The President's Hidden Legacy

(11) In the quiet moments

Lumi's time in the hospital had stretched, and Lucy Gray found herself haunted by guilt, questioning if the life she yearned to return to was the worst possible place.

The fear of losing her daughter loomed, pushing her to remain by Lumi's side.

Coriolanus eventually proposed that she rest in his apartment, hoping a good night's sleep would provide the clarity needed to plan their next steps.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Lucy Gray, clad in a silk nightgown, found herself in an unfamiliar silence as she lay alone in the bed. The weight of solitude brought forth haunting memories of the tributes, each closed-eye summoning echoes from the past.

Despite the softness of the silk against her skin, the bed felt cold, and the absence of comforting whispers only deepened the ache in her heart. Sleep remained elusive as she grappled with the shadows of the Games.

Lucy Gray, grappling with her inner thoughts, ultimately made a decision. She rose from the bed, the silk nightgown trailing behind her, and took hesitant steps toward Coriolanus' room. The quietude of the apartment accentuated the weight of her choice as she approached the door, uncertainty lingering in the air.

Lucy Gray gently pushed the door open, revealing Coriolanus' room bathed in dim moonlight. She hesitated for a moment before quietly entering, her eyes adjusting to the shadows.

The vulnerability of the situation weighed on her as she stood there, unsure of how he would react to her presence.

Lucy Gray, her words almost lost in the quiet room, cautiously asked,

"Coriolanus, can I sleep here with you tonight? The darkness seems less daunting when there's someone beside me."

Coriolanus, still half-asleep, mumbled a drowsy agreement. Lucy Gray quietly slid under the covers, finding an unfamiliar comfort in the proximity of someone she had once known so intimately. The room held a delicate tension, a mixture of past regrets and uncertain futures.

In the dimness, Lucy Gray found herself face to face with Coriolanus.

As if possessed, she moved closer until she felt his breath on her lips, she thought

he's still married

but then again not for very long and she opened her mouth, initiating a starved kiss. She lingered for a while, but after pulling away, she looked at him, finding him still.

Was he actually sleeping?

when suddenly, the bed shifted, and Coriolanus was on top of her, grabbing her face to pull her into another passionate and hungry kiss. As he deepened the kiss, every lingering touch conveyed a hunger, an intensity that transcended the boundaries of their complicated history. In that moment, the world outside their embrace ceased to exist, and the passion they shared painted the darkness with an electric fervency.

In the aftermath of their heated embrace, Lucy Gray, catching her breath, withdrew her hands from inside his shirt and gently pushed him away.

Out of breath, she uttered, "Wait, Co-Coriolanus, you're still... still married."

She could feel him go still and quiet until he got off her, A heavy silence enveloped them as Coriolanus, lying on his back, spoke,

"About that... I have to stay married to her until the baby arrives."

She remained silent, attempting to process his words. "So... so that the baby can become a Snow?"

Turning to face her, he responded, "Yes, but Lucy Gray, it's only for our convenience. I won't let the baby replace Lumi's place."

"That's the least of my worries."

"Then what are you worried about?" Coriolanus softly placed his hand on her face, but she quickly turned around, her back facing him.

"How easily you use people for your own convenience...You know what, forget it. I'm tired."

He slowly put his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Let me go," Lucy Gray said coldly.

"I'm trying to comfort you."

Lucy Gray, too tired to keep fighting, let him, and she fell asleep, her thoughts weaving between the lull of exhaustion and the uncertainties that surrounded her.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When Lucy Gray woke up, the room was bathed in the soft glow of dawn. Coriolanus, still in a peaceful slumber, looked almost serene in the morning light. As she untangled herself from his embrace, a mix of emotions played across her face.

She quietly slipped out of the room, leaving Coriolanus to his dreams. The world outside awaited with its challenges, but for that brief moment, she allowed herself a pause, a stolen breath in the calm before the storm.

In the living room, Coriolanus Butler awaited her arrival. "Ah, there you are. I'm here to inform you that your daughter has awakened."

Lucy Gray's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and relief. "Lumi's awake?" she asked

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Lucy Gray rushed to the hospital room, her heart pounding with a blend of anticipation and worry. As she entered, she saw Lumi sitting up in bed, a weak but genuine smile on her face.

"Lumi!" Lucy Gray exclaimed, unable to conceal her joy. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

Lumi's eyes brightened as she looked at Lucy Gray. "Ma," she said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I feel better. What happened?"

Lucy Gray hesitated, wondering how much to share about the events that had unfolded. "It's a long story, sweetheart. We'll talk about it, but right now, I'm just so glad you're okay."

The reunion between mother and daughter was filled with emotions, and Lucy Gray couldn't help but feel a sense of hope for the uncertain future that lay ahead.

Coriolanus entered the room, concern etched across his face as he grabbed Lumi's hand. "Are you okay, sweetheart? Do you need anything?"

Lumi smiled brightly after her father grabbed her hand, happy to see that he was genuinely worried about her.

The doctor entered the room, addressing Lucy Gray with a request to talk outside, leaving Lumi and her father alone in the room.

They sat in silence until Coriolanus finally spoke up.

"Why does your mother call you just by your first name? Don't you have a second like the Covey?"

"I do... but when I was a kid, I couldn't roll my 'r,' and the education in the woods wasn't very good,...obviously. So, I just never used it until I was 9. My ma tried real hard to teach me, but it had been so long, so we never used it... well, unless I get in trouble. Then she calls me by my full name," Lumi jokes.

"I'm not... like my mom. I mean, I do like snakes and all, but I don't sing and I can hardly play the guitar, and it feels like she's disappointed in me. It scares me," Lumi admitted

Coriolanus reached for her hand "I don't think you're mother is disappointed in you I see the way she looks at you"

Lumi looked up at Coriolanus and said, "Thanks," a small, genuine smile breaking through the worries that had lingered on her face. It was a simple acknowledgment, but in that moment, it meant the world to both of them.