"How are you supposed to love our baby when you don't love me?" Effie asked, perched on her bed, phone pressed to her ear, covering the mouthpiece in the intervals between her soft speaking, as she didn't want him to hear her sniffing. The curly wire tangled around her pale finger as she awaited his response.
"I'm not supposed to love you." Haymitch answered, sat on the sofa in his living room. He'd received a letter from Effie, penned in her extravagant calligraphy, explaining their current situation. Effie was three months pregnant. Of course, she'd known just after they'd parted as they did annually, following the games, but she couldn't quite work out what to write. "What d'ya want from me anyway, sweetheart? A congrats on the baby card? A book of baby names? A parenting guide?" He asked, bitter that this child's life would be so difficult.
Effie's end of the line went quiet. Slowly, she responded in a falsely composed, very shaky voice. "I want her to live with you." She said, biting her lip. Before he could protest, she explained her reasoning for this decision. "Haymitch, it's nothing to do with me being a bad mother. It's... My situation. She wouldn't last long in the Capitol. Keep her parentage a secret to the public, well, on my part. She's just some Capitol whore's daughter. This is best kept under wraps." She said, rather vague. She had to be vague, of course her phone line was tapped.
"Would that be in the best interests of... Everyone?" And by everyone, of course Haymitch meant Snow.
"Of course." Effie said, sniffing. "I'll arrive once I'm nine months. Commercial trains don't run often, but the grain deliveries do, every month. I'll have her, she can be yours. Nobody needs to know, except perhaps a doctor."
"She? It's a girl, huh?" Haymitch asked, a small smile playing on his lips. He pushed the horrifying thoughts to the back of his mind; her being Reaped, her mother being tortured or killed, her being turned away by society. Instead, he thought of having his own little girl, of having someone.
"Yes. It is, yes. Perfectly healthy, strong heartbeat." Effie noted, smiling a little and placing her hand over her small stomach. With her extravagant outfits, a pregnancy would be easy to hide. "But, Haymitch, this is not the time to play happy families."
"So, she'll be an Abernathy?" Haymitch said, not having considered his family name ever being passed on after all of the misfortune in his life. He hadn't fully thought of the situation, but at least it would be easy to hide. He was a recluse, nobody would ask questions, and he'd be satisfied with that, even if his child had to grow up in isolation. Isolation was better than being forever on Snow's doorstep.
Effie sighed. "Of course. She's all yours." The escort said, lying back on the bed and feeling horribly empty. "Oh, Haymitch. I promise to send you updates about her and I. When we have to go to the Games next time, will you tell me all about her? Every year after that, as well?" Effie asked, missing her child even though she was still so close to her. "Make sure she knows I love her."
"Sure thing, princess. Anything else whilst I got you on the line? Do you have some weird craving? Strawberries?" Haymitch teased, only able to deal with the uneasy situation through laughing it off, for now anyway.
Effie smiled slightly and sighed, but there was a lighter tone to her voice as she did so. "Lamb, actually. Goodnight, Haymitch." She said.
"Night." The victor responded, putting the phone down. He stared forward for a few minutes, head in his hands, rubbing his eyes. After which, Haymitch stood, gathering every last drop of alcohol in his house and taking it outside. In the cold night he stood, pouring liquor down the street - he had more to live for now.
