Chapter Twenty-Three: The Gatekeeper’s Promise
Jen rode on Stormy’s back across the morning sky toward Colorado. Hip flew beside her, still worried she didn’t know what she was doing.
“I’m telling you, I got this,” she told him.
“What if I just want to be with you?” He winked.
She grinned. “You liar.”
Flying was much less scary to Jen with a horse beneath her. In fact, seeing her house from up here, with the sun sparkling on the reservoir, the tree-tops on the mountain peaks already dusted with snow—well, it was downright magnificent.
“Where are you going first?” he asked her.
“Therese’s.” She began to descend toward the San Juan Mountains behind Carol and Richard’s house. “I’m saving my visit with Mom for last. We have a lot to talk about before the wedding.”
“Oh, boy. Better you than me.”
Jen laughed.
“I better go before I put the whole area to sleep.”
“See you tonight.”
Hip disappeared, leaving Jen to land Stormy on her own. Luckily, Stormy knew exactly what to do.
“I’ll be back in a bit,” she told the horse as she dismounted and headed for Therese’s back door.
Carol and Richard greeted Jen and congratulated her on her engagement. Lynn ran up to be held, so Jen picked her up and then carried her over to the couch to sit beside Therese.
“Hey, Jen.” Therese smiled up at her.
“Do you always have a baby in your arms?” Jen asked.
Therese laughed. “It’s hard to avoid with twins. I can’t get them on the same sleeping schedule.”
“That’s my baby,” Lynn said.
“Come out on the deck with us, Lynn,” Richard called. “We want to show you something.”
“Deer?” Lynn asked.
“Yep. And chipmunks,” Carol said.
Lynn scurried across the room to her parents, giving Jen and Therese some privacy.
“Do you have news for me?” Therese asked.
Jen held out her arms for Hermes. “Can I hold him?”
Therese passed the little guy over.
“He’s gotten so big.”
“A lot has happened here in two weeks,” Therese said. “They can hold up their heads on their own and sleep for four hours at a time.”
“Yay for you, Hermes!” Jen said in a high-pitched voice. Then she turned to Therese. “Well, not much has happened for Than yet, but he’s not giving up.”
Therese frowned.
“He’s meeting with Hades today, though,” Jen added. “And Hip thinks they may have found a way.”
“I hope so.”
Hestia began fussing from her pallet on the floor, so Therese picked her up and began to nurse her.
“I came here to tell you something else,” Jen said.
“Okay?”
“Promise not to be mad.”
“Oh, no. What.”
“Promise?”
“How can I promise if I don’t know what it is?”
“I can’t be the goddess of animal companions,” Jen said. “It’s just not who I am. I mean, I love animals, but not as much as you do—except for horses, of course.”
“So, have you figured out your purpose?”
“Oh, good. You’re not mad.”
“I totally get it, Jen. Really.” Therese added, “It was my purpose, not yours. And it still is. I’m going to open my own shelter here in a few years, when the twins are older.”
“That’s a great idea.”
Therese smiled. “So what are you going to do, then?”
“Well, I have figured it out. And, boy, is Hip relieved. I couldn’t get him off my back.”
“So? What is it?”
“I’m the goddess of abused children,” Jen said, with her chin held high. “I know how to help because I know how it feels.”
Jen was surprised to see tears spring to Therese’s eyes. “I’m so happy for you, Jen. I really am. I think that’s just great.”
Jen smiled. “Thanks. I do, too.”
***
Thanatos sat across from his mother and father in their chambers.
“What is this about?” Than asked, suspiciously. “There’s nothing you can say to change my mind. I love both of you, but I want to be with my wife and children, and I will keep searching until I find a way.”
Persephone reached over and squeezed Hades’s hand.
“There’s something I have to tell both of you,” Hades said.
Persephone’s eyebrows furled and her lips parted. “What is it? You sound so somber.”
“The Fates asked me to make a promise to them a few months ago, and I have just been told today to share it with you.”
Than’s heartbeat increased as he took a deep breath. “I’m listening.”
“I was asked to swear on the River Styx not to say anything about the matter until they notified me. I had no idea what it all meant and was told my interference would ruin the lives of my children. So I said nothing.”
Persephone sat on the edge of her chair. “You’re frightening me.”
“I’m sorry, Dear,” Hades said, patting her hand. “This news will not sit well with you, I’m afraid.”
“Please, Father,” Than said impatiently. “Tell us what it is.”
“When Peter Holt was struck down by Hermes’s spear on your wedding day,” Hades began, “the Fates ordered me to preserve the body.”
