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Annabeth sighed, clenching and unclenching her fists as Thalia gelled back stray hairs and adjusted her jewelry.
“You look beautiful, Annie,” She whispered, pressing her cheek to Annabeth’s forehead as they stared at her reflection.
Sally approached the pair quietly, teary-eyed, “The most beautiful bride.”
Annabeth smiled sadly and stared at her lap. It’d been years— since starting college, since her last summer at camp, since Gaea, since Tartarus, since her and Percy first kiss.
Since Luke.
“Annabear,” Thalia pouted, “What’s wrong.”
She looked up at the three of them shining back at her in the mirror. Sally was aging gracefully, and Thalia wasn’t aging at all. Her own face showed signs of the years of hell she’d gone through to get to this moment.
It should be the happiest day of her life, and all she could think of was Luke.
Luke, who never got to see her grow up. Luke, who wasn’t there to watch her fall in love with Percy. Luke, who wasn’t there to walk her down the aisle.
Before she knew it, tears were racing down her face, and her breathing quickened.
“Oh honey,” Sally cried, holding her hand as Thalia wrapped her arms around her shoulder.
She shook her head, “This isn’t right.”
She could hardly recognize her own voice— as if it had been ripped from her throat unwillingly.
“It’s just cold feet,” Thalia whispered into her hair, “You’ve been waiting for this forever. Don’t cry, baby, you’re gonna mess up your pretty makeup.”
More violent sobs racked her body as she clung to the only person who could ever understand this feeling, and yet never would. Even her big sister, for the first time, couldn’t help ease this pain.
“Look at me, sweetheart,” She heard a familiar but strong voice speak. It sounded so far away.
When she opened her eyes she was met with the face of her mother. Not Athena— the only woman who ever cared for her like her own.
“You love Percy,” Sally whispered, “This feeling is normal. I felt the same way, but I promise you’re making the right decision.”
Annabeth pulled away from her touch. “He’s supposed to be here,” She gasped, miserably.
She could feel Thalia sink.
“Luke,” She whispered, and Annabeth nearly blacked out.
She didn’t know what happened; She had no memory of collapsing into Thalia’s arms or Sally leaving the room. She wasn’t sure when her cries turned from breathy sobs to guttural screams and incomprehensible pleas.
All she knew was that the first person who ever cared for her— who ever loved her— wasn’t there. She would never see him again.
She couldn’t think, or breathe, or move. She didn’t even register it when she fell to the floor, doubling over in a kind of pain she hadn’t felt in years as her mascara slid down her cheeks.
She didn’t hear Percy shoving through the door. Not the sound of the knob slamming into the wall, or his worry-laced insistence that Thalia get out, or him begging her to just breathe.
It wasn’t until he pulled her hands from their place over her eyes and held them to his chest that she realized something was wrong.
“‘Beth,” He pleaded, “Please, come back to me. Take a deep breath.”
“I can’t,” She wailed, “I can’t do this. I can’t— please don’t make me.”
Percy bit back his own tears, pressing his forehead to hers, “I won’t. I just need you to breathe, baby. I’m right here. We’ll get through this, we always do. You just have to catch your breath.”
She pushed away from him, so thoroughly overcome by grief she couldn’t understand what he was saying. She wasn’t even sure where she was.
“He’s gone,” She screamed, “There’s no fixing this. He’s never coming back.”
“I know,” He agreed, dejectedly, “If I could bring him back, if he could be here right now, he would be. I know you miss him, Annabeth. I understand, but you’re gonna hurt yourself if you don’t listen to me.”
She stared at him for a moment, his face barely visible through her tears, but she was breathing and that’s all he needed from her.
“Why does it matter,” She whimpered.
He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, “Because Luke would hate seeing you like this. He would be so happy for you, Beth. You got the life he always wanted you to have.”
“No, he wanted to be there.”
Percy nodded, “Of course he did. I’m sure he’s completely bummed to miss it, but can you imagine what he’d say if he saw you crying all over your pretty dress cause he’s gone?”
She let out a mix between a laugh and a sob. “He’d be pissed. He’d tell me I have to be strong.”
Annabeth could all but see it. Luke standing above her, staring down at the mess she’d become. How he’d crouch next to her, and wipe her tears, and tell her she’s better than that.
“This isn’t you, Annie. You’ve fought for this your whole life. You can’t give up now. This means too much to you to waste it crying over me. It means too much to me.”
“Come on, pretty girl,” Percy sighed, pulling her halfway into his lap and kissing her cheeks, “We’ll see him again someday. He’ll probably make fun of you for this.”
She laughed, wiping away the last stray tears, “He will absolutely make fun of me.”
He chuckled, curling the ends of her hair around his finger, “Here’s the deal. We don’t have to do this, if you aren’t ready. We can just go home— I’ll wait for you forever. But if you can handle it, I’ll have mom come back and clean you up, and I’ll see you at the end of the aisle.”
She sniffled, curling closer to him. “I can do it. Just hold me a while longer.”
“Always,” He promised, rubbing her back slowly, “As long as you need.”