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Penelope loved bath time, but she hated when she had to get out. While Annabeth dried her off, the toddler squirmed and wiggled and attempted to dash out of the bathroom. Annabeth reached over to shut the door, which Penelope was miffed about.
Annabeth glanced over to her older daughter, who was peering over the side of the tub to watch the last of the bubbles swirl down the drain. Her towel was green and had a hood, and on top of the hood were two big eyes and two fins to look like a fish. Penelope’s looked the same, but hers was purple. When the bubbles were gone, Gracie looked up at her mom with a pouty expression on her face. “I don’t want to go to bed.”
“I know,” Annabeth said as she worked a fresh diaper onto Penelope, who was kicking her legs in protest. Annabeth handed her a turtle bath toy that had somehow found its way onto the bathroom tile to keep her occupied while Annabeth dressed her in her pajamas.
“When’s Daddy coming home?” Gracie asked, leaning back against the side of the tub and looking up at the skylight in the ceiling.
“He’ll be here when you wake up.”
Percy had left for work at the fire station early that morning, so Annabeth had been on her own with the kids all day. They’d gone to the park with a friend from Gracie’s preschool, they’d stopped at the library to drop off some books and pick up some new ones, and they’d gone to the grocery store, where Penelope had thrown a fit when Annabeth wouldn’t let her hold the box of crackers anymore after she threw it on the ground. It had been an exciting Sunday.
And Annabeth was exhausted. For more reasons than one. Because on top of the events of the day and missing Percy and general tiredness, she was six weeks pregnant and feeling it. Her morning sickness this time around was worse than the first two times, her nausea was frequent and unpredictable, and her exhaustion was tripled.
Gracie sighed dramatically, staring up at the skylight. “It’s more fun when Daddy does bathtime.”
Annabeth tried not to take it personally. Percy was objectively better at bath time because he could control the water in fun ways and it would just bounce right off whenever they splashed him. It wasn’t as funny to splash Mom, and she didn’t find it very funny either.
“I know,” Annabeth said, letting Penelope run free in the bathroom now that she was dressed. Annabeth grabbed Gracie’s pajamas from the counter. “Let’s put your jammies on, Gracie.”
Gracie steadied herself by gripping her mom’s shoulder while Annabeth helped her slip her pajama bottoms on. Then Gracie got her arms stuck trying to put the top on by herself, so Annabeth fixed it for her. They were cute pajamas—white with orange and pink seahorses on them. Penelope’s were very similar, but with blue and purple dogs instead of seahorses.
Annabeth hung up their towels on the hooks by the tub and helped the girls put toothpaste on their toothbrushes. They stood together on the stool in front of the sink, Penelope copying Gracie in the mirror while they brushed their teeth like always. While they brushed, Annabeth ran the comb through their damp hair, working out the tangles while they were busy.
Gracie was finished, wiping her face with her wash cloth, when she suddenly shrieked and stumbled back into Annabeth. Annabeth caught her, alarmed.
“What is it?” She asked, folding her arms around her older daughter protectively.
Gracie pointed at the wall, where a small black spider was crawling out from behind the mirror. Annabeth’s heartbeat picked up but she stayed calm for her daughters. They didn’t need to see her scared. Without hesitation, she ripped off a square of toilet paper and used it to swiftly crush the spider. She dropped it in the toilet and flushed, then turned back to Gracie, who was visibly shaken, and Penelope, who was confused.
“Just a spider,” Annabeth told Gracie calmly, wrapping her arms around her for comfort. “It’s alright.”
“I don’t like spiders,” Gracie said quietly, leaning into Annabeth.
“Me neither,” Annabeth admitted. “But they won’t hurt you. I’ll protect you.”
It was the comfort she hadn’t gotten as a kid, and it helped to heal that part of her to be the mom she had never had when she had felt alone and scared and unwanted. Her stepmom had never taken her feelings seriously and her dad had always been away at work. Annabeth never wanted her kids to think that their dad didn’t love them because he had to work or that their feelings were a burden to her. She wanted them to feel safe and comfortable and loved, because they were.
