A/N: Here's another one-shot! Requested by SneverusSnapers, Mrs. Everdeen's POV. Oh, and Evene is pronounced like Evan. Just in case, right. Hope you like it!

~Mock


I sit at home, making some stew with katniss tubers, especially for my daughter. A vase of primroses sit near the sink. Galan picked them for me last night. Even though my daughters are at school, with these reminders here, it's like they're always with me.

The stew is almost done when the alarm goes off. The alarm that signifies there was a mine explosion.

Abandoning my stew, I fly out of the house and hurry to the mines. They have roped off the entrance, and are sending a team down to pick up any survivors.

Galan has to be alive, I think desperately. He has to. He promised me he would always be there for me…

The children at the school begin to file towards us. Katniss, leading Prim by the hand, quickly finds me. She can tell that no one's been let up yet.

In a couple minutes, the first round of people are lifted from the mines. These people are mortally injured. They are taken to the people who run the new apothecary. I know that I should be helping, but I can't. I can't until I know Galan is safe.

I'm still hanging onto the rope, and a white robed Peacekeeper places a hand on my shoulders.

"I'm sorry miss, but I have to ask you to step slightly away from the rope," he says in a voice that doesn't seem sorry at all. Nevertheless, I do as he asks.

The day goes on, and night starts to fall. They still don't bring up Galan. Someone puts a blanket around Katniss and Prim, and gives them something hot to drink. I refuse all forms of help.

They are still sending people down into the mines to bring them back up. I still have a chance. I still have a chance.

They start bringing up dead bodies along with the live ones. I don't see Galan among those either. I tell myself this is a good thing. Galan has a kind heart. He's probably just letting the other people go up first. Yes, that's something he would do.

Evene Mellark starts to go around handing out pieces of bread to the people who don't know their loved ones fate yet. Two of his sons are with him, including the one who's Katniss' age. I don't see his wife, Tania, anywhere. Something tells me she wouldn't approve of him helping us.

Evene's youngest son sees Katniss, sitting on the ground, blanket still around her shoulders, leaning towards the mines. Prim is leaning on her shoulder, on the verge of falling asleep.

The boy quickly grabs a piece of bread and starts hurrying over towards my daughter. Evene sees where he's headed, and quickly intervenes.

"Peeta, come on, we have to go home now," he says. He leads his son, Peeta, towards their home in the merchant section. Peeta looks back once, unhappily, at Katniss. Then another round of people come up, and I put Evene and his son out of my mind.

This round holds only dead men. Katniss gives a small sound of fear, but Galan's not with them either. I'm starting to lose hope as they go down one more time.

Night has fallen when the person in charge of my husband's section comes out of the mine. He says that he is very sorry, but they were unable to recover any more bodies.

It doesn't hit me right away. I stand there in shock, then it hits me.

Galan is dead. He's never coming back. He'll never be there to hold me again, bring me back presents when he comes back from the woods. He will never tell me he loves me again.

I give a dry sob, and feel myself slipping away. My body might be here, but Galan has taken my spirit down into the mines, where it has died with him.

I'm barely aware of Katniss leading Prim and I home until I'm sitting on my bed. Prim, rubbing her eyes, starts to polish Galan's shaving mirror like she does every night.

"Momma, when is Daddy going to come home?" she asks in a voice that seems far away. I want to answer, but my voice has abandoned me.

"Dad's not coming back Prim," Katniss whispers, trying to hold tears back. Quietly, she explains.

Prim starts to cry. She climbs up on my lap, wanting me to hold her. And I really want to. I really do.

My limbs don't want to move. They seem to have lost the ability, but after some work, I manage to hold Prim to me, cradling her in my arms. Katniss climbs up on my bed too, and together we cry.

After some hours, Prim cries herself to sleep. Katniss wipes her eyes, and carries Prim to their bed. She lays down next to Prim, and falls asleep instantly.

Sleep, while it comes to my daughters, alludes me, even though I try desperately to find it. It must be one in the morning when I hear a knock on the door.

Somehow, I manage to pick myself up and answer the door. Evene stands there, his hair windswept, and he is clearly out of breath.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, and as I suspected, my voice is barely audible, no doubt due to a combination of lack of use and crying.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss. Galan was a, a good man, and he didn't deserve to go the way he did," Evene says, words rushing out of his mouth. I'm stunned he came.

"Peeta, my son, he wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for you too," Evene continues.

We stand there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Evene has never been the most talkative man, and I'm at a loss for words.

"Well, um, I'll be going home now. I'm not sure, but I think Peeta saw me leave. I don't want him bringing it up in the morning," he says, and turns around, heading to his home.

"Evene!" I find myself yelling. He whips his head around. "Thank you," I say. A shadow of a smile flits across his face.

"Anytime," he says, and with that, he leaves.

I turn back to my house, and I feel more and more of myself slipping away with each step. I break down on the bed, unable to move, unable to do anything. I didn't know it, but those were the last words I would speak for a long time.


A/N: Poor Mrs. E! I want to thank my wonderful Beta, KelsNicole92, for Beta-ing this! I hope you feel better soon! If you have a request, PM or review, as always! Although reviews even without a request… I still sppreciate those :D

~Mock