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🍪 — 019. snow covered tears.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DIDN'T WANT TO let an unscheduled helicopter land at the Oakland Airport ─ until Piper got on the radio. Then it turned out to be no problem. They unloaded on the tarmac, and everyone looked at Piper.
"What now?" Jason asked her.
Piper looked at them, a bit uncomfortable. Isa knew she was having a conflict between herself about what to do ─ go with her dad or save the goddess. Today was the solstice. They had to save Hera. They had no idea where to go or if they were even too late.
"First thing," she said. "I-I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."
Their faces fell.
"Don't worry, Pippy," Isa said with a small smiled, "He needs you right now. We can take it from here."
"Pipes, no." Piper's dad had been sitting in the helicopter doorway, a blanket around his shoulders. But he stumbled tohis feet. "You have a mission. A quest. I can't ─ "
"I'll take care of him," said Coach Hedge.
"You?" Piper asked.
"I'm a protector," Gleeson said. "That's my job, not fighting." then Hedge straightened, and set his jaw. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." he glared at them all, daring them to argue.
"Yes," Jason said.
"Terrifying," Leo agreed.
"So scary." Isa said.
The coach grunted. "But I'm a protector, and I can do this. Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."
"But. . . Dad. . ." he held out his arms, and she hugged him.
"Let's give them a minute," Jason said, and they took the pilot a few yards down the tarmac.
When the plane was heading down the runaway, Piper started to cry. She'd been holding it in too long and she just couldn't anymore. Before Isa's brain registered what her body was doing, she hugged the crying girl. She was patting her head softly, and, despite the slight height difference, Piper hid her face in the crook of Isa's neck, holding onto her like her life depended on it.
