LIFE AFTER MOCKINGJAY 2
CHAPTER 1 - Homecoming
The feelings and memories of the past two years or so since it all started with the games was still so raw and vivid. I still hadn't healed from it all myself. Some days it seemed like it all happened years ago and then other days it seemed it was only yesterday.
After things settled down, I came home and I was alone in the Victor's Village. I was only alone for three days, that is when Haymitch arrived. I asked where Peeta was, expecting that Peeta would be with Haymitch. He told me that he stayed behind to try to make a full recovery. He didn't want to come home without a full recovery because he was afraid of hurting or killing me or himself.
I will never forget the afternoon that Peeta came back home. It was two months after Haymitch and I came home. I was just starting to get into a normal routine. As normal as I could make it. There was a handful of people who came back to District 12. There were some new people from other Districts who decided to come to live in District 12 also. Together we were starting to get back to a little town and clean up from the bombing. I really didn't need to hunt anymore because the Hob was gone but I hunted anyway for myself and sometimes Haymitch and others in town. That morning of the day he came back was a beautiful morning. It was Spring time and the sun was coming up as I started walking in the woods to my hunting spot. The birds were starting to sing and the sun was warming the air and taking off the chill of the night before. I found my hunting spot and sat there for hours. It is funny because that very day as I was sitting there waiting for some creature to walk my way, I thought a lot about Peeta. I thought about how I actually missed him. How I needed him to sleep at night and comfort me from the nightmares that I still had. I missed his smile and gentle touch and I realized that I really did love him. When I came home after the rebellion I put the pearl that he gave me and his necklace in a box and put the box on my nightstand. Every night I take his necklace out and hold it while I sleep at night. I had come to terms while sitting there hunting that I wasn't going to see Peeta for a long time, if ever again. When I had enough of my thoughts and nothing was around for me to hunt I started walking back to the house.
As I walked up the walkway I didn't even notice him, not until he stood up. I stopped walking and just stared. Was it really him or was I just imagining him. I started walking faster to him and he must of heard me because he turned around and when he saw it was me he smiled. We just looked at each for what felt like minutes but I'm sure we just seconds, then we held on to each other for the longest time. It felt so good to be in each others arms again. At that moment I embraced the realization that he meant everything to me. I realized that I took him and his love for me for grated during the games and Quarter Quell. I felt so bad about how I took him for granted but so joyful that he was back and better. We truly loved each other and we were in a better place now. We could live in peace without worrying about people getting reaped. We were going to pick up the pieces and start over with a new town, a worry free and peaceful life and we were going to do it together.