In Search for the Forgotten Goddess

1

"MOM!"

"MOTHER!"

"MA!"

"APHRODITE!"

The gods ran up to the goddess with their arms wide open, teary-eyed. The larger god stayed where he was. Wanting to go to the goddess himself but let the rest have their turn. She smiled at them all but couldn't help but cry when she saw her children and her husband.

"My love-OH!"

Aphrodite was tackled to the ground by her many children, Anteros and Phobos being the first to reach her, Harmonia and Adrestia following. Deimos kneeled beside them and hugged them all. It was an emotional moment for them all. Ares made eye contact with his love and burst into silent tears, she laughed with tears streaming down her face as well. After 10 long cruel years, she was finally home. Eros had stayed behind to try and help the other beings cope through this tough time. But Aphrodite couldn't stay, she didn't belong in Olympus. She belonged with her family, with her love.

~~~

"Ma, how are you feeling today, are you ready to talk to Zeus again?"

The restroom door opened quickly, Aphrodite had black tears running down her face. Makeup. From last night's "anniversary" party. It's been about 10 years since they both got stuck in Olympus. After Persephone's trial, everyone was shocked when Zeus declared all the borders to be closed. No contact with the mortal realm meant no being could go or come back from their homes to the ones they love. 'My home.' That's what ran through her head. Aphrodite tried to run out of the courtroom once Persephone was sent to where she wanted to be the most at that moment. She needed to go through, back home before it was permanently gone. But there was chaos everywhere and she couldn't push through to the door, her hands reached out to them. The countless bodies that belonged to people trying to do what she was doing, their pleading yells, their cries. They were right there with her. She was pushed down and back into reality on the floor of the courtroom with Eros running towards her. She couldn't hear the words that came out of his mouth from the overflowing sound of noises. Voices, footsteps, items crashing on the floor.

"Ma!" Eros snapped in front of her face. "Hey..are you sure you're up for this?" His tone was soft.

He had seen his mother slowly crumple apart without her whole family with her. Aphrodite quickly blinked and expected to be back home in the Mortal Realm but she was at their home in Olympus. They had been staying in the empty large house for the past 8 years. First, it was in the Underworld but shit happened and they moved to Olympus. She tried all that she could to strike a deal with one of the kings but nothing happened. They wouldn't allow her to pass through.

"Yes. Sorry, sweetie, I just feel this obnoxious hangover. I'm sorry.."

She could feel her throat closing up and the tears pooling in her eyes from the overbearing thoughts of wanting to hold her children back home, as she always did in their mornings. Eros noticed and cleared his throat to try and change the subject. He took her hand and walked her back into the restroom. Grabbing a clean pair of makeup wipes he started to clean the wet day-old mascara off her face.

"Why don't we go see what's new at the shops, you could get them all some more gifts? You know they don't come here often, so why not get them something." She didn't say anything.

They already bought so much but Eros wanted to keep her mind off how bad things were. "I'm sure they would want to know what has been going on these past years."

"I already got them trinkets. I don't want to spoil them too much." Aphrodite sniffed and looked at herself in the mirror.

Eros chuckled and placed the dirty wipes on the counter as he finished "Alright then, so what would you like to do?"