Heart of Gold • Finnick Odair

-70-

Dear Finnick,

The amount of times I've sat down to write this over the years and begun to cry is more than I can count, but I need to do this. I don't know why, for closure maybe?

I miss you. All the time. Every second of every day since those damn mutts. But it's easier than it used to be. It doesn't hurt so much anymore. It used to be a constant pain in my heart but as time has healed the wound, it's become more of a dull ache. But it's still there. I still love you, and I know I always will.

We live in District 4– we being me, Johanna and your son Finley (yes, yes, I guess the name grew on me, I know you have that smug look on your face right now, wherever you are)— and I absolutely love it here. Finley loves the beach even more than you did, which of course drives me mad because he always brings home half of the bloody sand on the beach in that mess of hair he inherited from you (so it's all your fault, of course).

He's the sweetest kid you could ever meet too, seriously. I don't really know where he got his manners from, definitely not you. His first word was 'mama' ( ha ha, in your face). Don't worry, he did say the word 'dada' a few days later when I was showing him pictures of you. He reminds me of you so much that it hurts sometimes. I told him all about you when he grew older after him pestering me for answers for so long. I gave him the neat version, but he says 'my daddy's awesome'. You're his hero, you know? He worships you nearly as much as I do. I wish you could've met him, you would've made a brilliant father.

It's become easier to sleep at night over the years, me and Johanna help each other out. But nothing brings me comfort like waking up in the safety and warmth of your arms, sometimes I still feel your fingers tracing patterns on my arms when I sleep just to wake up to a cold feeling of goosebumps brush over my body at the realisation that I'm alone.

Annie and Theo are doing great, I know you're wondering. Aria is fifteen and she's a sassy little thing. She has a little sister now too, Pearl. I'm not kidding when I say she's ten times smarter than me already and she's only eight, (nobody knows where her intelligence came from).

Katniss and Peeta are living together back in District 12, starting a family of their own with their son and a daughter on the way. They're finding their own peace together, we all know they deserve it.

  I miss Luna dearly, she barely got to live. Katniss and I find comfort with each other through letters as she struggles with her loss of Primrose. I find some peace in knowing she's with Apollo now, I know the pain of losing her brother never truly healed as I find myself thinking of Brook myself sometimes.

  I've lost so many people over the years, but i'm still going as strong as I can. For Finley's sake more than my own. And for you, I can't let your life be lost for nothing so I push myself everyday to make the most out of the life i've been given. Even if I don't get to spend my remaining years with you.

You, Finnick Odair, will have my heart of gold (as you liked to call it) for the rest of eternity.

Until we meet again, my love,
Rosalie Odair x

Rosalie Odair folded the letter up and tucked it inside an envelope before opening a mahogany wooden box with wave carvings on the side. She took one last glance at the contents (objects that had either belonged to Finnick or reminded her of him) before placing the white envelope inside and closing the lid.

She pushed the box back into the wardrobe, sitting it into it's rightful place in the back corner of the space, before closing the wardrobe doors and taking a deep breath.

She wiped the stray tears from her stained cheeks, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders as she tucked away the pain.

She retreats downstairs to meet Johanna and Finley, placing a kiss on her son's head before throwing an arm around Johanna's shoulders, "ready?"

The three made their way across the street and as soon as they stepped through the door, Finley greeted the adults with a polite smile before being dragged away by Aria and Pearl to go play on the beach.

"Dinner in an hour, okay?" Annie calls after them as the two redhead girls and blonde haired boy ran off. The three called back agreements, with waves of their hands, whilst the adults went into the house to relax in the living room.

Rosalie sighs in contentment.

She will always love Finnick with every bone in her body, but she came to the realisation that, if she were to be happy, she had to let go of all her pain. So she decided to finally tidy up all of his things and put them in one place, the box in her wardrobe, though she would forever hold Finnick Odair's memory in her heart of gold.