The Hunger Games: Extended Epilogue

Chapter 13: Meal

I just stood there, in utter shook. She was unrecognizable. Her skin, took over by the scar, completely changed the structure of her face.
Peeta begins to explain, "When I go down to give out the cakes and things, I always stop by there house too. They, they were struggling in the beginning, and always asked to visit, but I know with Gale..." And he just trailed off.
Maybe because I wasn't listening, or from the expression on my face.
And all I managed to do was move past him, head down the stairs, and back into the kitchen, and stopped, just watching her.
Peeta followed behind and went back to where he was standing, next to her.
"Oh there you two are," she laughs. "Katniss come over here and cut up some potatoes."
But I don't move.
"Is she deaf now too?" She jokes, turning to Peeta and then looks at me.
A tear falls down my cheek and I walk towards her, looking at her eyes that resemble Gales. This is her.
"Hazelle?" I whisper when I'm close enough to where she can hear it.
She puts down her knife and steps towards me, giving a sad smile and her eyes well up with tears too.
"Yes baby girl, it's me." She whispers back.
And then I hug her and silently cry into her shoulder that is strong, yet seemingly fragile. She strokes my hair and holds on to me like she used to when my mother wouldn't. And finally after sometime she pulls me back and wipes her eyes.
"I heard about Prim," and she paused, trying to swallow her tears, "She.. she was too young. I'm so sorry."
I know I can't answer without breaking out into tears too so I only give a very weak smile and nod.
She kisses my forehead and hugs me again. It felt so good to see a familiar face, and I haven't see her in such a long time. When we were in thirteen, never saw her, due to the strictness of schedules and my long hospital trips.
Then I look at her scar again, and whisper, "What happened to you?"
"Oh, this?" She begins, placing a hand on her cheek, touching the surface and continues, "It was night you shot your arrow and blew up the force field."
Terror strikes my body. She means the night I alone turned my home district into nothing. I did this. She has to live with my actions plastered on her face forever. I had no words.
She recognizes this so she continues, "It was nothing you did, Katniss. You have helped Panem in ways you don't even know. You are the reason we are free today."
This was almost the same thing Peeta was trying to explain to me earlier. But I still don't see how anybody thinks that any of this was not because of me. Because, in my eyes, I'm the cause of all the deaths, the scars, and the destruction.
I can't seem to form any words. So I just move and cut potatoes, like she told me too.
We all cook in silence, no one had anything to really say for a little while.
It wasn't until Peeta finally broke the solemn and began to discuss cooking methods with her that made no sense to me.
We ate, and it was good too. Probably the largest meal I have eaten in months.
I didn't really say much, only listened. She talked about the progress of the town, their election of a new mayor that I recognized to have sold corn and barley at the Hob, and how her laundry business was doing so well.
There was no talk of Gale, which I was worried to be a subject to come up but no one mentioned his name.
After, Peeta insisted on cleaning our dishes and we sat on the sofa together, watching the fire.
"You know I missed you Katniss, all the children too. They are going to be so excited when I tell them I visited you today." She says with a smile.
"You can tell them I miss them too, and I will come to see them soon." I scoot towards her, leaning my head on her shoulder and hug her side like a small girl as she pets my hair.
And I continue, "And I miss you too. I have not seen anyone in so long."
"Oh," She suddenly jumps. "I almost forgot to give this to you." And she gets out an old, slightly stained letter and hands it to me.
"Don't read it now," she whispers, as if it were a secret. "Wait till I leave and you are alone."
So without another word, I obey and slip it into my pocket.
"And on that note, I must be going." She says as she stands and makes her way to the kitchen to say goodbye to Peeta. I watch as he promises to visit her again, and to bring me down one time too. And jokingly, she makes sure that he keeps me well fed too. We all laugh.
I walk her to the front door and we hug again, with a few exchanges tears.
"I'm sure I will see you real soon." Was the last thing she said before she kissed my forehead and was gone.
As I walk back to the kitchen, my arm brushed the letter that I almost totally forgot about with the commotion of her leaving.
Who could it be from, I wonder? So I take it out of my pocket and see that on the front, it says...
TO: CATNIP