RING! RING!
Sally rolled over in her sleep.
Gods.
"Paul, will you get that?" She murmured groggily.
"Just let it go to voicemail," he replied, tiredness seeping through his tone.
She nodded and drifted back to sleep
The next morning, she got up. Saturdays were always nice. She slid her feet into her slippers and headed for the kitchen. She turned the stove on. Carefully, she pulled the blue food coloring from the cabinet above her. She went to the fridge and poured a glass of milk. She poured the dye in with it. Turning everything she cooked blue had become a ritual for her since Percy went missing. It made her feel better, yet was an offering of prayer at the same time. While she waited for the stove top to warm, she plucked the phone from its perch.
"We are calling to inform you that your credit or debit card may-"
Click!
"Mom-"
Sally choked on her milk and dropped the phone. Her glass fell right along with it, shattering into a million pieces. Sally dropped to her knees, scrambling for the phone. Her hands scraped against the glass, blood oozing from the new cuts. She didn't care. She put the receiver back to her ear.
"I'm on a quest"
Percy paused. Sally bit back a curse as tears streamed down her face.
"Oh gods, Percy!" Sally blubbered, "I love you, Percy, I love you!" She knew he couldn't hear her. Sally's heart had already been torn to pieces. This was almost too much to bear.
"I'll make it home. I promise, I love you" Percy finished.
Sally forcibly mashed the 7 button to replay the message.
"Paul! Paul! Get in here!" She cried out, her voice breaking into a full on sob. Paul came running.
"Sally?"
He saw her laying in the fetal position, her hands stained with blood.
"Gods, Sally! Are you okay? What happened?!"
He kneeled beside her. Sally shoved the phone to his face. His eyes widened. Sally started to laugh through her tears.
"He's coming home, Paul!" She smiled. "Oh, my baby's coming home!"
Paul wanted to tell her that it was great, but he also didn't want to get her hopes up.
"Now, Sally, he's on a quest. It's very dangerous-"
She cut him off with a strong kiss.
"Paul, he's coming home. He promised me"
She sighed and stared wistfully out the window. She leaned contentedly into Paul's arms.
"And if there's one thing I know about Percy, he never breaks his promises."