Our Burning Love-A Clato Love/Survival Story <3

Chapter 85: Holding Hands.

*Third Person*

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16 March 3188

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The eight children sit in the front row, their spouses and children behind them. They all hold another's hands as they breathe heavily.

Nazera sits at one end, Luca on the other. Oldest to youngest. Zoella squeezes Theo and Luca's hands, digging her polished nails into their skin.

River has his arms resting on both Caia's and Aalieyah's shoulders as he is situated right in between them.

Nazera hangs her head low, and her glossy, chocolate eyes meet with Rhiyadh's who sits next to her. Rhiyadh lets out a whimper and Nazera squeezes her hand, almost reassuringly.

No one wore black, they wore bright colours as it's what they both wanted. They all wore bright colours and let loose -well they all tried to anyways.

The priest stands up on the make shift alter and taps on a small, balck microphone. he is an aging man with a bald patch on the top of his head. He wears the long white robes.

"We are gathered here today to say farewell, and to celebrate the life of both Clove and Cato Emerson. Victors of both the 74th and 75th Hunger Games.

"They were both parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, friends, lovers. The couple were married for seventy years, hand in hand they had nine children together.

"Clove, aged 91, died of a stroke three days ago. Cato, aged 93, her beloved husband died fifteen minutes later due to a heart attack.

"Dear God, have mercy on their souls. We ask you to take them into your loving arms, we ask you to take them home-"

Caia begins to wheeze and Rhiyadh throws her a sad smile. Caia rests her head on her older sisters shoulder. Zoella cries heavily from the other end of the row, her two brothers try to comfort her, but the pain is just too much for her.

"-home where they will spend forever in eternal happiness in heaven. Dear God, glory be to the father and to the son and the holy spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end, amen."

River winced at the words the priest was saying, he fiercely tried to blink back the tears but eventually gave in and he let them fall freely. Aalieyah couldn't bare to see her older brother cry so she looked at Theo who was sitting to her right.

"Now-" the priest began agian. "-I believe Nazera is going to say some words about her mother?"

Nazera gave Rhiyadh's hand a faint squeeze and the feeble 75 year old walked up to the alter. She tapped the microphone and sniffles loudly.

"I would like to take this chance to thank you all for coming here today to celebrate both of my parents lives.

"My mother was an iridescent woman, my father described her like that. She was honest with me, she was kind, beautiful, selfless, smart, brave -so brave. She was strict when she had to be too though, my father would agree with her no matter what. Happy wife, happy life.

"I know that she is not here with us, and if she is she cannot speak to us. But if she could she would tell me to get over myself and get on with life. She'd tell me I'm an idiot and to stop crying over spilled milk."

Nazera pauses and looks down at her seven siblings. All their eyes are glassy, their bottom lips quivering and they all clutch hands. She let's out a sigh into the microphone.

"But my mother was way more then spilled milk. She was my best friend, she was my light, my inspiration, my mother. There's more to family then blood.