Gil and Elizabeth were laying in bed, talking and holding hands, when he started feeling tremendous pain around his rectum. He tried to ignore the discomfort, but it quickly became too much to bear. 

Gil turned to look at Elizabeth, but she was no longer there. He started to panic. The pain made it impossible for him to move, and he felt alone and cold. He didn’t know what was happening to him, but he was scared.

Gil opened his eyes, and couldn’t make anything out. His eyes saw five images for every one person or thing. He couldn’t talk, as there was a tube running down his throat, and the cold feeling was still present. He heard voices speaking to him, but couldn’t understand what was being said. His eyes closed again, and the image of Beth standing over him smiling, forcibly ripping off his clothes, and menacingly holding a large object in her hand made him cry out in absolute terror.

Gil’s eyes opened up again. This time they could focus. He saw Dr Sam, Elizabeth, and Maggie and Sarah, along with a nurse he didn’t recognize. Sam came over, and did an examination.

Gil was unsure of what had happened, and asked if anyone could tell him. Elizabeth and Dr Sam explained that apparently, after the dinner in his honor, Beth sexually assaulted and abused him with a strap on. His girls had called for help, and the two of them, plus Chief Val arrived to hear him scream. 

The Chief broke down the door and arrested Beth, while she, Elizabeth, got him safely out of the room. Dr Sam did an examination, and thought that everything would be alright, except that unknown to anyone, the wall of his lower intestine had been punctured, causing him to go into toxic shock.

He was brought to the hospital and underwent surgery to repair the damage. Gil looked at his girls and asked for hugs, and they were only too glad to give them. He then asked them to step out of the room, and once they were gone, looked at the two ladies towering over him. 

Chief Val walked into the cell where Beth was being kept. The top cop was not in the best of moods. She had been visiting the prisoner every day to question her about why she attacked her husband, and every day, there would be no answer. She was determined to get to the bottom of why it happened.

Chief Val asked Beth a simple question; why? But instead of silence, the lady in the cell only simply said words that she had spoken since she arrived. Women were the superior sex, and there should have been no reason to treat men as anything more than 2nd class citizens.

Chief Val told her that her words didn’t mean anything. Society was such that everyone was equal. All Beth had to do was just accept things for the way they were, and her life would have been great. Now, she would be branded an abuser and trouble maker, and live life alone.

Beth sneered at the Chief. She told the law woman that when she got out of jail, she would be collecting her husband and daughters, and moving away. Val told her that her actions the other night triggered a provision in the law that automatically granted the abused spouse an automatic divorce. And, as the person responsible for the actions, she was now deemed an unfit mother. So, because of her attacking Gil, he was now a free man, with custody of his girls.

Beth started to laugh, then became incredulous at the news. She initially thought Chief Val was joking, but seeing the stone cold look on Val’s face, knew she was serious. The Chief had pointed out that they took the safety of men very seriously, and it was conveyed to her daily, so either she was too stubborn to realize that, or too stupid to understand. Suddenly, Beth lunged at the Chief in a rage, only for the officer to step aside, and whack the back of her head with a baton, just like at the apartment. Some people never learn, she thought to herself.

Dr Sam had the look of someone wracked with guilt. She thought her carelessness could have caused Gil to die, and she blamed herself. Gil looked up at her, and asked her to please forgive herself, because she was only human, and things happen. He also said that the important thing was that he was alive, and with his two favorite adult women, offering her a smile. Dr Sam weakly smiled back.

Gil motioned for Elizabeth to come closer, and asked her to bend down. Once her face was close enough, he kissed her on the lips, with as much force as his hurting body would allow. She looked at him quizzically, and asked him what that was for.

Gil looked up into her beautiful blue eyes, and told her that he wanted to. He had been meaning to do it for a while, but his wedding vows always got in the way. But it was clear that Beth was not the woman he married. And most of all, he kissed her because he loved her. 

Elizabeth was shocked at hearing his words. She didn’t know whether to cry, or kiss him back. She looked at Sam, who was as shocked as she was. 

Gil told her that he would seek a divorce from Beth. He didn’t know the laws of this world, but he would seek one. Dr Sam interrupted, saying that by law, as soon as his wife attacked him, the statute covering divorce would take effect, and become instant. So by law, he and Beth were already considered divorced.

Gil had trouble processing the words Sam had spoken. Even he didn’t know what the law was, but  it gave him a headache just thinking about it. He told both girls that he felt tired, and wanted to get some sleep, and asked them to send Maggie and Sarah in so he could say good night.

