Annabeth:
"No, Dad, I'm fine," I sat the last box down in Sarah's room. Renee-ugh beyond belief- was dropping her off in three days. My hearing was tomorrow morning. Percy and I set up an appointment to see some schools in Manhattan by our apartments and work due for five days from now. It was almost August, which meant school was coming up soon. Well, that and Percy's birthday and what could have been the twelfth anniversary for us. Of course, we would never bring that up to Sarah. She and Percy were going to see his mom, who hadn't met her yet, and no one would be stupid enough to bring up what happened on his sixteenth birthday.
I told my dad a few days ago about Sarah, and he's been calling me nonstop since. When I first told him I was pregnant, he flew up to Boston to see me and stayed for almost a week. He dropped in every now and then, and I skipped camp that year to stay with him in California. It was with him that I put her up for adoption. He even helped me pick Jill and Eric out for her.
Now, he couldn't go a day without calling me and asking me about her or what was going on with the whole situation. If he knew Percy's number, I'm pretty sure he'd call and ask him, too. I love my father, but he doesn't have any grandchildren other than Sarah. He and my stepmom only had two boys, Matthew and Bobby.
Bobby lives in San Francisco where he is currently still in school. Once out of college, he plans to become a lawyer, and that career is really important to him. He'll never settle for anything less, and a girl might get in the way of that. Right now, he says that he just wants to have fun for a while. His twin, Matthew, is a tad bit different. He spend almost all of high school trying to get into Oxford, which he did successfully. He's dating a girl over there-Maggie?- who is one year younger than him. He doesn't know if he wants to return to the states once he's done with school, and, if he does, she'll be out of the picture faster than you can see 'Goodbye'. I met her once when I flew up there with my family to go see him, and she didn't seem like the kind of girl for him. Either way, it's clear to see neither of them are planning to settle down any time now. So, Sarah is the only grandchild, and he wants to spoil her rotten.
"Annabeth, you just met your daughter after six years. I think you need a break. You must be under such stress," my father's voice of reason told me through the phone. I sighed heavily. I had been hearing this from everyone around me. First, Rachel told me I needed to take a breath and relax. I did that for an hour or so, but she didn't believe me. So, I had to go on a shopping spree yesterday with her for the hearing- which was pure torture I might add. Percy said I needed to calm down repeatedly. Malcolm took away a client from me saying it was causing me unnecessary stress. Then, somehow, I got stuck shopping with his wife for baby stuff. Whenever someone tells me calm down, it usually means I'm about to have to do something I really didn't want to do.
"Dad, I am fine. I don't need to take a breath. I don't need to get out of town for a while, and I don't need suggestions about what I should do from everyone. I just need to get this done."
I know everyone is trying to help. I get that, but they're not helping by doing this.
They're right. I'm scared. I don't know how to raise a child, especially a six year old. I don't know her like a mother should, and I can't stop but worry about Percy. He won't tell me anything, especially about his ex-wife. I don't know why though. You basically have to force him to talk. Otherwise, I think he'd never say anything again. How's this whole shared custody thing going to go?
And work is hard for both of us. Say we both have meetings that we can't skip? Who would take care of Sarah? And who gets her for what holidays? She also has to see her adopted family. We have to somehow work that in. Oh, and let's face it. That bitch Renee is probably going to show up here every now and then. I can't take that. I just can't.
I shook the thought of the diamond-covered Renee, and I went to Sarah's closet. I hadn't been in here since I moved in here about three years ago, and I had no idea what to expect. I pulled the door open to see a bunch of boxes on the floor and a dress hanging up.
I rubbed the familiar black fabric between my fingers and remembered everything about the day I first wore it. My mom gave it to me for a fifteenth birthday present. It lasted two years on me before I pushed it to the back of a closet, and it was in that dress that I did a lot of things. I went to my first dance in California in it. I went on my first date with Percy in it. I went to an Artemis Hunter open house (I was only there to see Thalia) in this dress, and I was wearing this dress during the big 'I love you exchange' with Percy. I hadn't been able to get myself to get rid of it even though it didn't fit me at all by now.
"I'm sorry, Sweetie. I'm just looking out for you," Dad's voice snapped me out of the trance of memories the dress gave me.
"I know, Dad."
