The Dark Wife

“Have you ever observed a mortal family?” I shook my head. “They`re like…” She smiled. “They`re like the branches of a tree in your forest, bound together by a shared origin, and that bond is very hard to break. They rarely take life for granted, as the immortals do, because they can`t—it`s a limited gift. Inevitably, they will die, and they know this, know it every moment, with every breath. But the knowing is the true gift, because they cherish time all the more, hold onto it as tightly as they can, hold each other tighter still. “Families reunite in my kingdom, years, sometimes decades after their earthly parting, and the affection they express, the tears of true joy— There`s no match for that beauty in all the wonders of Olympus. “It`s love,” she said, smiling gently at me. “Unconditional. And forever.”