My mother looked at me with sad eyes.

'I was afraid of your reaction. I wanted you to have a normal life, in the mortal world. And I didn't know that your father was Poseidon, only that you would be a demigod because of me. I hoped you would never find out, because once you knew, monsters would be able to find you. That is why I never allowed you to have a cellphone. I hoped you wouldn't be very powerful, because I am not very powerful.' She looked down at her hands, which were clenched together on the table.

'Did you ever even love the man I thought to be my father?'

'Yes. Yes, I did. I have always loved him, and I love him still.'

'Then why didn't you give up your immortality? I know it is possible. Then I wouldn't have been a demigod either, and certainly not a goddess.' Megara was looking at us in desperation, but I ignored her. I had to do this. I had to know.

'You wouldn't understand. If I were to give up my immortality, I would lose my powers, too. They are a part of me, and I am a part of them. I would give up who I am.'

'Then why did you leave the gods? Why did you have a child with a mortal? And how could you not know my father was Poseidon? You were there, I assume.'

'You always thought there were nine muses?' I nodded.

'Well, there were ten, once. But all the other muses represented a form of art, while I, the tenth muse, represented science. Because science is a subject based on facts and not on feelings, I was shunned. I was the odd one out. I always relied on the logical mind, while the others played with emotions.'

'Once, on one of my many strolls on the earth, I decided to leave the muses behind, for my and their mental health. I was just too different. I didn't want to settle down at first, but then I fell in love. I understood my sisters a little bit better after that, certainly when I lost my lover.'

'I wandered on earth for centuries, sometimes settling in rainforests or other places that I liked. Then, twenty years ago, I met Daniel. We married, and I got pregnant a few years later. I changed my appearance to make me look older so people wouldn't grow suspicious. '

'You were wonderful, a bright and beautiful child,' she continued, 'I couldn't have wished for more. I was happy. But then you disappeared. I knew what had happened right away, but I only found out your father was Poseidon when I talked to Chiron. He-he must have tricked me into thinking that he was Daniel or something. I don't know. He's a god, he has his ways.'

I knew that. Greek mythology is weird! I read that once- wait, it doesn't matter, never mind.

'What is your real name?' I asked.

'Epistema.'

Did you tell Dad-Daniel?' I didn't really know what to call him.

She sighed.

'My name, yes. The rest, no. I didn't want to scare him away. He became very mad at me when you disappeared, because he knew I knew what was going on. I wanted to tell him then, but you called and I went to get you. When I came home again, he wasn't here.'

'So you did scare him away, but by not telling him,' I said. I was getting a bit angry now, though I wasn't sure why.

It had been a bit overwhelming, everything.

'You could have prepared me for-for something! And-and, I just, I just don't understand.'

I stood up so abruptly that my chair clattered onto the ground. I didn't care.

I walked out of the house, ignoring everything. I thought that having all this information would help, but it had only made it worse. My real father was a jerk who tricked my mother, and my mother was a liar who lied about herself and me my entire life.

Through it all, I must say, I was getting quite good at making a dramatic exit.

Notes

Wow, that was a long one. Lots of dialogue, sorry:-/. Hope it wasn't too boring?