Page 221 of Modern Romance September 2026 Books 1-4

DIDO SLEPT LATE the next morning. The sun was high and the other side of the bed was empty.

Instantly she sat up. She hadn’t slept in since Theeny was born. Why hadn’t she heard her?

Then she registered a familiar childish chuckle and the sound of water splashing, followed by Panos’ deep drawl. Turning her head, she saw the door to the balcony ajar, filmy curtains stirring in the breeze.

Relieved, Dido sank back into the luxurious down pillow. All was well. Panos had her safe.

She took a moment to process that. A week ago she’d have been horrified at the idea of Panos with her baby. Now she trusted him to keep their little darling safe.

Their little darling. No longer hers alone. It was scary, sharing, but things couldn’t go back to how they’d been. Panos was entitled to know his daughter.

Would he still sue for sole custody?

Surely not! The man who’d been undone by last night’s truths wouldn’t do that. Far from being an unfeeling brute, Panos Diamandis felt more deeply than she’d believed possible.

What did he feel now?

More to the point, what did she feel about him?

You slept with him again. Enjoyed sleeping with him.

And didn’t that complicate things?

She couldn’t say she’d forgiven him, but the man who’d been so racked by emotion confounded her long-held resentment. Instead of blustering, he’d accepted he’d done wrong. His remorse was genuine. Shockingly so, undercutting her anger.

He’d been gutted. As if she’d held up a mirror and he’d seen himself for the first time, not liking what he saw.

Could such a man change? That was the question.

Dido pushed back the sheet and swung her legs out of bed. It was time to find out.

* * *

Hours later she and Panos sat on the vine-shaded terrace, sipping coffee and eating delicious, syrup-soaked baklava. Beside them, Theeny sprawled with her teddy on a cushion-strewn day bed, smiling in her sleep.

The three of them had spent the last hour or so in the orchard. Theeny had been fascinated by the insects and wildflowers, rapt as Panos named a surprisingly large number of them. Eventually she’d settled under a tree to play, handing Dido a multicoloured stone that had caught her eye and presenting Panos with a red poppy.

Dido had watched his expression as he’d accepted the crushed flower and seen something in his eyes that made her heart still. Love. He loved their daughter.

It was what she’d always wanted. For her baby to have two loving parents. But where did they go from here? To court?

‘We need to talk about the future.’

He might have read her mind. But when she turned to see him watching her with serious eyes, she felt trepidation mixed with acceptance. Even with the best will in the world there was no simple way forward.

‘We do.’

Panos paused and her heart beat faster. ‘Athena has two parents who care for her.’

Cautiously, Dido nodded. Where was he going with this?

‘It’s what we wanted all those years ago, isn’t it? A child, or children, raised by two devoted parents.’

Shockingly, it was. ‘Except for one huge difference. Then we planned to raise a family together.’

Dido stopped as a tremor of emotion worked its way from her chest to her larynx. She held his gaze, remembering his threat to take her child.

‘I’m sorry, Dido. I should never have said I’d keep you away from her. I was furious, but that was no excuse for cruelty.’ His gaze shifted to their daughter and once more she saw his expression soften. ‘I have a lot to make up for.’