Chapter 13
The break was a welcome reprieve.
Haymitch could hear Effie talking quietly to Troy and Ella outside before Troy excused himself from the house to have a smoke break.
He splashed cold water over his face, releasing a breath and then inhaling deeply once again. He couldn't deny the sense of relief he felt now that his questioning was over even though he knew that that was just the beginning. His answers would still be reviewed by the necessary people. There was no way for him to know how he would measure up to their standard, and if his answers would be enough for them to judge him suitable to be a parent once again.
That brought a scowl to his face. Haymitch gritted his teeth, fingers clenching tight the edges of the marble sink.
Nobody should have the right to judge either his or Effie's ability to be a good parent to their own children. If anybody was allowed to judge, it was Ethan and Tristan, no one else.
The bathroom door opened and closed behind him, followed by Effie's soft footsteps.
"You're tense," she spoke quietly, resting her hand between his shoulder blades.
If he was tense now, it was probably best that she didn't know how he was before.
"Aren't you?" he asked, looking at her through the mirror. "It's your turn after this."
Effie wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheeks on his back.
"I wanted to check on you," she said, letting his question slide. "Why are you hiding in the bathroom?"
"Who said anything 'bout hiding, sweetheart," he said, keeping his tone light as he turned around in her arms. He leaned back against the sink. "I just … needed a moment."
"You need to calm down," she whispered, listening to his erratic heart beating in his chest. "It's over. For you, at least."
"You think I did okay?"
Effie pulled back slightly to look up at him, surprised at the uncertainty in his voice. It was rare for her to get a glimpse of this side of him. She brushed her thumb over his cheek and smiled. "Yes, you did great. There's nothing to worry."
Haymitch exhaled, shoulders sagging in relief.
"What you did back there... Those things that you said 'bout me...They're..."
"If you're trying to say thank you, then you're welcome. But you should know you don't have to - we're a team remember?"
His eyes fell on the golden bangle she wore on the same wrist as his mother's bracelet.
"'Course we are," he mumbled.
The corner of her lips lifted upwards into a happy grin, beaming at him as she raised herself to kiss him sweetly and gently on the lips. A wave of warmth filled him up, rushing through every corner of his body. He tightened his hold on her to kiss her back.
They took their time kissing each other, forgetting just for a small moment what they were going through. He welcomed the distraction, allowing everything to melt into the background as he kissed her with a single minded focus and by some unspoken agreement, Effie did the same. It gave him strength and made him feel invincible to know that come what may, they would face it together. He felt himself slowly unwinding and he held her close, anchoring himself to her.
When they broke apart and he saw her gazing up at him with affection in her eyes, he dipped his head again to kiss the corner of her mouth. He couldn't stop himself. He knew how she tasted and how her kisses were but he couldn't get enough. Haymitch wondered if she knew the power she held over him to be able to annoy him at one moment, support him in the next and calm him down with a touch or a kiss. He didn't mind it at all. That thought would have sent him running years ago but he had come to terms with his feelings for her - he had months to do so; months spent alone in District Twelve to know that the realisation he had the night the law was dissolve was not a fluke or a phase - and he no longer doubt that he did indeed love her.
"All that I said... It's true. I'm proud of you, proud of the person you are now. You've changed so much for our children - for us - and they would be very proud of their father. You are their hero, Haymitch. Ethan and Tristan have nothing but the greatest admiration for you and I'm –"
"Never wanted to be anyone's hero," he chuckled, lips curling into a faint smile. He cupped her face, fingers splayed across her cheek. "You should be proud of yourself, too, sweetheart. Don't downplay your role. You helped - persistent, stubborn and steadfast - got you this, didn't you?"
He winked.
Effie's delighted laughter, a mixture of amusement and pride, filled the room, evaporating the tension that had been present since they returned home.
"I love you, Haymitch," she said once her laughter had tapered off. Effie covered his hand on her cheek. "So much."
"I know," he nodded and dropped a kiss to her forehead. "Now, are we gonna talk 'bout what's gonna happen once we go back out there?"
If she thought he didn't notice how she easily avoided his question earlier, she was mistaken. She was his wife for five years. There were things that he noticed; little sighs and smiles, the way the corner of her eyes crinkle when she was amused or the way she pursed her lips when she was trying hard not to lose her temper with her children.
"You did just fine, Haymitch."
