Finding Purpose

Chapter IV

-Ayme-

I was ready to go fight with my dad again, when a question suddenly popped up in my mind. I stopped in the doorway, looking at my mom. She was already preparing the dinner for tonight. I watched her cut the vegetables with a particular perfection, and I couldn't help the feeling of drooling all over the place. If she was doing a job with this amount of perfection, she was going to make her famous lasagne. And boy, couldn't I wait for dinner.
I swallowed, because what I was about to ask could ruin her mood entirely.
'Mom?' I said.
'Yes sweetie?' Mom answered without looking up.
'How can you not be angry at Eve?'
That had gotten her attention. She looked at me with a puzzled expression. 'Why are you asking such a question?'
I put my sword on the table an leaned against the stone wall. 'I overheard a conversation between Ann and Eve..'
'Ayme,' my mom said disapprovingly. 'I taught you better than that.'
I looked at the floor. 'I know. And I'm sorry. But they were talking about how I was the first to openly accept him for who he was, and I was wondering why you and dad never seemed to blame him once. I know his uncle was the main reason for Dad's misery and all.'
Mom sighed and put sown the knife she was holding. 'It's not like that, Ayme. You know that.'
'But why?' I asked.
Mom walked up to me, and although I wasn't a kid anymore, she still held me like I was the five-year-old I used to be. 'Think with that big brain of yours. I'm certainly sure you have the same reasons as your father and I for not blaming him.'
I looked at my mom and thought of how much we were alike. I averted my gaze as I spoke. 'Because people should not be defined by their parents.'
'That's right,' my mom answered. 'You know for yourself how hard it is to be known as the daughter of and to be seen like that too. Because you know people will always see you like that, and it will be hard for them to understand you're yourself. They don't realize that you're an unique person too. And that must be the same for Eve. Because he will always be the nephew of he will never be seen like someone else except for that. Your father and I know Eve is entirely different from his uncle, and because we know what he is like, we can never see him as someone to blame for what has happened in the past. And if I'm right, that's exactly what you believe too.'
I swallowed and nodded. It was exactly how my mom described it. I would always be the daughter of, and it would take a long time for people to understand that I'm not only the daughter of.. but also just myself. It had been my entire reasoning for not blaming Eve, but I had never thought that my parents would think the exact same way. Or maybe it was genetic DNA and I had the same reason as them. Stop thinking and get to the point, I thought to myself. If I was right, my dad was already waiting for me and I was late. I had no doubt about that.
'I need to go mom,' I said as I picked up my sword.
My mom frowned. 'Where are you going?' she asked.
I had to smile at that. 'No worries. I'm going sword fighting with Dad.'
Mom had been against me fighting and she didn't approve it now either. Even with my dad teaching me. Mom was about to say something when I beat her first.
'Relax Mom, it will be okay. And I promise we will be back in time for dinner.'
Mom looked at me and raised an eyebrow at me. 'Remember last time?'
I scrunched my nose as I thought if it when a grin appeared on my face. We had been two hours late. Mom was pissed as Hell and she had thrown our dinner into the food trash. Dad and I went to bed with the feeling of being starved and in the middle of the night we had gotten out of bed and enjoyed these perfect salmon sandwiches at one o'clock. That was one of the best nights in my life.
'We will make it. After all, you don't make your famous lasagne every day!'
I ran out of the kitchen as fast as I could, and not a moment too soon, because an orange flew past my head, bouncing off against the wall. 'Ayme Faith Jackson!' Mom shouted from the kitchen. I ran out of the house laughing, and I'm sure I heard my mom laughing too.

'You're late,' my dad said as I arrived at our usual spot.
'I know. Sorry. Had to ask mom a question and in the end she threatened me by throwing an orange at my head to make sure we will make it to dinner at time.'
My father looked at me and raised his eyebrows. 'Your mother threw an orange at you?'
I grinned. 'She missed.'
Dad returned my grin. 'That's more like the Annabeth I know. Your Mom is good with a sword and a dagger, but if you let her practice trying to hit a target, you can stand there the whole day and she won't have hit it once.'
I had to laugh at that. 'That bad?' I asked him.
'That bad,' my dad confirmed. He raised his sword and got into battle stance. 'You ready?'
I matched his position and took out my sword. My mind was at ease and filled with questions at the same time. There were still a lot of things I wanted to know and I had never gotten any clearance about them.
'Are you?' I replied.
My dad answered by giving the first blow.