Forever [Prim/Cato]

Chapter 2 - The Dad

The one time I saw this man, he was in a wheelchair. His body was slumped over from being knocked out by Peacekeeper. As they tossed him out of the chair and onto the floor, his face fell to the side and I got my first real good look at him.

Other than seeing his eyes, I could register that he was Cato's father. They were exact replicas, the only difference being the freckles on his face that matched Charlie's more than Cato's. I never imagined the day that he would be standing next to his first son, staring at me and my baby with eyes wide with surprise.

"Rose..." Cato starts.

I snap out of the trance and look at Cato. "Yes?" I stand up slowly and train my eyes on Cato's dad.

I can't believe it.

"Baby, this is my dad, Carrick. Dad, this is Rose.. shit sorry, Primrose. She's my girlfriend." Cato shakes his head.

U make my way to the man and smile shyly. He smiles back.

"And Dad, this is our daughter Willow."

Carrick glances at Cato and back down to Willow. As he gets a closer look, his eyes bulge.

"Cato...son, you have a baby girl?" Carrick asks Cato.

Cato nods. "Just born yesterday."

"Yesterday was your birthday, son." Carrick looks to me and holds his hands out carefully. "May I?"

I look to Cato for reassurance and he nods his head lightly. I hand Willow over to her Grandpa and he settles her in his arms, holding her in the same way Cato does: tucked in right next to his heart.

Carrick places his free hand on her tiny body and frowns. He leans closer and then peers up at Cato, who has now moved to stand next to me.

"Cato... god, she looks just like you did when you were first born." Carrick's green eyes shine brightly as he smooths Willow's hair down. She stirs a little in his arms, but doesn't wake up from her slumber. "Her eyes?" he asks.

I smile. "They're Cato's eyes."

Carrick smiles wide. Cato eyes him cautiously. "Rose and I have been together for a year now. We met in the Games," he says to his dad.

I stare blankly, waiting for the reaction to come. This man tortured the love of my life so that he could volunteer for the Games. He pushed him to the edge, almost broke his soul all because he valued alcohol more than his own son.

If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have Cato. Without Cato, there would be no Willow.

I don't know if I should yell at the man or thank him.

Carrick just nods his head once. "You win?" he asks Cato.

I can feel Cato tense beside me. He looks like he wants to speak, but his voice catches in his throat and he's mute.

"I won," I answer for Cato.

Cato immediately casts his eyes downward as his dad purses his lips at him. Carrick was disappointed. Even after everything he put Cato through, after everything Cato did to save us, this man has the audacity to be upset. He wanted Cato to win the Games. Instead, it was me.

Taking a closer look, Cato looks somewhat afraid. Oh no...

I quickly grab Willow out of Carrick's hands and turn to Cato. Cato slowly peers up at me as I hand him Willow. Willow moves a bit as she curls up into her Daddy's arms. It takes a minute, but Cato smiles and leans down to rub his nose against hers.

She makes him happy. She brightens his world, and nothing, not even his father, can take away how happy he is when she's resting near his heart.

I turn to Carrick. "Excuse me, but it's not your place to judge anything that this man has done given what you did to him. He sacrificed his life for me, for us. He did whatever it took to make sure that we could lay in bed at night and wake up next to one another. So no, he didn't win the Games... But quite honestly, winning the Games is nothing compared to the prize we were given just a day ago. Cato won, in my eyes. He won, and he did it without your help."