Hey folks! This is my secret santa present for Patty aka Badge of Honor. I'm so sorry its late. I got a bit sick, but I am OK now. Merry(Late) Christmas!
It was December Sixteenth.
December Sixteenth.
Yes, December Sixteenth, which meant I had a week, a mere seven days, to get a present for Annie.
Oh, by the way, I'm Finnick Odair, nice to meet you. Hope you're having a merry Christmas.
But back to my conundrum. I had seven days to get a present for my wife, Annie. Annie is the most flawless person in the world, but she is difficult to get gifts for. She always says "I'll be okay with whatever, Finnick. Don't stress yourself out over it."
SERIOUSLY?
How am I supposed to get a perfect gift with that? Everyone else is always easy to buy stuff for. I had already gotten Peeta a new cupcake-maker, a bow-tightener for Katniss, some baby stuff for Lily, new arrows for Gale, a new axe for Johanna, some toddler toys for Anna, and had made a life-sized skiff for my own son, Finn. Annie was always the hardest. Last year, I had given her "Time Savers for Mommy". That didn't quite measure up to the spa packages and gourmet chocolates her relatives had given her.
My in-laws don't really like me.
Hey, maybe I'll call up Gale and Peeta! I thought to myself, They'll know just what to do.
Fifteen minutes later…
"Just get her some jewelry." Peeta suggested.
"Nah, any moron can get his wife jewelry." I said.
"How about a nice DVD?" said Gale, "I gave Johanna 'The Capitol Chainsaw Massacre 4' last year and she really liked it".
"Annie has a lot of DVDs already. Plus, I want to give her something special this year. Something to outshine my in-laws."
"Make her something homemade."
"I can't possibly cook, I don't know how."
"Scrapbook?"
"…." I paused.
"YES! THAT'S IT!" I screamed, jumping up and down.
Now to get to work on that scrapbook!
December Eighteenth
That was the very last straw.
"I mean, I just don't get it. I can't find any photos in the house, there are none of us on the internet, all the libraries for ten miles around don't have any. AREN'T ANNIE AND I SUPPOSED TO BE FAMOUS?" I complained to Johanna. We were both at the library Starbucks, while Finn and Anna were at the children's program.
"They have over two thousand of Katniss and Peeta right in this library" Johanna commented.
I facepalmed.
"Look, fish boy. If you're so desperate to make a scrapbook, create your own pictures. You've been with Annie for what, eight years? You know what she looks like well enough to paint her portrait. Paint a couple more of you and her and you're done."
I stared for a moment.
"OH MY GOD JOHANNA, YOU ARE THE AWESOMEST FRIEND IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!
An hour and a half later
"How could you have forgotten Finn?"
"I'm sorry, Annie." I muttered. I had forgotten to pick Finn up when I dashed off to get art supplies. "And I need to go upstairs and do something for….for work."
"Okay honey!"
I locked myself in my office, pulled out a pencil and paper and attempted to draw Annie.
It turned out sort of like a dead chicken.
So, all into the night I worked on it, not even pausing for dinner.
Now it looked like a mutilated dead chicken.
Christmas Morning, the Odair Household
"Finnick, are you alright?" I heard Annie say.
I opened my eyes. I was in my office, and the last thing I remember; I was panicking and pasting my cruddy pictures into an album.
Annie looked over my shoulder. "Oh, is that for me?"
"….."
"It is so beautiful! I love it!"
"You do?"
"Yes! What a thoughtful gift. Now, let's go see Finn open his presents."
"OK!"
Four hours later
"Annie Cressa, you are a saint." Katniss commented. We were at her annual Christmas party.
"Well, wouldn't you have done the same thing for your husband?"
"Any of us would have dumped it in the trash the moment he turned his back, much less brought it to a Christmas party." Johanna said.
"I sort of like it. Besides, its sort of thoughtful."
Isn't Annie just the best? Naturally, I need to do something even better for next year!
Hmmmm…..