A Million Pieces - Hunger Games (Catching Fire & Mockingjay)

Chapter 38

The wedding is magical, to say the least.

Malila and I stand next to Annie, Caspian and Coventina on Finnick's side. It feels unreal to watch them get married. But there thy are, standing under the autumn foliage decoration, with the singing of a chorus of children from Thirteen in the background, Malila whispering the words she learned with them under her breath. Since it is traditional to have someone from outside the family lead the ceremony, a man from District 10 named Dalton conducts it. Auntie Tina has drilled him every day for the past week to ensure he knows exactly what to do and it has clearly paid off. Dalton instructs us to pull the net that Finnick and I wove over the couple, and we hold it while they recite their vows and touch each other's lips with salt water. This brings me to tears - Malila pokes me in the ribs and Caspian wipes his own eyes - but it's during the ancient District 4 wedding song that it seems to hit Auntie Tina. She is supposed to lead the singing, but she can barely say the words through her sobs. I wonder when the last time Coventina sang this was. At her own wedding?

Fortunately, Annie and Finnick are too busy to cry, beaming at each other as they chant the words. They kiss and the entire audience cheers, then we toast to them and music starts to play. District 12 leads the dancing, and the newly wed couple joins them eagerly. A few songs later, Prim detaches herself from Katniss, and she and Rory pull Malila into the line. I watch them laugh as they try to teach her the steps. I see Nurse Everdeen doing the same for Auntie Tina, but the whole thing is disastrous since Malila and I have both inherited two left feet from Coventina. The others are as graceful on land as they are in the water, though. Annie and Finnick demonstrate this when they are cheered into a special number for just them, and I smile as Caspian dances with perfect agility in the circle that has formed. He catches my eye, but it's Malila - Katniss and Prim in tow - who convinces me to join when everyone breaks into smaller circles. We laugh as Lila and I trip over our feet until we finally find some sort of rhythm. Annie joins our little group and we grip our hands tight, the five of us spinning and giggling like the world is gentle and fun and easy. For a moment it is.

There's a lull moment, when everyone needs to take a breath but doesn't want the dancing to end, so we separate into pairs. Caspian appears in front of me. My grin is fresh on my lips and my face is flushed with excitement, but still I feel a thrill when he cautiously offers me his hand. I'm still adapting - I haven't been able to properly kiss him since the wedding preparations started - but when I slide my hand into his, all I feel is calm. It helps that the music and cheers have quieted, and when I hide my face in his shoulder, I can pretend we are alone. His lips rest against my forehead and together we sway.

Then the cakes comes out, and everything in me tenses again. It's beautiful, and I know exactly where it came from. Peeta told me that he had started painting again, but he had never even hinted at this. This is more than regaining control of his mind and body, this is art. Coventina looks just as surprised, so my eyes find Haymitch in the crowd. He nods at me once, the hint of a smile on his face, and then he and Katniss leave the room.

"Peeta?" Caspian's voice says from beside me. I nod speechlessly, eyes fixed on the cake. "He's recovering." He hands me a slice of cake that he's already cut into smaller pieces. I smile distractedly.

"I should be doing something too," I say, moving the pieces around with my fork.

"You don't have to," Caspian says.

But suddenly, I'm determined. "No, I want to do something. I joined the cause for a reason." I spin to face him. "What have you been doing since you arrived?"

"I - uh... At first I was a bit of a mess," he says uneasily, tugging his ear nervously. Immediately I regret asking him so bluntly. "I didn't quite lose it like Finn did but... it wasn't good." He pauses and I want to say something, but he pushes on. "But they needed me, so I pulled myself together."