He meant everything to her. Three years later and she'd still do anything to keep him safe, sacrifice everything to protect him- even if that meant keeping him at an arm's length.
She was the one person who truly knew him. The one person he'd choos...
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Twelve Years Post-Victory
Peia kept her gaze on the frame in front of her as she lifted her glass to her lips. The mahogany encompassing the picture rested on the mantelpiece, set out as a reminder. Her older brother's dark eyes and beautiful smile were looking beyond her, but it was him she was looking at. The day that photo had been taken was clear in her mind. She still remembered how warm it had been and how happy they'd been. Despite all the things they'd been through so young, Rhett had found something to laugh about.
It'd been Finnick, of course, making a joke about the girl he had the biggest crush on. That girl being Lily. But it had been a good day regardless of if there'd been a picture taken or not. At the time, their family was still together. Kai wasn't just a ghost of a memory, rotting in the Capitol, and Peia was freshly in love with Finnick. She was eighteen, Kai was fifteen, and Rhett was turning twenty-one.
The picture had been taken on his twenty-first birthday. And now, seventeen years later, all the people that had ever meant something to him, were together. Lily, Peia, Kai, Sawyer, and Finnick—his family—were together again. To celebrate him and to remember what he sacrificed to give them what they'd gained. People like Hunter, Johanna, Malakai, Sawyer, Maggie, Ellie, and Arden— they only existed because of his sacrifice.
How could they not get together every year to remember that?
"So how old is the bastard?" Kai asked, taking a swig of his drink.
Peia glanced at him, brow furrowing together. "He's thirty-sev—thirty-eight." She corrected, a smirk somehow finding its way onto her face.
"Damn. He's old." Kai joked, attention returning to the picture frame.
"Hey, you're not too far behind him. You realize that right?"
Kai's brow raised as he faced his older sister. "No. You are. I've got six years; you have three. If anything, you're the one not too far behind."
Peia rolled her eyes. "You're such a dumbass."
As her shoulder lightly hit into his, he couldn't help but smile. He raised his glass out, voice directed at Rhett. "Happy birthday, big brother. It's not the same without you."
Peia tilted her head. "No, it's not. Happy birthday, Rhett."
They both drank, finishing off the whiskey in their glasses. Either drink was then set down on the counter as the two siblings exited their father's home. A warm breeze blew through the air as they stepped outside, lifting strands of Peia's hair off of her shoulders. It was absolutely beautiful outside, weather perfect for the reunion Sawyer was hosting. They hadn't seen each other in months. For some, it had been even longer. And after all this time, just seeing their kids play together was exactly what they needed. Just being together was what made it all worth it.
