When Hera woke up, it was already dark outside, and her tablet was playing a video about woodcutting for some reason. She pressed the return button, and another odd video showed up. Since she fell asleep, the videos kept going on autoplay one after another. Luckily, they were still the kind of thing she would watch, even if it were just as background noise.

Getting up from her bed, she stretched her arms and looked out the window. She was hungry, and there was a reason for that. It was already night, and the crescent moon was high in the sky. Hera walked out of the room, hoping that Stella had already eaten. She didn't need another uncomfortable meal.

There was no sound coming from her parent's bedroom, but she understood why after looking at the clock. It was just 8 P.M. Even if her parents were older, they weren't already on the stage to be sleeping at this time. Hera went downstairs and took a look at the living room. There, Eridan and Stella were sitting on the couch while watching TV.

"Finally! Your father insisted on waiting for you before eating. I'm starving. Why did you take so long to wake up?" Stella got up and went towards the kitchen, "Everything is ready. I just hope the food is still hot."

"Stella, please. Not today," Eridan pleaded.

"I'm not saying anything that shouldn't be said. She can't expect everyone just to wait around while she is sleeping," Stella said while setting the table with several plates of warm food.

Hera didn't say anything and just walked to the dining room. Whatever Stella was saying didn't actually bother her. It just felt like a hassle to deal with. Just as they all sat down at the table, someone rang the doorbell.

"Oh, what now?" Stella gasped.

"I'll answer it. Stay here, honey," Eridan replied before going to the door.

Hera started getting her plate ready, ignoring the annoyed stares coming from Stella. She was going to wait for her dad before eating, but still, she was hungry, and having her plate ready would let her eat sooner.

"Hera, can you come here for a moment?" Eridan called from the door.

Hera got up and followed her dad's voice. Outside the door, there was a couple with frenzied expressions, "Hello. Is everything ok, dad?"

"Yes, well. I believe so. These are the Silvesters. They have a question for you," Eridan explained.

"Oh, sure. What can I help you with?"

"You were lost inside the MAZE. At least that's what people are saying. Is that true?" a tall man with a thick mustache and short hair asked.

"Yes. Stuck is a more appropriate word. It's a bit of a long story, but there was an accident, and I ended up in a city without a way to come back," Hera explained.

"And the guild couldn't see the signals from your bracelet? They thought you were dead?" a blond woman asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yes… Look, I think I know where this is going. You lost someone in the MAZE in similar circumstances, right?" Hera cut through all the small talk.

"It is…. Was our son. He died during a dungeon, but no one managed to find his body. We were wondering if his situation was similar to yours," the man said.

Hera looked at the couple. Anyone could see how much talking about that hurt.

"That happened how long ago?"

"Five years," the woman replied.

"Ok… look, I don't want to give you false hope here. By all accounts, the guild was right when they declared me dead. In those circumstances, that is the only conclusion that they could come up with. The way that I survived was very… specific. I wasn't alone, I ended up in a city, and the people there were very kind and helpful. I'm not saying that it's impossible for him to be alive, but going by just what you told me, the odds are minimal. Like, winning the lottery ten times in a row should be more likely," Hera did her best not to seem rude, but it was hard considering that she was crushing the hopes of people who lost their child.

"Hera, that's a bit much. I'm sure the odds are not that bad," Eridan tried to break the tension.

"I'm sorry. I really don't want to be mean, but that is the truth. I don't think that giving you false hope will help. I want to be wrong. I really do, but if it's been that long… I'm sorry."

The woman started crying and shoved her face into her husband's chest. Mr. Silvester let some tears run through his face, "No. You don't need to apologize. I appreciate the honesty, as brutal as it was. I think we… we needed to hear that. Thank you."

Mr. Silvester put his hand out to shake Hera's hand.

"You don't have to thank me. Again, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry. And if I may, I'm the producer of Good Mornin Burtois. Your mother was supposed to join us for an interview at the end of the month, but having you would be much better. Are you interested?" Mr. Silvester asked.

