After War Storm

Mare

One month later

We hadn't seen Maria again since she'd escaped.

It was incredibly frustrating and it made me so angry to know we had her but let her go.

I had no idea how she escaped, with the manacles and guards outside, but I was more determined now to find her than before.

But we were back to having no leads.

And the worst part: I had morning sickness.

It would be hard for me to move on. Having this baby felt like the next chapter in my life. I knew there was a part of me that would never recover from losing Ti but I had to accept that he wasn't coming back, as much as I wished he could.

Cal was very supportive about the baby and I knew he would be an amazing father.

And here I was, bent next to the toilet, emptying my stomach, with Cal holding back my hair.

"You know you don't have to do that," I said to Cal, standing up and going to brush my teeth.
"I want to be as much help as I can," he said. "Do you think you can eat anything?"

"Not right now," I said, heading back into our room which had been all fixed up. I changed into one of Cal's T-shirts and a pair of shorts before crawling back into the bed.

I had been very tired this past week and I was not enjoying it. I wanted to be out with the others, doing the things I wanted before my belly grew so big I didn't want to move.

"I've got training. Are you going to be alright on your own?" Cal asked, concern in his voice.
"Yeah. I'll be down when this nausea's passed."

"Ok, see you soon." Cal gave me a quick kiss before heading down to the training centre, which had also been rebuilt.

It wasn't long before I felt better so I changed my shorts to leggings and tied Cal's T-shirt with a hair band so it fit me better.

I didn't particularly want to join Cal's training session as I was not in the middle to spar today and didn't want to just sit and watch the soldiers. Kilorn and Cameron were off somewhere doing who knows what so I didn't want to bother them, nor know where to find them even if I did. And Eve was somewhere on the phone to Elane. They had been communicating mostly in letters but Eve had recently gotten her hands on a phone and they had been talking nonstop, especially as Elane's due date drew closer.

I ended up in the gardens, taking a stroll. Supposedly the fresh air would do me good though I wasn't sure if that was entirely true. Either way, the walk was pleasant and it did bring a sense of calmness and tranquility.

Sitting down on a bench, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. They were only shut for a short time but it allowed me to think more clearly.

I missed Ti so so much. There was never a day where I didn't think of him, never an hour. But I was coming to terms with the new situation. Ti was gone and I was pregnant. It would be unfair to my unborn child to bare any ill will towards it because of what happened with Ti. I only knew that I would never let anything hurt my baby the way Maria had hurt Ti. And I would make sure she payed for her crimes to ensure the safety of my baby and to bring me some peace of mind.

I couldn't wait to fry her.

A moment later, I saw someone walking down the path, soon realising it was Julian.

"Julian," I nodded in his direction as he walked closer, taking a seat next to me but leaving some space between us.

"Mare," he replied with a smile. "How are you doing?"

"As well as I can be, I guess."

"Sara wanted to see you this afternoon, to check up on you."

"Ok, I'll make sure to stop by later." We were silent for a moment whilst I tried to pluck up the courage to ask Julian about what had been on my mind lately. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Julian responded without hesitation. "You're family to me, Mare, you can ask me anything."

"Last time I spoke to Sara, she told me the gender of the baby," I started.

"That's awfully early in the pregnancy isn't it?" He asked.

"I thought so too but she is Sara," I said and Julian agreed, smiling with fondness at the thought of his wife. "It's a girl."

"Congratulations," he said with a smile.

I knew if I took any longer I wasn't going to say it, so with a deep breath I blurted: "I want to name her Coriane."

Julian froze, clearly surprised by my statement, before his face melted into an expression of pure joy.

"Would that be okay? Do you think Cal would like it?" I asked worriedly.

"I think Cal would love it," Julian answered softly. "And I know Coriane would too. She'd love you, Mare."

"Julian..." I started, knowing if he said anything else I was going to get emotional. Just over one month in and these hormones were already driving me crazy.

"You are everything she would have wanted in a daughter, strong, smart, brave, bold, and you know how to keep Cal in line," he finished with a chuckle and I couldn't help the laugh that passed my lips even though a few tears had escaped my eyes. "I know she would supported everything you and Cal did even when you were apart. She was never like the other Silvers; she had a kind heart, and would have wanted the revolution to succeed more than anyone. If only she could see our world now," Julian said, looking into the distance wistfully, his eyes glazed over with unshed tears.

"Thank you, Julian."

"I'd best be off," he said, turning back to face me. "I'll see you later. Don't forgot to visit Sara."

"I won't. See you later."

And with that he walked away, leaving me with my own thoughts once more.