Mount Olympus

MOTHER IS FUMING.

‘Why didn’t you stop her?’ she demands.

‘Stop who?’

‘The Melanie creature.’

‘You didn’t tell me to. You told me to stand back and watch.’

‘And if I told you to stand back and watch me cross the road and a bus bore down on me, would you still just stand there or would you actually think and push me out of harm’s way?’

‘You’re immortal,’ I remind her. ‘There would be no need.’

‘You see, this is what I can’t stand: your flippancy, your complete inability to act in a responsible and proactive manner. You know perfectly well what I’m saying. The moment this woman appeared you should have –’

‘- Pushed him out of harm’s way.’

Mother’s eyes are dark-green and her lovely lips are set tight.

‘You are either very stupid or very cheeky. Either way I despair. Yes, Eros, I despair.’

I go up to her and try to give her a hug but she steps away.

‘No, Eros, I’m serious.’

So was I. I’m fed up with trying to please her, with trying to make her love me. Because she never will, it’s as simple as that. There are times when she likes me well enough, she’s probably quite fond of me when she remembers to be, but I know what real motherly love is like, I’ve watched it on the screen. She loved Adonis, though.

‘You could have gone down there yourself,’ I mutter.

‘What was that?’

‘Nothing. You told me not to shoot, anyway. You told me it would be too soon, that they weren’t fully prepared yet.’

‘Yes, Eros, I did tell you that but then circumstances changed and we had an emergency on our hands.’

I shrug.

‘Sorry.’