(Dedicated to Brooke, as per her request in the ShipFic Exchange. Enjoy! Disclaimer: I own nothing and I never will.)
Dear Finnick Odair,
I made salmon for dinner. It was the kind that's really good… the kind that only comes from District 4. Johanna and Little Finn ate their dinners in two minutes, and then went back for seconds. Do you know how you like your salmon with peppers? Little Finn says that he loves the peppers. I think that I'll have to go talk to Mrs. Everdeen about herbs sometime soon.
Can you believe how fast Little Finn is growing? He's already seven! Katniss and Peeta visited over the holidays. They both told me that Little Finn looks just like you. Katniss let me know that they're building a special memorial for you, since you're one of Katniss's closest friends. Peeta wanted to give us some extra money, but I said no. Johanna spends three months every year helping Gale in 2, so we get enough money already.
Speaking of Johanna, she was teaching Little Finn how to swim. I think she's great at it. She did have to take breaks every now and then. Her fear of water isn't completely gone. Johanna really misses you, Finnick. There's a lot of pain in her eyes, pain that Little Finn doesn't understand. She still has a slight grip on her old self, though. I do hope that she can babysit Little Finn without teaching him how to throw axes from now on.
I'll write to you soon, Finnick. Spring will be here in a few months, and the water will be warm enough to go fishing in. Although Little Finn has your talent in water, I wish Mags was still here to teach him knots. His fingers are a little too wide to tie tiny knots. I'll keep trying to teach him, though. He'll probably get the hang of it after a while. When he does, will you visit?
I know that we'd love that more than anything.
Love Forever,
Annie
.
"Mommy! Can I go play on the beach?"
Annie sealed the envelope and smiled at her son. He was already a strong boy. The woman nodded and watched him open the creaky old door.
"Annie? I have a bottle, if you want to use it." Johanna offered. Her black hair had long ago fallen past her shoulders. She had sworn not to cut it ever since Finnick had left. Annie took the bottle gingerly and placed the letter inside it. The two women shrugged on their coats and joined Annie's son outside.
"Hey Finn! Whatcha got there?" Johanna called, running over to Little Finn.
"Mommy! Johanna! It's a fishhook!" he said.
"Oh, that's beautiful, Finn! Do you think we should send it to Daddy?" Annie asked. Little Finn nodded happily as his mother placed the fishhook in the bottle and stuck a cork in the top.
"Johanna, will you…?"
"Sure." Johanna stepped out on the frozen lake and walked out until the ice thinned. She took a pocketknife out of her jeans and cut a small hole in the ice.
"Go ahead and throw it out!" Johanna yelled. Annie kissed the bottle gingerly and passed it to Little Finn. He kissed it as well, hugging it close to his body.
"Please write back, Daddy." He pleaded. Annie retrieved the bottle and tossed it to Johanna, who slipped it through the hole, into the lake.
.
"I miss him."
"I miss him, too."
Johanna placed her tea on the table and sighed.
"Will you ever stop writing?" she whispered. Annie shook her head and stared at the hearth.
"He'll be back. We just have to have a little faith." She replied. Johanna smiled and walked back to her room, pausing at the door.
"I think he never left." Johanna said as she shut the door.
Annie's smile lit up the whole room.