Maybe This Christmas
Prim's P. O.V.
It's very, very, very, super-duper cold in District 12 tonight, and Katniss has me against her chest, making me a little hot with her own warmth. Even if I am now a little too warm, I stay snuggled against her, enjoying that I can cuddle up with her when it's like this and stay cozy. I look around the room, smiling at all of ribbons laced on the walls that made it look more like Christmas Eve. Katniss even brought us in a small tree in a spare broken jar, and it looks so perfect in the frosty moonlight through our window.
Maybe this Christmas, we'll be happy, I think sleepily and hopefully as I cuddle closer to my sister.
It has been really hard these past few months since Daddy died. It's scary, but we are all still alive, even if Mom doesn't talk, smile, or laugh anymore. It makes me sad, but Katniss always tell me it's going to be okay, so I believe her.
After all, it's got to be if she says it.
Now it's Christmas, and all the miners are off. Mom and Daddy would normally be cuddling, enjoying him not going down into the dangerous mines, but now Mom is alone in the bed, shivering. Frowning, I slip free from Katniss' grasp, padding to her and climbing in to keep her warm. Her arms latch around me just like she'd done, and my sister hesitates for moment before joining us.
I think she doesn't like Mom anymore, and that makes me sad.
But maybe this Christmas we won't have to be sad, and maybe we'll have a happy holiday. We could just maybe replace our heartache and our pain with this Christmas tree and ribbon lace; maybe this Christmas will go our way.
Without Daddy around, the bed feels really empty, even with Mom and Katniss beside both of my sides. I cuddle deeper, not wanting to let go or stop lightly sleeping between how warm they are. After a while, though, my sister slips up and starts to cook some meet she caught yesterday. She will probably go hunting a while today, since the Peacekeepers won't catch her because everyone else will be asleep or with their families. I sit on my knees and watch her, trying to memorize all of how she made it taste good, and she smiles when she sees me.
"Hey, Primmy," she walks over, stooping down and brushing down my tangled-up hair, "did you sleep good?"
"You were warm," I smile up at her, and she does the same before handing something to me.
"I made this for you," she tells me as I open the small little box she carved, and I gasp.
"Wow!" I hold up the twirls of light green ribbon, "I love it! It's sooooo cool!"
"Here you go," she actually laughs a little, which she hasn't done in what seems like forever, as she re-braids my hair carefully, fastening the bows around them, "there. Now you're adorable."
Giggling, I hop down from the edge of our bed and rush around. She just laughs as she finishes fixing up our breakfast, setting it on the table. We eat , leaving some for Mom later, then sit outside together. We're both in a bunch of warm clothes, but we press to each other, my ribbons still in place.
Katniss actually looks really happy, and I smile really big, "Maybe today won't be so sad."
She looks at me once, then pulls me close, mumbling, "Maybe this year I won't be sad on Christmas."