𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ─── for beans

7th Ave., 3rd September 2009

November 4th 2008

𝔇ear My Beloved,

 I doubt that you'll actually get this until way later, considering that we're spending Thanksgiving and Christmas as a family this year (I'm so excited for New Year all together!) but I thought that I'd send you this letter anyway so that when you go back to work and are feeling annoyed with everything, this can cheer you up.

So Beans are 3 days old now and so far it has been days and nights filled with feeding and changing diapers. I kind of feel sorry for Ethan and Alabaster having to deal with messed up sleep schedule, but at the same time I couldn't care less because the babies take up all of my mind and thought process. 

I don't know whether you can see it yet, but Alex is definitely going to turn out like a mini-you. He's already got your blond hair, and your nose, and your annoying ability to wake me up at really random hours of the night. All he really needs is to get a scar on his cheek when he's older, then he can say that he's following in the family footsteps and you two can terrify people together as father-son bonding time.

With that being said, let us please hope that Wren turns out like me, because I don't think I can deal with two mini-yous. That would be a chaos that I could not deal with at all. I can't wait to see what she's like when she's older, both of them really, whether they take after you or me in terms of personality or completely create their own. Either way, I'm excited. All I can say, is that she's already got my darker hair and my beauty. We made beautiful children.

Anyway, I also had this idea that maybe, because writing letters to one another has been such a big thing for both of us, that we write a letter to the children to give them when they turn 18, or something? Just a thought. 

I put a piece of paper down so that you could write your letter to them, and I've already written mine. When you read this, write your letter and keep it with you, and then we can surprise one another, and Beans, on their 18th or whenever. I'm kind of excited to see what you write, for some reason, I just know that it's going to be good.

Anyway, Alex has just started crying and has woken Wren, so I've got to go and deal with that because you are asleep after looking after them during the night - that was a life saver, thank you for letting me get some sleep.

Love you to the stars and beyond, 

Ellie xx

∘☽༓☾∘

August 1st 2009

Dear Alex and Wren,

It took me a really long time to think of how to write this letter and what I was going to say. Unlike your mum, who has the ability to string words together very easily, I have never really been blessed with that same ability. But, I'll try anyway.

Hopefully, when you get this, you'll both have turned 18. I'm praying that this meant you did well in high school and that you're both going to the university of your choice, or no university at all, whatever suits you. I'm also really hoping that you got your brains from your mother, just don't mimic her sleep deprived state during exam season. If she tells you it's a good plan, remind her of the time she almost stepped into the middle of the road, that should get her to stop. You don't really want any of my brains, I'm not nearly as academically clever as Ellie is.

I was never a lucky child. I didn't truly go to school, cause I ran away from home when I was nine and never went back, I fell in with the wrong crowd when I was 16 and was manipulated into doing their wishes (I was not in a gang, so ignore anything that your mum has been telling you that I was) but the best days of my life were when I married your mum and when you two came into the world. You were so small, and weird, wrinkly potatoes but you were our children and I loved you so much, still do now.

Ellie named both of you actually; she always wanted a boy named Alexander, and then Ethan is for your uncle who's been by our side through all of it. Wren, you were named after Iris, your mum's cousin, and the bird, wrens, because your mother's favourite animal is a wren, and they were a symbol of hard work and dedication that inspired your mom to get to the place she currently is.

I also don't know if your mum told you more about your godparents, which I'm not to sure if she ever did. Our closest friend Ethan is your godfather. Ethan was one of my closest friends, my brother, and then replaced me for Ellie. He was so excited to be your godfather. Your godmother is my younger sister, Annabeth. Hopefully, you've seen a bit more of her when you've been growing up. My advice for getting through university, is to go to her for help with anything academic. She's a genius.

I'm getting side-tracked.

I guess you must be confused about why you're getting a letter instead of a nice photo, or a video of me talking to you, and that's because Ellie and I are slightly old fashioned. When we first started getting to know one another, my work had all me over the place, so we would send letters to one and other and that kind of became our thing. So, a couple of days after you two were born, she suggested that we write letters to the two of you, so that you can read something on your 18th birthday from the both of us.

I don't really know what she wanted me to write, all I guess I really can say is that I'm sorry that I never got the chance to be around when you were growing up, and I wish with all of my heart that I was able to see the people that you have become today. I'll be proud either way, of anything that you've done. Give your mum a hug from me, tell her that you love her and give her a bit of a break, today's going to be hard for her. Stay out of trouble, don't drink too much, go out and have adventures, don't die and all the normal things a responsible adult should tell their children. But, live a little, and cause some chaos for me.

Happy 18th birthday, Beans!

I'm really sorry that I couldn't be there for it. I love you so much, more than you could ever know, and I'll be watching over you for however long you need me to.

Lots of love,

Dad xx

∘☽༓☾∘

"You called? What's going on?" Annabeth passed Thalia the letter, wiping tears from her eyes as she waited for the girl to read it. Thalia skimmed through it, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she read it. "What...What's this?"

"That's from Luke." Annabeth brushed her tears away, trying to stop herself from crying. "That's from Luke to his children."

"Luke? Children?" Thalia sank to the floor, looking around at the letters in the container with confusion. "What are you talking about, Annabeth?"

"Luke had children, Thals." Annabeth whispered, passing the photo of Arabella and Luke in Times Square to Thalia. "He had kids and that's his wife, Arabella, and they had children! Fuck, they had children."

That sentence alone sent her into tears once more.

"By the gods," Thalia murmured, paling considerably as she looked at the photo. "Then, the letter...?"

"He knew he was going to die," Annabeth replied, biting her lips once more to stop herself from crying further. Percy wrapped an arm around her shoulder, kissing her head. He'd been notoriously silent, trying to process all of this. "The letter is his goodbye letter to his children."

"I can't do this now, not now. Not so soon after everything." Thalia shook her head, tugging at her hair as she thought.

"We're coming to the end of the letters," Percy murmured, placing the final few letters in front of the two girls. "And we don't think that Arabella knows that Luke's dead, or Ethan, who it turns out she's good friends with as well."

"Why are the Fates so cruel?" Thalia replied, shaking her head as the silver circlet glinted in the light.

"We're going to see her after we've finished reading these," Annabeth replied, tapping her fingers against the letter that Arabella had written her. "So that we can return the letters to her, and to tell her. Do you want to...?"

"Yeah, I'll come with you."

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

f you didn't understand, that was Luke's letter to Wren and Alexander for their 18th birthday, and there has not been a time skip, the two letters were just in the same envelope as one and other. Luke is way too sweet, my heart hurts, Thalia now knows, and she, Annabeth and Percy are going to go and tell Ellie soon (ish). 

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx