Annabeth's bump ^^

Here's another 5,000 words to make up for me being gone lol

Tuesday, March 26th
4:30 pm - Annabeth's bedroom
33 weeks and 6 days pregnant

Annabeth listened intently as Percy and Thalia relayed the days events to her. They lounged in her bedroom together cozily, comfortable in the warm room. Spring was seeming to come early this year, but it was still rather cold some days, and that Tuesday was one of them.

"So they got suspended?" Annabeth asked.

"Yup. They were escorted out and everything—it was insane," Thalia replied.

"Good." Annabeth had been the one to reach out to Principal Minerva. She composed an email on Will's behalf with both of their signatures explaining the horrific events that had occurred, as well as evidence as to who it was—the picture of Matt's ring. Luckily, Annabeth and her principal had become rather well acquainted, since Annabeth was one of her school's top performers. Mrs. Minerva had been receptive and got back to Annabeth immediately. It also seemed that action to bring some justice for Will had been taken right away.

"Did they suspend everyone involved, or just Matt and Ethan?" Annabeth asked.

Percy answered this time. "Yeah, they got all of five of them. Will was able to name them all, and luckily Minerva believed him. They all got three weeks." Percy had this look on his face when he talked about what happened to Will. It was such passion, like he was glad the sons of bitches who hurt him got suspended, but he was still angry enough to take matters into his own hands.

Annabeth placed a hand on his arm instinctually, an act she hoped would calm him. "That's great. I mean, expulsion would be better, but I'm just so glad that we're getting some justice for once. I mean, of course, suspension's not gonna heal Will's injuries, but it's some accountability."

"Hey, I'm all about accountability... maybe even some vigilante work..." Thalia said with a smirk, punching her hand.

Annabeth laughed. "I'm sure we both agree with you, Thals, but more violence isn't gonna solve anything."

"Fine," Thalia sighed, relenting like a disappointed child. She continued to spin around in Annabeth's desk chair, tossing a hackey sack above her. It was funny; for as long as Annabeth had known her, Thalia always had to be moving or fidgeting in some way. She used to drive their elementary school teachers mad because she could never sit still.

"So," Annabeth prompted. "What else is new? How is everyone? I feel like I haven't seen them in a while." Everyone had been busy recently, so there weren't a lot of openings to hang out with each other. Usually, Annabeth would have the busiest schedule of them all. But now, her full time job was staying cooped up in the house, and it was tiring work being alone all day. Luckily, Annabeth knew how to keep her own company, but she still missed her friends.

"Everyone's good," Percy answered. "Katie and Travis can't stay away from each other," he snarked.

Thalia turned to them, suddenly tuning into the conversation. "Oh my god, Annie, you have no idea—it's bad."

Annabeth laughed. She just wished she was able to see how happy her two friends were in person. Katie had only been talking about Travis for months. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," Thalia nodded.

"They walk each other to class, run together in gym," Percy started.

"They sit on top of each other at lunch, and—" Thalia faked a gag, "they kiss by each other's lockers."

"Ah, no!" Annabeth yelled, laughing. Since freshman year, Annabeth and Thalia had always made fun of the couples that stuck their tongues down each other's throats in the hallways. It was so cliché and, quite honestly, gross to have to witness, and they never stopped making fun, all the way up to now. Luke, however, had never been in on the joke, which left him utterly confused as to why Annabeth always refused his kisses by their lockers in school. She would just laugh and shake her head. Things were so simple then. It was strange to think that a time that felt worlds away wasn't all that long ago.

Percy laughed. "I know, it's terrible."

"Uh," Thalia looked at him incredulously with a raised eyebrow. "You have no room to talk, Jackson, you think about nothing but blondie all day," she teased, throwing a nod Annabeth's way.

Annabeth laughed, covering her face. It warmed her to the core to think that she lived in Percy's mind. Of course, all she could think about was him—there wasn't much else to do, but even if there was, that boy was rooted in her head and there was no way he was ever coming out.

"What?! I do not," Percy protested, his face splitting into a grin and his cheeks flushing pink. "I think about a lot of things."

"Oh please—if Annabeth were in school, you two would never leave each other alone," Thalia teased, waving her hand dismissively. "He would kiss you by your locker," she said insultingly, pointing at Annabeth.

