Wild ― Piper McLean

―xxxii. verona meets her girlfriend's mom

THOUGH VERONA DIDN'T SLEEP AS WELL THAT NIGHT (Hedge patrolled the halls for a good hour past curfew, mumbling about rowdy teenagers and no more Mr. Nice Guy), she still felt marginally better when she woke. She got ready and made it up to the deck to see the boys off for their museum mission, then snagged two blueberry muffins from the mess hall. When Hazel made it up to the deck, Verona held one out as a peace offering. 

Hazel considered it for a moment before accepting it. "Thanks." 

"I really am sorry about what I said, about the situation with your brother," Verona said. "It's hard to shake the Roman strategy, sometimes, but that's no excuse. We'll save him." 

Hazel managed a small smile, though it was still tinged with worry. "We will." 

Verona wasn't sure how to put her at ease, so she opted for the semi-successful distraction route. "I've been meaning to ask—how's it been for you?" she asked. "Adjusting to the modern world?" 

"It's a lot," Hazel confessed. "Some things are super different and some things aren't. It's weird." 

Verona nodded. "The 80s and now is a big enough leap to throw me off-balance," she said. "I can't imagine coming from the..." 

"40s," Hazel provided helpfully. 

"Wow, you're old." 

That startled a laugh out of the eighty-year-old preteen, which Verona counted as a win. "Nico's only a few years younger." 

Verona stared at her. "Wait, he got taken out of time too?" 

Hazel nodded. "He and his—uh, his sister... they got stuck in a magic hotel that froze time—or, something like that." 

"Geez, that's two clubs for me," Verona said. "Formerly Dead Girls Anonymous and Time Warp Victims United." 

Hazel laughed. 

Piper joined them with a bagel in one hand and a pair of sunglasses in the other. Verona glanced up at the blue sky and grimaced. At least one of them was prepared. "What're you two giggling about?" 

"Top secret club business," Verona told her. "Classified information." 

"Ah," Piper said. "Enough said. Boys already gone?" 

Verona hummed an affirmative. "Leo said he'd try extra hard to piss off a Confederate ghost, just for you." 

Piper snorted. "Something tells me he won't have to try that hard." 

"No, not at all," Verona agreed. "Seen Annabeth?" 

Piper nodded over Verona's shoulder, and she glanced back to see the girl in question talking to her boyfriend. "Saying goodbye to Percy. Ready to go?" 

Verona patted her pockets. "Sword, check. Chapstick, check." She grinned. "All set, babe. Let's go mingle with a ghost." 

🌿

In terms of romantic strolls, White Point Gardens was the perfect setting. An ocean breeze chased away the muggy heat of the southern summer, and the palmetto trees provided much appreciated shade. Verona didn't care much for all the statues and old Civil War memorabilia (American History was never her favorite subject), but the rest was nice. 

Of course, it would've been nicer if it was just Verona and Piper walking along the Charleston Harbor, doing all the gross couple-y things lesser men would tremble at, but Annabeth and Hazel were still good company. 

"Kind of reminds me of New Rome," Hazel said. "All the big mansions and gardens. The columns and arches." 

Verona hummed in agreement. A Ruby-throated hummingbird flew around her head, and Verona held her hand out for the little guy to land on.