Here is Chapter 7.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Hera smiles and walks through the revolving doors in front of her. She looks up and squints. There it was again. That Shadow.
It followed her around, it intrigued yet frightened her. She shouldn't have to be scared, nothing would hurt her, and after all, Hera is a Goddess.
The Goddess breathed in and out deeply. She had something else on her mind. She had to lift this weight off her shoulders.
Hera slipped through the crowd and discreetly entered the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed around her and she walked toward the vaulted mansion, her mind tried to form the words she would say to him.
Her hand reached up to knock on the door and she thought twice. He would be at his forge, not here at his home on Olympus.
She teleported herself to the volcano he would usually be.
Hera was met with thick smoke and scorching heat. She coughed and waved her hand in front of her, trying to clear the smoke.
She turned to a Cyclops staring at her with his big blue eye.
"Where is your Lord Hephaestus?" She asks him.
He bowed and spoke," My Lady, walk straight then to the left is the room he is in."
She nodded and turned to walk off. The leaded air burned at her eyes and throat. How could he stand this type of air?
She turned left to see a large wooden door with a hammer engraved upon it. Hera took a deep breath which brought on another bout of coughing. Reached her hand out to the doorknob and twisted. She looked around and sitting there, hunched over the desk, working on and object, was her son, Hephaestus.
Her heart clenched. He looked so alone.
"Hephaestus", he turned around and stared and Hera noticed his dark hazel-red eyes.
"Mother", Hephaestus grunted," what brings you here"?
She cleared her throat and moved 5 feet in front of him.
Her next words startled him. "I'm sorry", she blurted out.
"For what"? He inquired, narrowing his gaze.
"For what I did to you", she sat on a chair beside him, he tensed," Hephaestus, my son, I'm sorry for hurting you the way I did, not just physically but emotionally as well. I made you feel inadequate, unloved, and resentful. And trust me, you have every right to be, what I did out of vanity was cruel, heartless and just plain evil. You can hate me", her voice cracked," I fully understand, you have every right to think me vile. But know that you have value, you have so much value, you could make anything out of everything", he looked down at the hammer he was making out of celestial bronze, and nodded. Hera's eyes glazed over.
"Everyone respects you and you are well liked, you are sweet and kind, many people favor you". She stopped and swallowed. "But I don't like you", she whispered. Hephaestus looked up at her, if she was here to tell him how much she hated him, she should get out right now. "I love you, my son", Hera let a tear fall down her cheek.
Hephaestus looked shocked, if not caught off-guard. Did she just say she loved him? Hera never said that before. Of course she never could, because of him keeping distance from her.
"Why now, Mother, is it because you want the Gods aligned next to you, most likely, your children, because you want to revolt against Father, if so Mother, then it isn't working. You could never convince me you love me", he whispered the last part. "Do you even love me"?
She took a deep breath. "I was foolish, blinded by jealousy that my husband had perfect children, at that time I thought I didn't, now I realize what a dolt I was", she looked at him with pleading eyes," I had the most perfect children in the world, no matter if they made things or destroyed them. All I ask, Hephaestus, is forgiveness, forgiveness for my behavior, my idiocy." With that she was finished.
Hera had let it out, the thing that has been pulling her down since 50 years ago and today, she had the courage to tell someone she cared about that she cared about them.
Her eyes met his.
Hephaestus sighed.
"I believe you, Mother; you regret what you have done. Though … I do not know if it is enough."
He sighed once more.
"I forgive you", Hera sighed in relief," but I will never forget the pain you have caused me".
He turned away, motioning for her to leave. Before she teleported away, Hera looked at him.
"Hephaestus", he looked up," no matter what anyone says, you will always, from now on, be beautiful to me".
Hera smiled a small, sad smile and disappeared.
Hephaestus sat back and mused.
Hera teleported back to her mansion, her smile having not disappeared. Everything there was set. A kitchen, many bedroom, bathrooms, a Jacuzzi in 3 of them, a living room, dining room and many more. The cobwebs removed and the entire place dusted it was now a healthy living environment.
She sighed and plopped down on the sofa. Her brain whizzed with the happenings of the previous few months.
John, he was the only thing that seemed important, more important than her divorce, which was pretty huge.
She thought about him as she rested her head back and stared at the ceiling.
Hera decided to analyze him from the outside in.
He was devastatingly handsome. Blonde hair that was a couple shades lighter, probably due to the sun. Blue eyes as rich and dark as the sky when Apollo would land, beautiful and alluring as though daring you to say something to him yet he wouldn't care because of his concern about everything else going on. His face chiseled, and she had to admit, he was more handsome than any God she had ever seen. Tan skin, probably due to a lot of sun time. John had the body of an athlete, hard muscled and slightly buff and when she had her arm around his, she couldn't help but feel the firmness. He really was beautiful. Inhumanely and as weird as this may sound, ungodly beautiful, she thought.
Yet, the one thing that attracted her to him was his personality: calm, welcoming and slightly humorous. He made her laugh and for the first time in a long time, she felt happy and cared about. They didn't really need to talk to express their voice or what they were thinking, she noted, her mind wandering to their little walk. She wondered why he seemed a bit sad. There was something weird in his eyes, like hurt that's trying to stay down- deep down inside of him.
She shook her head, Hera had to stop thinking about him yet she repeatedly finds herself thinking about him.
And so she thought of other things, like her life, the eight centuries of her immortal life she missed and … John.
She closed her eyes with a sigh and fell asleep.
Zeus landed on soft marble and looked around the home, the early signs of moving were still there. He turned around and there sleeping with one hand on her stomach and the other falling with grace from the side of the sofa. Her hair fell in wisps over the side of her head, looking like coffee being elegantly spilled. He was dazzled.
She was beautiful, had always been beautiful, it's the reason why he had fallen for her in the first place. He loved her, loves her and will always love her.
He stride towards her and knelt beside her by the couch. His hand reached out to lightly graze her arms skin with his finger; he then traced his fingers above to her collar bone, to the hollow of her neck to her cheek and cupped it with his hand. His other hand reached to grasp the hand draped over the front of the sofa. He tilted his head and reached down. He kissed her, lightly. Gently, how she always liked it. His other hand entwined her fingers with his.
Zeus sighed and looked up to gaze into the wide and alert eyes of his ex-wife.
Review please.
Oh, and what's wrong with Zeus? Doesn't he get it when people say they are over?
OMGs get over yourself/ lull!
-S