“I love you, you know that, right?” Annabeth asked Gracie softly.
Gracie nodded against her shirt and Annabeth kissed the top of her head. Next to Gracie, Penelope tapped Annabeth’s arm. “Mama?”
Annabeth looked up. “Yeah. baby?”
Penelope pointed at the door.
“Okay,” Annabeth nodded, understanding. She gave Gracie one last kiss before letting go. “Let’s go to bed.”
Annabeth scooped up Penelope and the three of them left the bathroom. Gracie went to her room for quiet time while Annabeth put Penelope down. Penelope’s room was dark and her sound machine was already on when they entered. Annabeth zipped her up in her sleep sack and then sat down on the footrest of the rocking chair. Penelope was usually fine with going to sleep after being rocked for a minute in front of her crib, but since Annabeth had gotten pregnant again she had been extra clingy. (Annabeth suspected she was picking up on it somehow.) So now Penelope needed to cuddle with Annabeth for a while before going to her crib, or else she would scream.
Penelope wrapped her arms around Annabeth’s neck and buried her face against her collarbone, which made her heart melt. She rocked her and gave her soft kisses on her head and rubbed her back and whispered to her that she loved her. After a while, when Penelope’s breathing slowed, Annabeth carefully stood and gently lifted her down to her crib, where she settled in. Annabeth backed out of her room as quietly as possible and shut the door behind her. She stood with her ear close to the door for a moment and let out a breath of relief when she heard nothing.
Down the hall in Gracie’s room, their black lab, Bo, was curled up on his favorite rug in the house. He lifted his head when Annabeth walked in, but he didn't get up from the fluffy pink rug. Gracie was sitting on the floor by Bo playing with some of her stuffed animals—a walrus, a shark, and an octopus. It wasn’t a conscious choice on Annabeth’s part for the majority of her kids’ things to be ocean-themed, but that’s what happened when their dad was Percy Jackson and their parents’ friends loved to spoil them.
“Hi,” Annabeth greeted, sitting down on Gracie’s bed.
Gracie looked up, abandoning her stuffed animals, and went to her bookshelf to pick out her two books to read. She picked one of the new library books and one about a minnow that she loved. Annabeth lifted the blankets for Gracie, who slipped under and wrapped her arms around her otter stuffie she always slept with.
They read the library book first, which was a new one for both of them. Gracie had some things to say about the ending and some ideas of what could have happened instead. Then they read the one about the minnow. Gracie yawned as Annabeth turned the last page. Annabeth set both books on Gracie’s nightstand and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“I love you,” Annabeth told her.
“I love you, too,” Gracie said.
Annabeth stood and walked to her dresser, where her nightlight was. “What color do you want?”
“Blue,” Gracie decided.
Annabeth tapped the nightlight until it was blue, then walked back over to turn off the lamp on Gracie’s nightstand. Before she could, Gracie spoke. “Mommy?”
“Yeah?”
“I miss Daddy,” she said quietly, sounding like she might cry.
Annabeth sat back down on the bed. Her heart broke a little, reminded of herself as a kid, missing her dad, who was working. Annabeth knew Percy’s heart would break too if he heard Gracie say that. He’d never want to work again. “I know you do, baby. He’ll be here when you wake up.”
“When’s he coming back?” She sounded so small. Annabeth tucked a wispy curl behind her ear.
“Tonight, after you go to sleep,” Annabeth told her. “Do you want me to tell him to say good night to you when he gets home?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Okay.”
Gracie opened her arms and Annabeth wrapped her up in a hug. “Daddy and I love you so much,” she said quietly.
“I know.”
Annabeth pulled back and kissed Gracie’s forehead again. She reached over to turn off the lamp, which cast the room in a dim blue glow from the nightlight. Annabeth sat and watched Gracie close her eyes and squeeze her otter before standing up and walking to the door. Bo got up to follow her.
