A slow smile spread across her face. "For her, yeah. I mean other than the fact I could never call her Matisera unless we were alone, she really was good."
How awful to never be able to acknowledge Artemis as her mother in public. He knew that pain well and it made him even angrier that Artemis, having done that to him, would also do it to his child.
How selfish could one person be?
"Is she loving to you?"
Kat swallowed at his question and she knew exactly what he meant by it. He was afraid her mother had been cold to her. But in spite of Artemis's shortcomings, that had never been the case.
Wanting to set his mind at ease, Kat took his hand into hers and closed her eyes so that she could show him.
Ash jerked as he saw Katra's memories in his mind. She was no more than seven and she was alone with her mother in Artemis's bedchamber. They were curled up together in Artemis's bed.
Katra frowned as she laid a tiny hand to Artemis's moist cheek. "Why do you cry, Matisera?"
"You're too young to understand, my little one."
"Then you can tell me why you cry and I won't understand it. Then you'll feel better and be happy again."
Artemis smiled through her tears as she lifted the blanket higher around Kat's shoulders. "I made a horrible mistake."
Her young brow was furrowed in puzzlement. "But you're a goddess. You can't make mistakes."
Artemis took Kat's small hand into hers and placed a tender kiss on it. "Trust me, little one. Everyone makes mistakes. Even the gods, and ours are much worse than those of humans. Unlike humans, we don't suffer alone. Rather, we share the pain with thousands. That's why you must learn to be like your father. To hold in your tears and anger. Try not to punish what you love."
"But you don't punish me, Matisera."
Artemis kissed her on the forehead. "No, Katra, I don't. I love my little treasure."
Still Katra looked confused by her mother's tears. "Am I your mistake, Matisera?"
"Oh, great Olympus, no! Why ever would you think that, child? "
" 'Cause no one can know about me. Aren't you supposed to hide your mistakes?"
"Oh, baby, no. That's not why I have to hide you. I just don't want to share you with anyone. You are mine alone. You will always be my little girl and I don't want to share you with anyone else."
Kat scratched her tiny head. "Do you think my father would love me?"
Artemis rubbed her nose against Kat's before she answered. "Your father would love you even more than I do. He would wake you with tickles and kisses, and send you to bed with a warm hug."
"Then why don't we find him?"
The sadness returned to Artemis's face. "Because he hates me and he wants nothing to do with me."
"Why would anyone hate you, Matisera? You are wonderful and kind. Loving. I can't imagine why someone wouldn't see that about you."
Artemis smoothed her blond curls. "I wronged him, Katra. Greatly." She sighed regretfully. "I had the entire world in my hand at one time and I didn't know it. I let stupidity blind me and I lost him because of that."
"Then tell him you're sorry."
"As your father would say, there are some things 'sorry' can't repair. Some pains run too deep to ever be healed by something as simple as words, no matter how much you mean them."
Katra sat up in bed. "But I can heal anything. I will put my hand over his heart and make it all better. Then he will love you again."
Artemis pulled her close and held her tight. "My little treasure. How I wish that you could. But it's all right. He gave me you, and you I can love without regret."
Kat released Ash and pulled her thoughts away from that memory. "She wasn't always a perfect mother, but I couldn't have had much better. And even when she was less than perfect, I always knew that she loved me."