My eye lids flutter open to the soft golden rays of sun light streaming in from my window.
Gale's still asleep; I can see the soft rise and fall of his chest.
I decide I like waking up next to him.
I roll out of bed as nimbly as I can and tip toe out of the room.
I see Annie has made it home already.
"Good morning."
"Good Morning, Johanna. How did your night go? I'm assuming since Gale's not on the couch, it went well?"
I chuckle softly "Yeah, it went very well. Thank you for everything."
"Oh I didn't do anything" she waves her right hand in the air, as if swatting away a fly.
"Well…. Thank you anyway. You're home early."
"Yeah, Finnick, Jr. still gets up at the crack of dawn to eat, so I figured I'd come home after he finished."
"Where is little Finney anyway?"
"He's taking a nap in his crib."
"Lucky little boy."
"Yeah, wish I could go back to sleep too but it's impossible."
"Well maybe later this afternoon I can watch him for you, if you want to go rest or try to nap or something."
She looks at me skeptically…."Okay who are you? And what have you done with Johanna Mason?"
"What? I can't offer to baby sit my favorite nephew?" I try to restrain the giggles threatening to bubble out of me.
"You must have had a really good night. Are you gonna spill the beans or what?"
"Well….I made him dinner. It was roast beef with seasoned potatoes and vegetables."
"…..and" she urges me on.
"….and we hardly ate it. He brought me a flower and we made out."
"…..anddddddddd?"
"….and…..and then we kindda slept together."
"How do you kindda sleep with someone?"
"Okay fine! We banged each other's brains out! Happy?" I can't help the smirk that plasters across my face.
"Are YOU happy about it? No regrets?"
"None. I was so happy last night; you know, after, I didn't know what to do with myself."
"I'm so excited for you guys Johanna." She for some reason crosses the kitchen and engulfs me in a hug. "You both deserve to be happy."
"Thanks Annie." I pull her back. "I'll make breakfast, okay?"
She floats off to her room and I start getting pancake mix out, and start the stove.
I make the batter and pour the mix into the skillet and start chopping strawberries up.
I attempt to flip my first one but it just folds in half so I have to scrap it.
After a couple tries I get really good at flipping the pancakes efficiently.
I start stacking the golden circles on top of the other when Gale finally comes out of the room.
"Good morning" I practically chirp at him.
"Morning" He smiles.
"Ummm….just to let you know, Annie's home already so you might want to think about putting pants on."
"Okay" He grabs his bag from the side of the couch and goes back into my room.
I turn the stove off and flip the last pancake on top of the stack.
Gale comes back in some kind of loose fitting shorts with an elastic waistband.
"Need me to help with anything?" He asks.
"Nope, just sit. I'll go get Annie."
I place the stack of pancakes in the middle of the table, and then go back to the counter and return with the bowl of chopped strawberries and a beaker full of thick syrup and place them next to the pancakes.
I see Gale get up and grab the plates and forks that I forgot and put them on the table as I make my way to Annie's room.
I knock on the door but she doesn't answer.
I creek the door open a crack, thinking maybe she did actually fall asleep but I hear soft sobs coming from her bed instead.
I squeeze in and shut the door behind me.
"Annie?"
I hear a sniff and a forced pleasant "yes?"
"Annie, what's the matter?"
I hear another sniff as I flip her light switch on.
She sitting on the edge of her bed, looking over at Finney's crib with tears running down her cheeks.
My heart skips a beat thinking something might be wrong with him, but as I make my way to her bed I see Finney sleeping peacefully in his crib.
I sit next to her and take her right hand in both of mine.
"What is it Annie?" I ask again.
"It's just that, I miss Finnick so badly, Johanna. Every day I have this reminder of him and I know Finnck, Jr. will never get to know the man I loved so much."
I can feel my stupid eyes start to sting again at her pain. I don't know what to say to her, but I try.
"I know Annie, I miss him too. But we have Finney here, he's the reason Finnick fought in the war Annie, he died to allow his child live in a better world."
