The heatwave that hit them was relentless, even with Beetee having paid them a visit to install a cooling system that he swore was going to help -- especially for those that weren't used to this sort of merciless dry heat.

Terra wanted to head out to the beaches and just sit in the shallow waves but she knew she couldn't with people still working out on the boats. It was right, apparently, bad manners for people in 4.

She was close to saying to hell with it all just so she could cool off. Katniss had told her about the small pool she had found in the woods that they could take a dip in if Johanna and Haymitch ever got back with the vehicle.

They only had one. They didn't think it would be fair to anyone else to have too many between them when most people in the district still couldn't afford something like that, even with the rise in the economy.

President Paylor was doing a good job. This was her third time being voted in. Rumours had it that this would be her last.

It struck a chord of fear through her, worry that the next would be like before, bring them back to what they were before, but she pushed it away, reassuring herself that with Beetee still in the Capitol, still such a strong voice that relayed everything they missed back to them, in detail, they knew they weren't going to let anything like that happen.

President Paylor would stay in power for at least two more years before anyone attempted taking the position from her.

"Mom! More juice!" A small hand pulled at her shirt, fighting for her attention.

She looks down at the two toddlers that blinked up at her. Katniss' little boy was still incredibly shy around anyone other than his parents and her own little boy.

He shifts, waiting for her to answer as she stares at him, waiting. Finally, he gets it, correcting himself. "More juice please."

Terra smiles. "Of course, my love."

Finnick laughs as he enters the kitchen, pressing a kiss to her smiling mouth. "Still giving Finnley a hard time then?"

She crinkles her nose. "I wouldn't need to if you were more firm with him when it came to his manners."

"How can I no to him? He has your eyes."

Humming, she gives the kids their drinks, watching as they run off together. "Maybe I should start saying no to you, maybe then you'll learn."

He spins her, pressing his hand to her swollen stomach, still small, but clearly there. This man was going to be the death of her.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it before," Finnick says, lips grazing her cheek.

"That was before he started telling me no all the time. He needs to learn to listen, babe."

Finnick grins, wrapping his arms around her. "We have all the time in the world to learn, my heart."

"That may be true, but I'm not going to let my son start playing games with me."

"Ah, but you're so good at games, Terra, you always win."

the end

°°°

unedited

2020-01-18