After he said goodbye to his daughters, Gil closed his eyes, and quickly fell into a deep sleep. He quickly found himself sitting on the edge of a cliff. Thoughts raced through his mind, and was so preoccupied that he never noticed the cloaked figure that had sat next to him. He couldn’t see the face, but when they spoke, he realized that it was a woman.

She asked him what was troubling him. Gil was surprised by the question, because he never told her he was upset or troubled. She told him not to be shy. She knew his name, and now he was freaked out. She held out her hand, and asked him gently to take hold of it. Gil resisted, but her soothing voice made his fears go away, and then he opened up.

He loved his wife, Beth, even after what she did to him and how she acted. But he loved Elizabeth, the caring, gentle giantess who welcomed him and his fellow astronauts into her home without hesitation or complaint. 

He discovered that the more he was with her, the more he was convinced that she was his soulmate. He never had to explain himself to her. And he loved her with all of his heart, despite their massive size difference. She treated him as an equal, and never demanded anything from him.

Beth, on the other hand, was her polar opposite. He always had a feeling that she married him because he had the ambition and drive to become an astronaut, and it would open social doors for her that would otherwise be closed. 

But he never suspected that she wasn’t happy, and it definitely surprised him when she said that she was a feminist. Did they really stop communicating enough for her to turn to other pursuits? 

The woman asked him about Maggie and Sarah. This caused Gil to become defensive. It was one thing for a stranger to ask about him and his wife. They were adults. But it was another to ask about his children, especially when he never mentioned them.

The woman sensed his anger and uncomfortableness, and apologized. She said she didn’t mean to pry. She had been observing him from a distance, and felt it would be ok to discuss them. He asked her how she knew he had daughters? And more importantly, how did she know their names.

The lady turned and looked him directly in the eyes. Gil could see that her eyes were the most beautiful color of blue he had ever seen. But there was an unnerving quality about them.Suddenly, he felt scared and cold, as her stare penetrated his entire being. He didn’t know who she was, or what her name was, but he knew that he was in the presence of a deity. He lowered his head and apologized for upsetting her. 

The woman removed the cloak from her head. Before Gil was a female graced with the most stunning beauty he had ever come across. In fact, he had read of such beauty in books when he studied Greek Mythology. But there were no words that could describe what was before him. He felt himself start to tremble in her presence.

The woman smiled at him, which eased some of his fear. She gently asked him how his daughters were handling being on this world, and Gil told her that they were surprisingly doing well. They adapted pretty quickly. The woman told him that was a good thing.

She then asked how he felt about Beth, even after she attacked him. Gil was going to object to the question, but with her piercing stare from earlier still fresh in his mind, he thought better. He told the woman that he still loved his wife, despite what she had become while living on this planet.

He took his vows seriously, and he wanted to make sure that his daughters would have a proper home environment in which to grow up. He would be willing to sacrifice his own happiness in order to be there for his girls.

The woman asked him about Elizabeth, and could see Gil’s eyes light up immediately. He said that he had grown so close to her since he came there, and felt for the first time in his life that he had met his soulmate. She was beautiful, kind hearted, gentle, and had a tremendous personality. And as much as he wanted to be with her, he was still married to Beth, and that is where he needed to be.

The woman was impressed with the man sitting next to her. He had a chance at total happiness, but instead, decided that honoring his vows and remaining faithful was more important.

It was then that she introduced herself to him. She said her name was Hera, the Goddess Supreme of Mt Olympus, and creator of the world on which Gil and his family had come to. 

Gil didn’t know what to think or say, so he stood up and bowed down to one knee, not daring to look at her directly. She stood up, and up, and up, reaching her full height of 16’, the same as the women on the planet. She gently took hold of his hand, and guided him to a standing position.

She spoke to him, apologizing for putting him in danger, as she didn’t realize that Beth would react to the world the way she did. It was only her intention to bring outsiders to her world that she thought would find it beautiful and idyllic and a great place to raise a family. 

Gil raised his hand to ask a question. Hera looked down at him with a warm smile and gave him the ok. Gil asked something that had been on his mind. Why were the women so much larger than males?

Hera considered his question, then responded that her husband Zeus had created the human race in which men were bigger and stronger than women, and also a world that had many senseless wars. She decided to create her own set of worlds, each with women much, much larger and stronger than men, because she wanted to see how those worlds evolved, and as a way to mock her husband. It took a while, but this world, the one that they were on presently, had evolved into her Utopia. There was peace, prosperity, and more importantly, true love between the sexes, as well as the utmost respect between them. And it pained her when Beth had come and tried to throw off the balance of love and harmony.

