Ella:
I hold my bundle of joy in my arms, his name Elie Cynna Rossi. Carrying him made me extremely scared. Seeing him in my arms eases my fear and makes joyful for the first time in months. I keep him close to my heart, he was the result of a blossoming relationship, and he was my symbol of life. Kissing his forehead, I pass him to his father who eagerly waits for the chance to hold his child. Cinna is the only one that I trust with him, he was one half his. I stare at the two, watching Cinna act fatherly.
My body relaxes, falling back on the soft pillow that the nurse set up for me. It was only Cinna and I in the room, his father and mother and my father were set to come in any minute. I just stare at the wall were the television was at. "Cinna, he is beautiful, right?" the words escape my lips lazily as my eyes try to droop lower.
"No words can describe this moment, Ella," Cinna whispered, "I am just happy he is on this Earth and is happy and healthy."
"I know," my eyes drop close, "I just hope our baby stays like that." Cinna is unable to say another word before I drift off. I get a couple of seconds of sleep before his parents and my father are in the room. Cinna's parents gawk about the baby and take pictures. My father stands next to me, and gives a kiss on my forehead, and sits on the side of the bed and takes out a present, "I got something for you. It is from me, Woof, Cecelia, and Amelia."
He hands me the small present a small red velvet box with a white bow. I pull the little white bow and lay it to the side. I open the box to find a pair of baby booties. I think for a second before I remember that these were the booties that we pass around in the District Eight Victor's Village. It was finally my turn to have them, "thank you Dad, they are wonderful."
He smiles back and pats my shoulder, "I knew that you would like them, dandelion. "
"Oh! What did you guys name him?" Cinna's mother comes up to me, her pink wig falling off the side of her head.
"Elie Cynna," I reply to her and pull myself from the comfort from the pillow.
"I see you guys kept the tradition alive," Sienna smiles at Cinna, then he turns his attention to me, "may I have a picture of you and the baby?" I nod my head and Cinna hands our son to me. Sienna smiles, "okay just smile…!" I put on the best smile that I could and wait for the flash. A couple of seconds later Cinna's father puts down the camera and whispers a thank you. He introduces himself to my father before walking out of the room his wife quickly behind. I would see them at the wedding and it would be the same thing.
Cinna double checks that they are gone, and turns his attention to my father, "okay, and thank you for being so calm. I apologize for my parents, they are just happy that I am getting married and I have a child."
"Cinna, where I come from we never are like that," my father's voice was calming and soothing, "really, I found it funny how your parents just want pictures."
"Dad, do you want to hold Elie?" I change the subject. My father nods his head and I hand my baby over to him. I could see the smile that stretches across his face as he takes a look at his grandchild for the first time. He hands the baby back, and the nurse comes in asking to take the child back. I nod my head and hand him over to her.
"Well Ella, I think I need to be leaving, see you at your wedding," my father whispers, gives me another kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.
"What did your father give you?" Cinna asks, picking up the small velvet box.
I fall back into my pillow, "it is the pair of booties that have been handed between the victors."
Cinna opens the box and smiles, "what a great tradition. It is a perfect gift for a new mother. While at it, this is history."
"Yes, Cinna," I whisper, "may I go to sleep?"
Cinna nods and closes the box, "yes, have a good night's sleep. I will be asleep in this chair if you need me." He walks over and gives me a small peck on the lips before walking over to his chair. I let my eyes close, and gently fall back into my dream world. My wonderful dream world has no pain, it has no death, and it just has those who care about me and me. I never wanted to leave this world, but I knew every morning I had to and I would return to it at night.
The next morning I wake up with the sun in my eyes and stretching across the room. I peer over to Cinna's chair, not able to find him anywhere. The only that is with me in the room is a white stroller, telling me that we were going to take our son home today. I just fall back and smile; I hear the door click open and Cinna walks in with a cup of coffee in hand. My gaze turns to him, and he smiles, "sorry, sleeping in the chair did not work out that well."
"It is fine Cinna," I reply, "are we taking Elie home today?"
Cinna nods, "yeah, around noon, and Carrion is coming in a couple of minutes to see you and the baby. I asked the nurses to bring him in." A nurse comes in and hands me Elie, who just woke up and let out a little yawn. I kiss him once again and just hold him close to my heart. Even Elie seems to enjoy this treatment; I could not help from giggling.
"Well hello, Ella," Carrion's voice goes through my mind, I peer up from my son to find my former stylist standing in front of my bed, "look at the mother and son together. Really it is beautiful; the connection between mother and child. You are looking well Ella, really radiant."
"Thank you, Carrion," the heat runs up into my cheeks, "you want to hold, Elie?"
Carrion smiles, "what do you think, dear?"
"Well come over here," Cinna motions him over to me and the baby.
He begins taking steps, lies a present on my lap, and sits on the bed besides me. I hand him my son, and let him enjoy him as well. "Hello Elie, welcome to the world," he turns his attention to me, "now are you going to open your present? I work really hard on it."
