Once and Forever

Chapter 10; Cae

Weeks went by and Vela can't stop hurting. She's not eating, not sleeping, cries the whole day long and when when she's dried out she just sits impassive, not present. Her family starts to worry. First her father tried to stay at home, but the mother sent him to go work. They can't afford him staying at home. The boys stayed quiet around her and spent most of the time outside, to not disturb their older sister. Vela's sisters on the other hand started to get fed up after the third day. The whole town started to talk about Vela's foolishness of loving a man who wasn't raised in their town. The sisters sided with the town and try to give her a hard time. But luckily Vela has still her mother who cares fir her day in and day out. All chores were given to the sisters to task. Vela's mother made tea, adding different herbs to lessen her daughter's suffering. She prayed to all the gods for Vela's health back.

One morning Vela brakes out of the constant fog that enveloped her for the past weeks and found herself a new purpose. She gets up, get's dressed in her white and golden dress she wore when she has met her love and sneaks out of the house without her mother noticing. Vela hurries down to the magical pond and sits back onto the rock, where she has waited her whole life for the man that left her. With the flowers, which she has gathered on her way there, she begins weaving a new floral crown. While doing it, she sings Cae's favourite melody. Tears begin to trickle down her cheeks and falling onto her working hands. She ignores them and keeps on intertwining the stems. She repeats the melody over and over again until she has finished her crown.

The suns directly over the pond, shining down and trying to cheer up the heartbroken woman, but the sun isn't strong enough to succeed. Some birds chirp in the trees and other try to mimic Vela's beautiful voice. They fly around, sipping from the pond, getting food from the floor, but Vela didn't see her surroundings anymore. Full of sadness, she couldn't see the magic anymore. This place was just like any other for her. Sobs started to break out of her body and she crumpled together into a ball. After some time, she calms herself enough to get up and place her crown onto the rock she just sat on.

Vela reaches into her dress and pulls out her fathers iron dagger. She must have stolen it this morning before she sneaked out of the house.

 "Oh my God. Tyler, she can't. She doesn't know about the baby." I say totally captivated in the story. "Can't we tell her? Can't we help her?" I ask facing him now. He smiles and turns me back around, but leaves his ands on my arms.

 "Watch." Is all he says. And I do.

Vela walks into the water, without taking off her clothes. when the water reaches her bellybutton she stops and turns herself to face the rock. She readies the dagger to her heart and begins to sing again. She's singing the same melody again, but this time much louder. the louder she get's the happier she seems to be. A smile is creeping up on her lips and you can see she's left this world for a much nicer one in her head.

Out of the blue a white dove plunges into the water and from the white foam that was formed emerges a beautiful woman. This woman gets closer to Vela and disarms her. The young girl is so confused she stops singing.

I breath out in relief.

 "Who are you?" Vela asks the woman who's turning the dagger into an iron baby rattle. Roses, doves and shells are engraved on it.

 "I'm Aphrodite, my child. I have come to save you and your son." Aphrodite gives the finished rattle to the girl, who looks at the goddess in awe.

 "I don't have a son." Vela states.

 "Oh, but you do, my child. You're carrying him inside you." Aphrodite nears Vela and touches her belly. "Listen closely. Can you hear the heart beat?" The goddess closes her eyes and concentrates.

I listen real closely and then even I can hear it. Vela gasps, having heard her son's heartbeat and new tears start to trickle down her cheeks, only this time they're tears of happiness.

 "I have a son!" Vela  exclaims with joy. "It's Cae's child. Cae and I have a child!" The girl jumps up and hugs the woman in front of her.

 "Sweet child, your love did not give you his real name. This is not an ordinary child you're carrying. Zeus is the man who blessed you with his offspring. You're going to raise a demigod."

 "No, I fell in love with Cae Apatrui. He's the love of my life. He's the father of my child."

 "Zeus came here to earth and met you. He told you his name'd be Cae, but it's not his real name. Do you understand, child? But because of his position in Olympus he had to leave again. He can't stay here. We need him to rule Olympus. That's why he left. But he loves you with all his heart. Believe me, child." Aphrodite takes Vela into her arms to sooth her.

Vela understands now. "Can you tell him, I love him and I'm going to raise his son to be the best and kindest man who has and will ever live. I will teach him everything I know and more. I'm going to tell our son about his father when the time is right and he's old enough. I hope Zeus can come from time to time to see his son growing up. Aphrodite, please tell him. Don't cut me off the way he did. You should come visit us too! You're the reason we didn't die today and I want to thank you." The girl walks back to the rock and retrieves her flower crown. She gives her crown to Aphrodite. "Bring him this and tell him."

 "I will tell him, but I cannot give him this crown. I can show him and keep it myself if you want, but Hera can't know about you. If Hera sees him with something you made, she's going to hunt you down and kill you and your son. Listen child, his consort is very jealous and vicious. She murders all women and children he loved and conceived. This is the reason why he left. He didn't want to bring you in danger. He had to leave to keep you and his child save. Don't be mad at him for leaving and let his child fill the hole in your heart."

 "Will you visit again?" Vela ask with hope.

 "If you want me to, I will." Aphrodite answers with a smile.

 "I want you to! I want you to come as often as you can. I want you to be in my son's life. I won't tell anyone about the truth of Cae's herritage. I promise."

 "You're naming him Cae?"

 "Yes, I'll name him after the love of my life."

 "I like that. I'll inform Zeus and I'll come back as soon as I can! Farewell, my child! Keep safe." Aphrodite kisses Velas cheek and belly and then transforms herself into a white dove. She flaps her wings and flies away.

Vela's singing on her way home with her baby rattle pressed to her heart. When she enters her home she gets overrun by her mother and father.

 "Where have you been, girl? We've been looking all over for you!" My father asks stern, must hugs me as a second thought, letting go of his anger.

 "Honey, you can't just leave without telling us. Promise me you won't sneak out again." Vela's mother pushes her husband away to have her own turn to hug her daughter. "How do you feel?"

 "Mother, I'm happy again. I'm not hurting anymore. I met someone, a friend. She helped me and she give me this." Vela reaches for the baby rattle and shows it to her parents. "Mother, father, I'm with child. And I'm going to name my son Cae, after his father. We're going to move back into the house, which Cae has left me."

Vela goes up to her room and sings to her son until she falls asleep.