Gil had avoided looking up directly into Hera’s eyes. But he caught a glimpse, and was instantly transfixed by her beauty, so much so that he lost his ability to think clearly. Hera sensed this, and pulled her cloak back over her head. She then presented him with three choices.

One- he could go back to his own world, with his wife and daughters, and have no memory of this life, or of Elizabeth.

Two- he could remain here, with Elizabeth, but Beth and the twins would be sent back to their own world without any memory of this world. To them, he would be forever lost in space, and he would have no memory of them.

Three- he and his family would remain here, and the present dynamic between him and Beth would remain, and he would be forced to choose between Elizabeth and his family.

Gil was overwhelmed emotionally. He sank to his knees, the tears starting to run down his face in growing intensity. He wanted to be with his wife and daughters, but couldn’t imagine not seeing his gentle giantess ever again. Or worse, having no memory of her. He would feel incomplete, empty, devoid of purpose. But if he stayed there, he would lose his memories of Beth and the twins. He would be with the woman he loved, and desired, but the part of him that would sacrifice everything for his family would be gone, with no memory whatsoever.

Or he could choose to stay there with everyone, problems and all. But Beth wouldn’t be happy, and it would create a terrible environment for Maggie and Sarah to grow up in. Plus, it would put both him and Elizabeth in an extremely awkward situation, having to dodge his wife’s now menacing attitude towards him and that world. 

Only one choice appealed to Gil, and unfortunately, it was the one that would put him in danger. He could have all four girls in his life, but he would have to stay alert, as Beth had made it clear that she was in charge, and he either did what she said, or he would suffer her wrath. He could choose Elizabeth, but then his girls would grow up in a broken home, and he was damn sure going to see that didn’t happen.

With his tears still flowing, he told Hera that he had made his choice. She asked him if he was sure, and he hesitated, then said yes. She smiled at him, then picked him up and, without warning, tossed him off the cliff.

Gil screamed as he descended towards a bottom that never seemed to be close. His arms and legs flailing, he just kept falling and falling. Suddenly, the ground quickly appeared, and was rapidly getting closer. Gil closed his eyes, bracing for impact, and never noticed the grey cloud forming around him.

Gil was finishing up a comms check with mission control. Martin and Steve reported that all systems were operating and the space capsule began its turn towards the dark side of the moon.

The onboard video camera was transmitting its feed back to Houston, and the special HD camera began snapping a series of photos at 30 second intervals. The images captured stunned Mission Control. 

The astronaut crew completed its mission, and positioned the capsule to begin its three day journey back to Earth. If the calculations were correct, they would land about 10 miles off the coast of Florida on the Atlantic side.

The journey back to Earth was very routine. The biggest obstacles would be re-entry into the atmosphere, and the rapid increase in temperature, and making sure the parachute deployed correctly. Otherwise, they would never survive the trip.

But everything went flawlessly. The capsule landed exactly 10 miles from the coast, the Navy ship was in position to quickly bring them on board, and they headed to the Naval Hospital to spend a week undergoing a battery of tests and examinations to make sure that they were healthy, in between visits from their families. Martin’s wife, Julie, and daughter Susan, as well as Steve’s wife, Wendy, and daughter, Nicole, had joined Beth and Maggie and Sarah as frequent visitors of the patients. But Gil sensed that Beth was preoccupied by something, but never had time alone with her to ask if everything was ok.

All checked out, and the crew was discharged. Martin Milner and Steve Miller said goodbye to their commander and friend, Gil, who had signed his resignation papers, was retiring from the military in order to spend more time with his family. They promised they would keep in touch, as the bond of being crew mates on a trip to the moon made them inseparable.

Since the Hodges lived just off base, the five minute car ride was over before it began. Gil walked through the front door and thanked his lucky stars that the mission to the moon had been uneventful and successful. Beth casually mentioned that their next door neighbor, an elderly man named Frank Castle, had passed away. 

Gil looked at her and wondered aloud what would happen to the property. Frank had mentioned several times that real estate agents would offer to buy his property, with the intention of converting his large house into apartments, but he always resisted, saying that he had something special planned for it.

Gil should have enjoyed his retirement, but as the week went on, he felt Beth become more distant. She would go out in the afternoon with her friends, and not come back until late. He wanted to say something to her, but thought that she had been under so much pressure raising the twins while he played astronaut, that she just needed time to herself. He also understood that being a military wife was difficult, with the constant moving. They just couldn’t put down any roots until now. He hoped that she would embrace him being home.

