( she tries to imagine what that would be like. spending all her time doting on one person, someone older but fragile, in need of that kind of care. annabeth's spent so much of her life with kids her own age, their company interspersed with ancient elders, both godly and otherwise immortal.

it's not like chiron had needed a merry maid. )

It's better than keeping it to yourself. It's important to know. You never know when you might need it.

( annabeth eyes the hem of her shirt for a moment. it's not quite the right size, would fit better on someone broader, like percy. but she's hesitant to get rid of it before she knows she can replace it. )

Do you think we'll need it?