Annabeth threw her head back and laughed loudly. "No, no, no, please," she guffawed, almost snorting. "I would not let you do that." She looked to Percy.

"I don't think that I would want to after seeing your reactions!" he agreed, laughing too.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jackson—"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Annabeth shouted, interrupting her. "You know I don't like that joke," she jokingly whispered to Thalia, holding a hand up to her mouth. "Do not give him ideas." She sent a pointed look Percy's way. He was bright red from laughing so hard, and only getting turning more cherry by the second.

The two girls cackled and Percy joined in. It had been a little while since Annabeth had laughed that hard—she missed the feeling. And apparently, Finn did too. Annabeth felt his little kicks against her belly, rubbing her hand over the spot—it was still one of the most incredible feelings she had ever experienced.

"Finn thinks it's pretty funny too—feel," Annabeth said, inviting them to feel his kicking. Thalia got up and sat on the bed, and Percy moved closer to Annabeth. She took their hands, placing them on her belly, Finnley's little legs still going.

Percy grinned and Thalia mirrored him. Then she leaned down to Annabeth's belly.

"This is your aunt Thalia," she said in a sweet, half-joking voice. "You are going to be a very funny child, because I will teach you one of life's greatest gifts: sarcasm."

Annabeth and Percy laughed. "Yeah, perfect, so when he misbehaves, he'll be a smartass about it," she joked.

"Are you kidding me? Whether I corrupt this kid or not, it's yours—this thing was gonna be a smartass no matter what," Thalia protested. Percy laughed and Annabeth swatted her friend's arm.

"You may be a smartass, but at least you're a beautiful one," Percy said, flashing her a grin.

Annabeth laughed. "I hate you."

Thalia looked back and forth between them. "You guys are gonna be great parents."

~*~

Saturday, March 30th
2:15 pm - Annabeth's kitchen

Annabeth was enjoying a bowl of Cheerios when her phone rang. Seeing it was Percy, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"You know what I just realized?" Percy's voice came through the phone, and Annabeth wanted to chuckle at the fact that he didn't even say hi.

"What?" she asked, her smile floating through the phone.

"I just realized that I miss you."

Annabeth laughed into phone, the noise filling the kitchen. "You saw me yesterday," she noted.

"Yeah exactly, yesterday." He really made her laugh. "I miss you and I wanna take you out."

"Mm, is that so?" she asked before holding the phone from her mouth and crunching more cereal.

"'Tis so," he answered.

Annabeth swallowed her Cheerios. "Where're you taking me?" Her face was beginning to hurt from how big her smile was.

"I realized another thing, you wanna know what?"

"What?"

"I haven't—wait a minute, are you eating cereal right now?"

Annabeth busted out laughing, throwing her head back, barely able to breathe. Percy's laughter came through the phone as well. "Busted," she admitted when she finally caught her breath.

"I bet it's like, Raisin Bran or something," he teased.

"Screw you!" she retorted. "It's Cheerios."

"Oh, alright, you get a pass—Cheerios are good," he answered.

Annabeth took another bite and chuckled. "I forget why you called me."

"Ah right! I realized that I haven't been to the aquarium in forever, and I know one far enough away that we won't be seen," he explained.

"So, let me get this straight," Annabeth started. "You call me up, interrupting my delicious bowl of Cheerios,"

"Uhuh."

"To tell me that you miss me and haven't been to the aquarium recently,"

"Si,"

"And that your solution to both these problems is to take me on a date to the aquarium," she finished.

"Yeppers."

"Yeppers? Oh dear god, I'm dating a dork," Annabeth laughed.

Percy scoffed through the phone. "If anyone is dating a dork here, it's me," he protested.

Annabeth gasped. "You know what? Suddenly I'm busy tonight, I just remembered I have plans," she threatened jokingly.

Percy laughed. "Yeah right," he snarked.

"It's funny because I'm not hearing an apology from the person who wants to take me out tonight," Annabeth continued. "I think I'm gonna hang up the phone."

"Okay, I'm sorry please don't hang up!" Percy rushed out. "I'm sorry and I love my dork," he said.

Annabeth laughed, but her heart swelled with warmth. "Yeah, you better be. Pick me up in an hour," she said.

"Will do," he replied. "Okay, bye, I love you," he said, putting emphasis on the 'I love you'.