Monday morning came. The twins were in the middle of their summer vacation. Beth had cooked breakfast and gone to take a shower. Shopping needed to be done, and Gil volunteered, asking Maggie and Sarah if they wanted to tag along. Both girls said yes.

They said goodbye to Beth, and the three of them piled into Gil’s station wagon, and headed for the supermarket. Ninety minutes later, they arrived home. It took longer than usual, because everyone seemed to recognize the astronaut who just went to the moon, and either wanted his autograph, or just to ask questions. He tried to be as accommodating as he could, but he needed to get the frozen food home and in the freezer.

The three walked into an empty house. Gil called for Beth, but heard nothing. He looked out the window to the driveway, and saw that her car wasn’t there. He figured that maybe she forgot something and went to the store to get it. 

Gil and the twins put the groceries away, and decided to play a game of Go Fish, while waiting for Beth to come home. Hours had passed, and no Beth. He started to get worried when there was a knock on the door.

Gil answered, and a gentleman in a suit asked him if he was Gil Hodges, and he replied that he was. The man handed him two envelopes, said to have a nice day, then turned and went to his car that was parked out front, and drove away.

Gil looked at the two envelopes. One was from a law firm that he never heard of. The second, and more important, was from Beth in her handwriting.

It contained a letter, one that tore his heart to pieces. 

The letter informed him that although she loved him and the girls, she needed to have her own life, one that didn’t include the three of them.  She understood that sounded cold and heartless, but she needed her space. She hoped that they would understand.

Gil was devastated. He suspected that there was more to that letter than just Beth needing to live her life. He suspected that there was another man involved, and as detestable as that sounded, he could understand, as his commitment to the space program had left his family devoid of a male presence in the house. His wife probably felt abandoned and lonely. 

Gil had resigned his commission from the military in order to spend more time with his family, but obviously it was too late.. Now, his wife just abandoned her family in order to live the life she wanted. He looked at Maggie and Sarah, and his heart just sank to the bottom of the abyss.

He asked them to come over. They looked at their father with the innocence of 10 year olds. There was no easy way to break the news, so Gil was as honest with them as he could be. He watched as they started crying hysterically. He started crying hysterically. The three hugged one another, and Gil made a solemn promise to his daughters. He would never, ever leave them. He was now back as a full time father, and he intended to be there for them come hell or high water.

The girls ran to their room, tears still streaming down their cheeks. Gil composed himself enough to open the envelope from the lawyer. It was a letter stating that Beth Hodges was filing for divorce from Gil Hodges, citing irreconcilable differences. The action was being filed under the state’s quick divorce law. 

Gil was sent paperwork to sign, but the lawyer’s letter had stressed the importance of him consulting a lawyer to understand the action in total. He looked at the paperwork. It appeared that Beth wasn’t going to ask for any spousal support, and gave up her parental rights to the girls. That shocked him, as he would have thought that being their mother, she would have wanted to have a say in how they were raised.

Gil called his friend in the Judge Advocate General’s office, and explained the situation, and asked if he could stop by on his way home from the base. His friend agreed, and around 6:00 pm, there was a knock on the door. 

Gil and his friend sat in the living room, and the paperwork was examined. Everything seemed on the up and up, and Gil’s reading of the terms was correct. He thanked his friend, and signed the paperwork, and mailed them out when his friend left. The divorce would be final on Friday. 

Gil ordered pizza, then pulled a six pack from the fridge, and by 9, it was gone. He grabbed Beth’s bottle of wine, and finished that. He stumbled out into the living room, sat on the sofa, and passed out.

Gil was walking down the street when he came upon two girls whose car had a flat tire. He offered to help, and they gratefully accepted. He was getting the spare out of the trunk when he introduced himself and asked what their names were. 

Gil changed the tire, and after the girls thanked him, they drove away, and Gil woke up, having to use the bathroom. He was relieving himself when he thought about the dream that he just had. It was fairly pleasant, but something about the girls seemed very familiar to him. He couldn’t explain the feeling, but he chalked it up to the amount of alcohol he had consumed earlier.

Gil was up early. Maggie and Sarah were still asleep, so he made himself a cup of coffee, and started breakfast for the girls. Both came out a short time later, looking like they had a terrible night’s sleep. He asked them if they wanted to have their friends over, figuring that if they could keep from thinking about what had happened, it might help them cope. 

