After a few hours, Rella took Lily and Mary downstairs and tucked them into bed.
Lily looked expectantly up at her mother as Mary asked, "Momma, will you sing our lullaby?"
Rella smiled and, after nodding, began to sing. "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. Deep in the meadow, hidden far away—a cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray. Forget your woes and let your troubles lay—and when again it's morning, they'll wash away. 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."
The girls drifted off and Rella returned to the deck, where Samar was waiting for her.
He smiled and gently kissed her. She pulled away cautiously and he loosened his grip on her.
Seeing her expression, he frowned. "Firefly, what's wrong?"
Rella smiled—Samar called her Firefly, because when she'd first arrived in District 8 a group of fireflies listened to her and he thought she was a little weird, even though she'd explained to him her gift of communicating with and understanding animals—which helped her win her Hunger Games—but then she turned serious. "Samar, they'll be there!" she cried out, greatly distressed.
"Your stepfamily?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her, as if holding her together.
She nodded shakily and he lovingly murmured, "I'll be there and I won't let them hurt you, my little Firefly."
She smiled and said, "Thank you, Samar."
He smiled and began singing in her ear. "In the light that falls at moonlight, in the rhythm of the rain, in the miracle of ordinary days, in the hush of night, I will be in the whisper of lovers everywhere. You will find me there in the rustle of a curtain, in the bustle of the world, in a thousand unexpected little ways. When you lift your gaze, I will be like the shimmer of one small star out there, shining everywhere. I will be there beside you through the lonely nights that fall. So close your eyes, remember my embrace. I will be there like mercy; I will find you through it all. This do I swear, I will be there."
She smiled and joined him, recognizing one of their songs. "In a language never spoken, live the promises we've made, in the endless love that owned me heart and soul, in the certainty I will always be true and as near as my next prayer, you will find me there. In the echo of the ocean, in the hunting of the wind, in mysterious extraordinary ways, through the darkest sky, I will be like the shimmer of one small star out there, shining everywhere. I will be there beside you through the lonely nights that fall. So close your eyes, remember my embrace. I will be there like freedom; I will find you through it all. This do I swear, I will be there."
He grinned, happy he'd gotten her mind off her stepfamily as they sang this particular song—their main song though was a very different song. "In the harbor quarter, in the stone and mortar, in the sound of laughter, now and ever after. Look for me, I will be there. I will be there beside you through the lonely nights that fall. So close your eyes. Remember my embrace. I will be there. Remember my embrace. Yes, will be there. Like justness; I will find you through it all. This do I swear, I will be there. This do I swear, I will be there. This do I swear, I will be there."
The two lovers went downstairs and quietly joined their two sleeping daughters—if they one day had a third daughter, her name was going to be Jessamyn Primrose Rosenthal—Jessamyn had been the name of the twelve-year-old Rella saved and also was Rella's younger sister. Primrose was Katniss's younger sister. Both Primrose and Jessamyn died in the same bombing in the Capitol.