Finnick,

We miss you here in Four. I'm already counting the days until you're back again. Not that I don't always do that anyway. Our house, the entire district, everywhere feels a little bit empty without you.

When it's bad, I want you to remember a day from when we were just children, when there were games and not Games. It wasn't a particularly special day. It felt like summer, though I think it was in the spring. The sun was shining and the sea was calm. You wanted to come out and play, but your mother made you stay inside all morning to catch up on schoolwork. But the instant you were done, you sprinted down to the beach. We made sand castles that we crowned with sea stars and waded in the shallows. I didn't care that the sand in my hair made it itch; I was having too much fun with you to mind. Together, we laughed and played until sunset, when you were again called in. You kissed me goodnight, and I kissed you back. We couldn't have been more than seven or eight, but I know you meant it all the same.

I said it wasn't a special day. I lied. We spent it together, and that's enough to make any day very special indeed. I hope you remember that.

But most of all, I hope you're all right. I look forward to seeing you again very soon. Stay strong, love. I know you can.

Love,

Annie

She kissed the stiff white paper a few times before folding it up and slipping it into his suitcase. He'd know that it had been written before he left, of course, but he'd also know that everything in it was true.

.oOo.

He dug through the suitcase, searching for the seashell necklace he always kept tucked inside when he needed to remember why he was here, why he allowed these animals to touch him. He found it tucked into one of the side pockets, and when he pulled it out, something else flew out with it and landed next to his feet.

Finnick smiled when he saw Annie's small, neat handwriting on the front of the envelope. He opened it carefully, not wanting to destroy even one letter of her note. Legs tucked underneath him, he read it again and again. "Thank you, love." He gave the letter a kiss before folding it up again and putting it back in the same pocket to be found another day.

.oOo.

A/N: Thanks for reading – I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Special thanks to Rowan for reviewing!