Neither felt like company. Gil knew what he needed to do, and dreaded the very thought. He decided to grab the bull by the horns, and told both Maggie and Sarah that what their mother had done was shocked and upset him as well, but he stressed that it was nothing they did to cause it. Their mom was just going through a really tough time in her life, and she needed to figure things out. 

The twins asked Gil if their mom was coming back, 

and he didn’t know the answer, only offering a weak maybe in response. But he stressed again that he loved them very much, and that they were his life. 

The three of them had tears running down their faces as they hugged one another tightly. It was all Gil could do to comfort the girls after the shocking development from the day before. His heart sank, because he knew deep down that the twins would be scarred by Beth leaving, and there was nothing that he could do about it. It left him feeling down and depressed in his alone moments.

But Tuesday had the same vibe as the day before. He took the girls out to dinner, but the mood was subdued, and the girls were still in shock. On the way home, Gil stopped by the liquor store, and bought a case of beer, plus a couple of bottles of whiskey. 

Once home, the girls went to their room, while Gil went to work on the beer and whiskey. Once again, he passed out on the sofa, while the movie Jason and The Argonauts played on the TV. 

Suddenly, he found himself on Mt Olympus, as Zeus and Hera argued about helping the protagonist of the movie. Hera was growing angrier, accusing her husband of stacking the odds against Jason. Zeus decreed that she could only offer limited help to him, decreeing that there would be severe consequences for disobeying him. This left the Goddess determined to help the hero, by any means necessary.

Gil stood by, none of the Gods and Goddesses noticing his presence. He saw towering figures, more than twice his height, scurrying about. He noticed Hera whisper something to one of her attendants, who enter what appeared to be a secret chamber.

As he observed the servant going into a chamber, he turned and saw Hera standing in front of him. He backed away, afraid of incurring her wrath. But she just smiled down at him, and said ‘ Don’t be afraid, Gil’.

Gil opened his eyes, the dream running through his head at the speed of light. It was one of the strangest dreams he had ever had, yet seemed real. He looked at the empty beer cans that littered the floor, and told himself that he needed to calm down on the drinking. 

He made his way to the empty bed in his room, laid down, and fell into another dream. He was walking with Beth on a beach. Just the two of them, alone. He had the ring and the speech ready, and was just waiting for the perfect moment. 

Finally, they came upon rocks that jutted out into the ocean. Gil turned towards Beth, got down on his knee, produced a box, and asked her to marry him. As he removed the ring, he heard a male voice call Beth’s name, and suddenly, she was gone, leaving him alone. 

Gil woke up again, with the sun shining through the window. His head was splitting, and his eyes were bloodshot. Damn, he thought, he was in no condition to cook for his girls. They would be having cereal for breakfast.

He stumbled out into the kitchen. Maggie and Sarah were already up and finishing their breakfast, Gil got the coffee going. Two more days, and the divorce would be final. He looked at the very beautiful and innocent ten year olds sitting in the living room, and wanted to cry. Not for himself, but for them. They were close to entering the age when changes to their bodies would occur, and he would not be able to help them like Beth would have been able to. They wouldn’t have that female advice to rely on. He made a note to visit the library and read up as best he could.

Wednesday turned into Thursday, and followed a very familiar routine. Gil and the twins would have dinner, then when they went to bed, he would drink himself to sleep, only to have weird dreams. This one involved a land of giant women, who were chasing him like he was the last man on Earth. 

He woke up to another headache, and the case of beer he bought the other night finished, as was one bottle of whiskey. He could smell bacon being cooked. He stumbled into the kitchen, and saw Maggie and Sarah cooking breakfast for him. He wanted to cry. With how much they were being affected by their mom leaving, they were cooking for him. 

He hugged both of them, only to see funny looks come over their faces. He asked them what was wrong, and they told him that he stunk. Gil instinctively smelled his armpits, and started coughing. He smelled worse than the Volga River at low tide. He had taken a tour of the Romania/Transylvania region when he was temporarily assigned to a UN unit, and that smell stuck with him.

He apologized to the twins for the odor, and promised to shower after breakfast. The girls made a surprisingly good meal. He told them that he loved them, and asked if they wanted to do anything. Maggie and Sarah asked if they could go to the park, and Gil told them that it was a date, after he cleaned up.

Gil took his shower, then he and the girls headed for the park. Children playing, couples walking. Everyone was having a good time. And it brought on negative emotions for Gil. It only emphasized the void that was now permanent in his life. 

