EPILOGUE

They play in the Meadow. The Willow, with her dark hair and blue eyes. Rye, with his blond curls and gray eyes, struggling to keep up with her on his chubby toddler legs. It took five, ten, fifteen years for me to agree. But Peeta wanted them so badly. When I first felt her stirring inside of me, I was consumed with a terror that felt as old as life itself. Only the joy of holding her in my arms could tame it. Carrying him was a little easier, but not much.

The questions are just beginning. The arenas have been completely destroyed, the memorials built; there are no more Hunger Games. But they teach about them at school, and Willow knows we played a role in them. Rye will know in a few years. How can I tell them about that world without frightening them to death? My children, who take the words of the song for granted:

Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes

And when again they open, the sun will rise.

Here it's safe, here it's warm

Here the daisies guard you from every harm

Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true

Here is the place where I love you.

My children, who don't know they play on a graveyard. Peeta says it will be okay. We have each other. And the book. We can make them understand in a way that will make them braver. But one day I'll have to explain about my nightmares. Why they came. Why they won't ever really go away. I'll tell them how I survive it. I'll tell them that on bad mornings, it feels impossible to take pleasure in anything because I'm afraid it could be taken away. That's when I make a list in my head of every act of goodness I've seen someone do. It's like a game. Repetitive. Even a little tedious after more than twenty years.

But there are much worse games to play.

Chapter 1

I have finally decided, Yes I want to have kids. I know how happy Peeta will be, seeing as how he has asked me for the past 14 years if we could have a child. Today is our 15th wedding anniversary, and this is my present to him. When I wake up in the morning I turn around and kiss him awake. He smiles and opens his eyes. "Happy 15th anniversary" he says. "same to you mister" I say with a playful tone.