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“Mom.”
Annie rolled over, keeping her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. She could feel Finnick shift in bed beside her, but neither of them moved. It was too early to get up now.
Well, too early for most reasonable people. Her eight-year-old son, apparently, was the exception.
“Mom,” her son Wade whispered again. “I know you’re awake. I saw you move.”
Annie peeled her heavy eyelids open to see Wade’s big green eyes peering back at her. His tousled hair stuck up straight, and she resisted the urge to comb her fingers through it. “Go back to sleep, Wade. It’s too early."
“I want to take the boat out today,” he said. “Please, Mom?”
She sighed, rolling over again to face Finnick, still diligently feigning sleep. “Finn,” she whispered in his ear. “Your son wants to ask you a question.”
Wade crossed the room to Finnick’s side of the bed, where the two of them had a whispered conversation that Annie guessed was similar to the one she and Wade just had. After a few moments, Finnick sat up, looked at her, and said, “I guess we’re taking the boat out.”
Wade let out an excited cheer, then ran from the room to get ready.
“You were supposed to discourage him,” Annie grumbled as she climbed out of bed, still lethargic and half asleep.
“I tried,” her husband responded, running his fingers through his hair. “But you know how persuasive he can be.”
“He gets it from you.”
Finnick laughed, took her hand, and they met Wade in the kitchen together.
The sun was barely peeking over the horizon by the time they made it outside, but Wade ran ahead with boundless energy. Annie yawned, still trying to wake herself up. She rarely woke up early enough to see the sunrise, but when she did, she never regretted it. Streaks of soft pink and orange painted the sky, reflecting on the ocean.
“It’s pretty,” Finnick said softly, echoing her thoughts. “We should do this more often.”
Annie laughed. “Next time Wade wakes up early to take the boat out, I’ll send him straight to you.”
She didn’t mean it, of course. As tired as she was, she loved her son immeasurably. She’d do anything to see that smile and hear his excited laughter. If there was anything the Games and the war had taught her, it was that life was precious, and Annie would take every opportunity possible to make Wade happy.
“Come on!” Wade called, already waiting at their boat where it was tied to the dock.
“Coming!” Finnick called back, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. Annie laughed as her skirt billowed out behind her. The cool morning air whipped at her face, blowing her hair back. She felt awake for the first time all day.
Wade’s eager anticipation was starting to make more sense.
She helped Finnick get the boat ready, and soon, they were on the water. Wade, like most District Four children, loved being on the water. The boat swayed gently under her feet as Annie watched Finnick instruct Wade on how to tie different types of knots.
“Just like that,” Finnick was saying as he presented Wade with a completed knot. “Think you can handle that?”
“Yes!” Wade responded with enthusiasm, grabbing his own rope to try.
Tears pricked at her eyes, and Annie was shook from her thoughts. Finnick made his way over to her, wrapping her in a hug. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing her watery eyes.
“Nothing,” Annie muttered, blinking rapidly a few times to clear the tears. “I don’t know. I just...looking at you two…”
She couldn’t put the feeling into words, but she didn’t need to. Finnick understood, as he always did. “I know,” he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Mom, Dad!” Wade called from a few feet away. “Look at this knot I made!”
Finnick and Annie exchanged glances and smiled before Finnick gently pushed Annie in their son’s direction. “Your turn.”