Annabeth:
I double-checked Sarah's suitcase, making sure she had everything for our trip to California to see my family.
My dad had been waiting to meet Sarah for months, and Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time. Plus, I definitely needed to be out of the state while Percy worked out the arrangements with Cali, who I still hate no matter how much Percy has forgiven her. Our plan had been that Percy would come with us to California, but his mother became sick. And Percy always had a soft spot for his mom.
So, we didn't book him a ticket and told my father of the sudden change. I suppose it would be better this way anyway. My two brothers had always been protective of me, and they had learned to hate Percy after hearing I was pregnant with his child. I'm sure they'll get over it, as they usually do, but they haven't yet.
"Why can't you come, Daddy?" Sarah pouted as Percy continued to search her room for her favorite doll, a kangaroo she named 'Roo'.
"I have to take care of Grandma. But I promise that I'll be with you at the next holiday," Percy barely looked away from the closet, trying to figure how she had lost something that she barely ever parted with.
Sarah responded by thrusting out her bottom lip and huffing as she plopped down on her bed.
"We better get going. Our flight leaves pretty soon," I zipped up Sarah's suitcase and smiled warmly, ignoring how she was still pouting, "Why don't you go look for Roo?"
Sarah looked up at me, weighing her options. She could continue to pout and go without her favorite doll for five days, or she could look for the doll and pass up a great opportunity to guilt her father. After a few moments, she got up and left the room to search for the doll some more.
"Did you leave your dagger?" Percy asked as he stood up from the closet, giving up.
"Yes, Percy."
"Both of them?"
I quickly felt through my purse and found a pointy object. I pulled it out to see a Christmas present from Malcolm three years ago, a dagger. I glared at Percy and handed it to him. He smiled and took it gingerly, happy to know he was right.
"Not one word, Perseus. Not one word," I warned, even though my eyes were already sending the same message.
"How 'bout two?" Percy smirked, "Ha, Ha."
I playfully hit him, and I began to really want my dagger back, as I usually had weapon withdraw. As soon as I went on the road with Luke and Thalia, I didn't want to be without a weapon, even if it wasn't really that helpful. When I got nervous, I used to dig my dagger into tables or the ground. Later, I would light my lighter without even thinking about it. When it reached the point where I was around humans more and more, I stopped with all that, but I still liked being armed.
"Or, shut up," I picked back up my suitcase, and Percy wheeled Sarah's. I came down the stairs, and Percy followed me.
"What are you really going to be doing for the next few days?" I pouted, realizing suddenly where Sarah got it from.
"I need to be with my mom. Then there's…Calli."
I cringed.
"And, you know, I also need to get to work on the adoption process. You know, Renee is still hell-bent."
I cringed again.
"The two women I hate most, aside from…" I trailed off and stared at the sky.
"You don't have to finish it, Annabeth," Percy smirked and I began to run down the stairs of the condo, towards Sarah.
"Have you found it yet, Sarah?" I smiled, trying not to look so sad. For one, I hated Calli and Renee, who I would have to deal with pretty soon and Percy kept bringing it up. Then, there was the fact that Percy wasn't coming with me for Thanksgiving.
As if to answer, Sarah was hugging a stuffed animal that she hadn't let me wash in two weeks. I didn't understand how she had lost it though. Sarah loved the doll like it was her real pet kangaroo. Sometimes I even wondered if it came to life every time we weren't in the room because she loved it so much. She didn't sleep without it, and it was a miracle she didn't take it to school. So how the hell did she lose it?
"Alright then. We better get going, huh?" I smiled weakly at Sarah, and she immediately looked up at Percy, as if a last plead for him to accompany us.
XXXXXX
Our flight left at three or so, right after Sarah had lunch. Our flight seemed like torture, but it was finally over. I called my dad to tell him I was on my way to his townhouse. The drive home usually took about thirty minute if by cab and twenty if I was driving. But, of course, I wasn't driving.
I didn't like coming in right now. It was cold and rainy and dark. In a nice summer's day, I could remember the happy times here. I remembered running away. I remembered awkwardness when I came home. I remembered cold and rainy days as I walked home from the bus stop after being repeatedly called 'Egg Head' by bullies at school. Romans (need I say more).
When it was bright, I thought of other things. Walking by the bay with my friends. Taking the ferry to Alcatraz with Percy when he would suddenly show up at the shore. Reading a bedtime story to my little brothers and them not being total buttheads (And, yes, while third grade, it fit them perfectly). Spending part of my summer taking some classes at my dad's college. Driving down to the beach with my best friends, my Californian best friends, and relaxing after a stressful summer.
