Everlark- The Years After the Epilogue *Editing*

The Morning Before

It was Monday morning and the sun seeped through the cracks in our blinds, Peeta had had a nightmare last night, so I stayed up with him for a few hours until he was alright. I always hated hearing his breathing quicken from pain and seeing his body tremble, but after he realised I was there, he was fine again. It was about 6am when we both got up after not being able to sleep very well, I went and sat down at the kitchen table and watched Peeta as he made me a coffee. His strong muscular build stood at the counter and I just sat there staring. Staring at my boy with the bread, staring at my first real sign of hope. ‘’What are you staring at missy?’’, he asks as a smile creeps up on his face.

 ‘’Oh don’t know, but it’s gorgeous I know that’’, I stand up and wrap my arms around his waist, nestling my head into his back. I sigh, and mumble into his shirt that I love him. He swings himself around.

‘’I love you too Katniss, always have, always will’’, he gives me a soft kiss on my forehead before bringing our coffee over to the table. We always sit opposite each other, both of us with one arm reaching across the table caressing the other one. We sit there for a while in complete silence just staring at one another deeply.

‘’Do you think you’re going to be alright today?’’ I blurt out, I always do that. I find the most random times and just blurt out whatever’s on my mind.

‘’Yeah, I mean it’ll be hard, but as long as I’ve got you there it’ll be fine’’, he moves off of his chair and kneels infront of me, ‘’You’re the only one I need, we’re gonna be just fine,’’ he pauses for a moment thinking ‘’I can’t wait to hear her sing you know, it’ll be just like when we were younger.’’

‘’Come here’’, I pull him up into a tight hug and  just rest my head against him. Peeta has the effect on me which nobody else can have, he can always make things better and take the pain away, my dandelion, who gave me hope and taught me to love. ‘’Come on, we should wake the kids up, Mum says she’ll look after Rye, do you mind taking him over in a bit while I talk to Willow?’’. Of course he agrees to and then walks off to get up the kids.

***

‘I’ll see you in abit Katniss’’, Peeta shouts down the hallway as he leaves the door with Rye. Willow looks truly beautiful today, I let her wear her favourite dress which she only wears when playing in the meadow.

‘’Oh mum, do you have some flowers for my braid today, pleaaaase say you do’’. I smile and bring out a few golden Primroses.

‘’Of course I do, but you see these one’s are very special. They’re Primroses dear, I know they’ll give you extra luck.’’ Willow gasps.

‘’Aw, like Auntie Prim?’’, she says. I sit thinking about how much Prim would have loved to see Willow in her play, she always was the caring type.

 ‘’Yes, exactly like her’’, I thread a few in between her braid and make her do a small twirl. ‘’Come on then let’s go wait outside for you father my darling’’, she skips off, bustling with excitement for her performance. As we’re just leaving the door, Peeta’s walking up the pathway, I grab his hand as we stroll through the forests and into the school’s playground. Many parents recognise us of course and give us a quick nod of the head or a small smile. Once we’re finally inside Peeta and myself find our seats as Willow twirls off back stage. The curtains open and a video of a Mockingjay flies across a VT at the back of the stage, whistling the song I sung in the first games…it had begun.