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Percy sat across from his mother at the kitchen table, staring at the steaming cup of cocoa in his hands. The silence between them was thick, laden with questions he had never dared to ask before.
"Mom," he finally said, his voice uncertain, "why didn’t you send me to Camp Half-Blood sooner?"
Sally sighed, setting down her own cup. "Because I wanted to keep you with me, Percy. I thought... I thought I was protecting you."
"Protecting me?" He let out a humorless laugh. "You married Gabe, Mom. You knew what he was like. You knew Camp existed. I could’ve been safe."
Sally’s gaze dropped to the table. "I know what I did, Percy. I’ve admitted before—I was selfish. I wanted to keep you with me as long as I could. I thought I could shield you."
"Shield me?" Percy shook his head. "You sent me to boarding school. How is that keeping me with you?"
Sally flinched. "I... I didn’t want the gods interfering in your life too soon. I thought if I kept you away from them, you’d have a chance at a normal life."
Percy exhaled sharply. "But it wasn’t normal. Not with Gabe. Not with the monsters. I was in danger every single day. If you knew about Camp, why not just let me go there?"
She hesitated. "Because I thought I was making the best choice. And Gabe... his scent kept you hidden."
Percy scoffed. "Annabeth told me something on the bus the other day. She said that even the stink from a bus bathroom can mask a demigod’s scent. So tell me, why did you really marry him?"
Sally opened her mouth, then closed it. "I thought it was the best way. I didn’t know what else to do."
Percy clenched his fists. "And Poseidon? He offered us a home in the sea. You said no. Why?"
"Because I needed to live my own life, Percy." Her voice was soft but firm. "I couldn’t just disappear into the ocean. That wasn’t the life I wanted."
"And what about what I wanted?" Percy’s voice cracked. "Did you ever think about that? You made these choices, and I was the one who suffered for them."
Sally reached for his hand, but he pulled away. "I know I made mistakes, Percy. I know. But I did what I thought was right. I did what I thought would keep you safe."
Percy looked at her, his mother, the woman he had always trusted. And for the first time, he wasn’t sure what to think.
A long silence stretched between them. Sally looked down at her hands, rubbing them together anxiously. "You have to understand, Percy," she said softly. "I loved your father, but I knew I couldn’t depend on him. Gods don’t raise their children. They leave, and I didn’t want you to grow up waiting for someone who would never come."
Percy frowned, his frustration mingling with something deeper. "But he did offer us something. He didn’t just leave. He gave you an option. You turned him down."
Sally nodded. "I did. Because I knew that life under the sea wasn’t meant for me. I wanted you to have a real childhood, with real people. I didn’t want you to feel like you belonged to a world you’d never truly understand."
"But instead, I felt like I belonged nowhere," Percy muttered. "Monsters found me anyway. I had to fight them with no idea what was happening. I had to deal with Gabe and his abuse. That wasn’t a childhood, Mom. That was survival."
Tears welled in Sally’s eyes, but she didn’t look away. "I know. And I hate that you suffered. If I could do it over again, maybe I would’ve made a different choice. But I don’t know, Percy. I really don’t. Every path had risks. I only ever wanted to do my best for you."
Percy’s anger softened, but the hurt remained. He rubbed his temple, exhaustion settling in. "I just wish you had told me the truth sooner. That you had trusted me to make some decisions for myself."
Sally reached for his hand again, and this time, Percy let her take it. "I know. And I’m sorry. But no matter what, I will always love you. That will never change."
Percy squeezed her hand lightly. "I love you too, Mom. I just... I need time to process all of this."
She nodded. "Take all the time you need. I’ll be here. Always."
As Percy sat there, staring at the woman who had shaped so much of his life, he realized that love and mistakes could coexist. His mother had made choices—some good, some bad—but they had both suffered because of them. And now, at last, they were finally talking about it.