PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!
After dinner, Gale and I take a walk. We end up in the woods and stop to lie down on our rock. We haven't been to it in over twenty years. It feels strange but right at the same time.
"Gale, why do you think you can't move on from Prim's death?" I ask him.
"I don't know. I guess I've just always been waiting for someone's forgiveness." He says. I nod understandingly.
"I guess I'm waiting for the same. But it's still not your fault," I say before he cuts me off.
"You'll never be able to convince me otherwise." He says bluntly. I sigh and lie back, closing my eyes.
"You know, Primrose Mellark has a nice ring to it." Gale says a moment later.
"We didn't want to name her after the dead." I say quickly.
"Hmm, then maybe think of something that's important to you; something that… I don't know….means something. Associate her with happiness, which might make this whole…process easier?" I laugh at his attempt. Despite this my mind can't help but fill with a specific memory from so long ago. I look over to him to see him staring back at me.
"Gale, I forgive you." I tell him. His eyes open widely and he smiles softly.
"Katniss, I forgive you." I'm not sure what it is, but it seems like the weight on my chest has lessened significantly, letting me breathe again. I know just by looking at Gale that he feels the same.
When it starts getting dark we head back, content in each other's silence. I find Peeta on the coach with Lily struggling to stay awake.
"You know its way past her bedtime." I tell him. He pouts at me.
"She wanted to say bye to Gale." I roll my eyes and lean down to kiss him.
"I guess that's alright." I say.
After a sleepy hug from Lily, Gale heads out for the night. Peeta gives him a handshake and it seems like they'll be at peace with each other. I lean forward and give him a tight hug.
"See you later Catnip." He tells me as he starts to walk away.
"Don't you dare be a stranger!" I yell after him. Gale just laughs as he walks away, and I know it won't be the last time I see him. "And there better be three seats at your wedding for us!" Peeta starts laughing at me then, and I finally feel like my life has come full circle.
Later that night, we lay on our sides and it seems like sleep may actually claim us. It's been so long since I've slept for more than a few hours.
"How does Affodell Primrose Mellark sound?" I ask Peeta quietly, not wanting to interrupt the silent night.
"Why Affodell?" He asks me, clearly confused.
"It's another name for daffodil." I explain shortly; I know I don't need to say anything else. He understands completely.
"It sounds perfect." He whispers before we both fall into a peaceful sleep.
Author's Note: I know it's a bit of a weird name but I just thought it suited the situation so perfectly. I was going to make the chapter longer but I like where it ended. This chapter was really fun to write and I feel like it helps put the baby to rest. The next chapter will not be focusing around Affodell or Gale.
PLEASE READ:
I hate to be this kind of person, but I have had over 391 visitors and 1045 chapter views. I have still only received 11 reviews. That means that only 1% of people review my work, which kind of really sucks. And though it's amazing that I've gotten so many views, it really puts a damper on things to not have any feedback at all (especially since I update virtually every day).
So here's what is going to happen. I will update the next chapter when I get nine more reviews. There is still a lot of storyline I want to write, and the next chapter will be very different (we've got some serious fluff going on).
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