Sarah had Roo tucked into her backpack, and she finished the last of her gummy worms that we had bought while our luggage was a little late. She had just gotten off the phone with Percy, who was settling in with a black and white movie while checking some things for work. Calli hadn't given him any trouble, or, if she had, Percy hadn't told me.
The cab lurched to a stop, and I paid the man. Sarah and I scurried out and towards our bags. When I had both of the small suitcases by my side, Sarah and I went to knock on the door. As we waited there and listened to the cab speed away, I felt sick. I wanted to run, run as fast as I could to get away from here.
But, before I could think about that, the door swung open with my father standing there.
XXXXXX
Sarah plopped down on my old bed beside me and slid into the covers.
I had expected Dad and Susan to get rid of all this and make my room a guest room, but they didn't. I still had the bunk bed with a twin on top and a queen on bottom. Grey walls with a poster of some Olympic swimmer that Percy had loved when we were teenagers. My black desk still had yearbooks and notebooks spread across it, along with a family picture of me at College graduation, which was probably the last time I had really spent a whole lot of time here. There were old clothes in my closet, some in plastic wrap covered with dust. I could still see the spot where I carved a small owl into my closet door in revolt towards my step mother.
I had come home many times, but it felt so weird to be in my room now. The last time I had been here, I had dislocated my past, as if it was just something I read about as a child. This time, it was my life. It was something I honed up to, something I was living again.
"Night, Mommy," Sarah yawned and turned over in the top bunk. I smiled up at her, unable to think of life without her now.
"Good night, Sarah. I love you."
"Love you," Sarah told me drowsily, "too, Mom."
I tried to think of Calli as a mom, but I couldn't really see it. Now, of course, I couldn't have pictured me as a mom a few months ago, but it was still hard to think of her like that, especially after seeing her break into Percy's apartment like that. But I was also dating her ex, who she was trying to get back with. I wasn't supposed to like her.
"Sweet dreams," I slid into the blankets and tried to go to sleep.
Sarah and my family had gotten along alright. Sure, we only spoke for a little bit before I realized that Sarah really needed to get to bed. I knew that the weekend would go fine, as long as my little brothers never brought up her father, but I could warn them of that later.
I kept trying to sleep, but I missed Percy. We hadn't been together too long, and he hadn't been living for me for too long either. But I had gotten used to him beside me, and I couldn't sleep without him.
By the time I gave up, I could hear Sarah snoring. I quietly creeped out of my bottom bunk, and I'm surprised that I managed that after my dad made sure it was squeaky back when I was a teenager. I went through the hallway and almost cried.
I zipped up my hoodie a little farther and pulled the hood over my head. It was raining outside, something that seemed to be happening all the time recently. I slid my uniform-code Mary Janes into my backpack and put on the black and white rain boots I bought a week ago after it kept raining.
"Annabeth, good luck on your test, Darling," Susan kissed the side of my head, and I bit my lip not to cringe. She took the twins by the hand and started to take them outside. She drove them to school every morning after Bobby kept getting in trouble on the bus. We went to different schools still, and I still went on the bus. I could have asked Susan to drive me to school every day, but I still didn't really like her enough for that. I preferred to see her only at dinner and breakfast.
I nodded towards her and looked back towards my father. He was finishing off his cup of coffee and a local newspaper, barely even noticing I was there.
"Need a cab, Annie?"
I cringed at 'Annie'.
"Sure, I guess. I can still go to the bus though," I shrugged and finished my glass of orange juice.
"I'll pick you up today after my lecture," Dad got up and handed me cash. He kissed the side of my head and folded up his newspaper.
"Thanks," I smiled weakly and stood up from the table, sliding the money into my pocket.
I kept on walking past the master bedroom, the twins room, and my dad's study so fast as not to remember anything. I went down the stairs slowly as not to wake up my step-mother, who I swear has the ears of a dog. Without thinking about it, I went to the kitchen and flicked on the lights.
My father sat at the table in blue pajamas with a book about Greek Myths in front of him. He sipped at a cup of coffee or tea or something. His dim brown eyes looked up at me, and he smiled weakly.
"Hey, Annabeth. Want some coffee?" he held up a mug, "It's decaf."
"No thanks," I came to sit directly in front of him, like I did when I was a kid.
"You don't blame me, do you?"
"What?"
"About Sarah? I showed you how it could work out with a kid when you're young. And I helped you decide to put her up for adoption, you know," Dad asked, and I stared at him for a moment or two.
"No, I don't blame you. I want to, but you didn't sign the papers. I did," I waited for a moment before asking the question that was really on my mind, "Dad, did you want to put….put me…up for adoption?"
He looked at me, and I saw he didn't need to answer the question. His eyes just did that for him.
Barely able to even breathe, I waited a minute before saying anything else.
"Why didn't you?"
He paused.
"Your mom."
He waited for another few moments before talking some more.