"Love you too, I guess," Annabeth teased. Then with one final laugh, she hung up.

She loved her dork, too.

~*~

Saturday, March 30th
4:45 pm - Great Reef Aquarium

"Ooh, look!" Percy said, pulling Annabeth' arm. He pointed out to an attraction not too far from them. It was one of his absolute favorites, ever since he was a kid. "Sting rays," he said almost in awe.

Annabeth laughed, and Percy admired her beautiful smile, mirroring it. They had been at the aquarium for about an hour and they were having a great time. Percy knew that this was a good choice—the perfect way to spend a Saturday. How did it get better than the girl he loved and aquatic animals he loved?

Percy had always had an affinity for the ocean and marine life, even since his mom would take him to the beach when he was young. It was a shame to think that oceans today were so polluted and how the animals were suffering. Percy was going to major in environmental engineering and minor in marine biology, so he could help find solutions for the oceanic pollution. But right now, he was just enjoying the animals with Annabeth. 

They walked over to the stingrays, pulling up their sleeves.

"I never really cared for this," Annabeth said, looking over at Percy. She was leaning on the edge of the pool, the water almost reflecting a glow over her face.

"Really?" Percy asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah, I was always afraid to do it as a kid," she laughed. "My dad told me that I used to throw fits when he would try to get me to touch the stingrays, so I never really did it," she admitted.

Percy chuckled. "Well, first time for everything right? They're cool, I promise. Have you ever seen the face of a stingray? They're adorable!"

Annabeth laughed. "I know, I know."

Percy looked around the pool, seeing mostly children and their parents gathered around. One mother was yelling at her son for splashing a little girl, whose father was consoling her because she was crying with a wet shirt. It was almost funny, although Percy felt bad for the little girl. Suddenly he thought about bringing Finnley to the aquarium some day, telling him about all the fish and stingrays and every other animal. Maybe he'd love it just as much as Percy. Hopefully he wouldn't take after his mother's fear of stingrays. The thought made Percy laugh.

"What's so funny?" Annabeth asked, a small smile on her lips and the question in her eyes.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how I hope Finn doesn't have your fear of stingrays," he said.

Annabeth chuckled. "Really? Screw you, now I'm touching one out of spite," she retorted.

Percy laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he insisted. He kissed her lips gently. "He'll be brave like you."

Annabeth's face changed into a smile at that, a real smile.

"Now touch a stingray," he said, and she laughed.

One of the workers must have overheard their conversation because suddenly she spoke from across the pool. "All of our stingrays here are super friendly. The only thing you wanna remember is just to pet their backs and don't touch their tails," she advised.

Percy and Annabeth nodded receptively, saying 'thank you's. Suddenly, a stingray swam by, its fin coming up out of the water with a little splash. They all laughed.

"That's Ziggy," the instructor said with a smile. "Don't worry—that means she wants your attention."

Annabeth laughed and looked down to the water, watching Ziggy circle back around. Percy couldn't help his grin. Amidst the hesitation, there was a look of almost awe and wonder in her eyes. It was an incredible thing to see. Annabeth carefully stuck her hand in the water as Ziggy swam by, Percy following suit. Their fingers brushed her back, the skin smooth and slippery. Annabeth laughed and looked over at Percy.

"See? It's cool," Percy said reassuringly.

"It certainly is." She spoke almost absentmindedly, distracted by Ziggy and the other stingrays swimming by them. Percy let his fingers drift over each of them as Annabeth did the same. He grinned at the nostalgia swelling in his heart. He had missed this.

"I think she likes you," the instructor laughed. Annabeth sported a smile bright to enough to light up the whole world, making Percy's heart skip a beat. "She might have an inclination to cute couples," she added nonchalantly, shrugging.

Percy and Annabeth laughed, both of their faces flushing a bit.

"Aw, thank you," Annabeth said for them both. "Ziggy has a wonderful instructor."

The girl's eyes shined with a bright grin. She nodded in thanks and then moved on. The whole interaction had made Percy smile. He loved when those kinds of things happened, when people were kind simply because they could be. It felt good.

But nothing felt better than being with Annabeth, especially when their hands were in a pool of stingrays.

