Our Life After

"Lizzie is Growing Up"

*Katniss's POV*

It's been four years since we told Lizzie about the games and her family.  I hadn't told her a lie since.

As far as I can tell, she's kept her side of the bargain as well.

So Lizzie is now 12, in 7th grade, and Christian is 6, and in 1st grade.  He seems to have trouble making friends, as he only has one friend, his best friend, Zeke, Effie and Haymitch's son .  They're in the same year at school.

I am not particularly fond of the way Lizzie has been acting lately, with much attitude towards me and Peeta.

Although Effie continuously remarks to her on how poor her attitude is, it does little to keep her in check.

Also, she comes home some days telling us about a boy she likes, and I'm not sure I like that at all.  I don't want her to get involved with boys, because it'll end up bad for her in the end.

But I Peeta tries to talk me out of these thoughts, saying things like, “Let her make mistakes.  She'll learn from them."

Or, “Lizzie's Growing Up.  They act different when they become teenagers."

To which I reply, “But she's NOT a teenager so she's not allowed to act like one yet."

At which point we shoot things back and forth and then Peeta ends up kissing me to most likely shut me up.

But the truth is, I know Lizzie is growing up and she needs to make mistakes and all that, I just don't want her to.  I want her to always be the 4 year old girl who scrapes her knee and cries until we read a book or play a game.

I miss that little girl.

But now she's older, and let me tell you SHE IS GORGEOUS.  Her hair is this lovely dark chocolatey brown and falls to mid back in beautiful waves.

Her eyes are a sparkly silver light blue that I've never seen before in anyone but her.  They literally sparkle in the sun. 

Her skin is pale, but it's a beautiful pale.  Like porcelain.  And, much to my envy, she already has curves coming on.  AT TWELVE YEARS OLD.  I barely had them at 16.

And I don't want boys looking at her like she's just a toy that they can play with and then toss to the ground when they're bored.  I swear I will kill them if they do.

But anyway, she likes to go shopping with Catherine, and we lend her a little bit of money (since we still have loads of money) but don't even think she's spoiled because she's not.

Her tomboyish side has disappeared and she's all girl again.  Her boy side went away in 5th grade when girls started to think she's weird because she likes to do different things than them.

So, I remembered the day Johanna took me shopping for "girls day out" and we talked about how moms are supposed to do that with their daughters.

So on a slow day, I decided to take her out.

We walked into the Square where a ton of little shops have sprung out of nowhere.  District 12 has grown and expanded a lot since the war.

As we were walking around, I said, “Okay.  Where would you like to go?"

“Hmmmmm, I've wanted to get my ears pierced for a while.  Could we do that?"

I think it over a second, and say to myself, Just do it.  Spoil her for one day.  It's what you're supposed to do on Girls Day out.

So I say, “Sure sweetheart.  If that's what you want."

We shop for close to 4 hours, and in the end, she's gotten  2 dresses, 3 shirts, a skirt, a pair of shorts, and some shoes.  I got a few things as well.

It turned out to be a lot of fun.  We just joked around a lot, talked about things, and had an overall wonderful time.

On the way home, she says to me, “Mom, can I tell you something?"

“Of course honey, anything."

“Well, I have my eyes on someone, and I think we'd be good together."

“Oh, honey..."

“Mom! Just hear me out, okay?"

“Okay."

“I think Joshua has a crush on me, and I kind of have a crush on him."

I don't know why, but my heart just about stops.  Joshua Hawthorne?  I don't like the sound of that.  Hawthornes and Everdeens don't date.  Ever.