Archive of Our Own ^beta

Flower petals tickled his ankles as he walked through a large open meadow. The grass is brightly yellow-green only to be broken up into other colors of yellow, red, orange, blue, and purple where flowers were growing up from the earth. Sunflowers tall and reaching toward the sun. Tulips bunched into various clusters. Wild flowers growing wild and free. Little daffodils and morning glories all blooming around him. His stepmother waiting for him at a magicked table already completely set up for their annual springtime tea.

She greeted him with a smile. Gesturing for him to take a seat with her as a little yellow butterfly flew on by. Nico couldn’t help but relax as he sat down beside her. The fresh smell of flowers. The soft breeze of the rustling wind as it ruffled his hair. The plushness of Persephone’s wide and comfy high backed chairs. The sun shining down on him as if it were grinning at him. Beckoning him to come over and stay in the meadow. Rest awhile, join the fun. It was beautiful and lively. Life was reaching out to him. Embracing him in light and hope and warmth. Encouraging him to reach towards his inner shine and hold on tight. To never let go and fight to see another day. Just like this one. Something that would be as peaceful, sunny, and full of life such as this. A day with hope, rebirth, and joy just lingering below the surface. Days in springtime like this, would always remind him of his boyfriend Will.

A boy, who despite having gone through so much in his young life, that is still brimming with light, hope, love, and healing. Will Solace is spring. A springtime that always brought its care and tenderness with him. Helping heal his battered soul. Open wounds and trauma being gently closed and recognized. With that recognition, a sense of both acceptance and loyalty. Then kindness that helped him see the good in himself despite all the flaws he bore. The opportunities to change and flourish like the rise and fall of the sun, the arrival of new life, and the rest of the natural world coming out of its wintertime hibernation. It was never too late to spring forward. Life could move on. It always did.

His best friend Percy was summer personified. Wild and unrestrained like a tropical storm. Intense power and brilliance all in one like a blazing summer sun or a strong ocean current. Unassuming but not unintelligent. Fun and free but still responsible like kids in summer classes and lifeguards on the beach. Harsh and unrelenting like a strong earthquake. Interesting and challenging like learning a new skill, graduating, or reuniting with others after a long time apart. Strong but gentle. Waves that could be fun surfing or ones that could take you directly out to sea to your demise. Sometimes a mess of contradictions, but also really simple in principle. Sometimes what you saw was what you got. Other times, you couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised. Thrilled even. There was so much more depth. Summer wasn’t a season of new beginnings like spring. It was a season of fun and finding oneself. Of spontaneity and passion. His lover and oldest friend were filled with light and rejuvenate energies. Filled with power and the ability to change with the times if need be. It made him insecure sometimes. For he wasn’t summer or spring. Like his father, he was winter.

Winter with its harshness and bleakness. Shorter days and longer nights. Colder weather and thick blanketing snowfalls. Not light and airy but heavy. Winter was when the world fell asleep. When the feelings of a natural death to the bright and once cheery landscape had occurred. Time went slowly, not fast. Life being almost paused. Some would even say depressing. How could he love and befriend people with so much vibrancy when he was so dull? When other demigods still pulled away at his darkness. His gloominess.

Persephone seemed to sense his concern. See the worry in his furrowed brows. The way he bites his lower lip when he gets nervous or fearful. She offered him a cup of lemon black tea and they sipped their tea together as they watched the world go by. A parent and child spending time together in the throes of a pleasant spring day.

“Nico, did I ever tell you how I really fell for your father? Even with how different we are?”

“No, Lady Persephone.”

“Nico, you can call me Sephie or stepmom if you’d like. Please know that.”

“So, how did you both make things work?”

“Nico, my mom once thought I’d be best suited to marry your boyfriend’s father. For we are both spring. His light would strengthen my flowers, my flowers then would bring color to the world. Plants for healing. Sunlight to encourage rebirth. Apollo is still one of my dearest friends even after our arranged engagement didn’t work out. He still lights up my world with his music and sunlight. His truth and knowledge still sets me free. His divine poetry revitalizes me to this day. But just between you and me, it would never have worked out. For we are too similar him and I.

