My Mykonos Dream

Chapter 16

Kristy's POV

"They can't get married if she's not baptized!" Nafsika shouted again to Costas as Ero's family gathered at our Condo since we were hosting the family feast for Epiphany.
"She is right, agapimeni mou. The Greek Orthodox Church does have requirements and a process for marriage." Costas says calmly.
"What if we don't get married in the church? I've always envisioned a beach wedding! And I mean, this is Greece! What better place to have a ceremony than these amazing beaches!" I spit out the first thought I had in my mind once Eros proposed.
"WHAT!" Nafsika nearly choked on her own tongue.
"You HAVE to get married in the church!"
"Well, can't the priest perform the ceremony on the beach? I mean I've seen so many wedding done here?"
"NO! Those are tourists thinking their vows mean something! It doesn't mean ANYTHING if you don't get married in the eyes of God!" Theía nearly bursts again.
"Theía! Please!" Eros tries to calm her adamant opinions as he runs his fingers through his hair showing his stress levels go through the roof.
"Unfortunately, to be married you still need a Baptismal certificate for both parties." Costas gets back to topic at hand.
"Ok then, what do I have to do be baptized then?" I asked throwing my hands up feeling there's no other way around this.
"We can discuss with the Priest the details of preparing a baptism for you in the church." Costas answered again calmly but it was Eros who rose from the couch with an outburst.
"NO! I don't want her to feel forced into this! She doesn't HAVE to choose our religion!" He paced the room back forth.
"Well, you're right. As long as Kristy is baptized in water of the Holy Trinity, it's acceptable. But as Nafsika said, an Orthodox Christian is not allowed to marry a non-Christian."
He looks to me seeing my confused expression. "This means if you chose to be baptized as say a Roman Catholic, the interfaith marriage between a Catholic bride and Greek Orthodox groom is acceptable."
"No! No! No! If she's not Greek Orthodox, it will only complicate their future together!" Nafsika chimes into the conversation again.
"Theía! This is Kristy's choice! I will NOT force her hand!" Eros firmly states but I place my hand on his chest to calm him down.
"It's alright babe, I want to hear what she has to say!" I look back to Theía to hear the rest of her concerns.
"If you're not baptized an Orthodox Christian, marrying one doesn't make you one either. What this means is you're not allowed to receive Holy Communion or other sacraments as you are not an Orthodox Christian or a member of our Church. And in the future, what does that leave your children to be baptized as?"
"Theía! This is already an overwhelming decision for Kristy! We don't need to be thinking about children right now!"
"Eros!" I try to speak rationally to him.
"Kristy mou, nothing has to be decided right away. You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with!" He says sweetly holding my hands in his and bringing them up, kissing each one.
"I love you and at the end of the day all I want is to marry you! If you don't want to be baptized that's ok. If you want to get married on a beach I'll do it. If you want to get married in America or run off somewhere in the world to elope, I'll do it! I just want to spend my life with you!" He says in his romantic plea making me melt to the floor.
"Eros! You get married anywhere else other than an Orthodox Church and you will be excommunicated by the church and barred from partaking in any sacraments!" His Theía shouts again but he never takes his eyes off mine as he smiles lovingly shaking his head.
"If I am then I am! Nothing else matters anymore."

"Theíos Eros!" Ina comes rushing through the door with Athena in toe joining us for the holiday feast.
"Theía can you get everyone settled for dinner while I speak to Kristy alone please?" Eros asks and she ushers everyone into the other room to sit for dinner.
"Baby, I know this complicated and I'm sorry you're put in this position at all. I mean it when I say I will do whatever it is you want. I just want you to be happy and I said it before and I'll say it again. Nothing will get in the way of me being with you. Nothing!" He says sternly as he pulls me closer caressing my cheeks and I feel his soul pouring out.
"Eros! I would never even think to take your religion away from you! It's one of the many things I love about you! And one of the things I strive to be like." I intertwine my fingers with his as I explain what has been soaking in my head.
"Ever since I met you, you've made me want to be a better person. To believe and have faith in what you can't see. And since being with you I've started my journey towards that. This just feels like the next step in my path, for me to be baptized as an Orthodox Christian. Not because I have to but because I want to. I want to share in the same beliefs as you. I want to honor God in Church and taste his blood and body. And Theía is right that if or hopefully one day when we do have kids, I want them to be just like you." I can't help thinking it and saying it with a smile beaming from my lips.
"So, I've already made my decision!" I bring our joined hands up from my heart and kiss them as he releases the worlds perfect, most sincere smile I've ever seen while it looks like he's holding back tears of gratitude until he drops his head to rest of mine.
"I don't know what I did to be blessed with someone as perfect as you. I can't even describe how lucky I am!" He shakes his head in disbelief until I caress his cheek.
"No I'm definitely the lucky one here! You've opened my eyes to so many wonderful things in this world and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you!"
"Gia pánta! I will love you forever!" He whispers.
"Let's get me baptized already so we start working on the forever part, hmm?"
He dips me slightly in his arms and kisses me with a passion of a thousand armies until I feel my blood start to heat and tingle remembering we're not alone and his family is waiting for us in the other room.

We finally join them and take our seats for the final feast celebrating the end of Christmas and New Year's.
"Ina, if you eat all your dinner, you can have some of Papou's cookies like I promised!" Athena said to Ina with a smile on her face.
With the presence of Athena and Ina sitting across from me, my thoughts from early enter back into my mind.
"Babe, how old is Ina?" I leaned over and whispered in Eros's ear as the curiosity to over think every single detail was killing me.
"She'll be five in three months, why?" He answered and I shrugged like it was a random thought in my mind. Connecting more dots in my head, that seemed like the accurate timing Athena would have found out she was pregnant when Theo and her split. Why wouldn't she tell him? Why keep it a secret and raise Ina herself? Theo is a good man and would have taken care of them. Maybe they were too young? Athena is a few years younger than Eros and Theo is Eros's age. Just wanting to know more was killing me, but I know what they say.
Curiosity is what kills the cat.
If everyone does find out, what would that do to Theo and Emily? There relationship is already struggling being so far away from each other and to find out Theo is a father! To Eros's sister who I'll be very close with as we are family now! This whole situation is a disaster and even though I'm curious to learn more, it's far better that this whole mess never sees the light of day!

As we are finishing up our meal, we hear an unexpected knock on the door and I get up to go answer it.
"Emily!" I'm shocked to see her standing in the doorway with Theo.

Great! What could possible go wrong?!?

________________________________

Ooooh Snap!!
Will everything come to the surface??

Eros and Kristy!
😍😍😍😍
My heart is melting!

Don't hate on Nafsika too much now! Who has the old Grandma or Aunt who is extremely opinionated and old school about everything like this??

Translations:
"Forever!" - Gia pánta