Forever [Prim/Cato]

Chapter 12 - Our Song

(A/N – I'd like to think 'Understand' by keshi is their song, listen to it while you read this part.)

Cato:

Did I ever tell you about that one day? The one from before?

We were a couple of days away from celebrating our second wedding anniversary. We were happy, so incredibly happy.

It was because of her. The world had ricocheted from the back of my mind to right before my eyes.

And it is because of her.

I was feeling that way this day.

Willow loves music. On this day, she was 2 years old, and had recently gotten into dancing. She couldn't do much herself, just bob up and down completely off rhythm, but she and Rose would spend half their day listening to music and dancing around the house. Before Willow could walk, Rose would use the music and dancing to calm Willow down when I wasn't there to help. She'd hold her close and spin Willow around and around until her worries melted away and all she could feel was the glee of the world going around. It was only natural that once her little feet got moving, Willow was dancing.

For some context, I was gone a lot more than I would have liked after we got married, so there were times when I didn't have more than a moment with her. Rose stayed home with Willow while I worked some long hours. It wasn't my choice, but being Head Gamemaker means that not a decision is made without me. It had been a testy year so far, and for some reason, the other Gamemakers and I couldn't agree on a single detail. We were halfway through the year before the next Hunger Games, and after months of fighting, stress, and many headaches, we had finally settled on the arena layout. 

On that day, I was home.

I couldn't take another day with the other Gamemakers, and as an... I'll just say aggressive man, one more minute with some of those assholes would have been deadly.

So, I took the day off.

I needed it. My girls are my therapy. She is my therapy.

The sun hadn't risen yet, but I was awake, for once before her. I took the chance to watch her sleep peacefully, tucked closely beneath me. Being used to my schedule, Rose made it routine to get up at the crack of dawn to take care of me before she took care of our daughter. Breakfast was made, lunch was packed, clothes were laid out, all before Willow stopped dreaming. I couldn't wrap my head around how she could do it all, but whenever I asked, she wouldn't explain. She would smile, those eyes gleaming up at me proudly, and pretend that I never even asked.

She wakes eventually. As she removes herself from her pillow, Rose rubbed her tired eyes and reaches up to kiss my cheek. Does she kiss me before she gets out of bed every morning while I sleep?

Rose went moving to step out of the bed when I pulled her back to me.

She gasped in surprise, but smiled and took my hand. "I didn't realize you were awake," she said as she reached to kiss me once more.

I didn't respond, instead snaking my hand around her waist to pull her back down to me.

Rose resisted, attempting to pull away and escape. "I can't," she mumbled.

"Just for a minute," I beg.

It looks like she's going to protest again, but instead she stays put. As she stretches out underneath me, I swipe her hair from falling onto her face.

Her baby blue eyes flutter closed. She looks tired. "It's so quiet," she says, frowning. "I almost don't like it." I laugh. As much as the quiet is nice, we both know we would rather have the chaos that comes with Willow. She brings us to life, and I crave every second of it, whether good or bad.