The flight to Athens isn't long at all, in fact we barely sat down before we were landing in Greece from Turkey.

"I didn't even have time to drink that second bottle of wine" Thea moans as we step onto the bus that transfers us from the plane to the airport arrivals.

As the bus jerks forward Thea goes flying into the lap of a very handsome looking Greek man who smiles the most charming smile, his white teeth looking perfectly bright against his tanned skin and jet black hair.

"Hello... ómorfe"she purrs.

Calliope and I reach forward and each take an arm pulling her off of him "sorry about that" Callie excuses as we move away and down the bus slightly, holding on to the pole beside us and trying to keep Thea vertical.

"Thea, a friendly reminder from your baby sister" I say leaning in to whisper "you are married"

She nods and looks at me like I'm insane, her eyes rolling up "I'm quite aware Theodora"

Demitra who has been on her phone the entire ride over to the terminal looks up and frowns "why are you both holding Thea like she's on prison transport and you're her burly guards" she asks sarcastically.

Callie and I look to each other over Thea "this is going to be a long pilgrimage Callie" I whisper dramatically.

"I'm sharing with you" she says "promise me Teddy" she begs, looking panicked and wide eyed.

"Calliope, we are the sane ones. I don't want to be worrying about what Thea or Demitra are up to when I can be staying with my older and wiser big sister, who by the way has a lot to tell me about her boyfriend" I say with a grin.

Callie smiles to think of him "oh Teddy I can't wait to tell you everything" she says excitedly.

***
When we get to the hotel Calliope and I run ahead and grab the keys, throwing Demitra and Thea theirs as we run in the opposite direction "I think we lost them" i observe behind me breathlessly, slowing down.

"Not for long, their room number was next to ours" Callie informs me.

I slump against the wall disappointedly as Callie puts the key in the door and pushes it open.

"Ooh this is fancy" Callie notes.

I follow her in, the room was very white, there were fresh and clean twin beds made up and a nice smart TV on the wall, with some Greek paintings adorning the walls around the room.

There was a lovely shower and spa bath in the adjoining bathroom I note as I walk through and throw open the doors to the balcony. I step out, to the sounds of crickets chirping down below in the gardens, and the sun going down and dipping into the horizon. I turn to my left and almost jump out of my skin to find Thea already sat on the adjoining balcony with a wine glass in hand "howdy neighbour" she greets, raising her glass.

Callie steps out beside me "told you" she says with a laugh.

I shake my head "this is truly going to be a trip to remember Cal. I can't get away from any of you for more than two seconds"

Demitra walks out, already stripped and in a bikini "Teddy this is a sisters trip, we are meant to be stuck together, it's the whole point"

"Demi, I hate to tell you this but it's getting dark... the pool is shut" I say gesturing to her bikini.

She sits down opposite Thea, and places her legs up on the side of the balcony "I am not dressed to go swimming Teddy. I'm dressed like a premenopausal woman who is having a hot flush in February...your time will come" she adds.

"Demi you can't be premenopausal" Callie says sitting down on our side of the balcony.

I take the seat beside her as she passes me a drink of wine.

"I'm older than you and I am just fine" she adds.

Demi looks back over her shoulder to Callie "It's that or I'm..." and she stops herself and sits forward, dropping her legs back down to the floor.

"Are you pregnant?" I ask jumping up, reading her mind instantly.

Demi frowns "Oh shit" she whispers in deep thought "what is the date?" She asks.

Thea takes out her cell "the fourth" she replies.

Demi goes white, as white as she can with her olive skin "I'm late" she says. 

We all stand, like it's more appropriate to do so whilst we wait to see if this is a congratulatory moment for her, or one we need to walk her through.

"I'm pregnant" she repeats and her lips rise into a smile.

Callie and I clamber over the balcony onto theirs and grab her up in a hug "ahhhh this is exciting... Alexi will be a big brother" I squeal.

Thea hands Demi a pregnancy test and we all look to her confused.

"Where did you whip that out from" Callie asks.

Thea shrugs "I carry them with me in my purse... there's always someone who needs one.I have two more if anyone else thinks they may be?" she asks.

I wrinkle up my nose "absolutely not" I return.

Then I consider, that if I was, it would be Isras, and I feel a little nauseas at that thought.

"I will" Callie offers.

We all turn to her, wide eyed "Really" I ask.

She smiles shyly "I am also late" she whispers.

"Hold the fucking phone" Thea says handing Callie the spare test "you have been with Luke for six or seven weeks and you are already up the duff?" She asks.

