Tigris was a cautious woman, so she always had several feet of cloth in case of an emergency.
So thanks to her assistants, she managed to make some dresses for Lucy Gray. It was fun to measure her belly while she complained in a joke that she could no longer see her feet.
"Erik even installed a security bar in our shower, he's afraid I'm going to slip. Even my cousins roll to help me to take a Shower," said Lucy Gray as she watched the sketches for the clothes that Ember and Kieran would use in the pre-Games interview. "The only good thing I see in this trip is that I will finally be able to have the privacy in the shower that I miss so much."
At those times, Lucy Gray's two tributes were in the Training Center while they were two next to Bethany, the escort of the Twelve.
"By the way, Mrs. Everdeen," said Bethany, "there will be a cocktail party tonight between Mentors, sponsors, and some Gamemakers in the presidential mansion."
"Do I have to go?" asked Lucy Gray. "I am pregnant and I am swiftly tired."
'It is the best time to speak to the sponsors, Mrs. Everdeen,' said Bethany, 'and you are the most popular victor in Panem. I'm sure he'll take advantage of that.'
Lucy Gray breathed, and stood up.
'If so, I will go to bed for a nap,' said Lucy Gray, 'I swear to you that I feel that this baby has turned me into a lazy woman who only wants to be asleep all day."
"I think you would take advantage of every hour of sleep available," said Bethany, "because when your little girl is born she will not sleep for a long time."
Lucy Gray said goodbye by entering her room leaving Bethany with Tigris.
• •
As Head Gamemaker, his attendance at the cocktail party at the Presidential Mansion was an obligation, and Coriolanus decided to go without a mate.
On arrival many of the sponsors began to greet him, saying how excited he was for this year's Arena, for reasons of confidentiality, he did not mention anything of the Arena that had been prepared.
Walking among the attendees, when one encounters a victors, they formally greet him and then go without saying more, fleeing from fear.
He was fast looking for Lucy Gray, He wanted to see her right in the face.
For his luck he found her at the dessert table, next to her was Flanagan and Casino.
'I swear to you, Mags,' said Lucy Gray, '... The only advantage I can find now being away from my husband is that he can't take away my cupcakes like he does at home. He's evil!
"The fact that you are pregnant is no excuse for you to eat sweets as if there is no tomorrow. Erik does it for your health and Carolina's," Flanagan pointed out, "is this your third cupcake?
Carolina?
Is that the name Lucy Gray will give her daughter?
'It is indeed her fourth cupcake,' said Casino.
'How dare you denounce me?' replied Lucy Gray furiously, pointing at him with the cupcake in her hand.
Flanagan was the first to notice his presence, then touched Casino's hand and Lucy Gray's shoulder. All three looked at him, and Flanagan wrapped her arm with that of Lucy Gray.
"Mr. Snow, good night," said Casino.
Coriolanus looked at Lucy Gray.
Motherhood made her look entirely charming, her large deer eyes seemed to shine on their own. The dress, which was definitely the work of Tigris, highlighted her thick belly, gray pink combined with her warm skin tone.
The crusader showed her creamy full breasts as a result of maternity, being decorated with a
relic that belonged to the deceased Mrs. Baird. Coriolanus knew it, because during their dating, Lucy Gray showed him the photographs inside, three photos of babies: Lucy and her brothers.
"Flanagan, Casino," greeted Coriolanus distantly, and then smiled at the singing bird, "Lucy Gray.
"Mr. Snow, it is a pleasure to see you," I greeted Lucy Gray, rubbing her belly.
Mr. Snow?
Lucy Gray, in spite of her years, called him by his name. Why did she call him Mr. Snow now?
"Let me congratulate for your pregnancy." Coriolanus had to make her voice sound uncomfortable.
Faced with the mention of the baby, Lucy Gray smiled wide looking at her belly. Something twisted inside Coriolanus, that bright smile must have been his growing son inside her, not that miner Everdeen.
'Thank you,' said Lucy Gray with the greatest smile in the world, breaking her cupcake in half and turning the part of the glass toward the center, forming a kind of sandwich with the cupcakes. "The last few weeks have been exhausting, but I know that everything will be worth it when I have Carolina Scarlet in my arms."
Carolina Scarlet.
That was the name of the girl Lucy Gray was expecting.
Lucy Gray gave a bite to her cupcake and let go of a slight gem of satisfaction in front of the dessert.
• •
Lucy Gray felt hope at the Games thanks to Ember and Kieran's results.
Both kids scored 9 in their individual evaluations.
In the interviews they were average good, Ember had a flowery talk but had no delicacy thanks to the community-home upbringing and seemed mute to her words, and Kieran was totally nervous.
In the night she could not sleep well in view of the expectation of the Games.
• •
'Who sent this?' asked Lucy Gray excitedly at the arrangement of cupcakes in the room.
The cream decorated the cupcakes as if they were beautiful flowers.
"An anonymous gift," said Tigris, looking at the card, "Many congratulations on your pregnancy, Mrs. Everdeen."
Lucy Gray took only one, took off the decorative paper and gave it a big bite.
'I will leave the rest for later,' said Lucy Gray, 'I have to take the guys to the terminal so that they can take them to the Arena.
She put aside the cupcake to embrace Ember and Kieran. She wished them luck. Both kids hugged her.
• •
Coriolanus observed how tributes ran toward Cornucopia once the Gong sounded.
Both of Lucy Gray's tributes were the first to fall.
The tribute of the One, had thrown a deer at Ember Glastonbury's neck, the girl drowned for a couple of minutes with her own blood before dying. While Willow Underwood, the Tribute of the Seven threw her hax into the back of Kieran Brann, who died instantly.
He carefully checked his cell phone, confirming by his Avox spy that Lucy Gray had eaten half of one of the Cupcakes he sent, with the little detail that they had the poison prepared by Io.
Now all we have to do is wait for the news that Lucy Gray has been taken to the hospital.