Than’s mouth fell open. The wheels turned quickly in his head. He dared not get his hopes up as he waited for his father to finish.
“Although they gave no explanation at the time, today they told me it was time to tell Thanatos. They said Pete had a special destiny and that you would know what to do.”
Thanatos jumped from his chair and was about to shout a hooray when his mother’s tears held him in check.
He bent close to her and kissed her cheek. She reached up, wrapped her arms around him, and wept.
The appearance of Tizzie a few moments later gave him the occasion to stand up and break from his mother’s embrace. As he listened to Hades’s explanation to his sister, Than noticed a smile of understanding creep across the Fury’s face.
Tizzie turned to Than. “Shall we ask him together?”
Than returned her smile, and, together, they went to Tartarus to the seers’ pit.
***
When Therese saw the bright yellow monster truck rolling down the dirt road toward Jen’s house, she picked up the skirt of her bridesmaid’s dress and ran out to greet it.
All decked out in their matching gray tuxedos, Ray and Todd climbed down and gave her a hug.
“It’s been forever!” she said.
“Tell us about it,” Ray laughed.
“We thought about taking a road trip to Texas just to see you,” Todd added as he lifted his arm up to the driver’s side to help out another passenger.
“Who’s that?” Therese asked Ray.
“His date.”
Therese’s jaw nearly hit the floor when Gina Rizzo climbed out. Her golden curls were swooped up in a bun and her bright green dress looked beautiful on her.
“Hello, Therese,” Gina said.
“Hi, Gina.”
“So you’re a mom now,” Ray said, apparently trying to divert the tension. “Congratulations.”
“Twins,” she said. “Can you believe it?”
“No,” Gina said. “You look too good to have just had twins.”
“Well, we adopted,” Therese lied.
“Even so, you look great,” Gina said.
“Thanks.” Then she added. “Come and meet them. My in-laws are holding them.”
Therese giggled at the idea of introducing her friends to Hades and Persephone, lord and lady of the Underworld.
Most of the wedding guests had yet to arrive. Ray and Todd had come early because Jen and Mrs. Holt had asked them to be ushers again. Gina hung out with Therese until it was time for Therese to join the wedding party inside the house.
Thanatos looked so hot in his tux, that Therese didn’t think she could wait for the wedding to end and to be home at the Melner Cabin. She distracted herself by puffing out Lynn’s flower girl dress and reminding her to smile at all the guests.
Mrs. Holt looked absolutely beautiful in her cream-colored wedding gown, but Jen stole the show in her white sweetheart bodice and long, flowing train. Bobby stood between them with one on each arm, for it was his job to give them away.
Thanatos came by for a quick kiss before following Hip and Mr. Stern outside to wait for the procession. As Therese took her turn to walk down the aisle behind Lynn, she noticed her parents circle around a nearby Cypress tree and settle in its branches to watch. She winked at them and continued down to the front of the ceremony. She waved at Carol and Richard as she passed them. Halfway there, Than took her arm and escorted her to her spot before joining Hip at his side. Hip stood between Than and Mr. Stern, looking happy if not a little nervous. It was a great day for a double wedding.
Therese’s heart melted at the sight of Hades and Persephone sitting in the front row of the groom’s side, with little Hermes and Hestia in their laps. Many of the other gods were there, too, including the beautiful Aphrodite and her Graces, accompanied by Ares and Hephaestus. Zeus and Hera, Apollo and Artemis, Hermes and Hecate, and Meg and Alecto were also there. Pete and Tizzie, newlyweds, had stayed behind so as not to horrify the mortals with evidence of Pete’s resurrection, but they had sent their best wishes.
As Therese gazed out at her wonderful family and friends and then met Than’s eyes across the aisle, she fought back tears of joy.
But when Jen reached over to hand Therese the bouquet before joining hands with Hip for the vows, Jen whispered, “Hip and I will have to leave right after the ceremony.”
“Why?” Therese asked.
“Apparently Scylla and Charybdis have instigated a fight with Rhode, and Poseidon is up in arms over it,” Jen whispered. “All the gods will have to go. Except for Ares, of course. He can’t go until he finishes serving his sentence.”
Jen was talking about the decision made by the other gods to sentence Ares to one year of barn duty for the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Stern, which the gods saw as decent compensation for all of the turmoil the gods had caused the Holt family in recent years.
“We’ll leave right after we cut the cake,” Jen added.
Therese stifled a smile. Jen had some exciting adventures ahead of her, but Therese was happy with the one awaiting her right here in Colorado.