"It wasn't easy, Effs, you know it."
"But you did, so I can, too," she said adamantly. "You worry too much about me - don't."
"Don't?" he snorted. "Doesn't work that way, sweetheart."
She sighed in defeat.
"Listen," Haymitch tilted her chin up. "They're gonna ask personal questions - you already know that - but some of it... They're gonna trigger some bad memories. You got to be strong. I need you to. I'll be right next to you like you were for me but if it's too much, you ask them to stop - " he put his hand up to silence her when she opened her mouth to protest "- if it becomes too much for you. We'll continue it on another day."
"I'll be fine," Effie's eyes flashed with determination. "The longer we put it off, the longer our children will be away from us."
Effie stepped away from him and glanced towards the door.
"We should go. We've been here long enough." His hand on her waist made her stop in her tracks. She turned, eyeing him over her shoulder. "What is it, Haymitch?"
His silvery grey eyes were fixed on her, studying her quietly. Her resolve was admirable but it did nothing to quell the surge of protectiveness that reared its head when it came to matters concerning her or his children. He wanted to walk out of this bathroom and fill her shoes. He would answer those questions on her behalf if she let him but he knew she wouldn't. Protecting Effie was an intricate dance – he was never good at dancing but he was a fast learner – and he had learnt that there would be moments when she would need protection. There were also a myriad of instances when she proved that she could stand up for herself, and she would never appreciate him stepping on her toes.
She was her own woman, so Haymitch backed down. He would be there to catch her should she stumble but otherwise, it was best to leave her be. Except sometimes, she was too blind to see if something was harming her.
"You protect the people that matter. I couldn't protect those I love before but I can do it now," he said gruffly. "I can't just don't do it, sweetheart, it doesn't work that way, you understand? If it looks like it's too much for you to take I'll put a stop to it. It doesn't mean that I think you're weak, it just mean… It just mean…"
Effie's face was frozen. She stared up at him with mild confusion and guarded hope reflecting in her irises.
"Are you saying what I think…"
"I love you," he let the words rolled from his tongue slowly and carefully, foreign from disuse but it carried a sincere affection and meaning in every syllable.
It was a stark contrast against the rush admission after the law was dissolved. She had thought it to be a manipulation on his part to get her to stay in Twelve with the children. He held his breath, desperately needing her to believe him now. He had no agenda, nothing up his sleeves except for a desire to let her know that he reciprocated her feelings and he had for a long time now.
Her expression thawed over. Effie gave him a smile so genuinely sweet it made his throat tightened and his breath hitched. Then to his confusion, she began laughing and crying at the same time.
"Haymitch," she sighed his name into his neck as she pulled him into a hug. "I think I might cry."
"Don't," he said. "What would they think if you come out with your eyes red?"
"That I'm happy – people cry when they're happy, it's not a foreign concept."
He rolled his eyes but held her tight.
"I don't," he retorted.
"Unfortunately, that isn't true," she released him, a slow smirk spreading across her face. "When you finally made it to the hospital and I told you we had a baby boy, you cried then."
"Did I?" he raised an eyebrow only to drop his voice when she crossed her arms and glared at him. "Don't tell the boys that. They don't need to know."
"That deep inside you're a softie? Your secret is safe with me," she said with mock seriousness before sealing her promise with another kiss.
"Hmmm," he hummed and broke off the kiss before it could lead to something else. "Come on, sweetheart, they're waitin'."
Effie didn't move. She stood in his way with a silly grin on her face that made him want to kiss it away. "Say it again," she requested. "I want to hear it."
He sighed, knowing that sometimes it was useless to argue with her and it would be so much easier to indulge her at times. Now was one of those times. "I love you," he said it, firmly and with conviction, liking how it sounded the second time round.
"You've made me so very happy - I won't forget this day," she vowed and he didn't think he would either.
Haymitch guided her by the elbow towards the door and that was when she looked around them. Her shoulders started to shake as she laughed. "It had to be in the toilet, though, didn't it, Haymitch? Always the romantic," she teased.
XxX
Effie's questioning started out the same way as his. She was asked the same set of general questions involving Tristan and Ethan, and her feelings for them before the questions evolved to those tailored to her case.
"The report that was filed says that you are - I quote - mentally unstable which makes you a risk, unfit to have custody of your children. Do you agree with what it says?"
