Chapter Seventeen
Thalia
My toe rubbed against the hot water handle of the faucet to the elaborate tub I was sitting in. I knew the water and bubbles were supposed to help me loosen up, but they weren’t really helping to ease my nerves.
“It’ll be all right. You’ll be able to go to him soon.” My mother’s voice came from the door, where she leaned against the door jamb. She had a different look today, black hair and green eyes, with freckles covering her face. Aphrodite was stunning, no matter what appearance she took.
“I know; I just don’t like being away from him right now. I know he is going out of his mind, and there isn’t anything I can do about it.” She looked at me with a frown, knowing I was hurting.
She had taken me from the underworld at great cost to her, but she did it because she knew they were going to attack us and there would have been no escape for me.
So she whisked me away to her home on Olympus. I freaked out at first, because I was now closer to the enemy, but she said no one would think I would be so close. So I’d been here for hours, waiting until I was able to go back to Tristan and my friends.
“Will you be punished for helping me? You’re kinda choosing sides by bringing me here.” I felt bad, but I knew the gods, and even though she loved me, she would look out for herself.
“I’ll be fine. I am older than them, you know.” I did know that. Aphrodite came from Uranus himself. When Cronos, his son, castrated him, his sperm fell to the ocean and created her. She was technically a Titan. She could hold her own in a fight. But she never craved the power as they did. She had her own agenda, usually playing with their love lives.
“True.” I sat there for a moment, and then had to speak again.
“Thank you for helping us.” I rubbed my belly and then grinned.
“We came up with names for the babies. Wanna hear them?” She grinned and sat near the edge of the large tub, nodding.
“The girl’s name is Callista, and the boy’s name is Ren.”
“Lovely names.” She reached out to caress my stomach, and then pulled her hand back with a smile still plastered on her face.
“They are coming soon. Such a joy it will be to have young ones around after all this mess is over.” While I couldn’t really see Aphrodite being like a grandmother to our babes, she could play with them whenever she wanted. She had been a fair mother to me for the past few months. It was odd to be honest.
“You’re my favorite.” Then she looked around and her voice quieted.
“But don’t tell the others.” She winked as she stood to go.
“Enjoy your bath. I will take you home in an hour. The mist should have cleared, and any threat that attacked would be dead by then. All will be safe.” She turned and walked out of the bathroom.
I was so ready to see Tristan again. Just as I was starting to finally attempt to clear my mind and relax, those damn Braxton Hicks hit me. I grunted and waited for them to pass. Technically I had about 5 days left, but really they could come at any moment. I was huge! The twins had taken over my body completely in such a short time!
The contractions melted away, and I sat in the water trying to calm myself again. Meditation would be a good thing to try when I was in labor. When I started to think of the whole labor process, panic welled within me. It was going to hurt, unless the good doctor had drugs for me, or some other god trick. I was scared, and nervous, things that hadn’t really changed since I found out I was pregnant.
Feeling a bit pruney, I decided to get out of the bath and dry off. Aphrodite had left me a beautiful Grecian dress that fit over my belly perfectly. I twirled like a princess, and made a mental note to get more dresses like this to walk around in.
Walking out into the very lavish living room, Aphrodite was sitting there watching a TV that had humans going about their daily life on it.
“Watching people?”
“Sometimes they do interesting things,” she said, then she winked at me and a woman fell to the ground right in front of a guy. She was frantic to pick up the items that fell from her purse while tons of people walked by on the busy sidewalk. The man bent down to help her, and once their eyes met, it was over. You could see the love connection.
“You did that?” She was the bomb, spreading love everywhere. I would wish that type of love on everyone. The world would be a much happier place if we just loved instead of fought.
“It was just a little fun; that woman has had a string of bad luck when it comes to men lately. She needed a break.” I watched for the next thirty minutes as she made a few more love matches. I could see how that power would become addicting; it made me glad that was not one of my specialties. I was mostly about emotions. My mind started to turn towards my own internal emotions, and I felt like I wanted to talk it out a little.
“I wasn’t ever a good mother. I’ll be the first to admit that. But I have been around a long time; I’ll try to ease your worries.” She smiled at me and turned off the TV.
“I don’t even know where to begin. I’m afraid of the labor part. I mean,twins, for Christ’s sake! It’s going to hurt. Right? I have no clue what I’m doing. I hope Tristan and I can find time for ourselves once the babies are born. I’ve heard of how relationships can be strained from having kids. All the attention they need. What if I lose myself in becoming a parent?” It all just came out in one breath. Once I got my worries out, I had to take a few breaths to calm myself. She just giggled, and then started with my first stresses.
“Labor sucks. No matter if you have drugs or not. Twins, sucks even more. But once you see those beautiful babes you will forget all about it. You are already a great mother, fierce and protective. I have no doubt things will come naturally for you. As for you and Tristan, I doubt anything in the world could make you two lose yourselves. Sometimes being around your love for him is quite intoxicating, because of its intensity. Plus those quickies before the babes wake up, or during naps, are pretty fun. You will also have a supportive group to watch them for you, should the need arise.”
I felt a little better at her words. I started to think about all the fun times we were going to have as a family, and then for Tristan and I, during our alone times. It made me smile, then blush.
