The Roses and Hibiscus Chronicles - Coriolanus Snow

The Night Elana was born

After having dinner with Crassus, Indila put him to bed. However, she was not feeling well.

As she reflected on her thirty-eighth week, Indila felt a profound sense of fatigue and exhaustion. The weight of her abdomen had been a constant burden, making each step a struggle. A persistent backache accompanied her daily routine, and finding a comfortable position for rest seemed like an elusive goal. She sat next to Crassus's bed to read him a story, but even the simplest task, like sitting down, exhausted her.

Physically and emotionally drained, the anticipation of meeting her baby was mingled with weariness. Sleep had become a precious commodity, with discomfort and frequent trips to the bathroom disrupting any hope of a restful night. Indila yearned for the day when she could lie on her stomach or sleep without the carefully arranged fortress of pillows. Despite the tiredness, there was an undeniable excitement. The kicks and movements from her little one served as a constant reminder of the miracle that had grown inside her. The fatigue was undeniable, yet the anticipation of holding her baby in her arms had kept her spirits high during those final days of pregnancy.

They chose the name "Elana", which means "light"; it was a variation from the ancient Greek name "Helena". The woman whose beauty was able to start wars, as the old ones believed, Homer's muse, Indila loved "Iliad". And it was also her mother's name. It wasn't entirely true to say that they had chosen the name; Coriolanus was not so fond of it. However, Crassus had his father's name, so Indila pointed out that it would be fair enough for her to choose her mother's name.

Indila finished the reading, hoping Crassus would already be sleeping. It was not the case.

"Mommy, is Elana coming tonight?" Crassus was very anxious about meeting his little sister. It was so cute. Indila gave him a big smile, filled with all the love she felt for him. "Maybe, sweetheart, I hope so." Crassus smiled back in excitement. "Will you wake me up when she is out of your belly?" Indila laughed, "Of course, honey, I'm sure she's looking forward to meeting you."

Indila tried her best to lie down with Crassus on his bed until he fell asleep; she truly hoped that was the night. Happily, it was. She started feeling contractions a couple of hours ago, and she hoped they were for real this time. Luckily, they were. When Crassus fell asleep, she took a few minutes to get up from his bed but managed to do it alone. Maybe she should call the doctor.

She headed to their bedroom, hoping Coriolanus could do that for her, but, as she expected, he was not there. It hurt. Coriolanus was missing some nights. Indila was afraid of sleeping alone, and sometimes she preferred to sleep with Crassus, silently crying so he wouldn't hear.

Indila knew where Coriolanus was, but she wished she didn't. It was too obvious; he never meant to hide when he gets involved with other women. It was not frequent, and this one must have been with him for just a couple of weeks. It hurt the most when she considered the sensitive moment she was going through. She was afraid. Her daughter could be born at any moment, and her father would not be there for his family but chained to another silly girl. Indila knew he had absolutely no feelings for her, but still, being with her was more important to him.

Coriolanus could never understand how it feels. No matter what Indila did, she could never betray him because he would never allow her that much power over him.