The Sun's Kisses

7- Isn't It Lovely?

I sat at the dinner table as I tried to tell Dad about me going out for dinner tomorrow night.
"Who was that?" Dad asks.
"What?" I ask.
"Who was iris messaging you?" He asks.
"Oh, uh, a boy from camp. He lives near here and he, uh, he wanted to take me to dinner tomorrow night." I say nervously, I look up from my food to Dad. He was thinking it over.
"Do you want to go with this boy?" He finally asks.
"Yeah . . . Yeah I do." I say.
"If you want to, you can go. As long as he brings you home before ten, okay?"
"Okay, thanks Dad." I answer, a smile blooming on my lips.
"What's his name?" He asks.
"Cario," I say remembering the name we had told Allen so long ago, three years to be exact. "Cario Lucius." I answer.
"Whose son is he?" He asks, looking curious.
"Apollo," I answer.
"Is he as arrogant as the actual Apollo?" He asks, I struggle not to laugh.
"He's, uh, he's alright enough."
"Enough? I'm going to have to meet this Cario." He says, I smile a little.
"I shall meet him and tell him to come here when he arrives tomorrow." I say, and we continue with our regular nightly conversations.
The next day, I pulled out a dress I had. It was red and it was tulle dress and was very pretty on my figure. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my body in it's underwear. My body has gotten an hourglass figure of sorts, it had a uterus pouch that stuck out and the midsection had stretch marks that looked like lightning strikes across the sky.
I frown, lay the dress on the bed and return to my mirror. I sigh, I suck in my tummy but it doesn't do much. I feel tears come to my eyes.
"Stella, there's no need to cry. Plus you've already done your makeup." Hestia says, I turn and smile at her, seeing her made the tears fade away.
"You're right, I spent too much time on it to cry over my body." I answer, she smiles and takes the dress off the hanger and helps me into it.
"See that?" She says, resting her chin on my shoulder. "You're so beautiful. Your mother's genes did you well my dear Stella." She says, I smile, I did look a little pretty. I sit on the bed and put on my heels.
"Now, down to business." She says.
"I was waiting on it, go on." I say as I roll my eyes.
"Why are you going out with Apollo? He's so arrogant and annoying and very spiteful."
"He's been kind to me for years now, it's not going to go anywhere, Hes." I say, she gives me a pointed look.
"Can you swear that?"
"Ye-"
"No, can you swear on the river Styx that it won't go anywhere. Anywhere at all. Not a kiss, not a make out session, no sex, no more dates. Can you swear that on Styx?" She says. I think on it. Can I swear that? Can I swear that I'd never let him touch me? Let him kiss me, brush hair from my face and lean to my ear and whisper sweet nothings to me. Let him memorize every inch of my skin, every stretch mark, every freckle.
"Well . . . I don't think I can go as far as to swear on the Styx but-"
"Don't finish that sentence please." She interrupts me. "Just promise me that you'll be safe. Safe no matter what, even if it means faking that you have amnesia. Promise me please, Stella, promise me." She says, a pleading look in her eyes.
"I can promise to do my best to be safe, Hestia. I can promise that I'll try." I say as I take her hand in mine. I offer a smile, her returning smile is only sad. Then my dad knocks on the door and opens it.
"He- oh, hey there Esia." He says. "Anyway, he's here, in the living room. Have fun kiddo, be safe." I get up and grab my purse, he hugs me, I spritz on perfume and walk to the living room. He looked like he did when he was with me and Allen, but he was in a suit with a red tie. We matched accidentally, a huge grin spread on my face as I saw he was holding red, pink, and white roses. He grinned at me.
"Hi, Stella." He says, a blush came to my cheeks.
"Hi, Cario." I say remembering my dad and Hestia standing behind me. Apollo hands the roses to me, I smell them. The smell so wonderful! I smile then hand them to Dad. "Can you put those in a vase for me, please?" I ask, he nods.
"I will." He looks at Apollo. "She's home before ten, do you understand?" Dad says, Apollo looked a little nervous for a moment as he nodded.
"Yes sir." He says seriously. He offers his elbow to me with a grin, we walk out to his car.
"Nice." I say, he still had the same grin as we get in and start to drive.
"Sorry about my dad by the way. I'm his only kid, he was pretty heartbroken after Aphrodite and it took forever for him to date again." I say.
"Is he dating now?" He asks.
"No, he hasn't dated since I was thirteen. That guy was a real ass." I say, Apollo grins.
"Wowsers, is it your doing they finally broke it off?" He says, a suggestive smile on his lips.
"Maybe, remember when I said I had to ask the Hermes cabin about a prank way back on that quest?"
