June 5th, 1973

Barny and I moved in together.

We've spent all week driving back and forth between our parents' houses, the hardware store and our new home. Today, we finally brought the big things over; the table, chairs, wardrobe and the bed.

We've been sitting on the sofa in front of the unplugged telly all afternoon. He'll have to fix that tomorrow. But for today, we're fine just sitting there, my head on his shoulder, his hand on my leg, admiring our new home.

Our new home. Mine and Barny's. I can't even describe how good that feels. Knowing that we'll hold each other every night, wake up together every morning. Knowing that when I come home, he'll be there. Knowing that we're going to be spending the rest of our lives –

Vita turned the page with such force it almost ripped. She pressed the pillow harder against her chest, lips pulled into a thin line. The rest of our lives, rubbish. How could she have been so naïve?

She flipped through the diary, until her eyes landed on the word love.

May 19th, 1969

Leo says I'm in love. Am I?

Barny and I went for a picnic today. He picked me up in his old Ford-something, made a stupid joke that broke the ice with my parents (Henry and Catherine – remember them, they've been good to me since the day they adopted me) and helped me into the car like a proper gentleman.

He found us a spot on the hill, where we had a beautiful view of both the town and the neighbouring forest. We sat there talking for hours, about... I don't even know. Pointless things. Random things. It didn't matter.

He took my hand after we finished the sandwiches. The sun was starting to set, colouring the whole world orange and red. It was beautiful. It lit up the spark in his eyes.

I think Leo is right; I am in love. I'll never forget –

Something stabbed in Vita's heart like a dagger at the three little words. I'll never forget. Except I did, she thought. Although she knew this story by heart from the amount of times she'd read her diary, she couldn't actually remember it. She didn't remember the feeling of his hand on hers, or the smile on his face, or the sound of his chuckle as they laughed over stupid things.

It was all gone. Even her diaries couldn't keep it alive, not really.

She turned some more pages. Her fingers worked automatically while her heart begged them to stop. If only Eucleia had agreed to help her. If only...

February 7th, 1969

I met someone today, in the library. I don't know if this'll turn out important, but I'll write it down just in case.

The library was packed. It always is during exam-week. The only spot I could find was at a table in the back, occupied by a single boy.

He looked up when I approached, smiling to show a set of slightly crooked teeth and dimples in his cheeks. He immediately agreed with me sitting down at his table, even moving some of his books to make space for me. They were on finance and accountancy.

We studied in silence for an hour or so, before he suddenly walked away. I looked after him, wondering if I'd done something wrong, when I noticed his books were still on the table.

He came back with coffee. "Figured we could both use some," he said. We had a short break to chat about our courses and complain about the teachers. He introduced himself as Barnabas Fletcher.

When we went back to studying, I could've sworn I saw him stare at me from the corner of my eyes a few times. I looked up once, but his nose was already back in his book, a vague blush on his cheeks. I don't know. It might have been simply because it was so hot in the library.

He seemed nice, Barnabas. My last exam of the week is tomorrow morning, but I might just go back to the library in the afternoon. Buy him a coffee as thanks for today. If he's there.

Tears stung in her eyes as Vita slammed the diary shut. With a heaving sob, she threw it into the corner of the sofa, pushing the pillow into her face to catch the tears.

This she remembered. Barny had been there the next day. She'd never forgotten the way he smiled at her that day. That was the picture she'd been drawing over and over for years; Barny smiling up at her from that same small table in the back of the library. It still sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Her whole body ached from the pain in her heart. She'd wanted to spend a whole lifetime with him, but instead she'd only gotten five years. And now he was gone forever, taken from her when she least expected it, while she was cursed to live down here on Earth for the rest of eternity.

And nobody was willing to help her get him back. "The Fates have decided upon it," Eucleia had said. How could the Fates be so cruel? How could they dangle her soulmate in front of her like a treat for a dog, only to rip it away again the moment she'd reached out?

It wasn't fair. Why did mortals get to spend eternity with their loved ones, but she didn't?

Her shoulders shook, cries muffled into the pillow. She couldn't do this much longer. It was as if her heart was perpetually broken. No matter what Leo said, Vita was sure he'd been the one for her. She was sure she'd never be able to feel the same way about anyone ever again. How could she move on into eternity, knowing the best part of her lives was already behind her? Knowing she'd never get to see him again?

No. She hurled the pillow onto the floor, staring at her diary. Enough is enough. Fuck the Fates and their stupid decisions. Fuck Eucleia and Hephaistos and Hades, keeping him away from me. If no one's going to help me, I'll do it myself.

She snatched her phone from the table, dialed the number and put it on speaker. She walked into the bathroom and dropped the phone onto the cupboard while it rung. It connected just as she held a washcloth under the tap.

"Hey, Vee! Feeling better today?"

The irony of that sentence hung so heavy in the air that it took her a few seconds to recover.

"Vee? You there?"

"No, I don't feel better today!" Disgust dripped from her voice more so than she meant. Catching herself, she cleared her throat. "I spoke with my mother earlier. My real mother."

Leo was silent for a thick second. "Oh! Uh... How did that go?"

"Terribly. She doesn't want to help me." She wrung the cloth forcefully and mopped the mascara off her face.

Leo sighed on the other end of the line. "She probably can't help you. They're not all-powerful, you know. Especially against the other Gods. In fact, it's the Fates who –"

"Leo, will you shut up for a minute?" She could almost hear her best friend roll her eyes on the other side of the line. "Sorry, but I didn't call you so that you could repeat what my mother said. I called to let you know that I'm leaving."

"Vee..." Another sigh.

"He's bound to be in Elysium. I'll make my way there and find him." She watched the black drip from the washcloth as she rinsed it.

"How? How are you going to find him, Vee? That place has been harboring souls since the dawn of time. Do you realise how huge it must be? How in the Gods' names are you going to find him there? That is, if you can even get there."

"I don't know, but I'll find a way."

"No, you won't! You're just wasting another life. It's not going to work and you know it."

"What else am I supposed to do?" She threw the cloth in the sink as her voice broke.

"Vee, listen to me." Leo spoke softly, tenderly. "Nothing will work. Hades knows you're a Demigoddess and he'll always manage to send you back to Earth, no matter how many times you die. I'm sorry, but you must understand that you'll never see him again."

Her words felt like arrows, stabbing into her chest one after the other as she leaned on the edges of the sink. The ache she'd been feeling all day intensified. Even Leo didn't think she stood a chance. The situation was so hopeless that even her best friend couldn't bring herself to support her.

Hades knows. The thought nibbled at the back of her mind. Hades knows you're a Demigoddess. But what if he didn't know? She'd have all the time in the world to search for Barny in Elysium. If Hades didn't know to send her back to Earth, no matter how long it took, she'd find him eventually.

"Leo?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Come to my place. As quick as you can."