“I will, baby,” I said. “One day, I’ll show you.” I stared at her another second, then nodded toward the box. “What do you say?”
Chloe’s gaze moved upward again, debate twisting on her pursed lips. “Is it Ares?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Is he hot?”
I huffed, running my hand through my hair. “I mean…”
She laughed as she pushed past me. “You’re cute when you’re nervous.” Her right foot landed on the bottom stair, and she jerked her chin upward. “Let’s go, Eros. Introduce me toDaddy.”
I nearly fucking lost it at the teasing glint in her eyes. The way she’d said my name, then ruined the entire moment by calling Ares…that. “Please never call him that again,” I managed, grabbing her by the waist as I caught up with her. “Fucking gods. I’m begging you.”
“That’s all going to depend on what he looks like,” she said.
“I’ve changed my mind,” I said as I tried to drag her back down.
“It’s too late,” she said, tugging me forward. “Let’s go.”
Ares met us at the club level, giving his security a clap on the shoulder before ushering us up.
Chloe blushed as Ares kissed her hand, and I shoved him for being his usual self.
Though, when Ares led us toward the entrance to the box, Chloe turned around, delight on her face, and she mouthed “Daddy” to me with a grin wider than I’d ever seen. I grasped her arms and pulled her struggling figure into me, her back against my front. She kept moving forward as a laugh left her, slipping from my arms and instead entwining her hand in mine. The contact and precise fit wrenched my stomach.
My mother was watching the game when Ares opened the door. Chloe slowed slightly as my mother turned around. Aphrodite’s eyes widened just noticeably, her hands clamped on her elbows, but that was all the movement of recognition she gave at the sight of Psyche.
“Someone I forgot to mention,” I said to Chloe as we approached Aphrodite. “My mother. Mother, this is Chloe, Chloe… meet Aphrodite.”
Chloe’s mouth hung open in disbelief, and my mother seemed to revel in that surprise.
Her stern face softened, and jaw clenched like she was holding back emotion. “Hi, Chloe,” she said, sounding like she was greeting an old friend. “It’s good to see—meet you,” she nearly slipped up.
I had to nudge Chloe in the side just to break her out of her stupor.
“Oh… oh, fuck. You’regorgeous,” Chloe said, and I wasn’t sure she’d meant to say it. She covered her head with her hand, shaking her head. I'd never seen her embarrassed like that.
“Sorry, I meant to say it’s nice to meet you,” she recovered. “Gavin didn’t say anything about his mother being here,” she added with a glare my way.
“Would that have deterred you from coming up?” Aphrodite asked.
“I definitely would have gone to the restroom to make sure I was presentable first and didn’t have chili on my face from the hot dog I ate earlier,” she said with a nervous laugh.
Aphrodite beamed. It was a slight smile that wasn’t sarcastic or full of malice. But rather, one that told me she was genuinely trying, or perhaps seeing Psyche in the flesh again after all these years, had her wanting to be civil.
Of course, it could have been my threat to never speak to her again.
Either way, it was a pleasant change.
“Hello, son,” she said before hesitantly hugging me. But once I was in her arms, she seemed to relax.
“I’m sorry,” she said in my hair.
I appreciated those two words more than I did anything else.
My mother’s attempt to be friendly and give Chloe a chance impressed me. She offered her a drink and asked about her work and life. She even made a joke about her spending time with me. And by the time Chloe made her way over to me, standing by the edge of the box, my mother seemed more at ease than I’d seen her in centuries.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
