Clearing the rising thickness from his throat, he smiled at his girls. “Well, I guess it’s both of you, then.” He hoisted a daughter onto each shoulder.

“Piers…” Sophie gave him a Be careful look, but he just grinned at her. There was no way in the Underworld he would drop his children.

“Hold on.” Sophie popped up from patting the dogs and getting her own sticky fingers licked. “I’ll get the camera.”

She came back with her phone and started snapping pictures. Piers got Athena and Zoe to both hold the star and leaned in, helping Zoe with her shorter arms and more questionable balance.

“It’s on!” Athena squealed in delight.

“On! On!” Zoe chanted. Her wet little fingers smacked Piers in the eye, and he blinked, grinning.

“Get ready for landing,” he announced, pretending to be an airplane until he reached the living room couch and gently tumbled them onto it.

The dogs immediately joined the girls. Where the girls went, the dogs followed. Athena buried her face in Moma’s neck and started kissing.

Sophie watched them play, taking more pictures, before turning her smiling gaze on the Christmas tree again. Piers joined her, giving the tall, full tree a satisfied onceover.

“I think it’s our prettiest tree yet,” Sophie said, resting her head on his shoulder.

Piers looped his arm around her. “Maybe we should get two next year. Really spruce up the living room.” He waited for it.

Sophie let out a groan. She laughed, too, though. “That is such a dad joke.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes, teasing, “You’re lucky I love you.”

“I know I’m lucky.” He kissed her. “I love you, too.” So much his heart burned with it.

She sighed happily, snuggling against him. “The star looks nice.”

Piers nodded. It did. It was also crooked and had candy-cane fingerprints on it. “This will be our fifth Christmas together.” It was amazing how time flew, even without realms to conquer and bloodbath battles to get into. He was glad they’d maintained Sophie’s holiday traditions. She now knew the gods of Olympus were more than myth, but they didn’t reign here and hadn’t for millennia. She’d maintained her faith while recognizing that other powerful forces existed in the universe. But when they told stories from Greek mythology to their children, they treated them as a bit more than fiction. Piers scattered in tales about his family as though they came from ancient times, too, and were long-lost ancestors, just like Heracles. It was the only way for his girls to know their other aunts and uncles and grandparents.

The doorbell rang. The dogs started barking.

“Auntie Xanthe’s here with Ya-Ya!” Athena cried.

“Ya-Ya!” Zoe echoed.