Everlark- The Years After the Epilogue *Editing*

The Dress Fitting

‘’I’ll see you later, you enjoy your girls day, especially you my angel’’, Peeta said, tickling under Willows chin.

‘’Oh, I will daddy. I can’t wait to try on all the dresses and pretend I’m a princess’’, Willow said with an excited glisten in her eye and a beaming smile.

‘’You know you’re already my princess without the fancy dresses. You’re perfect as you are’’, he told her, kneeling down, ‘’Never let anybody tell you any different’’.

‘’I won’t, I promise. I’ll see you later dad’’, She said giving him a big hug. Once Willow had skipped off to her bedroom to ‘make it look all pretty’ Peeta grabbed Rye and his keys and said goodbye.

‘’I’ll see you later Kas, I love you’’, he said giving me a gentle kiss on his way out of the door. I leant against the doorframe staring as he headed down the path.

‘’I love you too’’, I shouted after him. He turned around, gave me a smile, put Rye on his shoulders and head down the road.

**

‘’Ah hello, hello!’’ Effie exclaimed rushing in with our prep team. She came over and kissed either side of my cheeks.

‘’Aunt Effie, Aunt Effie’’, Willow squealed as she ran into the hallway to see us.

‘’Hello my dear, why how you’ve grown. Practically a lady now’’ She said bending down and giving her a hug. ‘’Ah that reminds me, I have something for you- FLAVIUS!’’ She screamed, maybe a little too loud. He came rushing over with a small box. Effie pulled out a gorgeous pale pink fan, with small mockingjays painted on and a golden trim around the edges. A huge gasp left Willows mouth as she saw it.

‘’Wow, it’s so beautiful’’, she stood there, just starting at it.

‘’Ahem, what do you say miss’’, I said raising my eyebrows out her.

‘’Oh, sorry. I was just so shocked, it’s stunning. Thank you so much’’. She said, her eyes still wide with shock.

‘’Ahh, you’re very welcome. But come on no time for chitter-chatter, we have lots of work to do’’, she said, as she strut down the hallway, her stilettos making a loud ‘click, clop’ down the mahogany flooring. She turned around, and gestured for us to follow her. ‘’Come, come!’’. We all followed her into our biggest room, which was immediately taken over by the prep team, mannequins being set up, one side with choices for Willow and one side with dresses for me. ‘’Now, now, everything has been co-ordinated already with the boy’s outfits, so you needed worry about that’’, I still wasn’t very fond on the whole ‘let’s get in a fuss over dresses’ malarkey, but Willow had always loved it since she could walk, and it was nice to see her bond so closely with Effie. ‘’Right Willow, come through here and we’ll put your first dress on you’re going to love it!’’ Will happily skipped off into an adjoining room with Portia, who helped her into her dress. I sat there waiting for a few minutes, Effie was busy getting into a fuss, as always, telling people what to do. I figured I’d get in the way if I tried and helped, so I kept my head down. After ten minutes Willow came out in a taupy-beige 2 piece, the top had puffed out arms and it cut off just above her waist, it had been styled with a pencil skirt similar in colour. By the look on her face, she wasn’t too keen.

‘’Do you not like it darling?’’ I asked as Effie made her twirl.

‘’Noo, I do. It just- well I don’t feel like majestic and beautiful’’, she said, trying hard to be polite about it.

‘’No worries, no worries.’’ Effie said quickly ‘’Ok, next dress. Come on we don’t have all day. Quickly!’’ Willow was quickly ushered back into the room again. I stayed sat down and after a while Effie perched down next to me. ‘’Hi sweetheart’’, she said placing her hand on top of mine. ‘’How are you?’’ She raised her eyebrows knowingly.

‘’I’m fine.’’ I said bluntly. She gave me another look as if to say she knew I was lying. ‘’Alright, I’m fine now, it’s just been a hard week that’s all, you know how it is’’, I said laughing a little to try lighten up the situation.

‘’Katniss, I keep telling you that you’re all welcome back in the Capitol if you ever need to get away from here, it helped Haymitch a lot and-‘’ Effie was suddenly cut off by a very high-pitched scream coming from the next room. Willow came storming in.

‘’I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! I’m so sorry Aunt Effie, but how can you expect me to wear this, its brown, it has patterns on and, and well I look like a tree!’’ She complained. I looked up and she was right, I started laughing. She reminded me so much of Johanna in the tributes interviews, the outfit, even her attitude.

‘’Ok, ok, my darling. I have one final dress in the car we’ll all go get it alright? You’re going to love it, I promise. Only the best for my favourite niece.’’ She said tapping her on the nose as she left.

‘’Haha oh darling, it’s not all that bad’’, I said trying to cheer her up a little.

‘’Mum, its hideous.’’ She said quietly. ‘’I know you think it too’’, she said poking me in the ribs, making me laugh. I tickled her back and small squeals left her mouth. ‘’Muuum, stop it’’, she whined.

‘’Alright, alright. Back in motion, come on sweetheart into the other room, quick, quick!’’ Effie said, swiftly ushering her away. Effie plonked herself back down beside me, ‘’Oh Katniss, come here my treasure’’, I rested my head on her shoulder as she gave me a comforting hug. ‘’Next week, you and Peeta come over. I’m sure your mum won’t mind looking after the kids, plus it’ll give them time to go see Finn. I bet Willow misses him’’ she said, I replied with a small ‘hmmm’. I thought about it, and actually it didn’t seem all that much of a bad idea. Whilst I was deep in thought, I didn’t even hear Willow come out of the door, but when I looked up she was staring in the mirror, her hands clasped over her chest.

‘’I love it’’, she whispered. ‘’Thankyou Aunt Effie, it’s beautiful isn’t it mum?’’

‘’Yes, it’s perfect. Now you really do look like a princess.’’ I whispered in her ear. Willow was wearing a light lavender dress, which came just above her ankles, it was really simple on the top, just a bit of lace detailing around the collar, but after her waist, it fell into a waterfall. Ripples, upon ripples of fabric fell over each other. ‘’Now go get back changed you, I don’t want you messing it up.’’ I said. She moaned a little, but after Effie had told her about ‘young ladies’ etiquette, she went. After we’d had some tea and scones with jam and cream, we all sat around the table just chatting away. I was just starting to clear up when Willow started speaking.

‘’Mum, when are you trying on your dresses? I want to see them all!!!’’

‘’Ahh, your mother only has one dress, but it’s a very special one and I know she’ll love it. You’ll see it tomorrow my love’’. Effie pointed out.

‘’But why can’t I see it now’’, she complained.

‘’Because it’s very special and I don’t want today ruining the surprise sweetheart.’’ Effie said fondly. Normally if anybody else would have addressed her like that she’d have snapped about ‘manners’, but with the kids it was different.

‘’Aww, ok then.’’ Willow said ‘’I’m going to play with my dolls now Aunt Effie, thankyou for today and I’ll see you tomorrow morning when you do my hair! EEE, I’m so excited!’’ She said as she stood up from the table.

‘’Okay then, bye then buttercup. I think Uncle Haymitch has a present for you tomorrow as well, but you’ll have to wait and see. Bye darling’’, Effie said giving her a kiss on her cheek. I finished drying the dishes as Effie began to say how she was leaving.

‘’Alright, thanks for today. I can’t wait to see my dress.’’ I said giving her a hug.

‘’Well it’s one of his finest’’, She said, giving me that certain look. I didn’t realise what she meant until after she’d gone. The book. The book of all his future designs for me. I stopped and stared into a blank space as it dawned on me. ‘One of his finest’’.

‘’Cinna’’.