A Fresh Start-After Mockingjay (Before the Epilogue)

Chapter Seven

Katniss POV- (A couple of days later, 9am)

I open my front door, glancing over to Peeta's house to see him and Delly sitting on the porch together, her little brother in his lap. I want to say he's around five or so, the same age as Posy. They all three look so happy and content. Almost like a little family. As I take my first step, I hear them burst into laughter and Peeta teases the boy, making him giggle. Delly spots me and I can see Peeta shift uncomfortably and avoid my gaze. "Hey, Katniss!" Delly greets me happily. I look up and give her a fake smile and a wave. Peeta doesn't say a word or even acknowledge me. Good, I didn't want to see him or talk to him anyways. Especially with Delly right there. I put my head down, rolling my eyes at the happy couple as I start to head towards town.

I get to the train station in enough time to spot Haymitch lugging his liquor supply home. "Good morning, Sweetheart." He beams, obviously only excited about life because he has liquor again. I ignore him, still upset with him about the other day.

Last night, I had one of the worst nights I've had since I've been home. Prim was in every single nightmare and my father too, ridiculing me for allowing her to die. For starting the Rebellion and taking down the order in the Capitol. For killing nearly everyone in our District. I'm having a hard time believing that my father would feel proud of me for what I did but part of me knows he must. That everything, even his death and Prim's too, lead up to the very moment that I helped change the world for the better. Or at least that's what I have to keep telling myself. That good or bad, everything happens for a reason.

When I get to town, I go straight to the Seam. To look at the remnants of my old house, which isn't much. Somehow, now that they've cleaned up the rubble, it almost looks worse than it did when it was destroyed. Then I see it in the ash. One of Prim's hair ribbons. It's pink and charred but no doubt something left behind when we moved. I burst into tears as I pick it out of the ash of our old house, the one that held so many memories.

My fondest memories of growing up but also, some of the loneliest, most painful days. The ones with my father's presence and his absence the same. Now that Prim's gone, I can't even stand to think about any of the memories I hold in this house. Two of my favorite people in the world are gone and I will never get to see them again. I'll never get to make memories with them or share the new world we live in, even if right now, it's pretty shabby.

Prim, no doubt would've wanted to be a wife and a mother despite the Games and now, she won't even be able to do either of those things. Now that her family would be safe. My father will never have grandchildren and neither will my mother.

Despite my anger for her abandonment during my father's death and more so her abandonment now that Prim is gone, I long so badly to see her. To have her hold me or comfort me in her foreign arms. Then, I can't take it. I begin to run as fast as I can to my house, back to the Victor's Village. I call her on the phone and beg her to come home, even if it's only temporary.

To my surprise, she agrees to get on the next train to Twelve, promising that she will be here soon.