Going Viral

Chapter 54

March 27th

As Annabeth's run in Waitress draws to a close, the next chapter of their lives seems to write itself into existence. He spends Saturday morning at his mom's apartment, Estelle speeding around him like a miniature hurricane as she introduced him to all of her new stuffed toys. Sally sends him one of her knowing smiles when he outlines his plans for the next few weeks and shows her the villa he'd booked in Paris for their getaway in early April.

"Actually, mom, there's something I want your opinion on." Percy clears his throat, washing his second blue cookie down with a swig of water.

From behind her laptop screen, Sally appears and raises an eyebrow. She must have sensed the tentative quiver in his voice.

"So, I got this ring and-"

"You did what?" She was up in a flash and snatching the jewellery box out of his open palm to examine it's content. With a glance at her son, she immediately understood the meaning. "Percy, have the two of you spoken about this?"

"Not exactly, but-"

His sentence cuts short when he notices her expression, eyebrows pulled together thoughtfully and eyes fixed on the ring.

"Sweetheart..." Sally takes the seat behind him, her hand going to rest on her son's arm. The action reminds him of every time she'd tried to placate his anger at Gabe, every time she'd desperately tried to console his hot tears. They both knew that twelve year old Percy couldn't rile up his stepfather when he was on one of his moods or they'd be in trouble - more trouble than usual - so she did what she could to keep her son safe. It's all she's ever done, after all. "I don't doubt that you know what you're doing and I know that you're more familiar than Annabeth than I am, but is this your best idea?"

Percy gulps, averting his eyes. "I know, mom. I know it's soon. But she wants permanence and stability and I want to be that for her. God, mom, I want to be everything for her."

The moment would feel heavy if it wasn't for Estelle's childish inability to read a room. She dons Percy with a pink, plastic tiara and plants a sloppy kiss on his cheek, smacking his shoulders with a wand and knighting him 'sir Percy of Blofisville'. Managing a tight smile if only for a moment stings his face and his brave exterior falls as soon as his sister turns away.

"I know you do, baby. Just make sure it's right for the both of you before you ask anything."

Despite his twenty-two years of age, Percy feels impossibly small in his mother's comforting arms. Her words make sense, he knows deep down that maybe he's behaving a little impulsively. Both Annabeth and Percy have things they need to work through before they can get married - hell, he hasn't even asked her thoughts on marriage, maybe she's one of those people that hate the idea of making a vow 'before God' and all of the religious stuff. He wouldn't be particularly bothered. What's the non-religious wedding called? Is there such a thing?

"If it's any consolation," Sally's voice is lighter this time. Estelle has wormed her way between them, likely unaware of the weighty conversation and just keen to sandwich herself between the two of them for a cuddle. "The ring is stunning. Looks like it cost you a small fortune, mind you."

He exhales sharply, his lips tugging up on one side. "Actually, no. That's why I likes it so much. It doesn't need to be extravagant. There was a similar one, eighteen carat something-or-other, but this one was my favorite. It's more simple and elegant. Reminds me of yours." Percy nods to the simple, silver band on his mother's finger. Guilt swarms his stomach at the remembrance that Paul had forked out almost three months of his wages for her ring back before he'd been promoted head of department. The jewellery would barely dent Percy's wallet nowadays. He supposes that comes with the territory of being so famous and makes a mental note to add another few hundreds to his charity donations or fund another music department in an underprivileged school. It's hard to ensure his money doesn't get to his head but Percy's easily humbled when he remembers his own beginnings.

Sally pulls her arms around her children and pressed kisses into their cheeks, giving them a tight squeeze. Between her mom and her brother, Stella wriggles gleefully. For so long, Percy was used to his mom being his only family (Gabe would never count, no matter his insistence that he paid the bills and was head of the household. Frankly, any man that can knowingly raise a hand against someone he claimed to care for without any sense of remorse didn't deserve to be a part of a family anyway.) so Estelle is a definite - albeit welcome - reminder that that is no longer the case. Music had become so special to him because it had been the only thing besides his mom that was constant. It was something that didn't judge him for his emotions. Something that thirsted for his passionate words and raw intensity. Now, his constants had developed into an intricate web of close friends and family, some of which Percy never would've considered getting to know if he hadn't been encouraged to do so.

His network had expanded past his mother (though she would always remain a centrepiece) and now included Grover, his cousins, Thalia, Nico and now Jason, his girlfriend, her roommate and their friends, the backstage and shoot crew that included Silena, Beckendorf, Drew, Lacy and Rachel, his friends significant others; Will, Juniper, Calypso, and of course, Paul and Estelle. It's an odd development but certainly one that Percy finds he doesn't dislike. There's a sense of family there, even among the people who are polar opposites and would never ordinarily get along.

With a glance at the ring in his mother's palm and the tiara that circled his sisters head, Percy makes a decision. There's something he can offer Annabeth before he promises himself. His family is one of the closest things to Percy's heart, and he wants her to share it with him.