I lean over and pick up the navy blue box. I open the top to find a fabric lying inside of it; then pick up the top of the fabric and lift it gently out of the box. It was a wedding dress; it was going to be my wedding dress. I grow emotional and start crying, "Thank you, Carrion."
"Your welcome, Dandelion. I knew that you would enjoy it," Carrion hands Elie to Cinna, "I will see you tomorrow for your wedding." I wave goodbye and fold the dress back into its box. I lay it to the side and stare at Cinna; he was now sitting in the chair and rocking back and forward. He was singing a lullaby that I remembered my father singing to me when I was younger. I start to sing along until our son falls asleep. Cinna walks over and places him in the stroller gently.
"I guess it is around noon?" I ask, trying to see if there is a clock in the room.
"It is about eleven thirty, so yes, it is around noon," Cinna replies taking a seat next to me on the bed.
"Well I need to get ready then," I pull myself out of the bed, "were are my clothes?"
"In the bag that is in the corner of the room," Cinna points to the bag, "now get ready you worthless thing."
I give him a large smile and kiss him on the cheek, "on it." I step out of the bed and pull a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. The last thing I do is pulling a gray hooded sweatshirt over my shoulders. I was warm and comfortable, after being the hospital for a day or two it was a relief. I close the bag and walk over to Cinna handing it to him. "Okay, I will head to the nurse's station and ask if we can leave and check you guys out early," he whispers, giving me a kiss before exiting the room.
Walking towards the stroller, I peer down at my son. He was quietly sleeping, stretched out on the small little bed built inside. I grab onto the handle of the stroller tightly, pushing him around the medium sized medical room. It felt so nice, to have something that I could live for. "Elie, remember that I will always love you, no matter what others think," I whisper, trying not to disturb is sleep.
"Hey, Ella! We may leave whenever you want to go!" I could hear Cinna barge through the door, "you are checked out, along with Mr. Elie here."
I nod my head, and pick up the box with my wedding dress and hand it to Cinna, "okay lets go then. We got everything, right?" Cinna does a walkthrough, nods his head to me, and exits the room. I follow him out, pushing my baby in front of me. We step into the elevator after passing the nurse's station. He hits the button and the doors close. We are silent throughout the whole elevator ride, until we get to the busy lobby and waiting room. People who were there were drunk and needed a place to rest for the morning out of the sunlight. We quickly make our way through the waiting room, not wanting any drunks to touch our baby.
Cinna stands for a second to scan the area before walking towards the left, I follow by his side, being here for nine months and still do not know my way through the Capitol. We pass by many colorful people, some stopping to say hello to the baby and asking the name. We just let the baby have the attention before we continue walking through the streets, eventually making it to our apartment and entering the lobby. We stand in the elevator, Cinna trying to start a conversation, "so, are we going to put him in his crib when we get home?"
"Yeah, I will feed him later," I reply, "we should let him get used to his surroundings as well."
"Sounds like a plan, and I have to go to my bachelor party tonight," Cinna looks down at the floor, like he was sorry.
"Mazda?" I ask, putting my hand on his shoulder.
He looks up, "yeah, you know the party animal will take any reason to party."
"Cinna, go have some fun. I do not mind staying with the baby at all, maybe I can get him to play with some toys," I smile, "you have no need to worry."
"Yeah, but…" I cut him off mid sentence, "I will call my father if I need anything. Just go have fun with the boys."
"Thank you, Ella," he gives a sympathetic smile, and the elevator doors open. We walk through our hallway until we reach the door to our home. Cinna grabs the keys and opens the door and walks through to hold it open for me and the stroller. I push him through, arousing Elie awake. He starts crying a couple of seconds later. Cinna picks him up and takes him into his bedroom. I follow behind and watch Cinna rock him and sing the lullaby like he did in the hospital. When Elie stops crying he lies him down in the crib and turns on the mobile.
"Thank you," I whisper to him, "he likes you."
Cinna smiles, "he likes you too, watch he is going to be a mama's boy."
"Oh, we will see," I pull Cinna closer and kiss him right on the lips. We both sit down on the couch for a couple seconds before Mazda picks up Cinna to take him to the party. "Do not get hurt you two!" I wave to them while they leave, I could hear them chuckling under their breath.
"Yes, momma," Cinna chuckles, waving good-bye, and closing the door behind him; it left me sitting there quietly in the dark apartment. I turn on the television to watch the news reports and change the window scenery to District Eight. I was back home, and I loved it. I have been a little homesick since I have gotten pregnant, but I know I can go back and visit any time.
The rest of the night, I pick up Elie when he needs to be changed or when he is hungry. However, he sleeps most of the time, which was a relief. I fall back on the couch, hoping I could get a couple of minutes of sleep so I was relaxed for my wedding tomorrow.