Orchid

I had just finished tending to the fire, Peeta was washing up for dinner and father was plating the food. I paused when I thought about it, Peeta was the first guest we have had and the house wasn't even finished yet. There were boxes lying around everywhere, plastic covers over some of the floors where I was still painting and the electric wasn't done in every room. The electric! I panicked. There wasn't a light in the dinning room yet, I went to the kitchen immediately and grabbed a few candles. Just as I blew out the last match and set the three candles along the runner of the table Peeta and father walked in to sit down. I cut some bread and hand it to Peeta.

"I hope you like it, I made it myself. I am sure yours is better though." I hadn't realized I would be baking bread for Peeta. He took a bite to appease my nervousness and said it tasted good, I sighed and took my seat. As we ate my father asked "How did you two stumble upon each other?"

"Well, I was on my way home from picking up a few things for the house in town and with all the snow I got lost. I stumbled into Peeta's bakery on accident thinking I was close to the house. Once I realized I wasn't I got confused and realized I had no idea where I was. Peeta was nice enough to walk me home." I said.

"Hm, not the best adventure for the first day in a new town." My father laughed. "Thank you for helping her Peeta." He added. Peeta just nodded and sipped his stew.

"So, Peeta, I take it you know that we are not District twelve folk?" My father asked.

"Yes, sir I do." Was Peeta's reply. "Orchid was telling me the people in the Capitol didn't trust your family after the uprising in eight?" He asked.

"Yes, President Snow himself sent peacekeepers to our house to keep me busy. Snow showed up a few minutes later, I was too weak to keep him from the house." He looked sorrowfully into his bowl. Orchid reached over and touched his shoulder.

"It's alright father." She whispered to him. " He came into the house and threatened me for speaking against him, as my father walked in Snow had smacked me so hard I fell down." Father got up and excused himself for a moment. "He gets upset because he was powerless to stop Snow when he came and took our family. He felt bad for letting him get to me too. I try to comfort him, but it does nothing." I whispered.

Peeta

I sat staring at her as she told me of Snows visit when Talon came walking back to the table.

"You will have to excuse me." He said "I am still mourning my family." He whispered so low I barely heard him. Orchid and I sat in silence.

"Pardon me for asking, but how long ago was it?" I asked.

"Oh, only about a month or two maybe." Orchid said. She broke from the conversation after that to ask for the bread. I passed it to her and smiled, but when I pulled back my hand i hit a candle. My shirt sleeve had caught the flame and Orchid rushed to my side. She began swatting the flame with her napkin and it went out moments later. She rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a jar of something.

"Sit down." She ordered me. I obeyed.

"I need a closer look at it." She cut up the sleeve of my shirt and their was a small burn on my elbow. As I watched her work the look on her face was amazing. So concentrated and her touch was so delicate. She looked up and caught me staring and stroked my arm, confusing my stare for concern over the wound. She applied a paste to it and wrapped it up carefully.

She stood. "There." She said " That should keep it from infection, I will send some of this home with you when you go."

"Thank you" I said softly.

Then she saw it, the napkin she had charred to pieces was laying on the floor and she stumbled back horrified.

"What is it?" I asked. She shook her head and scrambled to pick up the remains of the tattered napkin. I kneeled down and scooped up a piece handing it to her, looking at her with concern strewn across my face.

"Orchid . . ." I trailed off. I noticed her father for the first time since the fire and as I turned to look at him, wondering what had happened, Orchid ran from the room clutching her napkin. I knew people from the Capitol were emotional, but I never dreamed someone could be so upset over a napkin. Sure, they were nice, but not worth that amount of tears and horror.

I sat down sighing, unsure what to do.

Talon spoke and said "Her mother made it for her years ago. After she passed away Orchid used it at every meal as a way to remember her." I suddenly felt horrible. I had unknowingly taken something so precious from her. Possibly the last thing her mother had given her.

Talon stood and clamped his hand on my shoulder. "Don't feel bad boy. She did it, not you. She will move on." With that he gathered the dishes and went to the kitchen to clean up.

I creeped up the stairs and whispered "Orchid . . . where are you?" I waited for a reply. I didn't receive one, but soft sobs came from a room down the hall. When I reached the door I knocked once softly and entered her room. I sat at the edge of her bed taking in the sight of her shaking with sadness. "I'm sorry, Orchid." I say.

She looks up at me as if noticing me for the first time. She leaned in and laid her face against my chest, as I hold her she begins to cry softly. "Orchid . . ." I begin when she cuts me off.

"It was my mothers, well not hers, but she sewed it for me when I was a child. Her name was Lily." She laughed softly. " My father said I was a spitting image of her, I have her eyes and so he named me after a flower like my mother." I pushed her hair from her face as she sat up. Leaning over to place the napkin on the nightstand next to the bed.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. Laying back in her bed.

"Don't apologize for missing a loved one." I said as I stroked her hair. I pulled the blanket over her and she fell asleep. As I went down stairs Talon was getting ready for bed.

"Good night, Peeta." He called as he walked up the stairs.

"Night sir." I replied. As I looked around I saw Talon had laid out some pajamas for me to wear and had left a pillow and blanket out for me as well. I changed and laid down staring into the fire as I try to sleep. I heard a loud thump from outside and realize a chunk of snow has fallen from the roof.

As I sit thinking of all the snow and my trek home tomorrow I realize how white everything is outside and even in daylight it will be hard not to get lost out there. I miss spring, I think to myself. The colors are so much brighter than the plain white of winter. The orange of sunset, the green of the new leaves and the bright flowers all over the ground around the bakery.

The thought of flowers brings me back, making me think of Orchid again and the nights events. How I clumsily knocked over that candle and burned myself and her, thinking only of me and my safety ruined something she loved to keep me from harm. She wasn't so bad for being from the Capitol, I think to myself. Though she and her father were the only other Capitol people I knew outside those I met through the Games. I never thought someone from the Capitol could be so selfless. With those thoughts I drift off to sleep wondering what will happen tomorrow.