
“Ouzo.”
“Ouzo?”
“It’s a local favorite here. It’s a licorice liqueur. One of Gabi’s favorites.”
“Can I try it?”
“Sure, help yourself.”
She took a small sip, then a larger one.
“That’s good stuff. Hey, what do you say, tomorrow night we go down to that restaurant on the harbor the waiter recommended and have us a grand old time? I’ll even let you order dinner. Just, please, nothing that is still moving, okay? What do you say?”
He grinned at her. Her face reminded him of Gabi’s and he could never say no.
“That would be great. But first, the dress code. How about t-shirts, sandals, and shorts or jeans?”
“Sounds terrific. All of us. Like old times. Goodnight.” She kissed his cheek. “Sleep well. I understand now why Gabi loved you so much.” She smiled. “I love you, Jack, and someday I hope to meet your new red-headed friend.”
“I love you, too, Joanie.”
She walked back to her room with a new bounce in her step, her burden finally lifted. She didn’t know why she had carried it around all this time. She smiled and couldn’t wait for the sun to come up the next day.
Jack remained there, looking at the harbor, hearing strains of soft Greek music floating up to his high perch. He strained to look beyond the dark Aegean Sea that lay in front of him, unable to see what he was searching for… the island of Petros. The darkness kept its secret.
That night, Jack slept sounder than he had in years. His nightmares vanished in the cool night air of this magical island. He dreamt of Ravenna and the small, glistening isle of Petros. He yearned for Ravenna. Soon… soon.