A Fresh Start-After Mockingjay (Before the Epilogue)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Katniss POV- (The next day)

"Here's my list. Did you get a chance to finish yours?" Peeta asks me softly, handing me a slip of paper with about 40 names on it. I nod and hand him mine. His dad, brothers and even his mother complete the list after an abundance of tributes and victors and people we've met along the way. After he reads my long list, he looks up at me and nods. "Who should we start with?"

I shrug, "Do you want to go in order of their deaths if we can keep up?" Peeta nods his head and takes a seat by me. He gives me a reassuring nod and I hand him the first piece of parchment paper and I take a deep breath as we finally begin our fresh start. We have to let their deaths go but keep their memories alive if we really want to live our best lives for them. First on the list and first in our memory book; my father.

We sit in silence for a minute until Peeta glances at me, "Do you have any pictures of him?" Peeta asks me.

I look at him, "Yes, there's one in my room. Do you want me to go get it?" I ask him, feeling stupid I didn't think about it before. It would've gotten the ball rolling but I had forgotten that Peeta has no clue what he looks like.

"Sure, I want to get the drawing perfect for you." Peeta says and I get up. I drag myself upstairs and into my bedroom. I start doubting this process and think of telling Peeta that we shouldn't even do it. However, I want to and he seems to like the idea too. I'm just afraid it'll be too hard for us but who knows? Maybe I'll feel differently after their page is sealed? Maybe it'll take weight off both of our shoulders? Even if it won't take away the longing or guilt we feel. I take the only picture I have of my father left out of my drawer full of sentimental things I still have. Things like the perfect little pearl and the locket Peeta gave me in the second arena, the one with Prim, my mother, and Gale in it. I try to ignore it's significance to the boy who gave it to me, at least in this very moment. The words he spoke. How he tried to convince me and how I stopped his words with my lips. It only upsets me to think about that moment we shared. I'm really all he has left and to this day, I still need him. It's ironic though, I've lost every person in that locket, except for it's original owner. I shake away my thoughts and take the picture downstairs with me and hand it to Peeta. I sit down next to him. "You look a lot like him." He tells me quietly, studying the photograph and then glancing at me.

I smile sadly, "I wish you would have had the chance to meet him." I say, my throat feeling dry.

Peeta looks at me and frowns, "I wish I could have met him too." He says softly and looks back at the picture.

"Your mother told me a lot about him. She told me you got a lot of his personality and I can see it from the few things that my father's said about him too." I remember that his father knew my mother and probably knew my father too. He told Peeta about my parents once. Peeta told me that his father use to date my mother. Then she met my father and it was over between her and the Baker. It's funny how life has a way of working things out I suppose. Maybe Peeta and I were meant to be together all along?

"I don't know, maybe. I'm more like him than my mother, that's for sure." I admit. Peeta smiles at me. "But I can't sing, that's the only difference, I guess." I say.

Peeta shakes his head, "Katniss, I've heard you sing before, even if we were only five. It was really good." He must not remember when Beetee interrupted Peeta's Capitol broadcast with my singing but I am not going to mention it.

"Well, that was a long time ago." I whisper.

Peeta nods, "Well, like your mother with your father, it's what made me fall in love with you." He says openly. He's always being open with me over that particular line. 'I'm in love with you, 'I fell in love with you.' He mentions it all the time to me, which makes me feel guilty because my response is nothing more than ignorance or a curt nod.