Her voice cracks and she squeaks out "I know, it just hurts so bad." She sniffs again.
I do the only thing I can and allow her to lean her head against my left shoulder. I run my fingers through her hair, hoping it will soothe her in some way.
After a few minutes she starts to calm down and sits up.
I run my thumb across her tear stained cheeks.
"Come on, Annie. Let's go have breakfast." I try to smile encouragingly at her.
"I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay." I pat her hands and exit her room.
Gale's nearly done with his plate when I sit at the table next to him.
He gives me a concerned look and asks if everything's okay.
I just shake my head no and put a pancake on my plate. I've lost my appetite and just push my pancake around with my fork.
"What happened?" Gale asks.
I drop my voice and say "Annie, she's really upset about Finnick today."
"Finnick, Jr? What's the matter with him?"
"No, not Finney; Finnick. She misses him."
"Oh"
We fall silent and I attempt a couple of bites, but I'm just not into it.
Gale finishes his food and rinses his plate in the sink.
"Want a drink?" He asks me.
I shrug "I guess."
He pours himself a glass of goat milk, and then pours a cup for me and one for Annie.
He puts my cup in front of me and puts Annie's down at her empty place setting, before sitting back down in his chair with his own.
He seems to be thinking about something; he just keeps circling his index finger around and around the rim of his cup. He pauses to take a sip and then continues his circling.
Annie eventually comes out and joins us for breakfast.
Of course shortly after she sits down to eat Finney starts wailing for her.
I tell her to eat and I go get Finney from his crib myself.
I change his diaper and get him dressed for the day before sitting him on my hip and heading back out into the kitchen.
I sit Finney up on the counter, wrapping my hands around his ribs.
I put my mouth to his neck and pretend to gobble him up.
He just squeals in delight, and then chews on his fists; effectively drooling all down his outfit and my thumbs.
Gale's washing the sticky dishes and Annie's just pushing her single pancake around her plate.
I'm going to have to think of something to cheer her up.
By late afternoon, I have completely taken Finney over; with the exception of feeding time, since I can't do that.
I give Annie time to rest and hopefully pull herself back together.
Gale and I have Finney out back at the shore line, heavily coated in some kind of skin protectant ointment, at Annie's insistence.
I have him sitting in the sand between my legs, resting his back against my stomach.
He kicks his little feet every time the water comes up and soaks him to the waist. I wonder if babies born in District 4 are just born knowing how to swim?
I place my hands behind me and lean back on the support of my arms; soaking up the sun and letting my legs and butt get soaked in the tide.
Gale is further down the beach. I can't really tell if he's collecting shells, or what he's doing but I see him bending down every few feet or so and picking things up.
After a few minutes have passed I decide to take Finney into the water. Bet the little fish would have no complaints about that.
I pick him up, putting my hands under his arm pits, before sitting him on my hip and walking us slowly into the ocean; fully clothed.
He clings onto me at first but it only takes him a few seconds to adjust and start kicking his legs on either side of me and then start splashing his little fists onto the water's surface.
I slowly spin us around in circles, and jump slightly with the small waves.
I tickle his side and he leans into me, giggling his cute little bronze head off.
"Look at you Miss. 'I don't know the first thing about babies'" Gale says to me, his feet caked in sand, holding a large pile of beach wood.
"What's with the wood?" I ask, making my way out of the water.
"I wanted to try to make a trident for Annie. Maybe it will help cheer her up? What do you think?"
"I think it's a great idea."
"Good, I need whatever you can get me that would be useable for string, maybe seaweed or something?"
"Okay" I say, as Gale puts the wood on the ground and extends his arms for Finney.
Finney doesn't even hesitate, he practically squirms out of my arms to get into Gale's; trader.
Gale takes him into the house while I start searching for something we can use for string.
I make my way up the beach, coming up empty handed.
When I make it to the pier I see they have some twine wrapped around each of the pillars. They really don't need ALL that twine. So I unravel some and make my way back to the house.