I needed someone to allow me to realize that I needed sleep and that I didn’t need to constantly grow. That some things didn’t have to change. That I couldn’t heal everything. Life still needed to end in order to be reborn. That even with all the brilliance of the light, there was very much still wonder in the shadows. While it was nice and fun to be warm, there was still strength and comfort in the cold. Your father is quite literally my other half. He starts where I cease. I warm his heart when he’s frozen inside and he cools me when I’m burning up. For gods, when you complete each other in some way. Together you become stronger. Your essence burns brighter. Whether the connection is platonic, romantic, or familial. It’s not always opposites attract like your father and I. Sometimes it’s realizing your two sides of the same coin. That you have much in common. Like you and Percy for instance.”

“You don’t regret loving my dad?”

“No, Nico I don’t. Even with some of your father’s occasional affairs and his faults, I still love him. I miss the world above and my mother sometimes, but I do really treasure my winters with your father. I do wish I could heal him more. He rarely shows it but your father is truly an empath. With knowing people’s darkest fears and regrets, he also knows their deepest loves and convictions. He sees their souls and humanity in the same way I see my flowers and mother earth. He knows how to block the feelings. Put up walls and compartmentalize. Be fair and stern. Neutral and nuanced. To try to not let it get to him. Anyone who works in the underworld has to do this. Some are far better than others. I still struggle from time to time, so does Hecate, Hypnos, and Charon. Your father and Thanatos are the best at it all. H has also become quite good at it in his own twisted way. Acknowledging and respecting all of the rules of the underworld, mortal world, and Olympus in his approach and manner. Not being caught up too much between all the very different worlds as he works.”

“Is dad hurting? Does he hurt like I do when I miss my friends and camp? My seasons in the sun?”

“Yes, he does. He wishes that he could be more involved up here sometimes. Or at the very least get to be welcomed up on Olympus more regularly. The new throne is helping but it still doesn’t make up for years of isolation and separation from family and friends. It’s hard but it’s getting better. He’s been happier since you’ve entered our lives, Nico. Even if his main family rejects him or fears him, he still has his found one. Our little family of you, me, him, Thanatos, Hypnos, Hecate, Charon, Cerberus, and H. We’re a gang that supports each other. No matter what our jobs and individual pain look like.”

“Is there anything I can do to help still?”

“Yes, remind him that it’s okay to be open about his feelings. That he doesn’t always have to lock them away. Your father is very in touch with what he needs emotionally. He just needs to be encouraged to ask for what he needs. I help when it gets too much. Anchor him back to his immortal life when he starts feeling as if he’s already one of the dead. I nurture him and bring him back to health like he is a delicate flower. He takes care of my soul with equal compassion. I would just remind him how much you love him every once in a while. Even if it's in a very small way. He needs reassurance sometimes.”

“So do you think Will and I will last?”

“I do. You complete each other like ‘Dite would say a perfect match.”

There was a lull in the conversation, as they ate some cucumber sandwiches and tea party fare that Persephone and Nico had brought. Persephone with her teas, veggies, and freshly made grasshopper pie. Nico who had brought cucumber sandwiches and a cheese tray. Both of them nursed full bellies once they finished their lavish meals. Leaning back in their chairs a little to look up at the sky. It was sunny and crystal blue.

“Nico, the sandwiches were great as always. I just would like to ask what’s also troubling you?”

“I’m also wondering about what you said earlier about Hermes too. That he may be feeling caught between three worlds. I don’t understand. He's such a lighthearted god.”

“Oh, dear Nico. You know when you complain to me and your father about how judgmental others can get towards you. How they assume your connection to the world of the dead makes you all doom and gloom? That it sucks, that people can’t see how much you’ve changed and grown and that you’d be a good friend?”

Nico nodded. He was starting to see a bit where she was headed with this. He just didn’t see how this connected to the messenger god.

“I know you can see many of your friends’ hidden depths. When you talk about your friends and their thoughts, experiences, and feelings with us, your father and I know that you do genuinely care for others and you also possess your father’s empathy. Percy and Will have been in your life for a while and we all know you see them as much more than a dork and a pretty face respectively. That your Will is very capable as a caregiver and can think fast on his feet. He’s smart and talented but still humble. That Percy is loyal and true but also a badass at heart. He’s clever and powerful but doesn’t flaunt it. Gods like humans can be complex too.”

“Ok, I can see what you’re saying a little bit. I just thought all of the gods were very much representative of their symbols and duties. That they were very much a caricature or picture of what those looked like. With dad, death is very complex and he is presiding over that experience so I wasn’t that surprised when I found him much more multifaceted. He represents a very large and unknown part of existence after all. The others I’m not so sure because I haven’t known you all that long or seen everything you can do as gods. Not that you all aren’t powerful! I just don’t understand.”