Hera shook her head, "Sorry. I won't be here at the end of the month, and interviews are really not my thing. I only do them when I don't have a way out."

Mr. Silvester nodded with a weak chuckle, "I understand. Thank you for your time."

"Harrison, what are you doing here?" Stella asked while moving through the corridor.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you at this late hour, Stella. We just had to ask your daughter a question, and she was kind enough to answer."

"Oh, please don't take whatever she said to heart. The poor girl is still in shock with everything that happened. I'm not sure if she could do anything without my help," Stella turned to Hera, "Go back to the dining room, honey. I'll be right there, ok?"

Hera turned to Mr. Silvester, ignoring most of what her mother just said, "I'll be going then. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help."

"You did more than I can wish for. Thank you," Mr. Silvester replied.

Hera walked back to the dining room, and Eridan soon followed while Stella kept talking with the couple.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"I'm really sorry about her, Hera. I… I have to talk to her," Eridan stopped while putting some mashed potatoes on his plate.

"Don't worry, dad. Honestly, after all that happened in the MAZE, this doesn't bother me anymore. I think I have to thank Naka for that," Hera started eating. It was a simple meal—mashed potatoes with gravy with some greens, and a side of chicken. Even so, it had a really homey feel to it. Despite everything, Hera had to admit that Stella was a great cook.

"Who is Naka again? The… Shaman?" Eridan asked.

"No, that's Risli. Honestly, she and grandma Triss would get along pretty well. Naka is the captain of the guard. The one that still can't call me by my name."

"Oh, right. She called you Heryn, Hellen, and what was that last one… Helerynen?"

"Oh, don't even get me started. It's two syllables. How hard is it to remember two syllables? I'm sure she's doing that out of spite," Hera sighed.

Eridan chuckled at that. During the talks they had this past week, Hera had complained about being called the wrong name a few times. Even so, she still looked like she was having a blast. He couldn't remember the last time that she seemed so happy.

"But Harrison!" Stella yelled from the door.

Eridan glanced at Hera, but he didn't say anything. They were having a nice moment, and he didn't want to spoil that. A few minutes passed with some random yells coming from the doorway. It seemed like Stella wasn't happy with whatever was going on there. Even her husband started to get worried.

Hera noticed that and said, "If you want to check on her, that's fine, but I'm going to keep eating."

"No… I…" Eridan took a deep breath, "For too long, I chose your mother over you. I won't do that anymore."

Hera stopped the fork before it reached her mouth. That was the last thing she expected her father to tell her.

"Dad… I…"

Eridan shook his head, "You don't have to say anything. I made that decision, and I don't deserve a thank you. When I prove to you that I'm serious, I'll ask for your forgiveness for everything I overlooked, and when that happens... I just hope you can give me a second chance."

Hera reached her hand out to Eridan, "I understand, and I'll give you as many chances as you want, grumpy bear."

They stared at each other with warm smiles for a moment, but before they went back to their meal, Stella slammed the front door shut and returned to the dining room in a huff. Hera didn't want to spoil that moment, so she let go of Eridan's hand and focused back on her plate.

"I can't believe in that greedy little man," Stella yelled while pouring herself a glass of wine.

"What happened, dear?" Eridan asked.

"That petty, talentless wannabe told me that he didn't need me on the show anymore. After everything I did for him and that useless wife of his," Stella downed the glass and started pouring another.

"Well, he did say that it wasn't a sure thing. They were waiting for someone else's reply, and you would be their plan B," Eridan shrugged.

"Oh, please. They want to interview Bright Night and Black Star. If they think two famous singers will even bother replying to a small town morning show, they are crazy. Any explorer that would say yes to that would just be someone too lazy to make anything with their lives," Stella continued her rant while eating. Having a one-sided conversation for almost half an hour was an incredible talent.

When the family was finally finishing their meal, Stella was already drunk. It was rare to see her get to that point, but it never ended up as something good. After finishing another glass, Stella turned to Hera, "Hey, didn't Harrison ask you to go to his show?"

"He did. But I won't be around at the end of the month. I have a lot to do back in Boothudurn," Hera replied.