"I do."
"That's why, dad got a restraining order and it's been great since." I say, we pull into the restaurant and sit down, we order our appetizer and drinks.
"So," I say.
"So," he answers.
"Why'd you want to take me out?" I ask curiously.
"I dunno, why'd you say yes?" He grins.
"I asked first, you gotta know why you ask someone out."
"Well, maybe I might like you a bit more than I should. Why did you say yes?" He says, he looks up at me with a smile, his eyes seemed hopeful. Gods, did he look hot.
"Maybe I find you more interesting than I thought I would and find that I like you more than I should." I say, grinning.
Then our night went on, we joked, and got to know each other more. I felt so happy, I felt my heart doing flips. I found myself falling for him even.
He had me home at 9:45pm, he left when I was inside. I was grinning like an idiot and as red as a strawberry.
"I take it that you had great time?" Dad asks, I look at him and smile.
"One of the best." I answer, then yawn. "But I think I'll head to bed now." I say.
"Make sure you shower and take off your makeup though." He says, I hug him.
"I will, goodnight dad, I love you." I say.
"I love you too Stell-Bell." He goes to his room, I go to mine. I grab my shorts and tshirt and a towel then go to the bathroom. I turn on the water, undress, get in and close the curtain. I start washing my hair and begin to think of tonight's events.
"How was it?" Hestia asks, I pull back the curtain and see her sitting on the toilet seat, I pull the curtain back in place then continue to wash.
"It was pretty good." I answer, a smile on my lips.
"Will there be more dates?" She asks.
"I hope so. Tonight was so much fun." I say.
"Tell me all about it." She says, I could've sworn there was sadness but I brushed it off and told her all about the night. Then laying in bed beside her, we giggled away.
The next morning, I woke up and Hestia wasn't there. I went into the kitchen and got some cereal.
"Hey Stell-Bell, you want me to make pink pancakes?" Dad asks as he comes in, wearing his pj pants and a tank top.
"Nah, I'm good, thanks though." I say, pouring milk into my cereal.
"Okay, doing anything today?" He asks.
"Might go out with Esia. How about you?" I ask.
"Think of things to do when you're not here. Don't forget next weekend camp starts again." He says.
"Oh shoot, I did forget. Thanks, I'll pack this week." I say, he smiles at me. Like he was proud of me. "What?" I ask.
"Nothing, you're just growing up. Far quicker than I could ever imagine." He says, tearing up a bit.
"Awe, dad," I walk to him and hug him. "It's gonna be okay." I say to him.
"I know, I know, I never planned this far ahead I suppose." He says.
"It's gonna be alright. Who knows," I pull back, "I might give you a grandchild." I grin, he smiles.
"Goodness, I think I'd be the luckiest demigod parent to get a grandchild from my demigod child." He says, then we laugh together.
Later Hestia came by and we went to the mall, me driving, of course.
"So, how far do you think it'll go with Apollo?" She says as she drinks her slurpie.
"However far he wants to take it. When he's done, then he's done and that's that." I answer, drinking my slurpie.
"What if he never stops?" She asks, we head into the clothes section.
"Then it doesn't and I die in love with a god. Preferably at an old age." I say, taking out jeans that had painted on hearts. "These?" I ask.
"Try them on. But what if you guys . . . you know . . . do things." She says skeptically, I pull out a pink top to which she nods yes to.
"What things? Have sex?" I ask, she looks to the side as she nods. "Then, I guess we do. I guess we take that step when we take it, for now though it's just dates. Hopefully more soon though." I say, smiling, she smiles at me too but there wasn't happiness or reassurance in her eyes.
I got home around five in the afternoon, Apollo was waiting outside the door.
"Hi." I say, stopping short, he grinned.
"Hi," he looked to my bags, "need help?" He asks, I smile gratefully.
"Yes please, Hestia had to go unfortunately." I say, he nods and takes all my bags. "You didn't have-"
"Yes I do, I'm a gentleman." He opens the door too, and lets me go ahead of him. Dad was leaning over the counter to see.
"Hey Stella and Cario it seems as well." He says, his eyebrow raising.
"Hello Mr. Dawn." Apollo says nodding in his direction before following me to my room.
"Welcome to Stella Dawn's room," I say then giggle. "It's weird that you're in here." Then he comes from behind me and hugs me, I smile but after a few seconds pull away.
Here is someone I want to always love.
"Uh-uh, too early for all that sir." I tap his nose and he smirks.
"How about hand holding?"
"Fine." I say and he grins.

That's how our year went, happily falling head over heels for each other.