He kept up a happy face for his girls, but inside was feeling empty and hollow. On the way home from the park, he bought more beer and whiskey. And once the girls were in their room for bed, he again drank himself to sleep. And once again the dreams started. 

He was in the space capsule with Martin and Steve, heading for the dark side of the moon, when they encountered a mysterious cloud. Suddenly, they lost communication with control, and they drifted off course, until they ended up on a world they did not recognize. Suddenly, they were surrounded by giantesses of incredible beauty, and they were all trying to grab the three of them. The women moved closer, and the men started screaming. 

Gil woke up in a sweat. He made his way to his bed, and passed out again, and found himself in another dream. This time he was on a cliff with a woman he didn’t know. She was talking to him, but in a language he didn’t understand. He kept trying to let her know that he didn’t speak her language, when she suddenly pushed him off the edge, and he found himself falling.

Gil woke up to the sound of the telephone ringing. He answered. It was his lawyer buddy from the base, letting him know that his divorce was finalized. It was news that didn’t make him feel any better.

He stumbled out into the kitchen to make coffee, when he saw the time. 12:30pm. He had slept the day away. He cursed himself. He told his girls that he would always be there for them, and yet was unable to cope with the events, drinking himself into a stupor every night. 

He looked out the window, and noticed moving vans in front of his deceased neighbor’s house. He saw furniture going in, then different ones coming out. The kettle boiled. He made his coffee, and had taken two sips when there was a knock on the front door.

He cursed his luck. He was hung over, and probably smelled like stale beer. And now there was someone at the front door. He made his way through the living room, and turned the handle.

Opening the door, he saw two women standing there. One had brown hair, the other blonde. They introduced themselves. The dark haired girl said her name was Elizabeth Sladen, and the blonde was her cousin Samantha Sladen. They had just moved in next door, and wanted to say hello. Gil introduced himself and called Maggie and Sarah over and introduced them. He asked the women if they wanted to come in for a cup of coffee, and the girls happily accepted.

Gil noticed the beer cans were gone, as was the bottle of whiskey. The girls cleaned up, and he was thankful. 

Turning his attention to the women, he mentioned that he didn’t realize that the house they were moving into was for sale. Elizabeth had mentioned it was a very strange thing. In fact, it was so strange that she and Samantha thought someone was playing a prank on them.

Gil was interested in what she said. Elizabeth continued. She said that both her and Samantha recently graduated, she from law school and her cousin from medical school. They really didn’t have money for a new place, until one day they received a letter in the mail. It was from a law office located in Athens, Greece. The letter explained that a property was going to auction, and instructed the two of them to make an offer. It could be any amount, but it had to be done by a certain date.

Samantha spoke up, saying that they thought it was so far fetched and inane, they thought someone was playing a joke on them. So they called the number on the letter to tell off whoever answered. But it turned out that the lawyer was legitimate, as was their instructions. So she and Elizabeth pulled together their last $500 and use that as their bid, assuming that it would be rejected, and they could get on with their lives. They lived in Virginia, after all, and that’s what really made everything seem strange.

Elizabeth picked up the tale, saying that much to the shock of the both of them, their bid won. Their $500 bought the house. And then things really got weird. The lawyer sent them a letter saying that all their moving expenses would be paid. In fact, the man who owned the house had amassed a fortune, but had no heirs. So they were told that all property taxes, insurance, and utilities were to be paid for by his estate. 

$500, and the house was theirs, and they didn’t have to pay any expenses except for their food shopping. She asked Gil if he had ever heard of such an insane story. He responded that he never heard of anything like that happening, even in fairy tales. 

Both Elizabeth and Samantha apologized for dominating the conversation. They asked Gil what he did. Gil said that he recently resigned from the military. He had been part of the space program, and had just completed a mission to the moon. But he was taking some time off before he looked for a new job. 

He looked at the two women sitting at the table, but both had blank expressions on their faces. He finally got to study their faces. They both had blue eyes, and were incredibly beautiful.

It was while he was looking at them that his mind was suddenly flooded with memories that he didn’t know he had. Grey clouds, giant women, strange worlds. It was like everything was as real as the two girls with him. 

The girls snapped out of their trance, as did Gil. The three of them looked at each other. And then it hit them. They had met before. They didn’t know when or where, but they had met. 

On Mt Olympus, Hera smiled. The mortal man had impressed her with his commitment to his family. She wished that her husband Zeus had such commitment. But she wanted to make sure that Gil found happiness, and she couldn’t think of a better person for him than Elizabeth. She was just surprised about how easily his wife Beth was able to be manipulated into leaving him.