I left the dress on the hanger, not really sure what to do with it. Saying I'd think it over later, I took a Swiss Army knife out of my jean pocket and cut the first of three boxes open. It held random things, mostly pictures of Percy and I or just random events. I pushed it back and went to the second. This one held a Harvard sweat shirt and little things that I couldn't get myself to part with. On top, a worn, stuffed owl smiled at me.
My grandmother's warm smile looked down at me. It was supposed to help me, but it just made me feel worse. The fabric of my flower girl dress scratched at me, making me squirm in my seat. I had tried not to look behind me to where my new step-mother would be appearing, but I watched with horror as my father's face lit up. I didn't need to look behind me to know she had entered.
"Stand up, Annabeth," my grandmother's warm brown eyes looked down at me. I had never seen them so electric. It was like I was staring at the stars they were so bright. I did as she said, barely able to see past all of the adults, but I managed to see Susan. Her chocolate brown eyes were looking nowhere but at my dad, and she was holding a bouquet. A white, frilly dress, which was very similar to mine, made a 'swish' sound as she walked, and I didn't think I had ever heard anything so awful. When my grandmother sat down, I followed her example. I could have died as I watched my father and Susan (A/N: What was her name again?) smile to each other at the altar.
I squeezed the stuffed owl my mom had given me as if it would make her suddenly appear and stop this all. I hadn't seen my mom in almost a year, and it was all Susan's fault. My mom used to come see me a lot, but then Daddy started dating Susan. Mom stopped coming as much, especially when he proposed to Susan. It had been eight months ago that it happened, and everything had gotten worse since then. She moved in last week, and she's acting as if she's my mom. She's not. Athena is, and I don't want Susan. I want my mom.
As I sat there, watching the wedding, I began to picture my mom there instead of Susan. Her blonde hair would be up just like Susan's, but she wouldn't be wearing the same dress. She would be wearing something Greek and beautiful, not old and stuffy like Susan. Daddy would be smiling wider, too.
"I do."
The words seem to echo around the room, and I couldn't handle it any more. I pulled the doll up to my chest and squeezed it harder. Usually, my grandmother would have told me to smile and put the doll down, but she was too busy watching as her only son got married. I had to avert my eyes from my father to my Aunt Mary who was wearing an awful blue dress beside Susan. Aunt Mary looked away from Daddy and looked at me as if she sensed I needed her.
'It'll be okay, Annabeth,' she mouthed at me and smiled. I can't say it helped me much. Daddy was still marrying Susan, but at least one person cared about how I felt. Daddy hadn't even asked me how I felt about this. He thought I was so happy to have Susan as a new mom, but I didn't want her. I wanted her to leave us alone. Life was perfect before he met her. I was the girl in his life, and he loved me more than anything. Mommy used to come visit me all the time, and I loved it. But, he didn't care. He went to that stupid party, and he met Susan. And he dated her. And he's marrying her. My eyes began to water at that thought.
"I know it's sweet, Annabeth," Grandmother wrapped her arm around my shoulders and smiled. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I was crying because I was sad, not happy like her. The minister looked at my father, and my heart skipped a beat. The pastor asked him the question, and Daddy looked at Susan. His mouth opened to say something.
"I"
"Mommy, please make him say 'don't'," I mentally prayed.
"Do."
I looked at the doll, about to cry. I liked Susan now. Well, I didn't hate her, and I accepted that they married and had kids. But I would trade her for my mother in a heartbeat.
"Dad, I have to go," I choked back a sob. I didn't feel like talking to anyone. I just wanted to get this done and have a drink. My childhood still makes me emotional. It wasn't exactly a happy time, and I don't want it to be like that with Sarah. I want her to be able to smile on her childhood like Percy can.
Percy made my heart sink lower. I looked down at the next box, and I knew exactly what was going to be in it. I only had a few pictures of Sarah, and they would all be in that box. Given my delicate state, opening it wouldn't be a good idea.
"Alright, I'll call you tomorrow after the hearing. Good luck, Annabeth."
"Thanks, Dad," I wiped away a tear before I hung up the phone.
