Leia and The Underworld

8: Family Drama

I had turned off my phone for four months. I had received three thousand text messages from my mother. That is not a joke. Most were repetitive messages.

Mom: I love you. I am sorry. Call me.

Mom: We need to talk.

Mom: You are acting like a child! Call me!

Mom: I am really worried. Honey, please just text me "I am ok." We don't even have to talk.

Mom: I miss you.

Mom: Look, I don't even care anymore. Date whomever you want. Just come home.

One last message, coincidentally, had come today. I read it and my hands shook. I had fucked up, pushing everyone away. Why did I do that?

Mom: I doubt you even have your phone on. I know you are not so heartless to ignore three thousand text messages. But here goes nothing. We are having a family dinner tonight. Your brother is going to tell us he is engaged to Genesis, your best friend. Wes and Daniel are in town too. Please come. We miss you. I miss you. You can even bring Hades or David or whomever you are into. I love you.

I closed my phone. I had to go home. I picked out a dress and sent out a text.

Leia: Mom, I am so so so so sorry. I did NOT have my phone on. I will be there tonight. I will not be bringing a guy. But we do need to talk.

Mom: I heard a rumor that you were kissing Hades on the street today... no secrets in the pantheon, sweetie.

Leia: Yeah... I could use your advice. I am very confused.

Mom: Let's talk tonight. Believe it or not, I used to have my fair share of romantic struggles. I think it is time I tell you the full story about me and your father. It might give you some perspective.

Leia: He falls for a human and you guys turned the universe upside down. A perfect love story. That will make me feel better about my mess of life how?

Mom: Let's just say I left a lot of details out. Like, for instance, how I hated your dad at first. I thought he was an asshole.

Leia: .... ???

Mom: And there was a medieval knight named Gabriel. Oh, and your grandmother tried to kill me.

I shook my head. Perhaps my mom could relate. I assumed she had this perfect life.

Mom: Destiny is a bumpy road. We may have forgotten that, but we will support you. No matter what.

I held the phone to my heart. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

***

I showed up to dinner, holding my father's favorite whiskey and a heart full of fear. He opened the door, eyeballing my gift. He looked older, which I knew was a choice he made. He had allowed himself to age, probably to make me feel guilty.

"You have grey hair?" I asked.

"Your mother likes it," he laughed. "I am a silver fox..."

"I did not need to know that," I scoffed. "I brought you a present."

"Thanks," he said, pulling me in for a hug. "I miss you, kid."

"I love you," I said.

He got a big smirk on his face before he replied with an "I know." He literally named me Leia to tell a dad joke every time I told him I loved him.

I walked inside, seeing Wes and Daniel waiting there, dressed like they were straight out of a catalog. Wes approached me, grabbing me for a hug. Daniel also hugged me, but he was a bit stiff. Lord only knows what David had told him. Luke and Genesis sat on the couch, holding hands. Sure enough, she had a big ring on her hands. Four months had changed a lot for them, I suppose. Still, they joined in on the hugging as well.

Last but not least, my mother emerged and charged, tears in her eyes. She grabbed my face after the hug, touching my cheeks to make sure I was really there. I did not want to let go, and suddenly, it all felt right. We laughed, ate, and did not discuss my love life. For the first time since the accident, I felt normal again. I felt happy, and I was home.

"So," Wes asked. "You have officially dropped out of college."

"Yes," I said.
"So now what?" Daniel replied his tone calm but still a bit strained.

"I am going to take some time to find myself, figure out what kind of goddess I want to be."

"The world does not need us meddling in their affairs," Dad said. "Remember that."

"Mom meddles," I said.

"She heals kids with cancer," Dad said. "She is the goddess of Earth. She protects the vulnerable."

"A lot of people need help. I can do good. I am powerful. I just need to discover myself."

"And how do you plan to do that?" My mother asked.

"How does a Goddess begin a journey."

"The oracle," Dad said. "I could take you. I want to see Hercules anyways."

"The oracle," I said. "Maybe I will. I would want to go alone, a real spiritual quest."

"Speaking of journeys and announcements," Luke said, standing up. "I am sure you all have eyes. So, Genesis said yes, and we are engaged."

Everyone clapped and we all smiled. Genesis met my eyes with a hint of regret. We had two laws of friendship: protect each other's secrets and do not date my brother. She had two fucking strikes. Still, I loved her.

"I will never forgive you," I began, her eyes widening. "If I am NOT your maid of honor. No flower girl bullshit, you understand?"

Genesis nodded, her eyes watering.

"So you approve," she asked.

"Yes," I said. "I mean, I get it. You love me like a lot, but you're hetero, as am I. So you chose the closest thing to me, which somehow is Luke."

Somehow, my family finds my rude comments endearing and we are all laughing. We don't stop laughing until we hear a knock at the door. I stand up, flattening out my dress and grinning.

"I will get it," I said.

I walked to the door and my joy is uncontainable. I cannot let go of this feeling, how much I had missed my family. I was home, and it was very freeing. I swung open the door to see David De Silva staring back at me, his eyes narrowed on me.

"We need to talk, Leia," he said, his voice somber.

All of my joy evaporated and something in the pit of my stomach churned. Fuck my life.

***

"You fucking murderer!" I screamed once we reached the backyard. My family had watched us with a deep curiosity. "I know you did it."

"Did what? Left my fiance for you so you could slut around with Hades?"

"You kill Jonathan and the others," I said.

"Prove it."

"I don't have to," I said. "Hades knows, David. Your cosmic scorecard is negative and once you die, you go straight down to hell. You deserve it."

"Sure he didn't lie," David asked. "Hades is a master manipulator. He made it up. I did not kill anyone."

"You stalked me," I said.

"I wanted to see you... Leia, I still love you."

"Bully for you. Murderer. "

"I am not a murderer. "

I stormed off and went back into the living room. Everyone but my dad had cleared out. Another figure stood in the doorway, a dark silhouette coming into view. Hades eyes met mine and then moved to David. Hades' smile faded and he clenched his jaw.

"I thought we should chat, the four of us," my dad said. "Clearly, you both love my daughter. Let's talk about ground rules. "

I did not say a word but watched David and Hades exchange glances. 

If looks could kill, this place would be a fucking morgue.