"No, of course, I don't," Effie refute. "I gave birth to my children four years ago and I think… I think I've done a good job at being their mother," she glanced over at Haymitch and he gave a curt nod. "I'm not a risk to them, mentally or otherwise. My children are not afraid of me or of Haymitch, and they have no reason to be."
"From what I've seen, they don't look like frightened children," Troy reassured her. "As part of our investigation into you, we have taken a look at some of your records - your background information, your family history, your employment history and also what happened to you during the Rebellion."
Effie shifted in her seat, her mind conjuring up the image of her file, the same file Haymitch smuggled right under her nose and peruse in his attempt to help her which had now since been handed over to Plutarch to be archived.
"And your questions are pertaining to my imprisonment?"
"Yes - well, no. We're more interested to know how your experience in prison impacts your life on a daily basis and in that vein, the lives of your children."
Haymitch's eyes darted away from Troy to Effie, watching her reaction to that question carefully. Her fingers danced across her lap before she covered them with her hands.
"There are... There are things I've seen and things done to me during that time that I could never forget, and it manifests itself in the form of nightmares, sometimes random bouts of flashbacks and panic attacks. They were severe during the first few years after the war."
"How frequently do you have these nightmares or flashbacks?"
Her laugh was twisted with derision. "That's not a question I can give you a proper, definitive answer to. It's difficult to say, it's not something I can control."
"Am I allowed to jump in here and answer that question?" Haymitch asked, leaning forward slightly in his seat and when Troy gestured for him to proceed, he said, "While we were married, I noticed that her nightmares became more frequent or got worse when she's under a lot of pressure; the first few nights after we got married and she relocated to Twelve or when the tabloids printed articles 'bout her or when weren't allowed to bring the children home after she gave birth. It's those kind of things."
"Or when certain time of the year comes around -," Effie added, "- the day when the Reaping were usually held before the Games were destroyed, for example. With Haymitch and my children around, I seldom have nightmare anymore. It has reduced in terms of frequency. They keep me grounded, they keep me… They keep me focused."
There was a slight pause. The only sound was the scratching of pen on paper as the officers noted Effie's answers down and when they were done, the questioning resumed.
"How about your panic attacks? How bad are they?
"They're the same with my nightmares – there's usually a trigger. As to how bad it is…. Crowded places makes me feel trapped but being alone in an extremely quiet room throws me back to my… time in prison. When these happen, my palms get sweaty, my heart rate increases, it's difficult to breathe but as long as I remove myself from that situation, I'll usually calm down. But with two growing boys," Effie managed a laugh, trying to keep the situation light despite the questions, "a quiet house is difficult to come by, and if it's quiet, there's something that they're up to."
Troy chuckled. "My mother used to say the same about me and my sister! Quiet means trouble. Now, Effie, when was the last attack - are you able to tell me?"
Her brows crinkled, trying to remember.
"Morning the law was dissolved – when she read about it in the papers," Haymitch answered. "Nothin' since then."
Ella smiled at that but Haymitch thought he could see a hint of condescension when she asked, "And how can you be so sure of it, Haymitch? You've been living separately since the end of the law."
"He calls me every day to check on us and find out how we are," Effie countered. "I tell him everything and if I had an attack, he would know."
"Very well," Ella inclined her head, accepting the answer. "Now, has your panic attack ever been so severe that it renders you incapable of looking after your children?"
"You know the answer to that," Effie said quietly. "That was the basis of the report that Elias filed."
"I need you to tell us," Troy spoke softly, encouraging her. "Take your time, there's nothing to rush."
Haymitch reached out and squeezed her knee, "it's alright, sweetheart. You should tell them."
It was something she regretted as surely as he regretted missing out of Tristan's birth and because of that, Haymitch had never brought it up. He never wanted her to feel as if she should be blamed because he knew if it things had been different Effie would have been present.
"I missed their first birthday. I couldn't celebrate my children turning one because I was… I was not well," she whispered. "I was locked in my room for days and days on end, and I couldn't … I wasn't there for them."
"She makes it up to them every year. The cupcakes gets more outrageous as the year pass," Haymitch smirked.
"It was a rainbow cupcake, Haymitch," she said in exasperation. They had argued good-naturedly about the cupcakes before and it was the right topic because the fire was back in her eyes. "There's nothing outrageous about it."