As if it could calm me or something, I looked around Sarah's room. It had been painted her favorite color, green, by my wonderful brother. Anything pink was gotten rid of immediately, and everything else seemed perfect. I stared at a poster of Sarah's favorite Olympic swimmer. Sure, she'd always see a role model who made his dreams come true, but I saw an insanely hot Adonis-like guy. I smiled at the thought of Percy at his first swim meet, and it felt way better than the depression I had earlier. I stood up and put my cell phone in my back pocket.
I returned to the boxes I had left at the doorway. Both Percy and I call Sarah every day. So, we found out what she wanted. My room for her was green, and Percy's was ocean-themed. I had the technology (A/N: I can't stand the idea of no technology because I'm a total techie. So, demigods can use it) and he had the water. It was like she got the two rooms she always wanted, or said she wanted anyway. I took out my boxes from the closet and put in hers. I didn't know where she wanted what do I just left it there. I took away the black dress, half wanting to throw it out, but I didn't dare. I put the faded dress down on the one of the boxes and set it ontop of the only closed one. Once that was hidden in the back of my closet, I came back for the third.
I stopped in the doorway, unable to breathe.
"Mom?"
The woman turned around to look at me, her grey eyes assessing everything about me as it had been three years since I last saw her. Her lips formed a crisp smile at me, almost making me want to cringe at how it reminded me so much of Renee. Athena moved her arms from where it had been crossed against a black business suit. The look in her eyes told me that she wasn't just here for a friendly chat. She had business to attend to. My business.
"Annabeth," she smiled and stepped a little closer to me, her heels clacking against the hardwood floors. Athena was using the same form she had always used for me and my father. She always had this same face when I saw her, of course she dressed differently. Usually she wore jeans and a grey peasant blouse when I saw her as a child, but, by the time I finished with school, she started dressing like me. For public appearances, not that there were many, she looked old enough to be my mother, but she stayed like this in private. Her pale skin reminded me of one of those vampires in Twilight. Her thin body couldn't have been older than twenty seven. Her many pearl necklaces jangled as she walked closer and closer to me, along with the matching bracelets on her right wrist. The only ring she wore was a college ring that my dad gave her. She knew I loved it when she wore it.
"Oh how I've missed you," she pulled me into a hug, and, though the grey tweed jacket scratched at my skin, I hugged her back.
She had been the opposite of thrilled when she found out I was pregnant. She threatened to disown me until I explained everything about how I left Percy, planned to put the baby up for adoption, and how awful I felt about things. I guess her mothering instincts kicked in, and she was there for me when I put the baby up for adoption. We agreed not to speak of it, and we didn't while I finished Olympus. I didn't see her much after that. I guess she had other kids to handle. I didn't mind though. As time went on, it showed that she regretted talking me into letting go of Sarah, and I didn't like to think like that.
"I guess you heard about Sarah, huh?" I asked, masking how vulnerable I felt at that moment. Seeing my mom did this to me. It reminded me of that little seven year old girl who ran away from her father because she felt rejected.
Athena released me and nodded.
I didn't know how to feel about it. She already knew she was born. So, what's the big deal? But the way she looked at me made me feel bad. I felt like a twelve year old girl watching as my mother looked at Percy and I disapprovingly. The urge to make her proud began to overpower me, and I hated feeling like this little girl. I was in my late twenties. Why was I so obstinate to make that disapproving look disappear?
"I am so happy for you, Annabeth," Athena warmly looked at me.
Where's the 'but' in this sentence?
"But…"
"And there it is," I mumbled.
"Annabeth, I know how you are for Percy, but…" she trailed off as though she didn't know how to finish this sentence without insulting me. It was too late though.
"Mom, I'm getting custody of my daughter who I haven't seen in six years, and you care about how I'm still in love with Percy?"
Athena shut her eyes as if she were dealing with a thirteen year old who thought they had the world all figured out.
"I'm trying to make sure things are going to be okay for my daughter and granddaughter," she looked at me, her eyes saying "You'll understand this someday." But I wouldn't. I knew that if this had been some other guy she'd stay out of the way, but when the son of her enemy shows up, she can't step back.
"Mom, is this about Percy or is this about how he's the son of Poseidon?"
Athena hesitated for a moment. I didn't need an answer after that. She cared about who his father was and that we had Sarah when we were so young. I wanted to say 'You do know it took two, right?' but I wouldn't dare. She was a goddess, even if she minored as an overprotective mother.
"I'm trying to take care of you."