Harmonia had such wisdom to her that looking into her eyes made Megara feel foolish by comparison. Her daughter was a goddess now, and she'd never felt so small. The child she'd clung to for over a year didn't need her as much anymore. Now, she was better equipped than ever to let her go.
No sooner had that thought crossed her mind than Harmonia whipped her curly ginger head around and glared at her. "Mama. Send your bad thoughts away."
Megara's mouth dropped open, taken aback. "Bad thoughts?" she repeated.
Nearby, Hercules and Phil were equally as surprised.
"Yeah, the bad thoughts. Stop it," Harmonia replied. "They sound like big nasty bees buzzing around, and then I feel like they'll sting me. No more of that."
"I'm not sure how to…" Megara winced and closed her eyes. She was being too vulnerable and open in front of Phil. Her emotions spilled everywhere, and she didn't know how to block the gaps in her defenses.
Harmonia stood on the couch Hercules had set them on and pulled Megara's hands away from her face. "My mama doesn't cry like that anymore."
All her whirring and stormy emotions crashed together in Megara's heart and mind. Finally, she admitted, "I'm sorry, Moni. I don't feel like I'm being a good mother for you right now. It makes me wish I was better, but I'm not, and I don't think I can be better."
At that, Harmonia leaned in closer and widened her violet eyes, the same as her mother's but now glowing with power. "Don't say stuff like that to me. You are the best Mama ever. Aren't you?"
Megara laughed softly, unable to look away but aware of the others in the room watching them speak. This conversation was so unexpected that she wasn't sure how to handle it. Soon, she had to muster some manner of response, but how?
"Mama," Harmonia tilted her head. "It's easy. Don't start up again. I never like it when you get that way."
What was she supposed to do? She wasn't in control anymore. She was so broken open that she might as well be an oil jar spilling all over the storehouse.
"Harmonia, let Mama relax a little," Hercules said, picking the girl off the couch. "She doesn't like her emotions, either, but she doesn't know how to control them, and she feels better when we don't call her out like that."
"I can't ignore that!" Harmonia protested, kicking her little golden feet.
"She's just like you, Kid," Phil remarked. "Can't let anything go and always thinks she's the one who's gotta do something about it. We should take her to the League. She might be a member someday."
"I could do whatever I wanted!" Harmonia declared. "Put me down, Papa! I'm gonna talk to Mama!"
Hercules instead cradled her in the crook of his arm. "Moni, you've got to calm down; Mama likes it when we're happy around her." He smiled down at his daughter. "But I'm so proud of your heroic instincts. Phil's right, you're a lot like me."
"Good," Harmonia said. She looked down at Megara over the crest of her father's thick bicep. "Mama's so sad because she doesn't like being her. We couldn't make her feel better if I was like her, too."
Megara forced herself to sit up more on the couch despite her exhaustion, the weight of the twins, and their constant drain on her body. How did everyone know how vulnerable and weak she was? Even her daughter saw right through her to the self-loathing that plagued her every moment of each day.
"Hush, Moni." Hercules stepped away from the couch with tears in his eyes and Harmonia in his arms. He beckoned Phil to walk away, too. "We're going to leave Meg alone for a while. You need to only say nice things to her."
"She's gotta know, though!" Harmoonia exclaimed.
"Herc, don't take her away if she doesn't want to go," Megara said. More than whether or not Harmonia was ready to leave, she didn't want to lose contact with her daughter. She'd missed so many years now. Her baby wasn't even a toddler. She was much like a stranger except that she knew her so well, and it was obvious where she'd gotten those violet Theban eyes.
"She's got to understand–" Hercules began, but Harmonia had already started off again.
"Mama needs to say she's the best!" Harmonia demanded. "Mama! You are the best! Tell everyone!"
A sick feeling drove itself into Megara's stomach, even while her sons weighed down on her.
Harmonia wriggled more in her father's arms. "Mama!" she yelled, snapping Megara out of her spiral.
That was still her daughter, as oddly grown up as she'd become, and she was distressed. Not only that, it was Megara's own fault.
"I'm sorry," Megara told her.
"Me, too," Phil said. She'd almost forgotten the satyr was still there. He clattered out of the room in a hurry to avoid more of this emotional upheaval.
Harmonia leaned toward Megara, her arms and hands flexing open and closed. Then she looked up at her father. "Papa, she needs us."
Not even a second had passed before Hercules willed himself and Harmonia to the side of the couch where they could hover close to Megara. Hercules caressed Megara's tear-stained cheek, "I'm trying to do the right thing for you, Meg, and I just need you to know that… Both of us want yoo happy and safe…"
Harmonia mirrored the way her father touched her mother's face. "You are so nice, Mama," she said. "You try so hard, and you're always with me. I'm different because you intentionally made me different and didn't try to be like me. You are the best Mama. Now you say it so we can hear."
Megara didn't know what else to do. "I'm the best," she forced herself to say, watching her little goddess to see if she'd been appeased.
"You know it's true, right Meg?" Hercules asked in a shaky voice. "Moni's telling you the truth. You're the best, most selfless mother I ever met… and you've seen the two I have. My mortal mother might've chosen differently than you did, and my goddess-mother never had to worry about things like that. You're not giving yourself the credit you deserve, but we will. We always will, won't we, Moni?"
"Yeah," Harmonia said. "Because I'm like Papa, he doesn't let you be sad. I don't let you be sad, either. You're too good. So we're going to make you happy."
What had she ever done to deserve that?
"It's time to cuddle," Harmonia declared, latching her arms around Megara's neck. She shouldn't have been surprised that a divine daughter of Hercules was so strong.
"I agree. It's always time to cuddle," Hercules said, holding them all in his arms and burying his face against the side of Megara's neck.
She'd never been so overwhelmed by affection. How was she ever supposed to let go? One day soon, it wouldn't be her choice. But she knew now more than ever what she'd be forced to give up.
"Stop…" Harmonia whispered. "Stop and just cuddle."
She'd do her best.