"No, no. Stay. We can go together. A mother and daughter interview. It will be great."

"No, I hate those things. Besides, I don't want to be 'someone too lazy to make anything with their lives'," Hera rolled her eyes.

"Is that tone I hear, young lady?! You better stop behaving like that or.."

"Or what? Are you going to kick me out? I already don't live here," Hera asked. She was tired of listening to her rant. Thanks to that, she could barely hang out with her dad.

"What has come over you? I bet it is the bad influence of those people in the hole you ended up in. I didn't raise you like that," Stella shook her head.

"True, you raised me to be worse or just to shut up and do whatever you said."

"That's because I know what's better for you. I'm looking out for your interests."

"No! You are looking out for yours. You never asked me if I wanted to be on the stupid morning show, never asked me if I wanted to tell people in school about my stats, and you didn't even ask me if I was ok after the guild rejected me," Hera snapped. That apathy she felt during the day went away, and in its place, it was only the bottled up resentment she let fester for years.

"By the system, how could I get such an ungrateful daughter? I gave birth to you. I lost my figure and my dreams because you were born, and that's the thanks I get?"

"No one ever asked you to do that. I know dad wanted a kid, but he offered to be the one staying at home."

"And how would we live? He was the only one working. Without his shop, we would starve."

"So you don't think you would make enough money to support us. Don't blame it on everyone else."

"I had to think about what was best for the family."

"Dad had money, a lot of it. The truth is, you were too much of a coward to try to do something with your life," Hera replied.

Stella slammed her glass on the table, almost breaking it, "The truth is that having you ruined my life. You were the worst mistake I ever made!"

'She finally said it.' This is the first thing that came to Hera's mind. She always thought that there was a reason for all that. A reason why Stella was so cruel, and now, it made sense. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't Hera's fault, either. An odd weight seemed to be lifted from her back.

"Stella!" Eridan, who was just watching the discussion trying to figure out a way to stop it and help his daughter, finally spoke up, "You take that back. Now!"

"She doesn't have to," Hera got up, "Thanks for dinner, dad. But I'll be staying in a hotel tonight," she turned to Stella, "And Ms. Kingsley, since it's clear that you don't want anything to do with me, I don't want anything to do with you. We are done."

With that, Hera left the house, already calling a cab with her tablet. Her mind was much clearer, and there wasn't a single drop of regret. Despite what everyone said about family, Hera knew that being a part of one didn't mean that you had to like them, much less love them. Besides, grandma Triss was much more of a mother to her. She was there when she needed her, and she didn't put Hera down when she felt bad.

Before the cab arrived, Eridan rushed over outside, "Hera, wait!"

"Dad, I'm going to a hotel. Please don't ask me to come here later to make up with her. You might not realize, but what she said was always on the back of my mind."

"I know. I know. I'm not asking you to do that. She crossed a line I never expected her to cross. I'm going to talk with your mother, and if she decides to apologize, I'll let you know. But I will never force you to be around her again. I'm really sorry for this, and I hope I can see you tomorrow at my mother's house," Eridan didn't have that usual expression of uncertainty. He seemed decided and focused, which never happened when it was about Hera's fights with Stella.

"Sure. I still want to see her."

"Thank you. I'll see if I can get your things to her house, too. I'm sure she wouldn't mind just keeping them there for a while."

The cab arrived, and Hera got in after giving her dad a hug. Today was a weird day. People asked for her autograph. She had to console a couple and this fight, or whatever she wanted to call this. All she wanted right now was a drink, a bath, and watch a comedy show to forget all her problems.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked.

"What's the best hotel around?" Hera asked.

"That would be the Path of Moonlight by the train station. But it's very expensive. A night in a small room there is 500 gold."

"Do you know if they have rooms with bathtubs?"

"I'm sure they do."

"Then that's where we are going. Please."

The cab took off. Hera saw on the panel screen that it should take 10 minutes to arrive at the hotel.

'In half an hour, I want to be neck-deep in bubbles.' She thought to herself while staring at the stars in the sky.