"I loved her so much, Annabeth. Like how you love Percy. You know you shouldn't, and it's not like how it is supposed to be. But you love them."
I nodded.
"Well, I was about to give custody to your grandmother, and you said your first word. You were so young, but you said 'DaDa'. And I realized that you were the best of your mother and me. I realized then that your mother was…never coming back."
"So you kept me," I nodded.
"I love you Annabeth. I just didn't think I could be a father at that point in my life."
And he couldn't.
"I know," I thought back to Sarah. She wouldn't think of me like this, right? I didn't want to be a parent like my dad, one that you learn to love. I had 'forgiven' him for the first few years, but it still hurt. Sarah wouldn't hold a grudge against me like I do with him? Right?
"If I could do it again, I wouldn't have given you up," my dad smiled like it was supposed to comfort me.
It didn't.
There was no winning situation, but life would have been easier, and better, with my grandmother raising me. My dad could ease into a relationship with me once he had grown up, and I wouldn't have these emotional scars.
But I guess I owed him.
He brought me to Percy.
"If I could do it again, I would have listened to Percy."
"He wanted to raise Sarah, right?"
I nodded.
"If you tell him this, I will kill you, but he's a good boy."
I smiled and nodded.
"You two are back together, right?"
I paused and took this chance.
"We moved in together about two weeks ago, or so."
My dad looked at me for a moment before nodding like he knew it had been inevitable.
"I know where this is going," Dad shook his head and sipped at his coffee.
"What are you talking about?"
"I bet you that you'll be getting married this time next year."
"It's been like a month, Dad."
"No, you've been in love with each other for sixteen years, Annabeth."
"He just got divorced. He won't want to rush into a marriage."
"You also said that he would never forgive you, Annabeth," Dad smiled.
"I'm going to go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning," I stood up, and he smiled goodnight.
"Sarah's beautiful, you know," Dad smiled, but I saw some bit of sadness in his brown eyes, "She looks like you."
And I look like my mom.
"Thanks, Dad."
Percy:
"Is she there?"
I knew Calli was scowling.
"Annabeth is with Sarah at her dad's for Thanksgiving. Now, we need to get this finished."
"I can't believe you're with her. I mean, she ruined your life."
"She gave me Sarah, which I love more than anything. Now, will you shut up?"
"And she took her, you know. Doesn't it hurt that you are just now getting to know about your daughter?" Calli complained, and I hit my head on my desk.
"You think it didn't hurt that my wife had an affair and got pregnant with some old rich dude's kid?"
"He was only a few years older than us, Percy."
"I don't give a damn, Calli. You're still holding his kid."
"Her name is Amanda."
"And what was her father's name? Or maybe his wife's name?"
Finally, Calli shut up.
"You want to move in by December. The realtor has worked just about everything out. So, why are you calling me?"
Calli paused for another moment before responding.
"You aren't going to marry her, are you?" she spoke like she was scared of it.
"No, I'm not going to marry my realtor. Any other weird questions?"
"No, Annabeth. You aren't going to marry Annabeth, right?"
"I don't know, Calli. Why may I ask are you asking this?"
"That means yes."
"How does that mean yes?"
"Because, if this was just some girl you were dating, you would say no. But you said you didn't know. How can you marry her?" Calli screeched, and I began to wonder why the effin hell I married her in the first place.
"It's been a month, Calli," I shook my head, remembering that, at one point in my life, I had loved how stubborn she was.
"She's pretty, I guess. If you like blondes…"
"Well, I do."
"Typical."
"What?"
"It's typical for guys to like blondes. They always think that brunettes are harder to get."
"Let's see. You broke into my apartment, begged me to take you back, came to my apartment again, begged me again, and started renting my apartment. it's not like you were hard to get, Markalli."
"Don't call me that."
"Don't insult my girlfriend."
"What kind of a deal is that?"
"The one I'm making."
My computer pinged with an email, and I quickly pressed accept.
Miss you so much, Perce. My brothers aren't as bad as I had expected, and everyone just loves Sarah. Probably more than the love me ;-) How's your mom? I can't wait to get home on Friday. –Annabeth
I smiled to myself.
Miss you guys so much. Mom's better. Calli's a pill, but she's getting better than before. Glad to know your brothers aren't still plotting on how to kill me over dinner ;-D Have fun with your family. Kiss Sarah for me. –Percy
"Oh, that's my mom. I better go check on Amanda."
"Goodbye, Calli."
I hung up the phone, happy to finally be rid of her.
Even worse than my brothers conspiring against you, my dad's been bringing up marriage every five seconds since I told him we moved in together. Oh, and call Calli a bitch for me ;-D –Annabeth
I shook my head, still smiling and sent back a witty email and pressing send.