It was uncharacteristically quiet in the Hawthorne household.
With three rowdy, growing boys and one little girl who could scream like nobody's business, it was rarely ever actually silent. Even in the middle of the night there was crashing or wailing or fighting or screaming to keep the house pleasantly noisy. So Gale, sitting at the dining room table at just past midnight with his Panem History homework laid out before him, found it terribly unnerving.
It was only a few moments, though, before that problem was solved. Even though he couldn't see her, his hunter's ears picked up on the sound of small feet padding towards him. He smiled.
"What's the matter, Posy?" he said, not bothering to turn around and look at her. His little sister tiptoed to his chair and clambered into his lap.
"I'm bored," she sniveled into his chest. Gale promptly gave up on his homework -reading about the Capitol was beginning to drive him crazy anyway- and patted the top of her head. "Rory and Vick and Mama are sleepy," Posy continued, voice muffled. "But I'm not and I wanna do something and nobody's playin' with me."
Gale sighed. "Posy, it's late..." The little girl pulled back and stared up at him, lip quivering and eyes brimming with tears. Posy may have looked sweet and innocent, but she was well aware that she had her eldest brother wrapped around her little finger. Sure enough, it only took a moment of whimpering before Gale hastily lifted her off his lap, stood, and took her hand. Posy's tears all but disappeared and she bounced delightedly as they walked out the door into the cool night air, dancing and twirling all the way to her favorite part of the Meadow.
When they finally arrived at the Meadow, Posy grabbed Gale's hand and hauled him down onto the ground with her, sprawling out on the grass. Gale laid down beside her and she immediately nestled into his side. For a few moments, there was a comfortable quiet as they watched the sky.
"Gale, why do people get married?" There was nothing Posy hated more than quiet.
Her older brother turned and stared at her blankly. The idea of explaining this to his six-year-old sister made him rather queasy. "Because they love each other," he said as firmly as he could, hoping that would make her drop the subject.
No such luck. "More than anything else?" Posy frowned. Gale sighed.
"Yes, Posy."
"But I love you more than anything else, Gale," Posy said thoughtfully. She tapped her chin. "So shouldn't we get married?"
Gale paused. Posy was a very sensitive little girl and he wasn't quite sure how to reject her -admittedly sweet- proposition without making her burst into tears. He sat up and Posy, confused, rose as well. Gale began to roll up his pant leg until it was up to his thigh, then pointed to his knee. "You see my knee?"
Posy leaned over and scrutinized it. After a few moments of careful observation, she nodded.
"Now look at yours." The little girl pulled up the hem of her nightgown a little and frowned at her own knee, much smaller than his.
"Posy," Gale said, "When your knee looks like mine, when you're all grown up and it isn't all little and knobbly and scabbed anymore, then you come and ask me again. And then I'll think about it. Okay?"
Posy glanced between their knees, pouting, then promptly stood up and began to brush the grass off of the back of her nightgown. Gale's heart sank - he really didn't want to make sweet little Posy sad. "Where are you going?" he called out as she made her way back down the path to their house. His little sister turned around.
"I don't think I want to marry a man who judges me for my knees," she said primly, before turning back and flouncing back down the road. Gale stared after her for a moment, astonished, then leaned back on his palms and laughed.