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Chapter 46 Chapter 48
Eros thought he knew what love was, but he didn’t.
He hadn’t.
Never had he even a hint of an understanding of love, of passion, before Psyche.
It was amazing what it felt like to truly love someone and have her love in return.
It brought unspeakable joy.
Psyche had changed her waking schedule so that they could spend more time together.
He loved hearing her stories of the villagers. Having spent so much time among them, he found it especially enjoyable and fascinating.
Of course, Psyche was the most fascinating of them all.
“I still don’t quite understand something,” he said. “How is it that you can work so tirelessly among them? Don’t you find it exhausting?”
“At times I probably overdid it,” she admitted, “but I could never get tired of the villagers. I only wish they would have allowed me to be more accepted among them.”
How could they not accept her?
“What do you mean?” he said.
“There was always some kind of barrier between me and the villagers; always some awkward formality which never seemed to go away, no matter what I did,” she said.
That made perfect sense to him. She was their princess, the people’s goddess.
She didn’t seem to like it.
“You sound sad,” he said.
“I am sad,” she said. “I never seemed to belong anywhere. I couldn’t ever be good enough for my sisters, and my wealth and status always kept me from being one of the villagers. Maybe that’s why I preferred the cottage at first. I have always wanted a place where I felt like I belonged, a place where I could be fully embraced and accepted.”
He couldn’t imagine wanting to be one of the villagers, but he did know how well she made everyone feel accepted.
“You provided that for the people in the village, I think,” he said. “That’s why they loved you so much. You never put up barriers or put on airs. You just accepted and loved everyone.
“Although I wonder if some of them actually deserved it.”
“What do you mean?” Psyche said, interested.
He momentarily hesitated.
He knew she would see things differently, but he couldn’t help sometimes wondering that these villagers took her for granted.
“Well, that Adonis fellow,” he said. “I’m still struggling with that story. I know you told me he deserved another chance, but seriously. How many chances does a person need?”
Psyche chuckled.
“As many times as it takes,” she said. “In Adonis’s case it only took a few times making mistakes and pulling himself up. I lost track of him and Chloe after I had to focus on getting married.”
He felt sorry that she had to be so isolated.
He got an idea.
“Would you like me to check on them for you?” he said.
She immediately sat up.
“You could do that??” she said.
She sounded quite happy.
“Why certainly,” he said. “I have my ways of navigating between worlds. Would you like me to check on anyone else?”
“Would I??” she said excitedly.
He laughed. It was a delightful feeling to do something that would bring her so much joy.
“What if every night I can bring you some news from the village until you’re completely satisfied,” he said.
“No one — “ she said, her voice breaking. “No one has ever offered me a greater gift.”
He wished he could bring her. They could do so much good together.
“Your love for people, Psyche, is quite astounding,” he said. “I can’t quite understand it, but I can feel it. You really mean it. You really care for them.
“Why? Why do you care for them so much?”
“I can’t explain it,” she said, laying back down and looking up at the black sky. “It’s just how I feel. I can’t help it. I just — love them all so much. They each hold something special within them. They each have something worth loving, worth cherishing.”
He took her hand and kissed it.
“And I love you for it,” he said. “I wish you could come with me and see everyone. For now, I hope my reports will be a satisfactory substitute.”
She smiled at first, but then her face changed and she looked concerned about something.
“What’s the matter?” he said.
“Am I your punishment?” she asked.
His heart sank.
“Psyche,” he said. “How can you still doubt yourself? You are the most beautiful, wonderful being I’ve ever known. If this is my punishment, I wouldn’t want paradise.”
“You are too good to me,” she said, blushing. “But I’m not looking for praise. I want to understand.”
As he listened to Psyche explain, he realized how much his mother’s harsh judgment continued to bother Psyche.
How could he help her understand? How could he relieve her of this burden when there was so much he couldn’t tell her?
“I don’t understand,” she was saying. “How could the Goddess Aphrodite mean for me to marry you? The Goddess cannot lie.
“So what could this mean? And how can this be? How can this be my punishment when it’s made me so happy?”
Everything stopped as she uttered the last sentence.
“You’re happy?” he said.
“Unbelievably,” she said. “I had no idea I could be so happy. I can’t imagine myself with any other being, monster or man.”
That was the answer. They were happy, in spite of everything his mother was trying to do.
“Then what does it matter?” he said.
His mother could throw whatever tantrum she wanted, but she couldn’t take away their happiness. She couldn’t turn his heart against Psyche, couldn’t change Psyche’s heart against him.
“Are you happy?” Psyche asked, softly.
“Unbelievably,” he said.
If I Had Words 
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