Another Door Opens

64 - Why, pray tell, is Hades so familiar with Miles' dog's ass?

- EDEN -

Seeing as it's a Sunday morning, and we're all hungover, either in the very-drunk-last-night or the I'm-over-thirty-and-was-out-past-my-bedtime way, Heath and the other girls at Moonlight are covering for us and so Luna, Nella and I decided to ease into the end of the weekend by going out to brunch after getting some sleep. Soaking up the remaining alcohol in our system with food and coffee seemed to Luna and I to be the best use of our time. 

"I haven't felt this exhausted since I gave birth to Riv," Luna said, taking a sip from her third chai of the morning before yawning and stretching her arms over the back of her seat. We'd managed to snatch the last outdoor table so we could soak up the sun outside with Hades and Medusa, who have become staples at our best friend brunches these days. 

"Right there with ya," I said, and actually meaning it considering that eventful day. My own two caffeinated beverages have done nothing to ease the headache I've got, and the focaccia I'd already eaten was sitting uncomfortably in my hungover stomach.

Nella, however, unencumbered with an alcohol-induced hangover like Luna and I, had perked up after her coffee and was now looking over my shoulder with a wide grin on her face. But before I could question what she was smiling at, Hades stirred beside me where he lay at my feet, jumping up and very uncharacteristically walking away behind me on the footpath. 

"Hades! Come back!" I growled, turning in the direction he was headed and freezing instantly when I caught sight of Echo and Hades engaged in their doggy greeting of sniffing each other's asses, and my handsome boyfriend watching them with a chuckle. "Shit," I muttered quietly, but not quietly enough for Luna and Nella not to hear.

"Uh, Edes?" questioned Luna, one curious eyebrow heading way north into bangs territory. "Why, pray tell, is Hades so familiar with Miles' dog's ass?”

Stalling while waiting for my brain to catch up with my mouth with an explanation as to why Hades and Echo know each other so well, and the accompanying disclosure of Miles and I dating being the the reason for it, I believe the sound that came out of my mouth was something along the lines of, "Ughhmmn," followed by an awkward, fake and very obviously so, cough.

"'Morning, sweetheart," said Miles as he stood behind me, rubbing my shoulders and leaning down to kiss my temple. Luna and Nella watched, perplexed and eyes bulging from their sockets, as Echo pawed my lap to say hello, too. "I wasn't going to bother you, but Hades and Echo seemed to have other ideas." Turning to my friends sitting across from me, he greeted them cheerfully. "’Morning, ladies."

The dawning realisation on Luna's face said it all, as flashbacks of me professing my love for Miles last night in a drunken haze really set in. Luna turned to Nella, stunned, as she said, "Miles," emphasising the 'Mi' like she did last night trying to think of other names beginning with the same sound.

"And hello also to the boy my girlfriend won't shut up about," Miles said looking down at three month old River asleep in my arms. "It's a good thing you're so cute and that I'm not the jealous type, otherwise you and I would have some problems, mate."

Luna couldn't help herself, nor could she hold in her questioning any longer, though I was surprised she was able to pose it at all considering how low to the floor her jaw had dropped when Miles referred to me as his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry, Miles. Did you just say Eden was your girlfriend?"

I cowered my head and focussed on River stirring at the sound of his mother's incredulous voice, all the while anticipating the disappointment in Miles' reply. He obviously doesn't know that I haven't told everyone yet; or didn't until right now I suppose. I hadn't lied to him about it, but I avoided the topic whenever the idea of hanging out with my friends popped up, and he hasn't seen Wolfe much in his morning classes considering he's taken a break from them with a newborn River.