mortal 。 𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔬 𝔥𝔞𝔡𝔩𝔢𝔶

005 ─── hello, mother .

mortal
chapter 005 ─── hello, mother .

" i would rather forget "

rowan's view

                𝔚hen I was younger, my father would tell the story of how he met his wife. He spoke of definitive moments, like gazes catching from across town square, brief touches, and he always said he loved her from the first moment he saw her.

It felt like I was seeing Cato for the first time. There was no more doubt of his motives nagging at the back of my mind, only the golden flecks in his hair, and the creases at either end of his soft smile. I could imagine how my father felt, all those years ago.

Without thought or reservation, I wound my arms around his neck and reached up, pressing my lips to his. I could feel the careful watch of my sister and my partner, even as his arms wrapped around my waist, and his lips roamed mine as if he had known them forever. My fingers gripped his hair, pulling him further down towards me.

Only when our lips parted did I finally admit, "I missed you." I could see how much it meant for him. The never-ending ocean of his eyes lit, and his response was immediate, "I missed you too."

My hand found his, his warm grasp grounding me. Cato grabbed his bag from the ground, ignoring the dirt crusting the bottom, and threw it over his shoulder. By the time we faced away from each other, most of the townsfolk had moved on to the other goods being unloaded from the train. Medical supplies, textiles, and any other basics for survival were sent along with Cato, and most people were itching to get their hands on them.

Katniss and Gale, however, had remained in their places, their expressions devoid of any discernible emotion, though I could see Gale's hands shifting around the handle of his pickaxe.

Cato moved first, towards the girl he likely recognized as my sister; it was easy to forget the affairs of my life which were shown to the nation. When I looked up towards Cato, and saw the easy charisma on his face, it was all I could do to hope it would be enough for my family.

"This is my sister, Katniss," I told Cato even though he knew. Cato must have smiled, because Katniss strained to smile back, her careful gaze sweeping him. Katniss had watched me wither away with bottles of liquor in these past weeks, and her trust would not come easily. "And this is Gale, my... friend." As I spoke, I remembered telling Cato that I hunted alone. Gale was much more than a friend, he was a lifeline, but for reasons unknown I feared revealing that to Cato.

Gale barely acknowledged Cato, keeping his gaze on me. Almost like he knew what I was thinking. After a moment, he glanced at Cato and nodded. "Welcome to 12," he said coldly before turning on his heel and marching towards the mines. I watched him walk with purpose, his shoulders tensed in a way I knew meant he was frustrated. A sudden wave of guilt washed over me... "I'll be your home," he had whispered to me, yet Cato appeared, and it all washed away with the tide.