Burrying the Past

Epilogue

It started with a wave of her hand, a small smile plagued to her lips, and a messy braid. From the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew there was some hope in this world, that not everything was lost. And now, 12 years later, it's as if nothing and everything changed. Everytime I look at her I still see the same girl I first saw from my bedroom window, the same girl that I shared my first kiss with, the same girl I married. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Because together, we are infinite.

"Peeta, look." Katniss whispers to me, not once taking her eyes from the tiny bundle of happiness in her arms. "He's so perfect." she almost tears up, a watery laugh escaping her lips.

I sit in the bed next to her, encircling my arms around my little perfect family. I feel as if I could burst of so much joy I feel in this moment. "Our little infinity." I murmur, kissing the soft forehead of my newborn son. "He looks a lot like you." I tell Katniss.

Katniss smiles wildly and the corner of her eyes wrinkle in that way that only Katniss can do. "Our little infinity." she repeats. "Look at his nose! He's so tiny." she murmurs. Her eyes feel with care and love, and I can easily say that I'm embracing my whole universe when I push Katniss and our baby boy closer to me.

The room grows silent, the only thing that can be heard is the sound of my rapid breathing and Katniss's soundless laughs, the air is warm and smells like love and sugar, at least it does to me. Katniss presses her lips in the baby's cheek, before murmuring quietly "He smells like cotton candy."

"Here they are, my favorite family." Haymitch appears by the hospital's door, holding his jacket and a giant blue teddy bear. "Can I come in?" he asks quietly, a smile crossing his usual surlen expression the moment he rests his eyes on the baby.

"You are this family too, of course you can." Katniss says, still looking at our baby in awe.

Haymitch almost starts crying when the baby opens it's grey eyes, and amkes a sullen expression. "Do you want to hold him?" I ask him. He doesn't respond, only extends his arms in my way, as if asking me to pass him the baby. I do, and Haymitch starts laughing quietly. He rocks the baby in his arms for sometime, until he's sleeping again.

"He's so small." he exclaims in awe "Like a little kitten."

I nod proudly, knowing that that is my baby boy, and I couldn't love him more. Katniss grabs my hand and I squeeze hers lightly. I turn towards her and give her a kiss. "We did a pretty great job, didn't we?" I ask her, and she laughs.

"Have you though of names yet?" Haymitch asks, looking at both of us.

I give Katniss a look, and she nods to me, telling me to say it. "Yes, we have." I say. "Ryan."

Haymitch looks at me, his eyes watery, and his expression a mix of nostalgia and happiness. Eventually a single tear rolls down his face. Ryan, the proof that there are second chances in world, that the past is the past, what matters is what is ahead of us, the pages of the story that are yet to be written, that are yet to be decided. Because in this world what matters is not the begginning or the ending, it's the story.

Haymitch looks at the baby again "Ryan Mellark, welcome home."

The End

AN:

WHoohoo! It's done!

So that finishes the story. I hope you guys liked to read it. Truthfully, I am pretty proud with what I've done, I feel as if I've evolved a lot as a writer since I began writing this story, and it's been a wonderfull ride. I want to thank everyone who supported me to go through with this story, voted and commented. You guys are the best!

Also, I'd just like to point out a little detail. The baby's name, Ryan, that is the name Haymitch baby's name would have if he hadn't lost the him and his wife (I believe it's mentioned in chapter 7). I just feel that it has an important meaning in this story.

Okay, that's all guys! Thank you for reading!

~Claire