history of man // percy jackson & the olympians

16 | schooled by a twelve-year-old

THE AIR FELT THICK WITH ANTICIPATION AS ANDIE STOOD BEFORE THE DOOR OF HER CHILDHOOD APARTMENT. ten years of separation weighed on her, and the nervous knot in her stomach tightened. the uncertainty of her father's reaction and the lingering fear that hades might have betrayed them loomed over her, casting a shadow on what should have been a moment of reunion.

she took a deep breath, her trembling hand reaching for the doorknob. slowly, she turned it, the creaking sound echoing her hesitation.

as the door opened, andie hesitated before stepping inside. the apartment, frozen in time, greeted her with a flood of memories.

the piano, where apollo had taught her the enchantment song in her dream, stood as a silent witness to the mystical connection she had with the divine.

the couch, where she had seen her parents both in love and bidding one another a tearful goodbye, held the echoes of a past she could never fully reclaim.

nostalgia wrapped around her like a bittersweet embrace. her eyes lingered on each piece of furniture, each corner that held a piece of her childhood.

yet, the fear persisted, gnawing at her that this might all be an illusion, a cruel trick orchestrated by the gods. she turned to close the door, a glance backward to imprint the scene in her mind. as the door clicked shut, a voice behind her shattered the stillness.

"andromeda."

she turned, and there he was – her father, looking at her with eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and overwhelming joy.

for a moment, time hung suspended, and andie couldn't believe he was real.

in a heartbeat, her bag dropped to the floor, forgotten, as she ran into his waiting arms. the embrace was tight, their tears mingling in a cathartic release of years of separation.

she hadn't felt the hug of her father in half of her life, and as they clung to each other, andie realized the depth of the void that had occupied her heart for those long years. his embrace was a sanctuary, a refuge from the trials and tribulations of her life. in his arms, she found solace, the kind that only a parent could provide. tears streamed down her face, a mixture of joy and the profound sorrow of time lost.

"i thought i'd never see you again." mikey whispered, his voice choked with emotion. andie tightened her grip, as if afraid that letting go would shatter the fragile reality of their reunion.

in the warmth of that moment, the scars left by years of longing began to heal. she had yearned for this connection, for the simple pleasure of feeling the heartbeat of her father.

he pulled back slightly, cupping her face in his hands, his eyes searching hers as if to etch this moment into his memory. "you came back," he said, his voice filled with wonder. "my little bambi came back."

andie's heart ached with a profound mixture of love and regret. the weight of the past pressed against her, but in the presence of her father, she felt the promise of a new beginning.

yet, the scars of separation ran deep, and as they stood there, locked in an embrace that defied the passage of time, andie couldn't help but mourn for the moments they could never reclaim. "i'm sorry, daddy." she managed through her sobs. "i'm sorry i took so long."