A/N: I posted this chapter on the 26th, but made some minor changes for clarity :) Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Anticipation
Pollux POV:
"And now I pronounce you man and wife! May I present, for the first time in public Mr. Peeta and Mrs. Katniss Mellark! " Everyone cheered as the district magistrate finished the formal ceremony in the town square of District 12. Katniss was wearing a simple white sundress with a reddish orange sash. Peeta wore a nice suit. Nice tie. I thought. New mission: must find an awesome wedding tie.
I looked over at Mark who was their photographer. He winked at me right after Cressida leaned over and kissed me as the crowd began the procession down the street to the Coal Cafe which was a new restaurant. The dining area was reserved for the Mellark wedding. The east wall had a fireplace that had a good strong fire blazing. It was a pretty sweet venue, and Cressida had it on her list of seemingly endless possibilities of venues. I had told Peeta that I was glad he was first at tying the knot. "Whatever ideas you steal - ahem - I mean borrow from Katniss and I, just make sure you give us credit." Peeta had joked once.
Deal. I had told him. We sealed the deal by splitting a six pack of Haymich's Seam Brew which was his homemade beer.
"Alright, Mellarks! You know what to do!" the cafe owner boomed in a jovial tone once the crowd had all managed to squeeze into the dining room with the Mellarks close to the fireplace. Everyone watched in anticipating as he handed them two polished wooden sticks, each with a slice of freshly baked bread. Everyone cheered and cried once the toasting ceremony was complete. After that the fiddler from Finnick and Annie's wedding began playing. I gulped. Just my luck, my first dance with Cressida is in front of half the district. I thought. But if you were still in the Capitol, you would never be able to dance with her. Ever. I told myself to man up and then walked over to Cressida who was gushing with Heather about the wedding thus far.
"Hi, Pollux!" Cressida said cheerfully. She was dressed in a shimmering blue dress that was simple for the Capitol's standards but extraordinarily beautiful here. Her hair was now long enough to be partially pulled back with a barette.
May I have this dance? I asked before holding out my hand. Cressida blushed and she and Heather giggled.
"Of course." Cressida said as Heather let out an 'awww!' I hoped my hands weren't too sweaty, but she didn't say anything as she took them. Drudging up memories from Castor and I learning basic dancing as part of gym class in junior high, I began dancing with my fiance. Luckily the music was upbeat so I could really just bounce around and no one would think anything of it.
Cressida POV:
"You're not bad." I said once we had danced to the first few songs. Pollux blushed and tried to act like the fast dancing was making him flushed. I was glad he had failed to notice or point out that I nearly tripped over my shoes several times. Everyone was enjoying themselves. After an hour of dancing, Pollux and I sat down at a table bordering the dance floor.
We were taking a break to watch Peeta and Katniss teach the kids in the newly opened Primrose House one of the District 12 dances. Two months before the wedding Katniss had moved her things out of her house so it could be converted to a rehab focused home for children who had lost their parents in the war. A few Capitol children were there, but most were from the districts. Seeing this wedding was a really positive thing for them.
I felt a tug on my dress and looked down. A little girl with light red hair who looked about five years old was rubbing the fabric of my skirt between her hands. I had worn a simple dress that most citizens in the Capitol would wear to a restaurant. Much of my Capitol formal wear would look terribly out of place for a district wedding - even a wedding of two victors. The little girl seemed captivated by the way my fabric shimmered. "Oh, do you like that blue fabric?" I asked. The girl looked up at me wide-eyed. "What's your name, dear?" I asked gently. She pulled away. "Oh, it's ok. You're shy aren't you?" She made a little noise. Pollux noticed her and waved. He smiled and held his arms out toward her. She approached him cautiously before crawling into his lap and making herself comfortable. He moved his leg in time to the music and clapped his hands.
She laughed as she bounced on his leg and pointed to the other kids. "Do you want to dance with the other kids?" I asked. She shook her head. "That's ok. You have a good view here." Every so often Pollux would gently nudge the girl and point to one of the other children that was looking their way. He would give a small wave which the little girl would imitate. She made more noises and pointed to the kids. Pollux set her down and she immediately held her hands back up whimpering. Pollux pointed to himself and then signed dance? "Do you want to dance with Pollux?" I asked. I repeated the sign. "Dance?" She allowed Pollux to pick her up. He nodded eagerly toward me to join him. I held back tears that were threatening to burst out of my eyes lest the little girl thought something was wrong. My heart was melting because Pollux was so darn cute with her. We traded off holding her a few times and she played with the fabric of my dress as I held her.
I began to feel a heaviness on one of my shoulders during the fourth song the three of us had danced to. "Oh my gosh! She's asleep!" Heather said coming up to us. I looked at my shoulder. Sure enough, the little girl's head was resting on my shoulder. "We're about ready to send the Mellarks off, and the kids are going to toss potpourri."
"She's a shy one. We haven't found out her name." I said grinning. "Oh, she can't talk." Pollux raised his eyebrows. "She was found buried under rubble with a pretty significant head injury. We think she can't talk because of brain trauma." Heather explained. Pollux moved closer to her and gently stroked her hair. It was then I noticed a scar running up the left side of her head above her ear. He kissed her on the forehead and gently rubbed her back. "It's sad, but she's made a lot of progress. A month ago when she came in with most of the other kids, she would just sit in the corner and cry." Heather said. It was only then that I realized tears were streaming down my face. I cleared my throat and wiped my face with my free hand. The little girl stirred. She sat up in my arms and turned her head toward Heather and made eager sounds toward her. "Hi, sweet girl! You made new friends, huh!" Heather asked her. She smiled at Heather. "We're about to throw the potpourri to make it smell nice! Do you want to help me?" The little girl held out her hands toward Pollux. "Do you want Pollux to come with you?" Heather asked surprised.
