Page 30 of Perfectly Matching Again

“But Demeter never left me. Never wavered in her support of me. Never once welcomed any of Zeus’s mistresses, never once picked him or anyone else over me. And so you better believe it, Muse, I love my sister. I am not always kind to her. Hades knows, none of us are kind to her, the true workhorse of the family. But I love her. And hence I am here telling you that hell, damnation and all those other things are nothing like my wrath. You are my sister’s Perfect Match, and I helped it along as best as I could. But if you hurt her…”

Hera slowly lifted her hand and gave Erato a long, hard look.

“You better fix this, Muse. Spring better come. And not just because I need it so I can be left to my own devices. Spring needs to come because Demeter is happy and love blooms inside her.”

Erato smiled and stood up. The bears behind her cheered.

“I promise to do what I can. My best, in fact.”

Hera’s eye roll was all disappointment. Erato lifted a finger, stopping more threats.

“However, since you reminded me that I am nothing short of perfection, Hera, and so my very best is very, very good. Demeter knows that well.”

The bears cringed, and Hera pointed to the door.

“Go! And if you ever say a word of this to anyone, especially to Demeter?—”

“Yes, yes, you will turn me into a toad.” Erato closed the distance between them and gave Hera a fast and hard kiss. The bears gasped collectively again, then sang in perfect harmony, “A toad! She will turn you into a toad!”

Erato thought she could use them in her life. It was fun to have such an instant soundtrack on occasion.

Before Hera could indeed hex her into oblivion, she scampered out the door. She had work to do, mistakes to fix and the most beautiful woman in the world to confess her love to. Toads—and bears—would have to wait. Though maybe this particular group could come along, she needed all the help she could get.

12

WHERE A GRAND GESTURE IS MADE AND SPRING BLOOMS (AND THE BEARS ARE BACK)

She was devastatingly handsome. Hair slicked back, leather pants and a white linen shirt, Erato gave herself one last look and tugged on the undone tie hanging loosely over her collar.

Yes, definitely handsome. And definitely devastatingly so. She’d need every single part of that handsomeness and devastation. She had messed up. Badly. She, the Muse of Erotic Poetry, of all things sex and romance, had missed all the signs and all the indicators that true love had found her, while she was wallowing in her own insecurity. In her own estimation of being never enough, not quite a goddess and not mortal, but thoroughly insignificant by her own standards.

“You were always enough, you know?” Aphrodite laid her hands on Erato’s shoulders and their eyes met in the mirror.

“You didn’t choose me, Dite.” Erato knew her voice was thready, the lump in her throat at her friend’s confession making it difficult to breathe.

Aphrodite’s hands gave her a squeeze before falling off.

“Some things don’t work out, not because we are not enough, or too much. Some things don’t work out because others are on their way.” Her palms lifted instinctively to her abdomen,and Erato’s eyes widened. Before she could start squealing, Aphrodite gently placed a finger on her lips.

“Hush now, it’s still very early and we are not saying anything. But I knew the very moment it happened, of course.”

Erato smiled against her friend’s finger.

“Being the Goddess of this kind of thing, you’d know.” Aphrodite smirked, and Erato continued. “I bet Athena is doing cartwheels.”

Aphrodite laughed. “She is absolutely insufferable. I can’t even get my own cup of tea, not to mention she has all these apps about how big the baby is supposed to be every week. A pea, a bean. Ridiculous.”

“Aw, that is so adorable. You love it. Quit your whining. A wife and a baby in just a few months. You’re amazing. And you really lucked into this marriage, Dite.”

Aphrodite gave her a hug, their gazes still holding each other in the mirror.

“Yes, I did. And so have you. Or at least once you make it a marriage.”

The lump in Erato’s throat was back.

“I fucked up, Dite. I was so far up my you-know-what, wallowing in self-pity, indulging my trauma that I didn’t see her. I didn’t notice…”

Aphrodite took a step to the side and shrugged.

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