Aloe Mellark: The Hunger Games Epilogue

Chapter 2:

After we finish eating, I help dad clear the table and do the dishes. We stand in silence, the sound of my mother trying to get Rye dressed.
"Put on the tie or else you can't have Kory over!" My mom says, sounding frustrated.
"I don't like it!" Rye complains, "It feels like I'm being stangled!" I chuckle.
"Fine!" I hear mom walk down the stairs and come into the kitchen.
"Katniss?" Dad asks
"Yes, Peeta?" My mom reply holding her coffee to her lips.
"Are you OK?" He stands in the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room wiping his hands on his pants. He looks worried. I continue to dry the cups and listen in on what's being said. Mom nods then looks into her coffee cup and within a second, tears streaming down her cheeks slowly. I put down my towel and go see if she is OK, but dad beats me to it.
"What's wrong?" He asks sitting in the chair next to her and holding her in an embrace while the tears still fall.

"I'm sorry." She says in between sobs.
"Mom," I say "What's wrong?" She looks at me and pats the chair next to her. I walk over and sit cross legged waiting to hear her response. She wipes her tears away and tries to smile.
"I just want you to know that your father and I love you both so very much. We are so proud of you." She hugs me and when she backs away, more tears stream her face. "I couldn't have asked for a better daughter or son." I smile, but something is eating at me. Why is she saying this? What has happened? I decide to shrug it off and try to make her smile.
"It's OK mom. We love you guys too," I say hugging her "even when we don't want to wear a tie or heels but you tell us to anyways." She cracks a smile and heads upstairs to get changed. When she leaves the room, me and dad share a look. Dad gives me a reassuring pat on the shoulder and heads back to the kitchen, leaving me in the dining room wondering what that whole conversation was about.

When mom comes down, she's wearing a long red sundress that reaches her ankles. At the bottom, small gems are gathered to make it look like flames. Dad wears a pair of dress pants and a nice shirt. They look at each other and smile and i cant help but think how nice it must be to have someone to love that much. I check the clock on the wall and see we have 10 minuted to get to the center of the city. I start for the door and we walk slowly towards town. Conversations grow small and with only three blocks from the center, we stop talking all together.
So many question unanswered. Why did mom say what she I'd this morning? Why was mom so emotional? Did dad know what was going on? And what was even more troubling was the fact that everyone looked terrified.