The face I knew and loved as a teenager has changed. The picture I now hold in my hand has only solidified that fact. The man, boy really, in this picture is closed off, angry, frightening even. Gale's face is not worry free, as it is now. There are not laugh lines around his mouth and eyes like there are now. This face is handsome, yes, but it is not the face I love.
"Why does daddy look so angry?" Maddie, my youngest, asks me. I look into her innocent four year old grey eyes. In a way, she reminds me of Posy at that age. I know Gale spoils Maddie more. It must run in the family to have boys, for it took five tries to finally get Maddie.
"I don't know," I reply, "why don't you ask him when he gets home?" Gale should be here any minute now.
Maddie nods, grabs her doll, and runs off to play in the front yard. She leaves the picture still gripped between my fingers. I glance at it again. I haven't seen Gale look this way since Katniss died in the 74th Hunger Games.
It took him a year to start acting normal again. He was under a lot of stress, having to keep both his family and Katniss' fed. Mrs. Everdeen finally remarried, which took a lot of stress off his back.
The same year, he started bringing me strawberries again. Our relationship grew from there, slowly. I was hesitant because I knew he had loved Katniss, and he was weary because I was the mayor's daughter. I kissed him first. I had begged him to teach me to dance, so he took me to a party. Dance, we did.
I don't think I have ever felt my heart beat so fast. Gale keeps spinning me in circles, but instead of feeling as though I am about to through up, I keep wishing it would never end. When he finally puts me down, I know I'm frowning.
Once he sees my frown, he chuckles. Stupid idiot.
I go to walk away, but he's faster, yanking me back into his arms. My hands splay across his hard chest. With his hand, he lifts my chin up so that I'm looking into his beautiful grey eyes.
"What's wrong?" He asks
And in that moment, nothing is wrong. He is standing so close to me that nothing could stop me from stretching onto my tip toes to connect my lips with his. I never expected to feel sparks like I did, and I think he never expected me to kiss him. He gets over his shock quickly, almost immediately kissing me back. He wraps his strong, thick arms around my waist, and I do the same around his neck.
Half a year later, he surprised me by proposing. He gave me the same ring his father used, and I instantly fell in love with it. Not two weeks later, my father married us and issued us a house. Gale's happiness only grew, and because of this so did mine.
I was hunched over the toilet for the fourth time in the past week this morning. Thankfully, Gale already left so I don't have to worry about him worrying. As soon as I am done emptying out the contents of my stomach, I bathe, get ready, and head over to the Everdeens. Mrs. Everdeen only confirms my suspicions.
At first, I worry. How am I supposed to handle this? I'm only 18, still a baby myself. How would Gale react? Would he be mad? Sad? Happy? I needed to figure out how I felt about all this, so instead of telling him immediately, I wait for two days. By then, I decide that I am excited, anxious even.
I take one of my dresses that no longer fits out of my closet and head to the hob to trade it. With the money, I then head to the shoe store in town. I get two pairs of shoes and tell the woman at the counter to please keep quiet for a few days. She promises she won't breathe a word. After this, I head home, put the two pairs of shoes in a box with a written note underneath them.
When Gale walks through the door, I see his eyes go straight to the box on the kitchen table. I make him wait until after dinner to see what's inside.
When Gale lifts the two pairs of baby shoes out of the box, one for a boy and one for a girl, I know he is happy because there is a smile on his face that stretches from one side to the other. When he sees the note scribbled 'Congratulations Daddy', he is overjoyed. Immediately I am being picked up, kissed, loved.
The day Byron came, Gale got a not so loving earful. After Byron came Lane, followed by Arius, who was followed by Zekiel. After Mattie, I told Gale he would have to wait until grandchildren for another one.
Byron, now 19 just got engaged to Jewel. They are waiting for her to turn 18 in a couple of weeks to marry. He looks so much like his father did at that age, that if it was not for his blonde hair and blue eyes, I would think I was almost 20 years younger.
Not one of my boys looks like me, which is a good think I guess, since they are, in fact, boys. Thankfully, Maddie looks just like me, except for those gorgeous grey eyes.
I hear laughing outside and instantly know that Gale must be home. Not five seconds later, he is ducking through the door with Maddie on his shoulders. His eyes search for mine, and when they finally lock onto mine, he strides across the room towards me. It only takes him four steps to reach me. Instantly, he is pulling me into his arms, bending down to give me a kiss.
"I love you Madge Hawthorne." He whispers
I smile. "I love you more."
Before he can respond, Maddie interrupts with a "Gross!"
"Gross? Did you say Gross?" Gale flips her off his shoulders and starts tickling her. All I can do is smile. Eventually, Maddie wiggles away from Gale and comes over to get the picture. As soon as I give it to her, she goes back to her father and asks him the same question she asked me earlier.
"Daddy, why are you so mad?"
"Because your mommy hadn't given me you yet." If I wasn't in love with Gale Hawthorne before, I definitely am by the time he finishes his reply.
So my first fanfiction story. EVER! I figured I would keep it short. Tell me what you think!