~*~

Saturday, March 30th
9:30 pm - the Jackson/Blofis apartment

Percy jammed the key into the lock and pushed the door open, the warm, dark living room welcoming them in. Annabeth followed him inside, closing the door behind her and leaving them in the complete dark.

Percy turned on the lamp in the corner, the warm glow brightening the quiet space. Neither said anything as they slipped off their shoes and coats, Annabeth placing her purse on the chair with a sigh. The only noise he heard was the gentle sound of little sniffles and shuffles from them both.

In that moment, Percy was struck with such a feeling of... home. It was the most miniscule, universal routine of settling in when you got home, but there, with Annabeth, it felt comforting, like the apartment was theirs. It felt like how he imagined many nights in his future would be—getting home from class, from work, from their parents' houses. He realized he always wanted to come home with Annabeth, to Annabeth, for the rest of his life.

He watched as she hung her coat on the rack, her blonde curls falling around her face. Her eyes met his, her irises bright with a curious look. It was incredible, the way an entire galaxy lived in just her eyes—she was a universe all on her own. Percy wanted to explore every star, every planet, every inch of her being.

As Annabeth turned around, her face changed as she noticed his eyes locked on her. "What?" she asked quietly. Her eyes were expectant, awaiting his response.

Percy just stared at her for a moment. How could he possibly explain how he felt, or at least explain it in a way that wouldn't make him a stuttering mess for the next thirty minutes? She looked beautiful in the amber light, her rosy lips soft and slightly pursed. If having a pregnancy glow was a real thing, Annabeth certainly had it. Moving slowly, Percy stepped closer to Annabeth, closing the space between them as he brushed her hair from her face. He gently cupped her cheek, kissing her softly.

He was entirely conscious of what he was doing, but somehow not in control—his body was drawn to her on its own, and there was nothing he could do about it. Annabeth kissed him back, her body responding to his movements. Her hands drifted to his waist as her tongue slid into his mouth, sending sparks up his spine. The smallest moan reverberated in the back of her throat, Percy's hand drifting to the back of her neck as the feeling of warm water trickled down his spine. The kiss deepened, but it didn't feel sexual or amorous. Of course, it was romantic, but it was just... love.

There was a desperation, a yearning between them. It was vague but emotional, trivial yet remarkable—he was home but he kissed her like he was never going to see her again. He needed to tell her that she was it; she was everything. It wasn't any kind of grand moment, nothing more than settling in, but Percy suddenly felt the urge to convey how much he loved her at that second, and the only way that felt right was physically.

When they couldn't hold their breath any longer, they pulled away, descending from the clouds and breathless.

"What's that for?" Annabeth asked, almost panting.

Percy inhaled deeply and sighed. "You just... feel like home," he answered, shaking his head slightly.

A touched look came across her face. "I love you," she whispered, their foreheads together.

"I love you." And he really did. He kissed her once more, not nearly as longingly as before, but the small gesture was lingering. Then Annabeth pulled away from him and walked into the kitchen, Percy following. He watched her as she got herself a glass of water.

"So, loverboy," she teased, a smirk on her red lips. His mouth quirked up into the slightest shy smile. "What are our plans for tonight?"

"I was thinking..." he started, walking over to the counter and grabbing a deck of cards. He held it up. "I teach you a few games."

Annabeth flashed a dazzling smile. "I love cards."

"Then you're in luck." Percy gave her a sly grin. "I'll get the snacks, you take a seat," he said, gesturing to the kitchen table.

Annabeth gave an impressed look, her eyebrows raising slightly. "Alright," she said easily. Then, as she walked past him, she leaned in, a hand on his shoulder as she spoke in his ear. "You're in control then, Jackson." Her quiet voice flowed over him like silk, sending shivers through his body and a warmth down his spine. He gulped.

Percy blanched. He didn't really know what to do with that—he was not at all expecting it. The sheer sensuality of what Annabeth had just done left him feeling like his head was stuffed with cotton. When he remembered to breathe, he placed the cards on the table in front of Annabeth, who was wearing a smug grin. Then he got the snacks and sat down.

"So, what'cha gonna teach me?" she prompted with a slight head nod.

Percy's tongue felt like sand paper. He cleared his throat, hoping it would help him remember how to speak. Sitting across from Annabeth and her tantalizing smirk, he was afraid the words wouldn't come to him—she was making him nervous and things not at all easy for him. It was funny to think that after all this time and everything that they had been through, she could get him riled up.