"I think she'd protest if you said no, Heather." I quipped. Pollux held her as I helped Heather and the other Primrose House staff distribute the potpourri to the other kids. The crowd formed two lines facing each other. The kids tossed the dried flowers in the air as the Mellarks walked through the aisle the crowd formed. We were all cheering as they headed toward their new home above the bakery.
Good job. Pollux signed to the little girl once he put her down. "You did such a good job." I said to our little friend who was raptly watching Pollux sign. The little girl wrapped her arms around Pollux's legs and gave him a hug before going with Heather and the other Primrose House children. I suddenly realized my feet were really sore from all the dancing, especially dancing while carrying a child. I didn't wear my old ridiculous Capitol heels, but, I probably didn't wear the proper footwear for the kind of dancing I did. Sitting down on a bench outside the cafe, I took my shoes off and winced looking at the blisters.
What's wrong? Pollux asked looking concerned.
"Oh, my feet just need a rest before we head home." I said.
Pollux POV:
I talked to Mark for a few minutes and he showed me some shots on his digital camera. When I returned to Cressida she was massaging her poor feet. I put a hand on her shoulder and shook my head sympathetically. "Oh - well - I'll just soak my feet." Cressida said cheerfully. "We'll just have to walk slow, ok?" I smiled before reaching down and picking her up. She wasn't going to try and walk even an inch on her blistered feet. "POLLUX!" Cressida yelped. "I don't think I need to - mmff!" I leaned down and kissed her to stop her protesting. She was so darn cute, especially when she was trying to act like she didn't need any help. Sometimes she would wiggle around trying to get me to put her down. I'd just tickle her in return causing her to squeal in protest amid giggling. We made it back to Victor's Village where we lived. I deposited Cressida on her doorstep.
Can you walk in your house? I asked. Cressida nodded taking a step and wincing.
"I'm fine, Pollux. Really. Thank you." Cressida said smiling.
"I'll help her." Sae said chuckling standing up from the couch in the living room. "She won't go upstairs untill she's made sure you've gone to your house, you know." I laughed. Yes I knew. It was another thing I thought was too cute about Cressida. We and kissed our goodbyes before joining my new roommate Mark in Peeta's old house.
I couldn't stop thinking about that little girl we danced with tonight. I grinned. It was weird thinking that I'd one day be the father of Cressida's children. Yes, the wedding was still a few months away, but still. I did think about our future kids sometimes. One thing I worried about before Cressida accepted my proposal was how the heck I as an Avox would help raise a child. Avoxes never had the opportunity to have children as marriage for us was forbidden (that is until the revolution), but I guess I just figured that since we can't talk, we couldn't do as good of a job communicating as a person capable of speech could. Yet here was this little girl who just picked us two out. Ok, maybe it was because Cressida was wearing a shimmery Capitol dress, but the little girl kept wanting to stick with us - stick with me. Did she somehow know I was an Avox somehow or was she just happy she found someone else who uses gestures and sounds rather than spoken words to communicate?
The little girl worked her way into my dreams. She was in a meadow tossing flowers into the air and laughing. Cressida sat down and spread out a picnic lunch. She was wearing her blue shimmery dress and the little girl climbed into her lap. She signed, Mommy cook!
Yes, she did! Good food! The little girl laughed as I fed her half a sandwich. She squealed as she saw birds flying from tree to tree. Cressida started humming and the birds began humming as well. I woke up and my fingers really were in the process of spelling, mockingjay.
Looking out my window, I realized I had slept in a bit. As I fixed breakfast, I could almost picture Cressida and the little girl at the table giggling and me signing to both of them as I was cooking. I knew that I'd have perhaps a bigger adjustment than most guys when they get married because of my Capitol imposed limitation, but last night with Cressida and I both dancing with that little girl, I finally was able to realize that this whole having a family thing would not be unreachable or impossible for me.
Cressida POV:
I secretly wondered if Heather and Sae got tired of me going on and on about Pollux and the little girl we met at the Mellark wedding. "I really think she likes him because he signs." I said over dinner a week after the wedding.
"You know, I was teaching them a song about a garden when we were planting the vegetables in the back yard and I'm pretty sure she signed 'dance.'" Heather said. She was on staff to help the kids begin their own garden. "She did this." Heather made the motion.
"That's it!" I shrieked. "Oh my gosh! Pollux taught her how to sign!"
"Well -I don't think she picked up everything he said, but I'm sure she picked up a word or two." Heather said grinning.
"Isn't that so cute?" I asked for probably the millionth time.
"Yes. It is. Every time you talk about it." Sae said. I blushed. "I'm teasing you, girlie. It's precious."
"Maybe - and I've been talking to the other staff - maybe Pollux can come over more and teach her signs." Heather suggested.
"Can we adopt her after we get married?" I blurted out. I gasped and put my hands over my mouth. I didn't want to ask in case an aunt or grandparent came to Primrose House to claim her first. Yet I had dreamed about her being our flower girl the night after the Mellark wedding, but those dreams (and daydreams) quickly progressed into Pollux and I being her parents.
Heather just smiled. "Well, the director would probably like that idea - especially if the whole learning to sign thing works out. We haven't been able to find any of her family." I was giddy as I ran over to Heather and gave her a giant hug.
"Wow - We're going to be a family!" I gasped. "It's really going to happen!" I paused. "I mean - I know we're all going to have to adjust and I'm going to have to adjust to - you know - living with two people that communicate in different ways than I do - but - I love them so much - I love that little girl already and - and I know Pollux does too!"
"You all are going to be cute together." Sae said. "Sickenly cute, but yeah. You, Pollux, and that little girl." Of course I burst out crying but in a good way. I knew life would stabilize and fall into a new routine after the war,but I never dreamed that life would be this good and exciting.