Apollo sighed heavily, pulling his hand away from her leg. He leaned back onto his elbows, eyes moving from her to the ceiling.

"If we're being honest," he began, and his tone implied that he wasn't certain he was happy with that arrangement, "I can't blame you for it. Contrary to what opinion you hold of me, I do know what it is to love. I love my sister. I've loved women--and yes, you were one of those."

He glanced briefly at her and then back at the ceiling. "Truth be told," he admitted, "After you died, I spent a good decade seeking out curly haired women and trying to get them to sputter and glare at me the way that you would. I suppose we all try to get back what we lost."

A short laugh, utterly void of any humor. "That's a never ending quest, when you're a god."