It's So Much More Than That (A Selection Story)

Chapter 23

So...here is part 2! This story takes place about 2 years after the wedding. Enjoy! 

Chapter 23:

It began one morning when I wasn't expecting it. Maxon had already left for a financial meeting but I was awoken by a sudden urge to throw up. Luckily, I made it to the bathroom on time, but all of the contents of my stomach ended up in the toilet. Afterwards, I brushed my teeth vigorously, trying to get the taste out of my mouth. I wondered why I had thrown up. Maybe it was the chicken we ate last night. The palace chiefs were always especially careful with our meals, but people could always make mistakes. I sure hoped that I wasn't coming down with a sort of flu or anything because I hated being sick, especially when I had a lot to do.

After getting ready, I didn't feel too bad. The unsettling feeling in my stomach was gone, and I hoped that it didn't return sometime later that day. The morning passed slowly, but overall it was a pretty typical day. When I saw Maxon in a budget meeting specifically targeted towards the castes, he glanced at me, concerned. Did I really look that sick? Sure, maybe I had felt worse this morning, but I was doing fine right now.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Silvia and Marlee, planning upcoming events. As I as finishing signing letters that were replies to citizen's concerns, Silvia was suggesting ideas for Maxon's birthday. I already knew that we were going to hold a small party outside in the gardens, similar to what we did the last two years. As Marlee and Silvia discussed details and guests, I let my mind wander, distracted.

"America...are you okay?" Marlee's question interrupts my thoughts. I must've not heard what she said before.

"Oh! Um... yes...what did you say?" Marlee looked at me, concerned.

"I was going to ask you if you had any ideas for the meal and appetizers...I assume that we're sticking to Maxon's favorites, am I correct?" She asked.

"Sure." I say. I wanted this party to be for Maxon, so whatever he liked most, I wanted to have there. Thank goodness Marlee and Silvia were there to help me, because I was so sidetracked today. Normally, I'd be a lot more engaged, but I just felt different today for some reason. "I think we should go with the blue tablecloths too." I add, hoping that it satisfies both of them.

"Wonderful!" Silvia beams. Maxon's birthday was only weeks away and there was nothing much to stop the country from having a little bit of fun that day. Even though it wasn't technically a national holiday (we still were working on adding a few more of those) we tried to cut down the amount of hours everyone in the palace worked.

Finally, we ended our meeting a little bit early, on the note that we would finish discussing the party and other events later. I didn't mind, because we still had a little while until fall started, which always tended to a busier time of year. Marlee and I found ourselves in the woman's room, because we had a little extra time to spare. I was glad that Marlee was one of my personal assistants now, so that I could see my best friend more often. She got Kile and brought him in there too, because he was the only male allowed in that room. We sat down and I sipped some tea and watched Kile play on the floor.

"He's really grown so much." I remark absentmindedly.

"Yes. He has. I can't believe that he's almost a year and a half old now! It seems only yesterday that he was born." She said warmly. Marlee was the perfect mother it seemed. Even though she was pretty young when she had Kile, she had been great at taking care of him from the start. She was just one of those people who you knew would make a good mother because she was so caring. I'm not quite sure about me though. I thought. I wasn't necessarily the most motherly person in the world, but I knew that Maxon would be a great father at least.