"Rainbow cupcakes was all the rage last year, if I recall, and rightfully so – they are aesthetically pleasing," Ella chimed in enthusiastically, effectively taking Effie's side.
Effie tilted her head at Haymitch, all smug and victorious. On any other day, he would take a jab at her and tease her but today, he allowed her this moment. It was good to see her this way when they were in the middle of an emotionally gruelling questioning.
"Who cared for the children during that period?" Troy asked, pulling them all back on track.
"It fell on Haymitch to care for them on his own. He rose to the occasion and he did everything – cared for me and for his children. It must have been difficult for you," she turned towards him, bright blue eyes shining with apology.
"You're giving me too much credit," he joked. "Katniss and Peeta helped where they could."
"Haymitch told me every single day that the children needed me and that they missed me. He'd talk to me at night after putting the children to sleep. He'd bring the boys to me every morning to remind me of what I have and what was waiting for me. Without Haymitch and without my children, I would be in a very bad state. He pulled me out and the thought of my two babies gave me the strength to get out of bed each morning. Haymitch didn't just stop there – he got me help and because of that, I never had any relapse as bad as that one."
"I couldn't see her that way – I had to do somethin' but it was mostly all her," Haymitch shrugged when Troy and Ella looked at him, waiting for him to refute or confirm Effie's story. "She'd tell you she was lost but that's not true. She wasn't lost, not to me. She was always there. I just needed to remind her of who she was. She stumbled. That's all. But she fought her way back to us all on her own – you gotta give her that," he gestured at Effie. Haymitch had never spoken highly of anyone and he wasn't in the habit of giving praises lightly but Effie deserved every bit of admiration that he had for her. "Never missed a session with her psychiatrist, did everything he asked her to do, took her meds till she didn't need them anymore. She did everything to get better for the boys."
"Your psychiatrist… It says here that you've been receiving treatment from Dr. Exton?" Troy clarified, consulting his notes.
"Yes, that'll be correct. I still call him once a week just to talk to him. He's been very helpful especially recently when I moved back to the City, and I needed to talk it out. He's become a family friend."
"Are you aware of this?" Ella addressed the question to Haymitch.
"That she talks to her doctor? Yeah, I knew," Haymitch shrugged. "It's good that she does."
"Earlier you said that you never had a relapse as bad as three years ago. Does this mean that you did have some kind of relapse after that incident?"
"No," Effie confirmed. She said it with confident and with pride. "No, never had a relapse. What I had was what I told you earlier, just small moments of anxiety during the morning after the law ended. I'm sure we all had them at some point in our lives, moments when we're unsure of the future and it gets to you."
"Excellent, that's good to know. You're doing so well, Effie. We're nearly reaching the end," Ella informed her. "I'm going to ask you the same question we asked Haymitch earlier today – have you ever acted in a violent manner towards the children that would put them at risk of physical, psychological and emotional harm?"
The answer was already at the tip of her tongue when she froze. The memories flashed through her mind, throwing her back to a time years ago in an inn at District Two. Her eyes trailed over to the kitchen and Haymitch followed her line of sight to see that she was looking at a pair of scissors, and it clicked for him. He knew what she was thinking. He could see that scene playing in his mind's eyes clear as crystal – Effie with a scissors clutched in her hand that was raised above her head. He saw himself turning his back to her, shielding the children from harm. That scene was seared in his mind and he was very certain that it was the same for her.
Haymitch saw her worked her jaw, trying to get the words out.
"No, never happened," he answered on her behalf. His fingers curled over her warm palm, a silent move to assure her and to warn her not to say anything.
It was a lie but it was merely one incident. Nothing of that sort had ever happened again. The children were too young to remember it or to feel fear and he had been there to stop her. He could say with some measure of confidence now that there would not be a repeat. Effie was different than she was before. She was better at handling her emotions and she was not a slave to her memories any longer. She had learnt to sift the memories from reality, just as Peeta had. It took years but they had progressed so much since then.
"I won't hurt them," Effie said firmly. "I could never forgive myself if I did."
There was a calculating glint in Troy's eyes as they darted over the pair of them. Haymitch leaned back in his seat with an easy smile, the same smile he put on when he needed to be charming for sponsors. Next to him, Effie mimicked his stance. They had played this game for years and somewhere along the way, without them ever taking notice, they became a well-oiled machine.
