Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

She put on the Pants with a wrinkly white linen shirt.
She slung her backpack, containing her palette, her foldable
easel, and her panels, over her shoulder.
Just as she reached the stairs, Kostos arrived at the
front door, delivering a platter of freshly baked pastries
from his grandmother. Grandma hugged him and kissed
him and thanked him in such fast Greek that Lena
couldn’t make out a single word.
Grandma spotted Lena and got that look in her eye.
Quickly she invited Kostos inside.
Lena wished Effie were awake. She made for the door.
“Lena, sit down. Have a pastry,” Grandma ordered.
“I’m going painting. I need to get started before the
sun gets too high and the shadows disappear,” Lena
claimed. It wasn’t technically true, because she was starting
a new painting today, which meant the shadows could
be any which way.
Kostos migrated toward the front door himself. “I
have to get to work, Valia. I’m late already.”
Grandma happily settled for the idea that at least the
two would have to walk together outside. Grandma
winked at Lena as she followed Kostos out the door.
“He’s a nice boy,” she stage-whispered to Lena. It was
Grandma’s constant refrain.
“You love to paint,” Kostos observed once out in the
sunshine.
“I do,” Lena said. “Especially here.” She wasn’t sure
why she offered that last gratuitous bit.
“I know it’s beautiful here,” Kostos said thoughtfully,
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