Callie looks so calm as she replies"maybe"

I smile at the peace I see in her. I hoped she was pregnant, because Calliope had put off her dreams long enough, why shouldn't she get the man of her dreams and get pregnant with a long awaited baby all within the time it took me to get back from Turkey. Baba was busy at work on the other side... making his daughters dreams a reality... I could feel it"

"Go" I say ushering Demi and Callie into the hotel room. "Go find out if we have blessings on the way, and then we can discuss these Greek names, because I'm attached to mine" I announce.

"No .... No conferring remember" Demitra calls back "it's a rule Theodora" she warns and I roll my eyes.

Thea leans forward "She only says that now because she could potentially be having a baby right this fucking second, and she isn't worried about us stealing her name suggestion"

I agree. "Totally"

I sit next to Thea and raise my wine glass and she clinks it with hers. "Here's to potentially being the only girls drinking on this trip"

We both take a large sip of wine.

"So, whilst they are busy... tell me your baby name" I ask Thea.

She shrugs "I didn't even pick one yet. I kind of want another year before Harry and I even try for a second"

"Fair enough" I return, taking another sip.

"What's yours" she asks eagerly.

I lean in and whisper, and she smiles "I like that" she says "and what about for a boy" she asks

I lean in and whisper again, so the other two don't hear me. "Perfect" she admires with a grin.

She stops, pausing, her glass upon her lips "but what if Harper doesn't like those suggestions... it's like half her baby Teddy"

I take a sip of my wine "if she doesn't like it I will go back to the Greek drawing board" I say honestly "but I kind of think she will love it..." I consider, with a smile.

"Teddy" Thea says moving her chair closer to mine and leaning against my arm "You have really changed" she muses "I honestly never thought I would see the day you could discuss long term relationships, let alone kids, and here you are... talking Harper and babies... and you have Wren. I'm going to fucking cry, because it's just incredible" she says tearing up.

I look to her beside me and almost tear up myself "Thea that's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me"

She shrugs it off "Sometimes I can be nice" she remarks.

I grin and clink my glass against hers "to growing up and settling down" I cheers.

She clinks back "I don't know why I'm cheersing to that to be honest. Since I settled down, I've lost my sex drive, my husband to golf, and my child has sucked the life out of my once perky breasts, which by the way, now resemble two empty bags of marbles".

"Thea" I say shaking my head "they bounce back after a while" I inform her.

She frowns at me "how would you know-"

Then she pauses "Harper" she acknowledges.

"Yes... Harper" I confirm.

She shakes her head laughing "only my sister could give me breastfeeding, boob advice, from the girl she's sleeping with" and she laughs as she takes a gulp of her wine.

"Harper and I haven't slept together in over seven months" i state.

Then as I say it and the words leave my mouth, it's like I suddenly realise it's been that long, and I get lost in thought "God that's ages" I reply to myself.

Thea nods "Basically next time you sleep together, it's going to be like the first time all over again" she says vacantly, looking out to the view ahead of the city.

"That actually sounds kind of romantic" I gush.

She turns to me and smiles "you are cute Teddy ... very cute" she observes and we turn around as Demi and Callie appear and place the tests down on the table between us.

Thea and I squint, and then jump up screaming "Two babies" we scream "two Nomikos babies"

We are all overcome, and the tears begin to flow, because standing here in Greece, two of us sisters discover we are expecting, more members of the next generation are on the way. It's like Baba is stood with his arms around us all, blessings sent our way and miracles beginning to happen.

The Nomikos family were growing, our pact was about to take life, and it wouldn't be long before all of us succumbed to its pinky promise.

One overly Greek named baby at a time...

***
"I'm not getting on that donkey Thea" I state arms crossed.

Thea shakes her head "Theodora you are a party pooper" she groans, letting the man go ahead, walking his donkey on up the hill.

We had arrived in Kos after a few days in Athens, and it was beautiful, a small island you could drive across in an hour. It smelt like what I imagine heaven is like, and even though it wasn't warm or in the summer months when tourists arrived to bask in the sun, you still got it's beauty and could appreciate the views at every corner of it. Babas family were from a hill top town called Zia, it was a place that Greek nights took place on the mountain side, and it had the most stunning sunsets you can even imagine, purple and red skies that looked as if you had landed in a Greek myth yourself, mount Olympus if you will, home to the gods.

There was a square at the top of Zia that had an array of stalls that sold beautiful hand made table cloths, souvenirs, leathers, ceramics, you name it they had it and Babas sisters, Sophia and Effy, ran one of the stalls, they had table cloths draped everywhere, made of the most beautiful fabrics, many of which they had pushed into each of our hands after we met them to take home.

