i think he knows [f. creed]

i v

By the time Calpurnia arrived at the Snows' residence, Coryo had already returned. He sat at the kitchen table with Tigris and Grandma'am. The three seemed to be having some sort of debate. When the door closed behind Calpurnia, all three paused and looked over to the youngest Snow.

"What took you so long to get back?" asked Coryo.

Calpurnia shrugged and took the last remaining seat at the table. "I took a walk. There's nothing wrong with that, Coriolanus. Now, what's with the family meeting?"

Grandma'am proceeded to share her disappointment with the twins for their recent actions. "To feed them is one thing. To dine with them suggests that you consider them your equals. But they aren't. There's always been something barbaric about the districts. Your own father used to say those people only drank water because it didn't rain blood. You both ignore that at your own peril."

"They're children, Grandma'am," said Tigris.

"They're district. And trust me, Coriolanus's hasn't been a girl in a long time," said Grandma'am.

Calpurnia forced herself to keep from frowning at Grandma'am's implication. She looked down on Lucy Gray for even the possibility that the young girl had sold her body for money. Would Calpurnia's grandmother have the same reaction if she found out what Tigris did at the black market every weekend to make a living? Or if she knew about how Calpurnia had been used in the past?

"Lucy Gray is different," argued Coryo. Calpurnia snapped her attention back to her family. "She took my side in the truck when the others wanted to attack me. And she had my back in the monkey house, too."

"Would she have bothered if you weren't her mentor? Of course not. She's a wily little thing who began to manipulate you the minute you met. Tread carefully, my boy," warned Grandma'am. "That's all I'm saying."

Calpurnia debated on interjecting and bringin the conversation around to her own tribute. But she knew Grandma'am wouldn't back down. The twins both went off to bed after giving Tigris and their grandmother each a customary kiss on the cheek.

As Calpurnia washed the makeup from her face, she noticed her compact. The silver rose-shaped container had belonged to her mother. Though Calpurnia hated roses, the smell made her woozy, she still loved the powder compact. Every day, Calpurnia missed her mother. Every time she looked in the mirror, she was reminded of Afina Snow. It was difficult to live with that constant reminder, everyone around her comparing her to the woman who raised her.

But Calpurnia and Afina weren't the same. While Afina had married for status, falling for Calpurnia's father, who had provided her with all she could ever want in life, she hadn't had what she needed. Love. Afina loved Crassus, that much was evident, but their relationship had quieted her fierce spirit. On her deathbed, she had warned Calpurnia of growing up.

"Live with love, Callie. But don't let it consume you," she had warned. Those words were the last ones she spoke to her middle child, before the youngest took that life away from her.

Coryo knocked on the bathroom door, pulling Calpurnia out of her thoughts.

"Cal? Are you alright?" he asked.

"One moment," she responded.

She took one last look at the compact before placing it back on the counter. Then she exited the bathroom.

"Are you alright?" asked Coryo. His gaze drifted to the silver compact on the edge of the sink. "Mother would be proud of you," he assured.

"Thanks, Coryo," said Calpurnia. "I'll see you in the morning."

...

Calpurnia woke up early the next morning. Tigris was already in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for the family of four.