She fought tears. She fought tears so hard that she thought she was going to explode with the need to release the emotions that were jumbled up and coursing through her with abandon. In the end, Harmonia took a deep breath and swallowed hard as if the biggest lump in her throat needed to be passed. It was there, in his words, the single thing so many children wished to hear from their parents. Pride. Pride in them. Ares said it, not the words exactly, but as he told her how strong she was, how those made of lesser stuff would have crumpled before the challenges she faced and how she was truly his, Harmonia couldn't help but understand that regardless of what she had done she had proved herself and he was proud of her.
It made the tears almost impossible to bite back. Almost. Balance wasn't going to ruin this rare Hallmark moment by weeping uncontrollably. Nor was she going to thank him or do what she most wanted to do -toss her arms around him and reach up to place her lips on his cheek. That was inappropriate for this moment. And with Ares... for most moments. Oh, she got away with more than most other would, she knew that. But Harmonia wasn't going to push it either.
Instead, she nodded once and confirmed, “I'm not going anywhere now. No one short of Zeus himself is going to chase me off.” She was back. No matter how from time to time she occasionally wondered if she could sneak back into the Underworld and avoid the day to day challenges of adapting to four thousand years of progress and technological changes. She was back and she was staying.
Another deep breath and a small smile formed on her lips. It had seemed so impossible for so long, but she had accomplished the one thing she really wanted. Well, the one thing she actually knew she had always wanted anyway. Her father was proud of her. He was not ashamed and he was not casting her out or turning her away. “I've been staying with Mom... and at Lottie's when I'm not there.” Another swallow. It was easier to keep her emotions in check if she kept swallowing them back. “For now.”