Gale's already working on the trident when I get back.
"Where did Finney go?" I ask.
"He fell asleep. I went to go change him and he conked right out as soon as I got him out of his wet clothes."
"I hope you didn't put him to bed naked, Annie won't appreciate having him pee all over his crib." I jokingly tell him.
"Well lucky for you ladies, I'm not a complete idiot. I did put him in a diaper before I laid him in the sink. That is where babies are supposed to sleep? Right?"
"Gale!" I giggle at him.
"He's in his crib, now can we work on this or what? What did you find for string?"
I hold out the twine to him, and he seems impressed with my find.
"That's perfect! Now help me line this up."
We spend the next hour trying to put together a decent looking trident. Gale says it doesn't have to be functional; it just has to look like it's useable.
Luckily the sun dries my clothes off in the process; leaving them still slightly damp but nothing noticeable for me to bother with.
The trident comes along nicely. We make the handle really long and tie together three pieces of beach wood forking off at the top. The twine holds everything together really well.
"Looks good" I tell him.
We hide it in the bushes on the side of the house and make our way back inside.
Annie seems better, she's knitting again anyway and not in her room.
"How's Finney?" I ask.
"Good, he's still sleeping. I'm thinking of waking him up soon though, it's getting late and he won't sleep tonight."
"It's okay, let him sleep. If anything I'll stay up with him, Annie."
"Thanks Johanna, you've been very…..understanding today." She smiles at me. I take this as a good sign.
"No problem."
The afternoon quickly fades into the evening and Annie flutters to the kitchen to make dinner, Gale's in the shower and I have Finney on his tummy on the floor with me.
I make silly faces at him and he just roll's over on his back and giggles and coo's up at me.
I tickle his belly and ribs, this makes him laugh harder.
He's starting to grow on me.
I give him a teething ring to chew on and go help Annie in the kitchen. Since it's an open kitchen we can still keep an eye on Finney.
"Are you feeling better?" I ask taking the cheese grater from her and start grating cheese into a bowl.
"Yeah, I am. I think I just needed the break." She replies as she puts a large pot of water on the stove to boil.
"Good, I'm glad I was of assistance. If you ever need a break in the future, let me know, me and Finney had an awesome time together."
She just smiles at me.
"I can't help but feeling responsible." I finally let out the guilt that has been eating at me all day.
"What? What on earth for?" She asks me.
I listen for the running water of the shower before telling her "Just…you know…with what happened with Gale last night, and then I just kind of shoved it in your face, without thinking about it. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad about Finnick. I really do miss him, Annie. And I know he would be so proud of you. You are an amazing mother."
I can see her eyes glaze over with tears but she insists her missing Finnick had nothing to do with the situation between Gale and me.
We talk a while longer while she drops noodles into the boiling water, stirring near constantly.
Since Gale got out of the shower and dressed, he has been playing with Finney on the floor.
We put the cooked noodles in a pan and sprinkle the grated cheese all over it before popping it in the oven.
"Okay, the cheese just needs to melt and dinner will be ready." She announces.
"Good," Gale says. "Johanna and I have a surprise for you anyway."
He goes outside to retrieve our hidden gift and I lead Annie to the back door with my hands over her eyes.
"What are you two doing?"
"You'll see," I whisper to her.
I see Gale come back holding the trident in his left hand, allowing the open door to frame him.
"Okay," He says. "On the count of three."
"One" He starts.
"Two" I butt in.
"Three," we say together and I remove my hands from Annie's eyes.
She gasps aloud and runs to Gale, snatching the trident out of his hand.
"Oh my god! It's beautiful! Where did you guys find this?"
"We made it," Gale says.
"Well, Gale mostly made it; I just helped with the twine." I add.
"I absolutely love it! You guys are so thoughtful."
I can't help but think to myself, it was Gale's idea too.
She engulfs Gale in a bone cracking hug before she wraps her arms around me too.
She can't get the smile off her face all throughout dinner.
