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“It’s okay,” he says, and kisses the top of my head. “I’m fine, baby. Don’t cry, please.”
“You’recrying.”
“No, I’m not.”
“What ishappeningin here?” My grandmother Demmy soundssomuch like my mom that for a second I don’t know what’s going on. My mom has been here. She knows what’s going on. But then the shifting air carries over a light, almond-y scent. I whip around andthere she is.
“Demmy!”
“Daisy!” She matches my tone, her forehead creased, hands on her hips. Her outfit is various shades of green, all flowing and artsy, and honestly, she could be my mom’s sister. “Why are so many of you weeping openly? What could have happened this early in the morning? No one’s dead.”
Zeus is definitely weeping, and—so is my dad. Silently. He’s also holding his breath, which can’t be good for him, but he doesn’t turn around. He doesn’t move at all. He sits with his hand on his chest, his brothers’ hands on his shoulders, my mom’s hands on his face. Brigit and Ashley are arrayed behind them, each one with a hand on their respective husband.
Okay, so—alothappened, and I’ve been too busy kissing Hercules to ask for details.
“Demeter.” A softer voice. Much gentler. Eleanor, who is also like my grandmother, moves into the bedroom. “Shouldn’t we ask questions once we send someone to help your husband?”
My dad gasps again. “Mom.”
He shakes off his brothers and turns, shoving his legs off the side of the bed and reaching for Eleanor.
She goes to him without hesitation. His arms go around her waist, and one of hers circles his shoulders, and she pats at his hair. I’ve never, ever seen his shoulders shake this hard.
I’ve never heard him call hermom.
“Sweet boy.” Eleanor doesn’t look surprised at all, and I wonder if he’s called her that in private before, or if she knew how he felt about her. “Is it a headache?”
“No.” Oh, God, he’smiserable.“No.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Demeter glances around the room. “Daisy, why are you straddling that young man?”
I move to the side. “It’s Hercules, Demmy. He’s my boyfriend, and he tried to kill himself for me.”
Demeter shoots a look at my mother as if to say,are you aware of this Romeo character? If you’re not, Persephone, you should be.My mom just laughs.
Hercules sighs. “That’s not what I did. Her nightmares were going to take her into the underworld forever, so I stayed instead.”
“Youngman,” scolds Demeter. “What the hell would possess you? What a foolish idea.”
“It was brave. And it was hard. And then Dad had to go in after him.” This story makes almost no sense. I’m not sure how it was possible. I had to sit here, waiting, while some of the most important people in my life were dead. Or in the underworld. Or in a nightmare. I don’t know. “Also, I love him.”
“We all do foolish things for love,” Demeter allows. “Daisy, I thought you were in crisis. Have you recovered?”
“Oh, yeah. I thought I was going to die. But that wasn’t the worst part.” Hercules smiles at me from the pillow. He’s blinked most of the tears from his eyes, but he looks tired. His cheeks are flushed like he wants to cry. “The worst part was when I thought I might live.”
Demeter lets out a sigh. “There isn’t a single member of this family who can explain things in a coherent manner.”
“Hey,” Zeus interrupts. “I’ve explained plenty.”
“You’reweeping,” Demeter says. “You’re in no state to tell me what I’ve walked into.”
“Demeter.” He sounds exasperated but fond, and he’s still crying. “Tears don’t prevent people from explaining things.”
“Hold the fuck on.” Poseidon has cried the least, I think, but he drags the sleeve of his shirt over his eyes anyway. “What’s this about your husband?”
“He is a grown man.” Demeter comes over to the bed, leans over to kiss my forehead, and puts her hand on my cheek. She studies my eyes while she does it, a frown tugging at the corner of her mouth. This goes on for several beats, and then she narrows her eyes at Hercules. “What did you say you did, young man?”
