Wait For Me

Part 4 [Epilogue]- Sing It For The Last Time/Moving On

Eurydice didn't think she'd be able to experience this many "firsts" again.

Because everything felt she was doing it for the first time.

Everything took so much effort, that it felt like she overcoming that first large wall again.

Or it felt so good, that it felt like she was experiencing it for the first time.

She counted them on her fingers, until she ran out of fingers, and counted them on her toes. When she ran out of toes, she used the stars. And if she ever ran out of stars, she'd use the freckles on Orpheus' nose. Or the flecks of deep green in his eyes. Infinite. Endless.

***

The first time she kissed Orpheus after getting back from Hadestown, it caught her by surprise. How much she'd craved the way one of his arms found their way to wrap around her waist, how the other touched her with a reverence. Every place he left his touch, it warmed, and spread, until she was nothing but a puddle of three words, I love you, kiss me again, I missed you, take me home, you are everything, don't cry love. Whatever three words popped into her mind, she'd say them. Because she's done biting her tongue.

"I love you." she whispered against his cheek. "Marry me?"

She could smell the soap in their house on his skin. The tickle of his hair on her chin. He pressed a kiss to her ear, which made her laugh.

"Any day, always yes."

It surprised her how much she smiled when he kissed her again.

***

The first time Calliope truly showed a kindness other than pity, it was Eurydice's wedding day. Eurydice was dressing herself, in that yellow dress that felt a little less special now that she'd cried in it and kissed in it and worn it before. But she felt beautiful in it and Orpheus thought she was beautiful in it, and all that really mattered was that they were marrying. Not how beautiful she looked while promising her life to him.

She didn't bother knocking, her future mother-in-law practically broke down the door as she barged in. Eurydice jumped, stumbling over her feet in an attempt to grab her hairbrush as a weapon before seeing who was inside.

"Gods, don't do that." she gasped out. "What is it?"

She eyed the bundle of fabric thrown over the older women's shoulder. Calliope held up a hand, she was panting like she'd sprinted here at top speed.

"I just... finished it and had... to get it to you before the wedding." she took a deep gulp of air and walked over to their bed and laid the bundle on the mattress, spreading it out to make it apparent what it was:

A dress.

"They used to wear white in the old days." Calliope reminded her.

"White fabric is so... expensive." Eurydice blinked at it, as if it would go away in a few moments.

"I know," Calliope said. "And I know you're not the sentimental type to hold onto her wedding dress forever, so when the weddings over, you can sell it. That sum should sustain you two for a little while, or you can put it in emergency savings or something like that.

Eurydice was almost afraid to touch it, and as she slipped it on her body, she understood why white was a bride's color. She felt untouchable. Pure.

"See, I told you," Calliope said, smoothing out the wrinkles in the skirt, Eurydice could hear the smile in her voice.

"You're definitely beautiful." she continued after pausing.

Eurydice turned to her. "Thank you. Just... thank you for this, for taking care of Orpheus, for being kind to me after a little while."

She snorted. "Don't do that, little thing." she gently cupped Eurydice's cheek with one of her hands. "Just marry my son, and be happy. Alright?"

Eurydice nodded. "Alright."

***

The first time Eurydice held baby Euthalia, daughter of Katia and Kryos, she cried.

She wasn't quite sure why.

But when she looked into the face of the child whose name meant "flowers blooming", tears welled and fell, and others looked on in concern at the sobs bubbling over as she cradled the baby.

She saw hope when she looked at this child. She saw rebirth in her eyes.

And to have the honor of being godmother to the rebirth of spring, she was more than happy.

Flowers bloom in her eyes.

Euthalia had only been born for a few minutes, but she must've known already, how important she was.

She was carnations tucked behind ears.

She was poppy's bending against even the slightest breeze.

She was grass rippling against wind.

She was goodness, all bundled up in a package the size of a baby.

Maybe Euthalia doesn't know why there was a tired women crying over her, but Eurydice will teach her,

teach her that winter's do end,

 that spring comes,

that love lasts.