Effie placed the cherry on the cake by saying, "I might have scared them when I raised my voice at them or their father in exasperation. It wasn't intentional but sometimes they do drive me up the wall. I could spend the entire morning cleaning the house only to have them make a mess in a blink. Ethan loved his geese and when he's done playing with them, he would run back into the house with mud on his shoes and Tristan, once, coloured the walls with his crayons. We had to have it repainted which was a whole new set of mess and nightmare. Can you imagine the trouble those two get into? Haymitch indulges them but someone has to set the rules and maintain the discipline in the house and that person is me."
"No one can teach you how to be a parent," she spoke, "but I learn as I go and my children have taught me tremendously. They taught me to be selfless, to always place their needs above mine, and to love unconditionally. I never thought it was possible to love anyone more than myself but they taught me that. My children are the best thing to happen to me. It's a rewarding career," Effie shrugged, and smiled. "I just want them back. We need them back with us."
That at least, was not a lie.
Ella capped her pen and closed her file which prompted Troy to do the same.
"One last question," Troy said despite Haymitch thinking that the questioning was over. "Off the record but in the interest of you children, what are your plans once custody is returned to you? Will the previous arrangements remain? Haymitch, will you be returning to Twelve and making weekly trip to visit to your children?"
"I want them all back in Twelve. That's where home is but it's something that Effie and I need to talk more about," he glanced at Effie out of the corner of his eyes. "Right now, our focus is in getting our children back."
"Don't get us wrong, it's just that we've seen the way the both of you acted towards each other throughout this questioning," Ella gave them a smile, trying to word her next sentence carefully, "and it looks like you're very much happy together. I don't wish to assume anything, of course, but I believe it will be in best interest of your children to have their family together. That would be the ideal scenario but it's not necessarily practical with some family, especially considering the circumstances of your marriage. It's understandable if you don't wish to renew it."
"We – We haven't talked about it. After the law was repealed, we just needed some time apart to think over it and then this happened. Like what Haymitch said, our children are more important right now, but we love each other and we love our children, so…" Effie trailed off. "Please, just get us Tristan and Ethan back."
We love each other…
That sounded pleasant to his ears. Effie had never said it like that. He had never given her a reason to until today.
"I understand, of course. We hoped custody will be returned to you, too, but that is not up to us. We're only allowed to give our recommendation together with our report for review. In the meantime, that should be all for today. There will be other officers who will be taking statements from people you know," he informed them, "for purposes of collaboration, to make sure all the stories add us. We have a list of people to interview on hand but in the spirit of fairness, is there anyone in particular that you want us to talk to in order to strengthen your case?"
Troy and Ella could not divulge the names of the individuals on their interview list so Haymitch and Effie gave them a list which includes Peeta and Katniss in Twelve; Felix and Johanna, although Haymitch was sure they would already have been on Troy's list; Plutarch; Greasy Sae and finally, Dr. Exton to give evidence on Effie's mental health which Haymitch was certain was amongst those already included in the original list.
"One other thing that you should know, your behaviour will be monitored, not while you're in your house, of course, but usually during visiting weekends with your children. You won't notice it. It'll be discreet. We only disclose this on a case to case basis – you're one of the exceptions. It may feel like an intrusion of your privacy but – "
"Do it," Haymitch interrupted. "Do whatever that needs to be done. Hell, I'll even submit to a breathalyzer every day if you really need proof of how much alcohol I consume. I'll do that as long as I get my children back at the end of this."
XxX
Haymitch had been waiting for Saturday morning for days. He parted the curtains to see the street lamps had been turned off as the sun filtered through the clouds and the birds flitted from branch to branch, chirping a sweet melody.
"Wake up," he crawled back to bed to whisper in her ear. He kissed the corner of her mouth. "You gotta wake up now."
"The cereal's in the second cupboard and there's milk in the fridge," she mumbled and turned away from him. "If you're hungry and want breakfast, go. Don't disturb me."
"I'm not hungry for that," he kissed her temple and the tip of her nose before lazily pressing kisses on her lips. "You'll be late. You'll make the boys wait."
"The boys," she shot up, pushing him away in the process. "It's today! We must hurry, Haymitch, oh, they must be so excited!"
Effie was ready in record time and they left the house, heading towards Felix's. When they arrived, Troy and Ella was already waiting at the lobby with the two boys.
"Mama!" Tristan's face beamed with delight and he let go of Ella's hand to skip towards his mother.
