Melting Ice

Chapter 54

Cato gets back before Carla.
"Hey", he says, "How are you feeling?". Cato's lips swoop down to kiss my forehead before sitting next to me.
"Better", I mumble, laying my head on his shoulder.
"Good. What do you think could of caused this? Was it my cooking?".
"No, no!", I blurt out, "It wasn't food poisoning".
"Wait", he pauses briefly, "You know what it is?".
I nod ,"We have an idea".
"We?".
"Carla and I". I want to curl up into a ball now.
"And the idea is...".
"Uh, well...we don't know for certain", I stutter, "Carla...is um buying a t-test-".
"It's okay", Cato tells me, wrapping his arms protectively around me, "I'm sorry".
"We don't know yet", I say again, "If it's positive-".
"We are going to be okay Clove. We will get married still but we may have a baby. This time, we are going to do it right".
And it is positive. I get adrenaline rushing through me when the double lines appear, as if I'm excited. Am I? With Cato right behind me, all I do is hold it in my hands for him to see. And somehow, I feel his smile bringing me hope.
"I'm pregnant", I say to him.
"I love you".
"I love you more".
"Not possible".
"Oh Clovers, it is so very possible". I breathe out deeply, scared of vomiting again. Maybe it will all be okay.

Cato
She lays there:perfectly. Her small figure curled up in a ball with Poppy on her legs, resting. I don't want to wake her, if she is asleep but, I want to know what she wants for dinner.
"Clove", I whisper. Nothing. "Are you awake?".
"Maybe", she mumbles.
"Are you feeling better?".
"Yeah", Clove says, "I will be fine for tonight". Tonight, Carla, Isabelle and Jay are coming over to help us plan our wedding. Oh, and Kayla insisted on coming. Ever since we found out Clove was pregnant, last week, it's all anyone has been talking about: our families, the districts, the Capitol. Speaking of the Capitol, they have sent over their best doctors and midwives for Clove who as available 24/7.
"How was your day?", Clove asks as she sits up. Her eyes meet mine.
"Okay. I won't bore you with it".
"Fair enough", she shrugs, "I need to get change".
"You look fine honey", I blurt out. Honey?
"Honey?", Clove says as if she read my mind.
"Sorry, babe?". She smiles. "Clovers", I finally decide.
"Be back in a min", Clove says, sweeps past me and up the stairs.
"What do you want to eat?", I yell after her.
"Pizza!", she replies with so much enthusiasm im scared she's gonna fall back down the stairs.
"Pizza!", I yell back excited,y, throwing my hands rapidly up in the air before ordering pizza.
There is so much to choose from! I swipe through the the choices of bases, sauces, toppings and side orders. First, I tap the "dinner pizza", not the breakfast or desert pizza. Then, I go for four thin crust pizzas, two with bbq sauce, two with tomato. As for the toppings, I go for one pepperoni, one cheese, one ham and pineapple and one bbq then I hit "send".
Clove runs down the stairs in burgundy jeans, a white lace top and dark eye makeup.
"How much time do we have?", she asks excitedly.
"An hour, maybe a bit more", I inform her.
"Let's make cookies", Clove suddenly decides.
"But the mess...", I moan softly, gripping her soft hands.
"Please", she pleads and batts her long lashes.
"Clove", I moan, "Don't do this to me".
She continues, "Cato, don't make me do this to you".