The Next Chapter of Our Lives

A Long Road

Numb.

I walked outside to face my family. I told them to do whatever they wanted with them so long as they died in the end.

I almost collapsed into Apollo when he hugged me. They guided me inside the house, and to the portal Chaos created that led to my house. Dad and Apollo led me through the portal, where I was pulled into more hugs by my mom and closest friends.

I was paraded by worried people asking me if I needed something, but I brushed them off and went to the living room.

Sadness.

I looked at a baby gate surrounding a mat covered in toys and a playing baby. I smiled sadly at her while I approached the pin.

"Hey, baby girl," I felt all eyes on me as I talked to her, "You may not remember me, but I'm your mom."

She giggled, and it was probably the most adorable thing I've ever heard. She laid on her stomach and did this scoot-crawl-snake movement until she got to the gate. She then sat up and put her arms out in a pick me up kind of way. I picked her up and hugged her tight. I held her, so she was sitting up in my arms, and she rubbed her eye and rested her head on my shoulder. My heart clenched, and my eyes nearly teared up.

How could she still love me after I missed most of her life? How could she trust that I won't just leave her again, but this time not come back? How-

My thoughts were interrupted as I felt a hand on my back. On instinct, I tensed up, and the hand immediately withdrew. Marisol, who was falling asleep on my shoulder, clung onto me harder. I turned around to face the person behind me.

Apollo stood there with a grim face. "She's been restless ever since that night."

I moved to sit down on the couch, and Apollo followed me. Everyone else had gone to the kitchen. After a few minutes, I broke the silence.

"I-" I cleared my throat before continuing, "I never promised death for Gabe." My eyes shut as I tried not to let all the emotions of the past few weeks. "I couldn't- I couldn't even face him." At the memory, I handed him our sleeping daughter.

"Persi-" He tried to say.

"I need to shower." I stood up and rushed up the stairs to the bathroom I use.

I paused when I reached the door to the master bedroom before I turned around.

Disgust.

Quickly vapor traveled to the downstairs bathroom. I turned on the shower manually and hastily snapped all my soaps into the shower. I wanted to stay covered up, but I also wanted to erase all of their touches, so I gingerly took off my clothes and stepped into the shower. I lathered my hair in shampoo, then quickly rinsed it out and then repeated this action, but with conditioner. I grabbed the loofah and squeezed out copious amounts of body wash onto it. I scrubbed my skin until it was raw, or would have been had the water not been continually healing it. I turned off the water and snapped myself dried and clothed. I looked at the fogged up mirror and cleared, forcing myself to see myself for the first time in weeks.

There were heavy bags under my eyes, and my skin clung to my bones. I had snapped on a baggy long sleeve and dark sweatpants. At this sight, I finally broke down. Small sobs shook my frame, and tears ran down my face. I turned away from the mirror and sunk to the floor. My arms wrapped around my knees as my body curled in on itself. I laid my head on my knees. I didn't worry about anyone hearing me because I had put up a silencing spell around the room before getting in the shower.

10 minutes later, I was finally able to pull myself out of the shower, but it took all my will power to walk through the door, and resist the urge to do the one thing I wanted to do the most. Before I left the bathroom, I put a glamor on to mask the bags under my eyes, my tear-stained cheeks, and red puffy eyes. I met everyone in the kitchen except for a few(namely Dad, Mom, and Apollo). I was hugged by everyone and once more and then given several months off of heiress duty to recover and mother.