“That’s ok, Nico. Let’s start out simple. How would you describe me? Just generally. I won’t smite you if you indirectly insult me and I’m curious to see what you think.”

“Before I met you, I thought you were kind of one of those uptown girls. The rich ones that live in fancy mansions and are super sheltered. Someone who never has to worry and always gets what they want. Someone obsessed with flowers and springtime and beauty. An innocent maiden that gets kidnapped by my father in the old tales. Someone who I wouldn’t be able to look up to or respect because of their upbringing, looks, and naivety. Kind of like how people see Marie Antionette and her marriage to King Louie the 16th in the history books.”

“Um, wow. Nico, I won’t deny that I was sheltered by my mother. That she was overprotective and at times very stifling. I did have the life of nobility. Being the king and mother’s godly daughter and one of the first Olympians of the second generation. I think my mom was afraid if she didn’t bubble wrap me, she’d lose me like her mom Rhea lost her kids. It’s part of why I tolerate her behavior towards me and our marriage so much. She’s scared of losing her child and she’s deeply traumatized. Other gods and her father had hurt her in horrific ways. Her responses to this trauma of hers aren’t always healthy. She needs to let me live my own life.

She can’t be so overprotective. I still love her though. She’s my mother, she raised me. She treated me like her precious land, her sacred fields of grain. She never physically or emotionally abused me. She loves me and values me with all her heart. For that I’ll always be grateful even if she's grating. I also think she’s getting better with being less intense with her other children. She should spend more time with them, make no mistake. Still, she’s not coddling them or threatening to destroy the world for them. That’s progress at least. As for the flower obsession, it is my domain. My mother and I, our family, we value agriculture. The very same crops that allow everyone to eat and survive. It’s important that we don’t forget to care for the world. I’m not a victim. I love your father very much. I don’t regret marrying him.”

“I know that now. I didn’t then. I really respect you stepmom. You’ve shown me much more understanding and care in recent years. You’ve stopped turning me into flowers and we both love cooking and enjoying quiet moments like these together. I appreciate your advice when it comes to Will and relationships in general. I’m not always great at them. It’s hard to support your friends sometimes when you’re a demigod.”

“I’m sorry dear. Your father and I want you to be so happy, we really do. It’s just you lead such a hard life sometimes and–”

Nico took Persephone’s hand in his. Rubbing his thumb over her knuckles in reassurance. He would’ve been angrier at her, both of them years ago. Mad at their excuses and empty promises. Except now he better understood why things were the way they were. The pain was still there and he still missed his mother, Bianca, Jason, and all of the other countless people he had lost on occasion. It’s just he wasn’t bitter or vengeful like before. He understood death better. Made his peace with it all. He’d see them again someday. Maybe not in life, but in death. It was a cold comfort, but it was all that he had sometimes. Keeping him from completely breaking down and giving up. He needed to live his life to the fullest. Make memories with his friends and family when he could. Meet new people, see the world with Will and Ms. O’Leary if she wanted to tag along with them. That’s what he would do.

“So, you were telling me about how gods are complex?”

‘Well, yes. I would use my friend Apollo as an example but you’ve already met him in a profound way when he was Lester. He’d want me to ask this for him, but what do you think of him?”

“I think he’s way better than he was before. Not so self absorbed and small minded. He’s my boyfriend’s dad and I don’t want him to smite me but he’s pretty cool for a god. He was never unkind to me for being a son of Hades. He doesn’t actively sabotage my relationship with Will and his kids have all adopted me. He acts as my friend and funny uncle/father in law sometimes. It’s overwhelming at times with his energy and all, but he’s not bad.”

“I’m glad to hear it. He’ll certainly be happy when I tell him when we visit our favorite botanical gardens together. He really wants to make up for his behavior from before. He feels like his ‘mask’ was getting in the way of his relationships with everyone especially you and his kids and he wants to do better. He appreciates your help with his quests too.”

“Apollo likes plants?”

“Yes, they inspire his poetry, help him with medicine, and make him feel more at peace. You probably already know but flowers and plants they’re often symbols of his grief. Grief that he’s healing from but he still holds very much love and reverence for those lost. It’s complicated but if it allows my friend to feel more happy and revitalized then I won’t judge him too harshly.”

