MEMORIES OF DAYS GONE BY
“Oh, did Wiene fall asleep?”
“Yeah, she’s all tuckered out…”
Bell returned to find his goddess seated in the cool shade of a tree, with the dragon girl asleep in her lap. Three days had passed since taking the mysterious child into their care, and the sweltering midafternoon sun beat mercilessly down. Until just a while ago, the pair’s playful squeals had been filling the courtyard.
Despite her part-time job keeping her busy, and the two not having much time together as a result, Wiene had quickly taken to Hestia, just as she had to Bell and Haruhime. Bell thought perhaps that was just another perk to being a goddess of home and hearth, but the real reason was that Hestia couldn’t bear to see the foxgirl outdo her and had resorted to feeding the dragon girl Jyaga Maru Kun scraps to quickly earn her favor.
Today was Hestia’s day off, and she had been to see Hephaistos earlier in the day and explained everything.
“Sorry for making you look after her, Goddess.”
“Don’t be. I’m happy for the chance to get to know her a little better.”
Sunlight filtered through the tree branches, and Hestia lovingly stroked Wiene’s hair. Her touch tickled the young child, and she smiled in her sleep, looking nothing like the mighty, territorial beast from which she took her appearance.
Bell found his eyes transfixed by that moment of calm and sat down next to his goddess.
“Goddess…I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have brought her back. I’ve only made things more difficult for everybody.”
Bell felt he had to keep apologizing. He knew he’d done the right thing, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel guilty for dragging the whole familia into it.
But Hestia cut him off before he could go on making a fool of himself. “Bell,” she said. “I am the hearth, remember? All lost creatures seek a home…even monsters.”
Hestia beamed a loving smile and peered down at the child in her lap.
“…I want to give her my love, too.”
There was a longing in her eyes as she stroked the girl’s blue-silver hair. Bell stood wide-eyed and, feeling something grip his heart, placed his hand over hers.
“Mm…”
“Oh, is she waking up?”
Wiene slowly parted her eyelids and looked up at the two people sitting over her. She started to say their names but stopped as an old memory unearthed itself in her mind.
“Mommy…Daddy…”
Bell and Hestia both went bright red. They shared a shocked glance, then both smiled, and all three burst into laughter like a family.
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