"Always?"

Chapter 6| A Family Visit.

Song of the chapter: "Hurricane." By Luke Combs.

"Posy!" I screech shuffling towards her as her small body jumps into my arms. Just as I think in about to fall, Gale's body is there to catch me. I look up and smile. Thanks. I mouth, he nods and I kiss Posy's head before I see Hazel. "Hazel." I smile setting Posy down and hugging her. "Hi mama."

"Hey baby girl." She breaths into my neck. "I feel like it's been ages."

"It's only been hours." I tease. Rory and Molly smile and hug me, I squeeze Rory a few seconds longer than anyone.

"Well let's head inside." I see Peeta poking his head out from the window, my face drops and I turn away. Rory grabs my hand and swings it happily.

"I saw her today." He says. "And I talked to her, and spent all day with her. I bought her a ring, and pushed it in the dirt next to her. I hope she noticed it." He says with his tone lowered.  He looks at me as we stop abruptly on the porch. "Do you ever miss her so much it hurts?" He asks. "Like something or someone is just squeezing the life out of your entire body?" He squeezes his hands in balls.

"Everyday." I answer honestly.

"How do you get through it?" He asks sitting down on the swinging chair fiddling with his hands in his lap.

"Well, I've found that your brother seems to help." He looks at me with wide eyes.

"But how? .... Why would you? ... I don't understand." He plants his face in his hands and shakes them in sync.

"Well, when you love someone you can seem to be able to overlook everything." I say, and close my eyes looking into the distance. I wish I could get myself to believe that, that I could forget what he did. I wish I could to be with Peeta.

"I loved your sister like that." He tells me, and I nod tears forming in the corners of my eyes. He takes my hands. "Don't cry, It'll all be okay. People say all things happen for a reason and ..."

"You can't seem to find a reason for her death, I know. I've heard it before." I finish his sentence remembering all the times I've been told that before. He looks like he's to break, so I stand and pull him with me. "Let's go inside and see what everyone else is doing, huh?" I ask cheerily.

He nods slowly and we walk in the door together. Gale smiles when he sees me from his spot on the floor beside Posy. I take a seat next to him, he wraps an arm around me and Hazel sits on the couch. "So, any special reason you two invited us over?" She asks with a smile creeping onto her face.

Instead of answering, Gale rotates his body and holds my face kissing me slowly. His mother erupts in a fit of giggles and cheers before clapping. "Oh I knew it would happen! I just new!" She squeals. "I'm so happy for you two."

"Thank you mom." He smiles proudly.

***

Dinner went smoothly. We are together, and Gale held my hand under the table. And kissed me each time his mother looked away. Rory seemed happy, but confused. "No, but that might have been my very favorite time we ever spent together." Hazel smiles pointing her fork in our direction. "You two were so young."

"I actually did try to cook decently that day, compared to what everyone seems to think about it." I chuckle glaring at Gale.

"What?" He laughs. "I didn't say-"

"You said it was terrible." I cross my arms over my chest in a playful manner.

"I didn't-"

"But I guess I can forgive you!" I say pushing him to the side. "But that's cause I love you."