HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 66

Olympia gaped at her in the mirror.

"You're going to District Two? For dinner?"

"I can't believe it either," admitted Lilith, still reeling. The past four hours had been an absolute rollercoaster.

After Lilith had recovered her faculties and confirmed that she would indeed need a passport arranged, Snow's words finally hit her: It's the Grandma'am.

Horrified, she quickly texted Tigris, asking if everything was alright. Lilith didn't want to call, afraid to be a disturbance if they were at the hospital, but instead of replying, Tigris rang her back.

The old lady had collapsed from a diabetic coma. Doctors had stabilized her, but her blood sugar levels had been dangerously high. She was still in intensive care. They didn't know when she would wake.

Despite sounding patently scared and tired, Tigris declined Lilith's offer to visit, stating that the Grandma'am would hate to be seen like that, which Lilith respected. She still ordered flowers, though—roses. Help wasn't needed at the boutique either; Lara, who was already there, promised to be on standby for the rest of the week. All Lilith could do was reassure Tigris that missing her first check-in as a stylist would pose no issue at all.

"Don't worry about it, please. Just focus on the Grandma'am. I hope she gets better soon."

"I hope so, too."

"Good. Hope's the only thing stronger than fear. Call me if you need anything."

"You're sweet, Lil. Thanks."

When Tigris hung up, Lilith tried to get back to work. Marcella had some ideas for a mentor reaping ceremony, but should it be held before, during, or after the tribute reaping? She was expounding the pros and cons of each scenario when a commotion outside distracted their group. Although Marcella frowned at the interruption, she was clearly curious, for she opened the door. Instantly, they were blasted by an uproar of tumultuous cheers and whoops. For a moment, Lilith was just deafened and confused, but then she caught Wren's eye, and the analyst burst into the meeting room with a grin.

"We got it!" she screamed. "We got the permit!"

Lilith's first reaction was to cup her face with her hands. Tears of joy and relief had gushed down her cheeks so violently and spontaneously she had no way to staunch the sobbing. Like a proud big sister, Wren enveloped her in a congratulatory embrace and told her she was so silly. Lilith laughed and cried all at once. Hugs were doled out freely and indiscriminately, and she received more from Justus, from Hector. Even Cora. Even Marcella. But the person she really wanted to hug, the person she really wanted to thank, wasn't there. Amid the clamour of hurrahs, Lilith felt suddenly hollow. Her chest gave a squeeze, and a fresh, hot tear slid down her face. The next thing she knew, Cora was mounting a desk and calling everyone to attention.

"Here's how it's going to go: Everyone will save your mood and go back to work. Gaia will book us somewhere for dinner tomorrow, and then, we will party—Head Gamemaker's treat." She allowed them a few moments to cheer before raising her arms again, commanding silence. Dropping into a deep curtsy, she spread an imaginary skirt over her skinny jeans. "Long live the Games!"

"Long live the Games!" chorused the Gamemakers, Lilith included.

Nobody went back to work, not really. Everyone was too high on adrenaline. Marcella gave them a break to calm down; she never said when to come back. Hidden in the bathroom, Lilith figured she had been sufficiently collected when she speed-dialed Athena, only to have her weeping restart in all its fervor the minute she heard her best friend's voice.

"I thought someone had died!" Athena had wailed, as she related the story to Olympia. The latter just snorted.

"She cries at everything. I thought you'd know better than that."