Dear Readers,
I'M BACK! I've been really busy, so sorry if this is a bit short. As of present, I don't have a solid idea of how long this'll be... I guess we can find out together! Well... not really, since I have to finish writing this before you can read it... Technicalities! Whatever! I'm in a good mood.
I wonder how my good mood will affect the plot. We shall see.
Anyways, please excuse any typos I make, and, as always...
Happy Reading!
<3 Lunie
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Will
Gods of Olympus, kindergarten is stressful.
Never thought I'd be saying that, but here I am.
Angie started her first year of real school this year, and I'm nearly pulling my hair out with worry. Every day.
I'm trying public school for her - so far, she's liking it. And she hasn't, like, blasted some kids using some of her grandfather's powers.
I think she's able to fly, but only hovering a little - except in life-or-death situations. She loves the swings we have in the backyard, since she can feel like she's flying but not have to actually try to fly. She's really mature, for a 5-year-old.
I check my watch. It's about time.
I walk out the front door, still in my work clothes, to meet the bus. I walk to the corner, waiting.
"Hey there, Mr. Hottie!" I groan inwardly. It's our neighbor, Emily Gess. She's obsessed with me - every time I come to the bus stop, which is unfortunately in front of her house, she saunters up and starts chatting with me.
"Hi, Emily." I say, turning to face her. Just keep smiling. Pretend you don't hate her with a passion.
"Look at you, looking sharp," She says as she walks up to me, baby on her hip. She has something like 4 kids - and she's 20. In addition to being so young, she isn't married - all her children are only half siblings. Different man each time.
She leans in way to close, and I can smell the unpleasent mix of alcohol and cigarettes on her breath. I try not to gag.
"You, hottie, should come over to my place sometime. I can put the kids in the basement, they don't care. We can have some, ah, alone time, upstairs." She puts her hand on my shirt and starts slowly dragging it downwards, until I step back and her hand drops limply.
"What's the matter big boy?" She whispers, stepping too close again. Does she even know the phrase 'personal space'? "Afraid to get... intimate?" She breathes the last word and is so close to me that I physically - gently, sort of - have to push her away to get her off of me.
"No thanks, I don't do... that." I wanted to finish that sentence with 'girls', and acknowledge the elephant in the room. Of course, that elephant is basically invisible to Emily - she's obsessed with trying to get me to sleep with her. In a way it would be a relief to tell her that I'm gay, but then that would just open a whole different can of worms. She seems like the type of person who would be homophobic, and I just really don't feel like answering the questions that come with telling people I'm gay.
I will never sleep with her - ever. I don't like her in any way, and definitely not in that way. I haven't liked anyone in that way since... him.
I hear the bus and I gratefully turn away from Emily and my thoughts, watching the bus pull up. Angie is the first one off, chatting happily with Jia - her best friend, and our neighbor.
"Bye Jia! See you tomorrow!" Angie calls, then she turns toward me, the happiest smile on her face.
"Hi, Daddy! Did ya miss me?" I smile and crouch down, arms wide open.
She launches herself into my arms, and I hug her tightly, standing up.
"You betcha. I missed you all day, even at work!" Then I put her down, and we walk home.
While she's eating her snack, I lean on the counter and ask her, "So, what did you do today?" She chews her bite of cookie, swallows, then answers.
"I played with Jia in the blocks center, then we did some alphabet stuff and the different letter sounds - easy peasy - and then we had some gummy bears for snack, then me and Ryan and Jia and Anthony and Claire played tag, but Mrs. Dandi told us to stop. Then we had lunch. After lunch, Jia and I played in the pretend kitchen. Then we colored in pictures-" She pulls out a picture of a panda bear, colored blue and black and white, "-and then we went outside. Ryan fell off the swings and had to get a band-aid for his knee. He was crying. And then-" she takes a deep breath, "-we went inside and sang the Month-er-ana. Then we put our stuff away and came home."
I blink. "Wow! Sounds like you had a fun day! What's the Month-er-ana again?" Angie happily jumps off the stool to demonstrate.
Can I just say that the Month-er-ana is the cutest song ever? It's to the tune of "Macarana" but you say the months instead of "1-maca 2-maca" etc. Adorable.
That night, when we're sitting on the couch watching cartoons, Angie seems quieter than usual.
"What's wrong sweetie?" I ask gently. She jerks her head up to look at me.
"I just- I- I was thinking, and- well, I-" She seems very flustered. "Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Have we ever known anyone with blonde curls?" I look at her quizzically.
"Why, of course. There's Amelia, Ronnie, Cecil-"
"And scars across her face?" My heart convulses. Suzie.
"Well, yes," I say carefully. I don't know how much I want to tell her.
"Who? I remember her, laughing... I can't remember anything else. Just that snippet of her."
"Well, she was... the daughter of my husband." I say. I try not to cringe.
"Yeah. Nick... that was his name, right?"
"Nico," I choke out, and cough to cover how hard it is to say his name. "That was his name. We... split. He took his daughter away from us with him, and we've lived here since."
Her troubled face clears. "Oh! Okay!" The subject drops, thank the gods. I check my watch - it's 8:10.
"Angie... Look at the time." She looks, then glances sheepishly at me. "It's past your bedtime, isn't it?"
"Please, one more cartoon, please!"
"Nope! Off to bed. I'll come tuck you in in a moment." She skips off to bed, and I am left with my thoughts.
Nico. Nico Solace. Nico DiAngelo. Nico, Nico, Nico. Gods I love that boy. Sometimes I fantasize about packing up our things and going to find him at Camp, but then the rational part of me says that it's illogical to spend so much money to see someone you kicked out.
And the scared part of me whispers, What if he got along fine without you? Better, even? What if he doesn't need you, or want you anymore?
And that fear is strong enough that I never go.
But part o me wants to, yearns to, just to see him again.
I walk towards Angie's room quietly, not wanting to disturb her if she's falling asleep. Instead, I hear her talking. I peer through the crack in the door, and see her talking to a picture.
"I love you Fafie. I had a good day, did you? Yeah. Good night." Then she kisses the picture - I now see that it's Nico and my wedding photo, the one that he insisted that she keep - and lies down. She starts to drift off, her purple night light glowing in the dark room.
I step away from the door, covering my mouth.
That little moment just broke my heart.
And not from the adorable factor.
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Hope you guys liked that chapter, I'll try to update again soon!
Love you all - keeping the end note short - I'm a busy gal. (just sitting in my room on my laptop, legit)
See you soon!
<3 Lunie