I let out a sigh of relief as I sank into my warm bath. At last, a moment of tranquility.
Suddenly, Xavier burst into the bathroom, standing in the doorway.
“Mom, I’m hungry!” he said. For a three-year-old, he was growing up too fast, already resembling a five-year-old in both mind and body.
I shot him a glare.
“Go find someone else to feed you!” All I wanted was ten minutes of solitude.
“Grandpa Zeus told me to get you,” he retorted, crossing his arms and glaring back at me. His attitude was something else.
“Then go ask Grandma Hera.”
Why couldn’t he just listen?
“She’s gone.”
Of course, she was. That explained why he was here. Ever since we arrived at Mount Olympus, Hera had taken care of him as if he were her own.
I was grateful for her help; she reminded me so much of Marie.
I sometimes missed the people back home, but given the drama that had unfolded, I didn’t think it was safe to be around certain individuals.
Hades had always been my protector during my pregnancy. But when your protector becomes your attacker, it’s time to leave.
I was confident they wouldn’t find me here, and they hadn’t.
I was surprised to find gods still living here, considering I had met most of them on earth. They were equally surprised that a human could survive here without disintegrating, which was one of the reasons they let me stay.
They were intrigued by me.
Over time, we all formed a bond, even Zeus.
At first, he didn’t trust me and made it clear by locking me in the dungeons, guarded by Hercules.
But once he realized I wasn’t a threat, he warmed up to me. Like his wife, he too fell in love with Xavier.
“Give me a moment to get ready,” I told Xavier, my hopes of a relaxing bath dashed.
He grinned and rushed out. I sighed, reaching for my towel.
After wrapping it around me, I stepped into my room, Xavier nowhere in sight. I rummaged through my closet and settled on a golden dress.
The gods here were traditionalists; jeans were unheard of. I had never worn so many dresses in my life.
I ran a brush through my damp hair and tied it into a ponytail.
I had changed a lot over these three years. My once purple hair was now black, a change that occurred when I gave birth to Xavier.
I tried dying it several times, but it never worked. My face was fuller, more mature, and I had a natural glow. I think it had something to do with living here; everything about this place was fresh and pure.
“Xavier!” I called out as I left my room.
I found him meditating in his room, a technique Apollo had taught him.
“I thought you were hungry?”
His eyes flew open, and he jumped off his bed.
“Yes, Mother, let’s go!”
I laughed as he grabbed my hand, pulling me out of the room. We entered the kitchen, and he took a seat while I searched the cabinets for something to cook.
“Oh dear, did he interrupt your bath time? I only stepped out for a few minutes.” Hera’s voice filled the room.
She was beautiful, with a heart full of love.
“It’s fine. I need to eat too. Can I make you something?”
“No, thank you, dear. I must prepare a feast for our guest arriving later.”
I watched as she started pulling down multiple plates. The gods always had guests, so I didn’t bother asking who it was today.
I nodded and decided to make strawberry pancakes, Xavier’s favorite.
“I was hoping you would attend this time,” Hera said after a few moments.
“I would love to.”
I could never say no to her, and I was sure she knew that. She gave me a megawatt smile, and I rolled my eyes.
“Great, I’ll have Aphrodite prepare you a new dress.”
“But I have plenty I haven’t worn.”
Aphrodite made the best dresses, but I didn’t see the need to bother her.
“Nonsense, I’ll go talk to her.”
With that, she left the kitchen, not giving me a chance to respond.
“Here you go, pig.” I slid a stack of pancakes in front of Xavier.
“I love you too, Mom.” He stuffed a piece into his mouth. I rolled my eyes as I made a plate for myself, taking a seat next to him.
We finished breakfast quickly.
I dropped Xavier off with Apollo and went looking for Aphrodite. From the moment I arrived here, we clicked as if we were long-lost sisters.
I knocked on her door, and after a few seconds, she answered with a huge grin.
This couldn’t be good.
“Come on, let’s get you ready.”
She grabbed my arm, pulling me inside.
“Isn’t it a little too early to get ready?” I asked her.
She reminded me so much of Sydney. I missed Sydney.
“There’s no such thing as ‘too early.’” She rolled her eyes. “Now, I’ve made several dresses. Tell me which one you like.”
I could tell this was going to take a while.
Twenty dresses later, I finally picked one, a gold gown.
“This is beautiful, Aph. Thanks.”
“It’s what I do, sexsify people.”
I giggled at her choice of words. I wondered why Hera wanted me to attend this dinner; she usually didn’t care.
“Not that you needed much help. So many of us thought you were related to me when you first arrived; that’s how sexy you are.”
I blushed at her words.
“What’s so special about this dinner anyway?” I finally decided to ask.
“It’s a wedding dinner.”
My eyes widened.
“Don’t worry, it’s not yours.” She giggled. The dinner bell started to ring at that moment. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.
“I have to go pick up Xavier. Thanks for the dress.”
I made my way toward the door.
I found Xavier still hanging with Apollo.
Usually, he’d get bored and leave, finding another god to entertain him, making me search everywhere for him.
“Well, who is that handsome young man?”
He was dressed up in a nice black suit. He was a cute boy, with his jet-black hair that I could never tame, and little dimples.
It was going to be hard keeping the girls away from him.
“Stop it, Mom, you’re embarrassing me.”
His cheeks turned pink, and I laughed. He was so cute.
We made our way to the dinner hall, and I scanned the area trying to find us a seat.
We waited as Hera and Zeus entered, sitting at the head of the table. There were two unoccupied seats next to them.
“Could we all simmer down a bit, please? As you’re all aware, we’re expecting our guests soon for their wedding dinner celebration. It’s a privilege to be part of this joyous occasion.”
As the words left my mouth, the doors swung open, and our guests made their entrance.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw who it was.
“Erebus?”
He acknowledged everyone with a wave as he strolled in. Then the bride-to-be came into sight.
“Sydney!?”