It was somewhat of a new feeling; of course the two had been flirting and romantic for months, but this new, more fervent and amorous territory was uncharted land. Percy felt deadlocked, like he was standing in the midst of a slithering python, ready to squeeze him into nothing.

He swallowed once more. "T-there's just a few games that I know," he said, trying to get control of his voice—it had nearly cracked twice.

Annabeth's smirk deepened, the amused glow in her eyes becoming increasingly prominent. "Sounds fun."

"Yeah, they are fun... ones like Egyptian Rat Screw..." he trailed off, absentmindedly shuffling the cards. Annabeth's gaze burning right through him was taking all of his attention. Somehow, his hands were steady enough to get solid shuffles. "Garbage..." he continued to name a few games.

"Mhm," she responded almost teasingly, not breaking eye contact. Suddenly, her smirk grew into a grin, and her head was thrown back as she laughed. Her laugh filled the entire apartment, the genuine, rich sound resounding throughout the kitchen. After being so teasing, she was laughing.

Percy flushed bright red in embarrassment as Annabeth grew rosy from laughing so hard. Her smile stretched from ear to ear and he couldn't help but think she looked beautiful, even when she was poking fun at him. He partly wanted to sink into the floor as he waited for her to catch her breath.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "There is no way I made you that nervous," she insisted, looking at him with wide, sparkling eyes.

At this point, Percy had to laugh as well. His embarrassment had faded and a grin took place of his flush. "I mean, that came out of nowhere!" he defended. Annabeth busted out another laugh. "What'd you have to throw me off like that for?!" he joked.

"I didn't think it would be that bad," she answered with a shrug. "I just kind of... did it without thinking. Just happened naturally."

Percy shook his head at her, breathlessly and happily exasperated. "Lord have mercy," he muttered, making Annabeth laugh again. "You're the worst."

"Aw, is somebody embarrassed?" she mocked, giving him puppy dog eyes.

He couldn't help his indignant grin. "I hate you."

"You love me," she contradicted smugly. Then, as Percy was laughing, she stood from her seat and walked to Percy, grabbing his face in her hands. She placed a sturdy kiss on his lips, grinning as she pulled away. "You're cute."

Looking up at her, Percy felt his cheeks get warm once more, but it was better this time. As she began to walk out of the kitchen, he asked, "Where're you going?"

"You don't laugh that hard at eight months pregnant and not have to pee," she answered.

He chuckled. "Of course."

~*~

Saturday, March 30th
11:50 pm - the Jackson/Blofis apartment

"YES!" Annabeth screamed, slapping the pile of cards. "I WIN!"

"DAMNIT!" Percy exclaimed. "How could I let this happen?!"

Annabeth laughed maniacally. "I am just the absolute best," she said smugly with a shrug. "Looks like the apprentice has become the master."

"Oh please," Percy scoffed. "I let you win."

"Sure, Jackson—you focused so hard on letting me win that you got that hot, determined look on your face," she teased.

They were on their sixth round of Egyptian Rat Screw, a very fast paced and fun card game. It was becoming one of Annabeth's favorites, and Percy had only taught it to her that night. They had been laughing ridiculously hard throughout every game they played, and the tension was just right and the competition exquisite, considering they were both incredibly stubborn, competitive, and determined. It was one of the best nights of her life.

Percy collected all the cards and shuffled them. He had shown her a few of his tricks—he was surprisingly an expert at shuffling cards. She liked watching him do it—she liked watching him do anything he was good at.

"How about a nice, gentle round of Go Fish before we call it?" he proposed, cracking a smile. He was teasing her for her excitement—Annabeth got a little... loud, during the games, to put it lightly. It wasn't her fault that she was passionate.

"Fuck you, you knocked the whole deck on the floor at one point. I never asked to play 52 pick up," she retorted, but there was no bite behind it.

Percy cracked a bashful smile. "Whatever," he scoffed, jokingly rolling his eyes. He began to deal them both a few cards, setting up a round of Go Fish.

"So," Annabeth prompted, picking up her hand. "Why cards?" The question had been on her tongue all night, but she had been to wrapped up in the game or her laughter to speak it.

