When is the final goodbye?

Page 374-"I take his hand, holding on tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I will finally have to let go."

SPOILER ALERT! So Katniss and Peeta have both won the Hunger Games! Well, thanks to the little "stunt" Katniss pulled with getting Peeta to kill himself and trying to kill herself with the berries. All throughout the games and during the arena, Peeta has played (or truly been) the star-crossed lover boy from district twelve. Katniss, has not. Not until she found out that both tributes can win. Once she knew that, she found Peeta, nursed him back to health and kept the romance up between the two. But the Gamemakers didn't like that stunt they pulled so they have had a watchful eye on them. So the romance "act" between them has continued. Only Peeta didn't know it was an act till they were back on the train and Hyamitch said something.

This is the last line from the book. It really makes me think about how Peeta and Katniss have grown so fond of each other on camera. But will this love-fest or friendship last off screen? Peeta is angry at Katniss and only offered his hand for the cameras, much like he did when they were upset at each other and only being affectionate in fron of people or camera. But how many times has Katniss worried she would say goodbye but turn out that she wouldn't have to truly say goodbye. Now, she mentions that she will have to finally let go. Let go of what? The feelings for Peeta she thinks doesn't exist? The "love" she shared with him? Or truly himself, and have it go back to the way it was, as if they didn't even know each other?

How many times can you say goodbye to someone for them to only come back into you life? Or if you keep thinking every goodbye will be your last? But Katniss really means something here. She knows that things that happened on camera were for camera, or almost entirely for it. And she can't stop thinking about Gale. She knows that Gale will unintentioanlly drive a wedge between her and Peeta. But letting go of him? Of the bond they have aquirred together or the romance-fake or real- will be left at the doors of the train or even was left back at the capital.

Even being with someone who you once cared about doesn't mean you arent "dead" to them. Especially when you are in a relationship, no matter how long you keep up the act, the final goodbye was when the words that left your/other persons mouth saying we shoudln't/can't be together. No matter how much time you spend with them. The final godbye should have been when your feelings crumbled for the person. But does that happen. Can you just keep saying goodbye, and not wanting anything to re-occur? Katniss has said goodbye to life and Peeta many times before-or tried- but will this be her final goodbye. Will district twelve tear the tributes apart when it should have brought them closer? Will this be the end for Katniss and Peeta, stepping off this train for a final time in fron tof cameras?