Cupcake
Walking behind Daddy, jumping around and over the puddles that was melting from last night's brief snow, Katniss was excited.
It was a late spring this year, but Daddy had been hunting anyway, and she couldn't go into the woods yet, but he did let her go trade in town with him the squirrels and the rabbits he had gotten that morning. Prim had been born the year before, and even though Katniss loved her little sister more than her little 5 year old heart could love a baby sister, she loved her Daddy even more. So when Daddy said that she could start going with him after hunting, she was so excited.
When they got closer to town, Katniss started walking closer to daddy. Even slipping her mitten covered hand into his. Feeling him squeeze back and looking down at her, she knew that nothing could bother her while her Daddy was with her.
"Are you ready, Kit Kat?"
Stepping closer to hide the butterflies in her tummy, could Daddy feel them too? Hiding her face in his leg, she takes a deep breath. "Ok daddy. Let's go."
Chuckling and squeezing her hand again he led her across the street to the mayor's house first. Going around the back to the kitchen, he gives a knock on the door. Hearing footsteps coming close, Katniss can see a pretty blonde woman peeking out. Smiling in recognition, she opens the door.
"Hello there, James. What do you have for us today?"
Reaching into his game bag, he pulls out the rabbit he had found in the snare that morning. "It's not much; everyone is hungry from the winter. They are ready for spring too."
"Well considering the butcher has nothing on his shelves but rotten meat, it looks pretty good. How much? 15 coins?" May Undersee says.
Straightening out his arm as if to consider the price, James says, "Ok. Do you want me to skin it for you?"
"Yes, if you don't mind. Come on in. you can use the sink. I might make it into a stew, so I need to get it on the stove if I'm going to do that. Do you want the skin?"
"It's up to you. I can use it if you don't want it."
"Go ahead and take it then. Get Lily to make something for the new one. You need to tell her to bring her by…" seeing Katniss following her dad into the Undersee's kitchen, "Oh hello Katniss. Do you want to say hello to Madge? She is just upstairs."
Looking to James to see if it's ok, he nods and says, "Its ok. This will take me a minute anyway."
Looking at and then at her dad and trying to be a big girl, says instead, "Let me go get her. You can stay here Katniss."
Giving a shy nod, she watched go out to go look for Madge. Turning to watch her Daddy, he reached into his pocket to get his hunting knife out. She watched him start to skin the rabbit. Hearing footsteps come back towards the kitchen, she presses her face into his leg.
"Come on Madge. Katniss is here. You know that little girl from school you were telling me about."
Hearing Madge's voice, "I'm coming Mama." Katniss peeks around looking towards the door. Madge comes walking in.
"Hey." Madge says.
"Hey." Katniss says back.
Turning to look at who is standing at the door watching her oldest friends daughter talk to hers, Madge says, "Mama, can Katniss come play in my room?"
Looking down at the girls who are standing around him, James says, "Sorry Madge. But as soon as I finish this rabbit for your mama, we've got to finish trading, and then get back home to Lily and Primrose."
Looking down in disappointment, for Katniss wasn't ready to go home yet, she murmurs, "Ok Daddy."
"I'll see you on Monday then, ok?" Madge whispers.
"Ok. I'll see you." Katniss replies. Waiting for James to finish washing his hands and his knife, he rolls up the fur and places it in his game bag. Nodding at May and Madge, they step out into the March chill. As she slips her hand into his, she gives a squeeze and he gives a squeeze back.
"Where to now Daddy?"
Looking into his bag, he knew that he only had enough for one more trade. "These squirrels are for the baker."
Looking both ways before they cross the street, he pulls her close they walk. Approaching the bakery on the other side of the street, James takes Katniss to the window to look at the cupcakes in the window. Katniss dares to get as close as she can to the window, almost as if she could smell the cupcakes through the glass. Looking at the different flowers, she sees a daisy cupcake, and a rose cupcake, and a dandelion one too. "Look daddy. Those look good."
Giving a chuckle, he agrees, "Yes they do Kat…"
Hearing a knock on the window, they look up at the same time to see knocking on the window. After giving a smile, he waves them on in.
Pulling open the front door, Katniss walks in before daddy does. The first thing she notices is how warm it is in there. Then she notices the smells. So many smells that she couldn't even begin to identify them all. Looking around, she notices the counter. Then she sees what is behind the counter peeping out at her.
"Daddy, look. He's at my school."
Following to where Katniss is pointing to, giving a chuckle, "Is he in your class Kat?"
Glancing up at , and then at Peeta, "Yes. He likes to paint."
Chuckling, Mr. Mellark agrees, "Yes… Peeta would have everything painted if we let him."
Looking at Peeta, she saw the way his cheeks grew warm. Walking over to where he could stand beside his dad, he reached for his hand like the way Katniss was still holding on to her dad's. "Hello Katniss." He softly said.
"Hi Peeta."
Looking up at his dad, who was already talking to Katniss's dad about what was in the game bag, he steps closer to her. "Did you see a cupcake in the window that you liked?"
Giving a small smile, she nods. "I liked the daisy and the dandelion one."
Blushing some more, "You know what those flowers are?"
Giggling, she says, "Yes Peeta. Mama and daddy are reading to me in our plant book. Daddy has all the flowers written down in it."
"Can I see it one day?" wide eyed he asks.
"Yes Peeta. You can."
"Would you like a cupcake?"
Looking up at her Daddy, she looks up at him. Seeing that he was still talking to , she says, "Ok I guess?"
Looking behind him, to make sure no else knew what he was doing, he walked over to the front window. Following behind him, she watched to see what he was doing. Turning around to ask her which one she wanted, he jumped a little when he saw how close she was to him. "Which cupcake do you want?"
Since he had the display open, and she could smell them now, she decided that she wanted the dandelion one. "Can I have the dandelion one?"
Smiling at her, he reaches in and carefully pulls it out. Carrying it over to the counter with him, he reaches to get one of the white paper bags under the counter. Pulling the bag open and placing the cupcake in there, he turns to see his dad pulling loaves out too. Reaching under the counter to get another bag for the loaves, he helps his dad put them in the bag. Folding the top down, and smiling another smile at Katniss, he hands her the bag as hands James the bread.
This time with a blush, Katniss says, "Thank you for the cupcake Peeta."
"You're welcome Katniss. I'll see you at school."
Following her dad out the door, she gives him a little wave. He feels a big smile break across his face. Giving a little jump when his dad's hand found his shoulder, "Is that her son? The one who sang that first day?"
Looking up surprised that he remembered what he had told him, he nodded. "Yes dad, that's her. "