"Well, when I was little," he started, placing the rest of the deck between them. "My mom would come home from work pretty late, but I always waited for her. She would be gone all day and I just wanted to spend time with her, so one thing we could do without making too much noise and waking the beast—Gabe," he joked, Annabeth cracking a slight smile, "was play cards. Of course, it wasn't as exciting as tonight's rounds," they chuckled, "but it was nice to have something to do together. She taught me how to shuffle, like her father taught her how to shuffle."

"That's really sweet, Percy. Thank you for sharing this with me," she said, her heart warmed at the sentiment. She really was grateful that he would share such a special tradition with her.

"I wouldn't want to share it with anyone else," he replied, a small smile on his face. She took his hand, placing a kiss on his knuckles. He grinned fully now.

"I'm still gonna kick your ass in this game, though," Annabeth said sweetly.

Percy let out a laugh. "Of course you are. What happened to a nice, gentle game, huh?"

She gave him a smug look, narrowing her eyes in competition. "Nice and gentle is for the weak." Then they laughed together.

Suddenly, they heard a key in the door and followed by it swing open. The voices and footsteps of Sally and Paul stumbled in through the door way, the door then closing. The jingling of keys prompted giggles and smiles. Then they walked into the kitchen where Percy and Annabeth sat.

"Oh, hey! I forgot you guys were here," Sally greeted with surprise. She wore a grin and seemed giddy. She came to kiss Annabeth hello, insisting that she didn't get up. Then she kissed Percy on the head.

"Hi guys," Paul greeted. "You playing cards?"

"Yeah, we've been playing for the past..." Annabeth checked her phone. "Basically two hours," she finished with a chuckle.

"Wow," he said.

"Just like we used to, Perce," Sally said with a warm smile.

"Yeah I was just telling Annabeth about that actually," he offered.

"It's really sweet," she added, wearing a grin.

Sally chuckled. "Thank you, I'm glad he's playing with you now, too." Annabeth hoped her smile was telling of how touched she felt in that moment.

"What did you guys do?" Percy asked his parents.

"Oh, we just went out to dinner, and a little dancing" Paul answered.

"Had a few drinks?" Percy teased. They all laughed.

"If anyone deserves a drink, it's me—you're my kid," Sally snarked, making everyone laugh. "But no, not really," she insisted, waving a hand. "I'm just in a good mood because someone actually danced with me tonight." She looked pointedly at he husband, who flushed red.

"Ahhh," Annabeth said as they all laughed. "We gotta see those moves!"

Sally let out a loud laugh and Annabeth realized how Percy's sounded similar. It made her smile.

"Nah, I can't," Paul protested, waving a hand dismissively.

"Oh come on!" Percy insisted, a bright grin on his amused face.

"Show 'em a little, honey, come on," Sally coaxed, nudging him with a laugh.

"Alright, alright," Paul relented. "But you asked for this," he warned, pointing to all of them. "Ready?" He got into a stance. "And sprinkler!" he exclaimed, one hand on his head, the other waving as he turned slowly.

They all burst into laughter as Paul continued with the ridiculous dance move.

"Oh yeah!" They whooped and cheered him on until even Paul himself was laughing too hard to continue.

Annabeth looked around at all their smiling faces, her own cheeks beginning to hurt from how wide her grin was. In that kitchen, it wasn't just her boyfriend and his family, it was her family too. She realized that these people had welcomed her in, had accepted her in one of the hardest times of her life, and were there for her. They made her laugh, they made her cry (happy tears, of course), and they made her heart smile. She loved them, in all their goofiness.

Once their laughter died down and they all caught their breath, Sally's arms were back around Paul as one of his draped over her shoulders.

"Alright, we'll leave you kids alone," Sally sighed. "The lame parents are leaving, don't worry," she joked.

"Oh, actually, we were just about to start a new round, if you'd like to join us," Annabeth offered. Percy looked back at her, a smile on his face and a glint in his eye that she couldn't identify, but it made butterfly wings tickle her stomach.

Sally and Paul exchanged a look. "Sure," he answered. They each pulled up a chair and sat down at the table.

And there they were, all sitting together, playing cards. They shared a Jackson family tradition and it was a heartwarming, yet perfectly-fitting feeling. As they laughed, Annabeth realized she had a second home; she always would with Percy, but now with his family as well.

The bright smile didn't leave her face the entire night.

•••