“Good night, Gracie,” Annabeth said softly. “I'll see you when the sun comes up.”
“Good night.”
Annabeth only shut the door halfway, then walked to her bedroom with Bo. She turned on the baby monitor for Penelope and changed into sweatpants and one of Percy’s shirts before going downstairs. There were some toys scattered around the living room, so Annabeth picked them up and put them away. She fluffed the couch cushions, folded the throw blanket, and carried Gracie’s water bottle from the coffee table to the kitchen. The sink was full of the day’s dishes, so Annabeth got to work on rinsing and moving them to the dishwasher. She soon found herself yawning very frequently.
When she was finished, she retreated to the living room where she sat on the couch in silence. She thought about putting on a show on the TV, but she decided she preferred to enjoy the quiet after the domestic chaos of the day. She set the baby monitor on the coffee table and watched Penelope sleep, feeling sentimental.
After some time, she heard the garage door open, the car door shut, and Percy walk inside through the mudroom. She felt relieved just to have him home. Bo trotted over to greet him. She heard him shuffle around in the mudroom before walking deeper into the house, where he found her on the couch.
“Hey,” he said, a tired smile on his face.
“Hey,” she said, returning an equally tired smile.
He joined her on the couch, wrapping his arms around her. Annabeth leaned into him, letting her tension melt away. She breathed him in and closed her eyes. They didn’t say anything, quietly finding comfort in each other’s arms after their long days.
“How was work?” She asked finally, pulling back just enough to look at his face.
“It was alright,” Percy replied, his hand soothingly moving up and down Annabeth’s arm. “How were the kids?”
“A lot,” she sighed. “Gracie really missed you. I told her you’d say good night when you got home.”
“I will.” Percy nodded, a faint smile on his face. His hand traveled down to rest on Annabeth’s stomach. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, just tired. My eyes hurt. I keep yawning,” Annabeth told him, emphasizing with another yawn. “We had chicken nuggets for dinner. Have you eaten?”
“Yeah, I did.” He kissed her temple. “Do you want to go to bed?”
Annabeth looked at the clock and nodded. It was still so early. She was in awe of her past self, who was able to pull all-nighters in high school and college and still function. Percy stood and offered Annabeth a hand, which she took. He let Bo outside to pee while Annabeth closed the blinds around the house. Then Percy and Annabeth headed upstairs, Bo right behind them.
Bo went straight for their room, but Percy went the other way, to Gracie’s room. Annabeth followed him, standing in her doorway. Gracie was fast asleep now, but Percy leaned down to kiss her forehead anyway. Annabeth watched with a smile on her face. He could’ve gone to bed without saying good night to Gracie and told her in the morning that he had and she would never know, but that wasn’t who Percy was.
Percy walked over to Annabeth and together they went to their room. “I’m gonna take a quick shower,” he told her. She nodded and set the baby monitor down on her nightstand, then followed him to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Back in their room, Bo was curled up on the bed with his head on Percy’s pillow. Annabeth decided that was Percy’s problem and climbed into her side of the bed.
Her bed was comfortable. She tried not to think about the morning, because she knew she’d wake up early and throw up again like she had for the past few days. Then she had to work, which hopefully wouldn’t be too bad. Percy would be with the kids all day and she’d be in her office downstairs. Gracie had preschool in the morning, so Percy would drop her off and pick her up. Percy would bring her things to her office if she asked. He’d probably make her lunch.
Either she had closed her eyes and dozed, or Percy had taken a very fast shower, because all of a sudden the lights were off, the fan was on, and he was standing by his side of the bed, dealing with Bo. Annabeth watched with tired eyes as Percy lifted Bo and set him back down on the foot of the bed so he could get under the covers. Bo wasn’t pleased about that, but he curled up and went right to sleep again.
Percy looked over at Annabeth, who smiled. He leaned over to kiss her good night. “I love you.”
“Love you,” she repeated, truly meaning it. She could do none of this without him. Annabeth kissed him one more time before settling back down on her pillow and closing her eyes.