Daddy Issues

He's Not Coming Back

Percy's POV) 

I woke up like usual, showered, got dressed, walked out to the kitchen for breakfast... Only to find myself alone. That's weird. Normally, she's up earlier than I am, in time to make breakfast and all. I poured myself some cereal, a little disappointed, but... I can take care of myself. 

Once I was done eating, I threw the dishes in the sink, went into her bed, and gently shook her awake. "Mom? Are you alright?" 

She woke up with a start, sitting up on the bed. "Oh, hi! Yeah, I'm ok. Why?" 

"You, uh... You're usually up a lot earlier than this. Are you sick or something?" 

"Oh, honey, no I'm ok... I was just up a lot later than usual last night." 

"It's ok, what were you doing?" I asked. "Working on your book?" 

She shrugged. "Yeah. Well, that and talking to Paul." 

"Oh..." I bit my lip. "... So... Did you tell him? About... Y'know, yesterday?" 

"No." She admitted. "We talked about... Anything and everything else." She stood up. "I'm just so nervous, I don't know how he's gonna take it." 

"Yeah... I get that." 

She sighed. "... I'm sorry." 

"For what?" 

"For... Dumping all of this on you. These are really adult problems-" 

"And I'm an adult." I reminded her. 

Her fingers started running through her hair. "I mean... Technically, but... Well, you do still sleep with a stuffed animal. Two, actually." She pointed out. "And that's ok. It's ok if you're not ready to grow up, I don't blame you. It only makes sense that you'd cling to your childhood, considering..." 

I sighed. "... Yeah. But that doesn't mean I can't-" 

"That's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is, you shouldn't have to." She opened her arms for a hug, and I gave it to her. "I'm gonna get ready, ok? He's gonna swing by the candy store at lunch, so I ought to try and doll myself up a little." 

I retracted my arms from her body. "Ok, ok. Bye." I walked over to the door, but just as I was about to close it, I peeked my head out. "Y'know... If you really don't want to tell him, you don't have to." 

"No, I... I do. For his sake, and yours, and my own. I need to be honest with him, about..." She trailed off, seemingly lost in thought as her face adopted a haunted expression, and her hand reached up to stroke her left forearm, the shoulder of which held a portrait of Medusa. "... Everything." Her eyes were blank, mouth screaming in anguish, head tilted up slightly to show the stump of her neck still dripping with red ink while the rest of the tattoo was penned in black, as were the mouths of the snakes she had in place of hair, woven and coiled around the length of her arm, fangs bared, angry and ready to bite. 

I sighed, my eyes clued to the carpet under our feet. I remember asking about it one day, and she just said 'my therapist thought it would be good for me'. Even though she was smiling, her eyes looked so sad that I never mentioned it again. "... Everything, huh?" 

She bit her lip. "Yeah. Even about things... I haven't even told you. And... That I never will." 

I nodded. "... Ok. Good morning, and... Good luck." 

Waiting for the elevator, one thought kept reverberating in my mind. 

She thinks I don't know. And at the time, I didn't. 

But now I do. 

I remember hearing them through the wall my room shared with theirs when I was little, she'd fight and scream, but he would overpower her. And as time's arrow marched forward, I could hear her get quieter and quieter. And at the time... I was actually happy for that. Because I thought it meant they stopped fighting, that he stopped being so mean to her.