In Good Hands...

"How the hell am I supposed to look him in the eye, knowing that I may have to see the light leave his eyes soon enough? Doesn't he have the right to know that he may never see his mother in a white dress, never have a chance to give her hand to Paul? Shouldn't he have a say in how he spends the last few months of his life?" Annabeth demanded.

"His sixteenth birthday is less than a year away, Chiron. It's nearly certain that he is the child of the prophecy!" She concluded, her voice cracking at the end.

Annabeth let the tears flow freely this time, the guilt of knowing too much heavy on her conscience.

*****

This tells the story behind Sally and Paul's wedding.

It is set just before the winter holidays after the Battle of the Labyrinth. The quest of 'The Sword of Summer' takes place simultaneously with this story. Stays true to the book as much as possible, with a lot of added details.

Second story among my series of short stories named 'Beyond the Books' but can be read as a standalone.