Hello again. Those of you who are still following this have way more faith in me than I did. Thank you. Those of you who have been messaging me and reviewing and basically kicking my butt and telling me to get with it, thank you as well. I wouldn't have started again if you hadn't. All I can say about my absence is that it is personal and I'm going to try and start again. Bear with me everyone.
Lydia pov:
Marcella told me everything. She told me about growing up an orphan. She told me about discovering she was a half-blood and what camp was like all those years ago. She told me about the quests she had led, and her friends she made that she still talks to. She told me about meeting her husband, Nelson, while she studied at a college nearby, disguised as a man so they would admit her. She told me about her children and her grandchildren who still carry some of the blood of Athena, though one of her daughters married a son of Ares. She told me about when she worked at a museum and then as a teacher. She told me about when her husband died years ago, and when she moved to New York, so she could be near her grandchildren at camp.
I listened and I ached for all the things I had missed. She had spent her entire life having adventures and doing all these wonderful things, and I had missed it.
I told her about what had happened to me and how I got here. She laughed when I told her about the books. She wouldn't tell me why, but she apparently knew all about them. She told me that she liked Percy because he had reminded her of me. She told me about rallying up all her old friends from camp and heading to New York last summer. Apparently they had held off a good sized part of Kronos army just outside New York where people were still awake. They fought well for old people and of course they had their kids and anyone else they could get.
"The fighting never stops when you're a half-blood." I commented.
"No, you fight till you can't and then you hope you're not alone."
It was late now and so Marcella showed me to one of the guest rooms and said I could use some of her granddaughter's clothes to change into. Once I was alone I looked around at all the pictures on the walls. They were all of her family. All of them happy. Some were at camp. Others were in various different places around Vegas and New York.
I finally found one of our family. My mother, father, sister, and me. We all looked so normal and happy. I broke my heart to think about how much has changed.
I crawled under the covers and let my mind drift. So much had changed in just a matter of hours, I didn't think I could possibly sleep. But I was soon asleep. I guess exhaustion beats all.
That morning I woke up early. The sun was just rising. I dressed quickly and went downstairs to where Marcella said the kitchen was. She was already there, starting on breakfast.
"Are you feeding an army?" I asked when I saw how much she was making.
She laughed. "My children and grandchildren are an army. They are coming to meet you."
"Today?"
"Yes. They grew up hearing stories about you, so of course they are more than excited to meet their long lost aunt."
I was overwhelmed with excitement. I had nieces and nephews. I had great nieces and nephews, and I was going to meet them, right now.
I hurriedly helped with the cooking. Soon, I heard a car arrive. Marcella smiled at me and went to get the door. When she opened it I heard the babble of voices coming in.
Here we go.