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Primroses symbolize a lot — youth, renewal, young love, safety… It could be admired for the variety of colors, a perfect gift, and you could make oils or fragrances out of it… But for Katniss, it was a small, dainty thing that was a reminder of her sister. The younger Everdeen was named after the flower - specifically the evening primrose - and it suited her very well. She was short and thin, but always seemed to light up a room. Her hair might as well match the yellow plant too, but of course, it’s not as vibrant. She had hope. She had a huge heart. She was a healer and would’ve been a doctor. She had more to live for… And now where was she? Dead, gone and never to be seen again. The explosion left no remains. She’ll never have a grave or a box of ashes from cremations. All Katniss had were memories, a few items laying around in the building at Victors Village and Buttercup. Prim might as well be compared to a shriveling weed on the side of her house now.
Ever since Peeta came home and planted those primroses, she couldn’t stop thinking more about her sister. Obviously, she’s more than grateful for the kind gesture - she likes them planted close to her home, actually. It gives the girl a sense of comfort, and to an extent, some closure. In a way, Prim was always going to be by her side and Katniss loved that idea. The only downside was she didn’t know how to garden and didn’t plan on learning soon. Katniss was still weaseling her way out of the depression she only fell deeper into when first arriving at Twelve. Since the weather became warmer and nature began to bloom, she was taking it day by day - whether it was a stroll in the forest, or she was hunting. Other than that, the gardening was taken care of by Peeta.
Part of her didn’t want to care for the plants, since her memory only linked them to her sibling. However, she’d have to face her weird fear eventually. Stupid, invasive thoughts would fill her brain. What if she accidentally killed the beautiful, yellow flowers? In a way, it’d be like killing Primrose! It was an odd way of thinking, but the grieving process made her dive deeper into the thought of objects and how they could hold so much meaning. Yes, there were more that could be found and planted to replace their spots – but these were special, handpicked by Peeta, some were still in the process of growing to their full potential and these were the first ones to be placed in the soil after the War’s aftermath. Before this, the Village had nothing and it was dull. The replacements wouldn’t mean as much. These flowers felt like they were meant to be Prim’s, that they carried her soul within them already. If they were to die, she’d want it to be naturally and when the colder seasons came around.
It’d take a few weeks for her to ask Peeta about gardening. He would teach her everything he knew about it - how much water they need and how many times a day, mentions of weed pulling and to be careful of any critters trying to nibble at the plants. She would learn fast, considering it wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be.
Gardening would end up becoming a hobby of hers; Haymitch and Greasy Sae were more than happy to see her outside frequently, tending to the small patch of flowers alongside the building. Peeta would help sometimes, until she fully got the hang of it and let her be. When it came down to the primroses, he would only ask her how they’re doing and would like to admire them. He decided to name every single one, just to get a reaction out of Katniss. She rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but to laugh. That day, the names just stuck.
Katniss thought it was ridiculous, feeling so attached to something that was sprouting out of the ground - it couldn’t respond, she knew that - but one day she finds herself talking to it… The girl was told it helps with their growth anyway. She spoke of Prim, about how beautiful they look and she hoped they were getting enough sunlight. It was just the small things. It made her happy.
Buttercup liked to join the primroses outside, whether he was alone or following at the brunette’s feet. The cat loved to lay in the soil beside them, no matter how many times Katniss scolds the damn animal not to. Despite the protests, the fluffball didn’t budge - even if the soil was wet! She decided to give up on correcting him, but definitely had to wash and comb his fur out later (which he absolutely hates).
When the temperature began to drop, Katniss knew she had to do something with the flowers. She didn’t want them outside and withering away, instead she wanted to put them to use. Carefully, she cut the primroses stems and brought them inside to place them in a vase filled with water. After that, she took a step back and smiled to herself. They were beautiful.