“Oh, okay. Well I’ll let Will know what he can get his father for Father’s Day. I hope he doesn’t continue to beat himself up though. I mean it was his fault, but there were other choices made. He didn’t know about Zephyr’s jealousy or that Daphne would become a tree. He was wrong but he doesn’t need to beat himself up for eternity. I’m not saying don’t miss them, grieve them. I will always miss and love those I lost. You just realize that mistakes were made and that it would be best if you learned from them. Honor them by living your best life. Being the best person you can be for them and others. Then at some point you healthily let them go. That way they can rest in peace and you can treat them and their memories with respect and dignity. It just makes me sad thinking of Will’s dad crying alone in the dark somewhere clutching some picture frame of a lost loved one or somebody he couldn’t save. I know how much he cares about others, especially those he loves and is actively trying to save. I see it in Will too. The need to heal, help, and protect. It makes me worry about Will. I’m worried that he may not be able to handle death well as a doctor. That if I were to pass, he’d be devastated. I’m not sure I want to be Will’s Daphne or Hyacinthinus.”

“Then you should talk to him about your concerns. Make sure that you both understand how you both view life and death. Seek professional help if need be. Have a plan in place if the worst were to happen. I’m sure your father or Thanatos could speak to Will about this.”

“I just might have them do that at some point. Thanks for listening to me.”

“Nico, dear. It’s what parents do. I guess I’ll have to use another god as an example. Ok, I’ll use your camp director. You call him Mr. D?”

“Yeah, we do.”

“Sometimes I actually feel sorry for him. His domains can be fun but also maddening. Parties, theater, games, and wine are amazing. Still he also deals with addiction and mental health issues. I bet it kills him to see you kids become more and more traumatized with each new conflict. Then he was also once a demigod, so seeing other demigods die like he could’ve back then it’d be hard. Well, that all must suck. He is probably determined to not get too attached to any of you. That way he doesn’t have to feel all of that mental anguish. Can’t exactly blame him. It was hard for me to get used to life in the underworld at first. Surrounded by all of that death. Then there’s his punishment and subsequent depression. No, I don’t envy him one bit. Still if you just looked at him as just the god of celebrations, then you wouldn’t really realize all of that. You’d think everything was just fun and games all the time.”

“Oh, I knew Mr. D cared a long time ago. With how he helped Chris Rodriguez and encouraged me to seek help with my abandonment issues. Then he seems to love his kids enough to see if they’re healthy and happy. He attends their funerals too according to Percy. I just wish he wasn’t always so grumpy and upset to be there at camp. It’d be nice to see him happy and outwardly supportive like Chiron sometimes. Still, I can’t blame him for being frustrated with his punishment.”

There was another pause as they went back to sipping their tea. Nico was surprised at how much Persephone knew about psychology and her family. She must have been paying much more attention than he thought.

“So, I’m starting to understand a bit more. They’re their symbols and domains but also the downsides and upsides that come with them? Their personalities are shaped by perception and how they interact with others within their spaces?”

“Basically.”

“So, with Hermes? Oh, no.”

“Yeah, you can see why things are a bit of a mess with that one. He and I used to be so close. Best friends really aside from him and Apollo. We had slumber parties all the time. We’d stay up all night spilling the tea and swapping stories. Then we’d have a fashion show of sorts. He’d model his shoes from his collection and new fashions from his travels. I’d wear my finest clothes and nature based couture that I had made. I used to really love jewelry making, you know? Then he would charm me with some of his jokes and teasing while I gave him time to relax. He would always let me win the games we played even when I knew he could beat me. Or Apollo would beat us both. Apollo playing to win, myself trying to keep up with rules, and H just playing alongside us. Then when Artie and Mr. D or others joined in it would get super competitive. Still, H kept losing matches. H is slippery but he’d always let us win. I think he just wanted us to be happy and together. Usually, I got company and someone I could be myself with with very little judgment and I think he got a chance to feel wanted. His duties need his work, but do they want him for who he is, it’s debatable. It’s scary how alike he and Apollo are. Both so committed to their work and determined to help others. Except besides having him come and watch you when you were young, he and I haven’t really talked. I feel bad but he’s always busy and it’s hard to pull him away from my father. Then when he’s working for my husband, the mood is always somber and he has to leave in a hurry again.”

“But with all the worlds, why would he feel so stuck? He could move easily.”

