Albany Minka is not your typical blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white woman. She's got something coursing through her veins that no one would ever think of Asgardian and Greek God blood. She lives under the radar on her massive ranch in the middle of Tex...
"I had just graduated from training for MI-6 when I met your father while working an assignment on a Norwegian mob boss. The assignment ended with the bad guy behind bars, but my cover was blown, and he had a lot of siblings and allies. They knew I was pregnant but thought you were the Boss' child because no one knew about Freyr. If they thought you had died, you couldn't be used against me," Fae replied after she had composed herself.
"Unfortunately, we all know that your attempt to keep me safe didn't quite work out the way you and my father thought," Albany sighed, playing with her tea.
"I'm sorry for that. I truly thought I was doing the right thing. After giving you up, I was so heartbroken that I got hooked on drugs and almost lost my job" Fae sighed, finally sitting down.
"Why didn't you ever come for me when you got clean and weren't in danger anymore? You have two grandsons that deserve to have at least one set of grandparents," Al asked with hurt in her eyes.
"Shame is the simple answer. I was absolutely ashamed of my decisions, including choosing my job over being a mother. That shame turned into uterine cancer. I took it as the universe's punishment for giving you up," Fae replied with tears in her eyes, "That's why I wouldn't marry you, Freyr. I can't give you more children."
"Asgard's healers could have saved your uterus if you had told me!" Freyr exclaimed with hurt in his eyes.
"Oh, Freyr, stop it. You don't talk to a woman like that," Hertha scolded, appearing in her daughter-in-law's kitchen.
"Hertha," Faedra whispered in surprise as she stood up.
"Faedra, my dear, sit down. I'm not mad at you. In fact, I still think you two should get married. Who cares if you can't have more children! You made the perfect one already" Hertha gave a motherly smile as she made herself a cup of tea.
"Why are you here, Mother?" Freyr asked, trying not to be angry with Fae.
"Because I knew my beautiful granddaughter would be too emotional to mediate between you. And it seems I was right," Hertha replied, pursing her lips at her son.
"Thank you, Grandmother," Albany smiled before turning to her mother, "I'm giving you another chance to be in my life. I feel it is beneficial for the boys to have another person to talk to about being what we are. I want to build a relationship with you."
"Because of drugs and cancer, my body can't take any more spy work, so I will officially retire in a month. Name a day, and I'll be there. I'll even move closer if that's what you want" Fae smiled at her daughter.
"First, I want the two of you to work through everything and give your relationship a real try. I'm not saying get married, but actually date for a while," Al spoke, getting a nod from both of her parents, "The 8th anniversary of Paradise opening is in two weeks. Be there, and I'll know you're serious. Don't show, and you will cease keeping tabs on me. It's as simple as that."
Fae nodded, and they watched Al get up with her tea and walk out the open door in the atrium to the garden. Between reuniting with her parents, raising the twins, and Loki's impending arrival, Albany was overwhelmed. Al sat down on the wall in front of a flower bed with a sigh and stared absentmindedly at her mother's garden.
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