Twenty years he had been gone. Twenty years of war and loss, of heartbreak and betrayal. Calypso’s island had taken a massive toll on the King of Ithaca, and she had been sure to leave him no room to escape her love in paradise.

Every night he dreamed of you, of your love and your comfort. He could imagine you and Telemachus, who was so lucky to have you as his parent while Odysseus was away. He could imagine your smile, and feel the warmth of your hands on his face.

Every morning… he woke to the nightmare of the nymph who swore she loved him. Every morning, every afternoon, he ached for you and you alone. Seven years trapped on Calypso’s island; it felt like a century.

When he was finally set free from her captivity and her cruelty, he wanted nothing more than to settle into your open arms and stay there until death. He battled the waves and the dangers, pushing through them as fast as he could to make sure you weren’t kept waiting any longer.

The suitors had been an unfortunate consequence of his absence, but he was back in the kingdom. He got rid of them all without even breaking a sweat, and the only thought he had was you.

Odysseus searched the castle for you, and the moment his eyes landed on yours, his heart seemed to shatter. You had aged, but by the gods you were the most attractive being he had ever seen. Seeing you standing there, so angelic and lovely, Odysseus couldn’t stop the tears that immediately poured down his face.