“He can, sure. It’s just that he usually acts like a diplomat. He has to understand the divine and the mortals so that he can foster communication between them. Olympus and the underworld are very different. We have different rules, motivations, and views among others. He has to juggle and accommodate. Be flexible and tricky. Think outside of the box. He can’t always take sides unless he wants someone to decide to go to war. For a bigger problem to emerge. A war between gods, it would be disastrous. I will always take your father’s side in battle. I swore my love and allegiance on the Styx when we married. Others like Apollo understand the enormity of how much anyone would do for love. No one blames me for siding with the love of my life. Even my mother begrudgingly understands. Back to H. H is like Apollo, there’s so much passion in that heart. Love too. Apollo shows his through the arts and healing. Yes, plagues play a role too. H through building metaphorical bridges and in some cases tearing them down to create new stories and connections. Giving mortals opportunities too. When they’re together, you better watch out. Of course that’s why my father keeps them apart. Too powerful together. Like Athena and Ares.”

“So, Hermes is constrained by his roles. That’s not so bad. Why would he be a mess?”

“Look around you, there’s so much data and communication going on. So much to manage. H rarely stops moving even when he divides himself. That's not even touching global mortal communities and their connections. Interacting with other pantheons and their godly politics. His other domains that have been changing in both scale and size. I’m surprised H hasn’t self-destructed yet. Then he’s lonely. Nobody talks to him. They just want their results. It’s why I feel so guilty about not reaching out.”

“Cuz, needs a break. Thank you for really opening my eyes today. I still don’t like you all but I can understand why you’re the way you’re.”

“Well, a little understanding and empathy goes a long way. How are you at camp? Is everyone treating you better?”

“Yes, stepmom. Apollo‘s Cabin and Will have adopted me. So has Hermes’ Cabin. Connor jokes that they’ll have to start filing for joint custody of me soon. Percy is wonderful as always, infuriatingly so I might add. I love the guy, but could he be less heroic sometimes? Annabeth is wickedly smart, Grover is very kind, Leo is so chill, Piper is talented and gorgeous, and Hazel is doing great with Frank at Camp Jupiter. Her magic is expanding in power and strength. Frank is being an awesome camp leader with her. I think they’ll be the first of us to get married to be honest. I still hear the whispers and gossip. The odd rumors that I will murder everyone in their sleep. That I am a vampire. To be honest, it doesn’t bother me anymore. I am my father’s son and I am not ashamed of that anymore.”

“Nico, I am so proud of you. We’re so proud. Still if anybody threatens to harm you without good cause, I will show them the reasons why you do need to fear the goddess of spring and the Queen of the Underworld.”

“It’s okay. I am fine. I can fight my own battles but I appreciate your support.”

“Alright.”

“I have been thinking. Maybe we have another couple of sleepovers? Invite all the nice gods and demigods over to different ones? Everybody can catch up. I can do one with Hazel and my friends. Another can be with my cousins and you and dad. Dad gets to feel more included. Apollo isn’t crying and in mourning alone. You get to have fun and be cheered up. Hermes gets his family time and relaxation. I get to connect more with my extended family and see my friends again. I think it would be fun.”

“I don’t know if your father would do a fashion show or Dance Dance Revolution. He might be uncomfortable with that. Well it might be fun. I second your notion. When you’re at camp, I will plan something.”

“Great. Thanks stepmom. You’re the best.”

The two of them hugged. Promising to keep in touch some more.

She said, “Remember, don't always heavily prejudge others! After all, if I hadn’t taken a second look, your father and I would never have gotten together. Stay kind Nico. Be careful but keep your heart open. You never know what may come next. People, immortals, and creatures are like plants. They always need to be cherished and cared for. So don’t let all of your special relationships wither and die. Remember to water them sometimes. Give them sunlight. Repot when you need to. Then accept those that do wither away and lose their petals. Since not every flower and plant can be saved. Relationships change and end. It’s hard but very much worth it. Just like tending a garden and watching your flowers grow.”

“I will keep that in mind. See you next spring for tea! See you later alligator.”

“You as well. In a while crocodile.”

Days and years would go by. Seasons flashing away as soon as they came. Nico grew older as Persephone remained youthful. Permanently stuck at 37. It was their special ritual. Always the same meadow, the same time. A warm sunny sky, flowers blooming and perfuming the air, birds chirping as they flew on by. A promise never broken. Sometimes it was just the two of them. Sometimes Will or one of their other friends and family would join. They’d all sit at Persephone’s special table with the high backed chairs or laze around in the tall grass. New memories were actively being made every spring to join the much beloved old ones. They did this every spring until Nico had passed.

