Page 3 of A Contemporary Mythos Thanksgiving
I stood in my best friend Olivia’s apartment, watching her remove nearly every piece of clothing she owned from her closet, tossing them to one of three suitcases resting on her bed. Folding my arms, I leaned against the doorframe. “You do realize this is a short trip, right?”
Olivia’s head popped out from the closet and she blew strands of her blonde bangs from her eyes. “Your point?”
From the day I met the sassy Australian woman standing across from me, I’d learned continuing trivial arguments with her proved futile. Today was no exception.
“Have at it then, Ollie, but donotexpect me to carry any of your extra bags.” Chuckling, I sauntered to her bedroom window, wrapping my arms around myself and staring out at New York City.
Strange to see the city with a pair of new eyes—a goddess’s eyes, a queen’s—thequeen of the Greek gods. Prior to marrying Zeus and agreeing to rule beside him, I’d viewed the city as a bustling metropolis sanctuary and now, it seemed Olympus on Earth. The skyscrapers were the ionic and Corinthian pillars, its thousands of citizens unknowing worshippers. So much had changed since becoming a full-fledged goddess and yet also so little. I still practiced law as a criminal defense lawyer, Olivia remained my paralegal and best friend. And despite our resolve and marriage, Zeus and I still bickered as if we’d just met. The thought made me smile, a warmth pooling in my cheeks.
“Alright, I think I’m ready,” Olivia announced behind me.
I turned on my heel and my jaw dropped at the three suitcases and two duffel bags resting at Olivia’s feet. “And you’re sure you can carry all of that?”
“Are you kiddin’?” She snorted. “When the fam and I went on holiday back home in Oz, Dad would strap two duffel bags on me and three on my bro. I got this, Keir.”
Did I tell her? I should tell her.
“Ol, you know this is adaytrip, right? There and back?”
Ollie’s plump bottom lip shot out, her brow cinched, and she dropped two bags she’d picked up back to the floor with a loudthud. “We’re not even gonna stay overnight?”
“I wasn’t planning—” I stopped mid-sentence, frowning at the pitiful expression melting down Olivia’s face. “—on it?”
“Keir, I understand you’re ruler of the universe and all that, but do you realize we haven’t hung out outside the office since you took on this gig?” Olivia sniffled, biting her lip the way she did when holding back tears.
I lurched forward, ready to grip her forearm, to comfort her. “Ollie—”
She slid backward and held her palm up at me. “I know it’s selfish due to said universe but is there really no way you can spare twenty-four hours? One. Day.”
Zeus and I had managed to balance our work life and marriage seamlessly, but had forgotten one small detail—everyone else. Precisely why this Olympus gathering was more important than I realized.
I blew out a breath and flopped into the nearest seat. “You’re right.”
Olivia dropped the third bag she’d draped over her neck to the floor and sprinted to my side, hugging me. “I stepped over the line. There’s no way I could ever try to pretend I know what it’s like to have that much of a burden on your shoulders.”
“It’s not entirely mine to bare,” I said quietly, a weak smile pulling at my lips at the thought of my husband—the god-king, the man who’d blossomed into something else most would never recognize.
“Right. I know.” Olivia sighed, squeezed my shoulder, and mimicked me by folding her hands in her lap. “We’ll be back before the day’s out, Keira. No worries.”
I scrunched my nose and shook my head. “No. No, it’ll be fine. We haven’t even gotten to go on that true vacation like I’d promised. Zeus can handle one day on his own. Let me write him.” Jumping to my feet, I crossed the room to my purse and yanked out a legal pad and pen.
“When you said write I didn’t think you meant literally? Wouldn’t texting be faster than a, what are you gonna use, a carrier pigeon?”
Chuckling, I stuck my tongue to the corner of my mouth and proceeded to write my god-king husband a note. “We send—magical notes to each other—if you will?”
“You two are bloody adorable.”
Not exactly. We found naughty text messaging proved far more fun through letter format and the evidence far easier to destroy.
Zeus-y,
Think you can handle Olympus on your own for a day if I stay the night in Pensacola with Olivia?
Your love,
K
Balling the paper up, it disappeared in a sizzle of lightning.