Effie lifted her son off the ground and spun him around, laughing happily.
"My little prince," she pressed her face to his neck. "Oh, my darling Tristan, I've missed you so terribly."
Seeing his mother occupied with his brother, Ethan ran straight for Haymitch and jumped on him, rough and without a single care that his father could topple over.
"I miss you very much," Ethan gushed enthusiastically as he framed his father's face with his small, chubby hands. "I want kisses, dada!"
Haymitch couldn't very well deny his son that so he kissed the boy and held him close. "You smell of Uncle Felix," Haymitch grumbled.
Ethan giggled. "Uncle Felix let me use his body butter when he helped me shower today! It's icky – I don't like it."
"Finding out what you like ain't easy, is it, tiger?" Haymitch teased. "Tell me somethin' that you like."
"I like you and mama and Tristan," he pointed out. "I like Dasher and my toys. I like lots of things! But I don't like Aunt Jo singing my night-night song. Not like mama."
Haymitch burst out laughing. "Did your ears bleed when Johanna started singing?"
"Haymitch!" Effie exclaimed when she overheard his question as she came to stand next to him.
It was promptly ignored when Haymitch caught sight of Tristan in Effie's arms. "Hey, peanut," he reached out and touched the boy's back. "You still mad at me?"
Tristan tilted his head before shaking them and stared at his father expectantly. He blinked slowly, long eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks with his thumb jammed into his mouth, a habit Effie was desperately trying to stop.
"So come here then," Haymitch beckoned and Tristan wriggled out of his mother's embrace so his father could carry him.
"What should you say to your father?" Effie prompted.
"'m sorry, dada," he mumbled.
"I'm sorry, too, peanut."
Haymitch spoke quietly to Tristan, glad to have this moment with his son. It didn't take long for Tristan to loop his arms around Haymitch's neck and snuggle up to him. Haymitch rubbed his back. It put him at ease to know that Tristan didn't hate him. It was true what people said, children seldom bear grudges.
"Alright, what shall we do today?" Effie asked, directing the question to her children once they left Felix's building.
Ethan glanced over at his brother and when there was nothing forthcoming, he jumped up and down excitedly on his feet, "I wanna go to the playground!"
"Tristan? How about you? Do you want to go to the playground, too?"
"Dada will push me on the swings?" he asked.
"Yeah," Haymitch answered.
The time they took walking from Felix's building to the playground at the park was filled with Ethan's incessant chatter. He told them stories after stories.
"We went to the pool! It's so big, mama! More big than the lake at our house."
"Bigger," Effie corrected. "Bigger than the lake."
"Bigger," he nodded. "Aunt Jo won't swim. She just watched."
Effie smiled at him. "Maybe she's tired."
"Then we went to see a movie! It's in this big, big, dark room! Uncle Felix said if the lights are on we can't watch. We had to be real quiet 'cause Uncle Felix said it's… it's eti… eti….ummm."
"Etiquette," Effie helped him out. "It's your manners when you watch a movie – how you should behave. Did you write that down in your vocabulary book?"
Ethan nodded again. "We didn't forget our manners. We sat quietly and watch. Can we go again but with you and dada?"
"Oh, that's an excellent suggestion, sweetie. What do you think, Haymitch? Shall we bring the children for a movie next week?"
"Sure," he shrugged. Haymitch had not been paying much attention to Ethan's conversation. He was trying to hold his own with Tristan but the boy had been monosyllabic ever since he had asked Haymitch to carry him, claiming he was tired of walking. "Why are you so quiet, peanut?"
He dragged his eyes lazily to look at his father. "I can see you again tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow's Sunday, so, yeah – we'll go out again."
Throughout the day, there was an uneasy feeling at the pit of his stomach. He caught Effie looking worriedly at Tristan a few times, too. The child sat with Effie on the bench after Haymitch failed to coax him into joining Ethan on the swings. He watched his father and brother under heavy lidded eyes before eventually falling asleep on Effie's lap.
Haymitch finally said it. Yay. I rewrote that bit three times because the first felt like he was sappy, and I didn't like it. I also didn't want to write Effie breaking apart in her interview. I wanted her to be a little vulnerable but strong
This was a very long chapter and I didn't want to break it into two parts bc I know it'll frustrate you guys. So please leave a review cause it will really make my day. :) thanks for reading!