Aunty Sophia was just like Baba, and actually I think I looked the most like her, with the dimples, hers were adorable, her curly dark hair flecked with white as she was now in her sixties herself. Sophia had a large family who mostly had had to move off of the island for work, but she lived up here in this little slice of heaven and she was keen to show us everywhere our father had roamed as a child, she was extremely proud of him. Demitra was in her element as the family fawned over her with her blonde hair and green eyes, those of their own mother, Babas mother. They wouldn't stop touching Demitras face, and she pretended she was irked by it, but Thea, Callie and I would laugh at her, she absolutely loved the attention.

"Theodora you have strong arms ...carry me up this last bit of the hill" Thea moaned like a five year old.

I rolled my eyes and stopped walking and she squealed with glee and ran over to me jumping onto my back as I scooped her up, her legs hanging over my arms that I held onto firmly.

"I can't believe this" I say letting out a whoosh of a sigh "Now I feel what that donkey must feel like every day lugging lazy people up this damned hill"

Thea hugs me tighter and leans her head on my shoulder "Teddy you invited me out for a run knowing I had zero stamina ,and then forgot to mention when you claimed it was 'easy as all down hill' how we would then have to walk back up it" she groans childishly.

"Thea when one goes down a hill it's common knowledge that you then have to go back up it... I didn't realise I had to explain that part before you committed to running down it" I return and I laugh at the image it conjures of the way Thea ran down this hill like it was a rug being pulled from under her, and she would trip up at any moment.

"Don't laugh at me Teddy" she curses.

I jump her up and down on my back as she squeals "don't you dare drop me" she curses trying not to laugh.

"Thea it's a good thing you came out pocket size like Yia Yia" I say, thinking of our grandmother who was about four foot something.

"I know... blessed with a tight little bod and five foot two to boot. Harry calls me his little rocket"

I pretend to heave "do not tell me that" I ask "mind you it's been three months dry, I expect he calls you something quite different now" I say trying not to laugh.

She jumps down from my back and swats me "that wasn't nice Teddy" she says looking pissed.

"Thea I'm sorry" I beg trying not to laugh.

She whacks me in the stomach playfully "I didn't confess I was a born again virgin to be made fun of" she argues.

We walk side by side up the hill, the odd car beeping as we waved them on ahead of us. It was quiet on the island, not much traffic, especially on the road up to Zia.

"Like Demitra said, just try and pencil in the romance until it comes back naturally... you won't be a wet firework forever... rocket days are in your future" I tease.

She lunges at me for the wet firework comment and sends us flying into a dust cloud on the side of the road. "Thea" I curse as we become covered in dirt.

We look at each other sat covered head to toe in it, and we start to vibrate a little, mouths falling open before the vibrations become belly laughs, deep and infectious belly laughs.

When we make it back up to Aunt Sophia's house, Demitra and Calliope are sat out front with a Greek coffee talking in Greek with Sophia. They all swivel in their seats to witness me carrying Thea up the last of the hill, toward the house, both of us looking a little like we rolled in mud.

"ti synévi" Sophia asked standing up arms spread.

"A wet firework happened" I reply.

Thea placed her hand over my mouth in-front of her.

"Theodora pushed this hormonal mama a little far is all" she corrects.

Demitra and Calliope walk down to greet us,  sniggering as they do, at the state of us.

"You look like you rolled in cow shit" Demitra inspects, looking us over with a wrinkled nose.

"I feel like I can't trust any of you to be alone for five minutes" Calliope adds, crossing her arms and shaking her head at us.

"sygnómi Sophia" Calliope calls.

I look to her apologetically whilst still holding Thea on my back. "Yes I'm sorry aunty Sophia...I hope we haven't embarrassed you in-front of the locals"

"óchi...not at all" she adds in English. "I'm enjoying you all and the mischief you bring me... Nomikos women have always been a little wild" she says and she kisses us all affectionately on the cheek "I love you girls... Christos did good with you" she muses and we all appreciate hearing his name and smile lovingly at her.

The rest of our days in Kos were spent with the family, Sophia took us into town and around the island, stopping in the forest and seeing the peacocks, fishing in Kefalos and taking a boat out with our cousins to see the island from afar. It really was heaven, all be it a little insane, being stuck with my sisters for a week of non stop Nomikos craziness. I think though as the trip came to an end that we all realised it's importance. Coming together as adult women, adult sisters, it was important, we were bonded for life, we were forever and just like any other relationship we had to work on it, nurture it and love on it every now and again, and I did love them, all three of them.

The time came though for us all to return home, and before we knew it we were back to the states, as six and not four, Demitra and Calliope smuggling an extra two Nomikos in their belly's. The next time we would be in Greece, we would all have our arms full, all of us, in two years things would be incredibly different, we were quite literally about to start doubling our numbers, the Nomikos were going to take over and soon the four pinky promises would arrive;

Athena
Apollo
Olympia
& Clio

One being ours, Harper and I, a Christmas wish soon to be made.