His husband Will had died while working with Doctors Without Borders in Rwanda. His old and caring heart decided to stop beating. Nico was beside himself. His only comfort being that Will died doing what he loved and that he would reunite with him in Elysium. There were many tears shed that spring day when Persephone and he had met up again. Persephone gathered her stepson in her arms doing her best to comfort him and care for him in his grief stricken state. Rocking him like a baby in her arms. Her child, her boy, her stepson. Her husband, Nico’s father, joined them later in the underworld to offer words of support and love. His hand never left Nico’s. As they clutched each other’s hands in a show of solidarity and support. Her husband wasn’t one for physical affection but he did care about his son. Desperately wishing he could take his son’s pain away but still knowing that Nico would need to experience some of it to learn and grow up. For his son to be able to thrive even if it killed him to see his boy suffer. That’s when she pulled them all into a hug and held them tight inside their private quarters in the palace. She couldn’t take away the pain of losing Will. Bring him back to life and make things good again. All she could do was hold her family close and make sure they were whole. Even when they were threatening to wither away, losing petals over time, she continued to tend to them. Caring for them like the flowers in her garden. The most beloved ones of all.

Thanatos, who personally escorted Will, came to Will’s funeral with their family. Hecate, Hypnos, and Charon solemnly joined. Apollo sobbing as Artemis held him tight. Will’s siblings and other demigods and mortals who knew him paying their respects and saying goodbye. Her husband spared no expense and ensured that Will’s funeral would be the best sendoff possible for the eighty-two year old hero and doctor. Hermes helped support Persephone when she threatened to break down. Grieving with their family’s loss of her son in law while trying to desperately help her little family unit. He went around going to check on Nico, Apollo, Will’s siblings, Hades, his own kids, and the rest of their family. Doing his best to soothe them, let them grieve, share stories, and just breathe freely. He was her best friend and rock again. She appreciated it.

When Nico had died six years later. Persephone felt like her mother Demeter must have felt when Persephone had initially been kidnapped. Spring threatening to become a premature fall. A fall season that was nothing but cold and windy. It’s autumn joy long forgotten. All of the beautiful flowers wilted. She and her husband were in the throes of grief. Apollo’s sun was shining far less than normal. They were all devastated. Nico had been the second to last remaining demigod from those original quests. Thalia and Reyna, the hunters and friends, had died six months before on a hunt. Piper was the last one remaining at 88. Nico was buried beside his husband, his family, and his friends. Another good soul claimed by time. With Nico having passed away gently in his sleep. Hermes was the one to escort Nico this time. A favor of him that Nico had asked about years before. Hermes had later confided in Persephone and Apollo about their final journey.

Her stepson had said, “Don’t let my story, our stories go untold. No more demigods should suffer at the hands of the gods and monsters. It’s time for change and hope. A new millennium. Please don’t let them forget, to become too cocky and complacent. Otherwise our deaths, our lives, all of them, will be in vain.” It wasn’t an easy thing for H to hear. To hear stories of all of their collective pain and joy. The pain and stress often overshadowed some of the good moments. Even though Nico would still inject some earnest positivity in the tales here and there. To have to document them all diligently while saying goodbye to his beloved cousin (practically his nephew) and friend. H didn’t always like making promises he couldn’t keep. He was unlikely to succeed but at least H could promise that he’d try to Nico. Try to keep the memories, the stories, of these demigods alive. He was a storyteller and a messenger after all. It was what he did best. So, with a final hug to Nico, he had left her child at Elysium’s pearly entrance.

Persephone knew that her husband and her would ultimately be okay. They were immortal and experienced loss quite a bit over the centuries. However, Nico was very special to them. While Will had been a gorgeous petunia, a flower known for healing and well being. Their son had been a Peruvian Lily. A petal each for his commitment, respect, humor, learned patience, understanding and empathy. She loved her son (stepson seemed like such an unnecessary title now). Her husband and her would miss him forever and always. But now there was a chance for a new beginning, a rebirth of sorts. So when the spring finally came back bringing new life with it, she couldn’t help but smile like she did on that one spring day. Their parting words echoing in her mind. He’d always go and see her again, and as a goddess she could wait a while longer.