She looks toward the horizon, where sparkling blue water stretches out in every direction. Her feet lie in the wet sand where waves lap over them. Her caramel hair flutters in the breeze. Her eyes are clouded, full of longing.
There's a boy on her mind.
She still remembers everything about him.
His curly, unruly dark hair.
His dark brown eyes, sparkling with mischief.
His long nimble fingers tapping away at nothing, never completely still.
The machine oil that's always on his shirt and the fire blazing at his fingertips.
The flame isn't just at his hands. It's in his eyes, his heart, his mind. That flame has never gone out.
She gazed out to the sea, impatiently tapping her foot, looking for a magical raft that she knew would never appear, "Any moment now…". He had given her an odd look. "Maybe it got stuck in traffic."
She hears his voice in her head. With all the time that's passed, she's never forgotten his voice. Or the smooth planes of his face. Or anything about him. (He's different than any other hero who has washed up on her shore.) She hears him talk about his dragon Festus, his friends, his home. There's so much passion in his voice, it warms her heart. He talks about how he's going to come back and save her. He believes it, too.
"I'm coming back for you, Calypso," he whispered, so far away that she could barely make out his whispery voice. He probably never intended for her to hear, but her immortal ears were sharper than he thought. His next words ripped her still beating heart out of her chest. "I swear it on the River Styx."
Which makes her want to believe it. She wants it so bad. Deep inside, she knows those were words of an overconfident hopeful boy with colorful dreams and no limitations. That doesn't make her hope dim.
Because when Leo Valdez says he's going to do something, he does it.
Unwillingly, unknowingly, she came to love the boy. Love with every ounce of love in her lonely immortal heart.
But maybe he's not a boy anymore.
(Time was difficult in Ogygia, after all.)
Maybe he's a man.
Maybe he's grown a few inches and added on some muscle, and charmed a woman into marrying him. Maybe he's settled down with his wife and kids, and a warm home and a mechanic shop like he's always wanted.
"Nah, we could start our own shop. Leo and Calypso's Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters."
Forgotten all about her and her isolated island and her stupid ghosts.
Knowing that it's selfish and unreasonable, she hates that imaginary woman. Hates herself for being so foolish and hopeful and so desperately in love.
Where no one can see her or care, a tear slips out of her eye. It leaves a glimmering wet trail down her cheek and hangs at the edge of her jaw before dropping onto her tunic.
The gods are cruel.