Chapter 29
Three days before the toasting, in an attempt to replicate the ceremony in its true essence, Felix kicked everyone out of the Abernathy's house.
"Haymitch, you will live with Katniss and Peeta over at their house."
"You can't throw me out of my own house," Haymitch retorted.
He stood at the kitchen island with one hand propped on his hip. In the other, he held a fork which he was currently using to violently spear bits of chicken. The sharp clink of the fork against the plate made Felix wince each time and wrinkle his nose.
Please take a seat when you're eating. A proper gentleman would do that."
"Like I said," Haymitch chewed loudly. "My house, my rules. If I want to eat that chicken," he gestured at the plate with his fork, "while I'm standing then I'll do so."
"You're setting a bad example to your children," Effie said, rubbing her temple. "Sit down!"
"Look, I don't see how all of us leaving this house will make it "new" again in time for the toasting but can we just do as he says?" Johanna growled, frustrated beyond belief with the same topic of conversation that they had been circling on for hours now.
"I agree with what Jo said about trying to make this house feel new," said Haymitch. "Just 'cause we won't be living it in for three days, it doesn't make it new. It's still gonna be the same old house."
"Your imagination is severely limited," Felix huffed. "You have my utmost sympathies. Would you rather buy a new house? I think not."
"Okay," Haymitch inhaled deeply, "who died and made you king, Felix?"
Felix folded his hands in front of him, covering the notepad filled with his scribbles on all the detailed plans for the toasting.
"I just want to make sure everything is perfect for Effie. She deserves – "
"Felix, please," Effie pleaded.
"- only the best, and yes, Haymitch, you are good for my cousin, I admit that. But let's not forget that the first time was less than stellar. Don't you want Effie to remember this day forever? It is an important day for you and for her. Your children will grow up remembering this day. This isn't about me taking control – don't think of it that way. This is about Effie."
They stared at each other. It wasn't lost on Haymitch what Felix was trying to do. It was a long while before Haymitch spoke.
"That's low but you're good," Haymitch chuckled. He turned towards Effie. "I'm only doing this for you. If it was up to me, our toasting will be a simple thing."
So the arrangement came to be that since Annie was already living in one of the empty houses in Victor's Village with Finn and Ari, Effie and Johanna would stay with them. Haymitch would live with Katniss and Peeta. Finn decided that he wanted to help Peeta with the baking so Annie let him move to Peeta's house. The twins looked up to Finn and tended to follow whatever Finn was up to, so the boys stayed with their father.
Effie occupied her time with Prim and Ari. She brushed their hair and tried on Prim's old clothes on Ari. Each time Johanna caught her with them, she would roll her eyes.
"Does Haymitch know?"
"Know what?" Effie barely glanced at Johanna, distracted as she was with the scorpion braid she was trying on Ari.
"That you want a baby girl," Johanna told her bluntly.
Effie gasped, releasing her hold on the girl's hair. The braid unravelled. "Don't be preposterous. My pregnancy with the boys was already complicated. It would be… It'd be unwise to try again and even if we try… There's no guarantee that it'll be a girl."
Johanna shrugged. "Suit yourself."
On the morning of the toasting, Annie volunteered to make breakfast but soon found Effie commandeering the kitchen in an attempt to ward off the nervous energy.
"Has Haymitch taken his breakfast?" Effie asked when the kitchen began filling up.
Peeta and Haymitch were not in attendance and she assumed that was because of the rule they had all agreed on (a rule nobody consulted she or Haymitch in the first place) that the bride and the groom were not to see each other on the day of the toasting.
Her question went unanswered and it soon became clear to her that nobody was paying her any attention. Johanna was arguing loudly with Felix across the breakfast table about his need to make alterations to her dress again. Ethan had climbed on to the table with the flowers he had plucked from Peeta's garden to dump them into a small vase while Tristan and Finn were eating jam straight out of the jar. Annie and Katniss were deep in conversation.
"Did anyone – " Effie inhaled deeply.
"Your dress looks like it came from the last century!" Felix retorted.
"Fine," Johanna snapped. "Maybe I'll just attend the toasting naked!"
"Me, too!" Ethan grinned.
Effie slammed the pan loudly on the stove. Annie jumped. Katniss stared at her. The others fell silent.
"Nobody will attend my toasting naked. Now, I'm going to ask again, has Haymitch taken his breakfast?"
"He was still sleeping when I left my house," Katniss answered.
"Sleeping? But he needs to get ready! I've gone through the schedule with him the day before," Effie cried in dismay. The note of hysteria on her voice was not lost on anyone. "There are a lot of things to do before the toasting and he cannot still be sleeping! I need to see him. I'll wake him up and make sure -"
"No!" there was a collective objection. "Not on the day of the toasting. We all agreed."
"I got it," Peeta announced cheerily as he entered the kitchen. He caught the empty plate that Johanna sent flying in his direction and began loading food on it. "The cake is turning out beautifully, Effie," he told her. "I've been up since six this morning getting it ready. I'm going to wake Haymitch up soon. We might be about half an hour behind your schedule but we'll be okay. We'll catch up with your schedule in no time. Now, who's coming with me to have breakfast with Uncle Haymitch?"
"Felix is going," Johanna volunteered him, pushing him out of his chair. "Take him with you."
"You boys go too," Annie ushered the twins. "Remind your dada that your mother wants him to eat."
"Bye, Mama!" Tristan waved his sticky fingers at her.
"Bye, baby," Effie raised her hand to wave, "say hello to dada for me."
XxX
Finn pressed his face on the window of Peeta's house. Seconds later, so did Ethan. Seeing them, Ari took off in a run with the full intention of joining the boys.
"Ari!" Felix reacted, grabbing hold of her hand. "Ari, darling, no, no, you stay right here with Prim. There's no need to be running around. You'll be perspiring and you'll ruin your whole look."
Felix gave Prim strict instructions to hold tight to Ari's hand. Prim nodded, taking the task seriously. Katniss seemed bemused by her daughter's antics. Annie stood close to Effie and when Effie glanced at her nervously, she squeezed Effie's hand.
"They're late."
"We're early," replied Annie.
"Katniss, did you remember to tell Peeta that Haymitch's shirt is – "
"The blue one," Katniss finished. "Yes."
"And did you tell him to – "
"to tell Haymitch to shave? Yes, I did," Katniss said, exasperated. She threw a look over Effie's shoulder at Johanna.
"Okay," Effie breathed out. "Okay."
Effie was quiet for all but two minutes before she found something else to fret over. "Oh, I wished you had let me dress the boys! Now I don't know if they look – "
"For fuck's sake!" Johanna snapped. "Felix got it under control. Relax already. You know if Felix's in-charge of making sure everyone's dressed as they're supposed to then it's going to be fine."
The small group stood outside the gates of the Abernathy's house, waiting. Moments later, across from them, the door to Peeta's house swung open. Tristan and Ethan emerged and when they saw Effie, they giggled and exchanged a glance before retreating back to the house.
"I saw mama and she looks pretty," the group heard one of the boys reported. "And she's wearing a tiara, too!"
Peeta descended down the front porch, calling out to Felix. "You messed up Felix. We're supposed to be waiting for Effie, not the other way round."
"Oh, never mind that," Felix waved him off, refusing to acknowledge the fact that he might have miscalculated the time. "Is Haymitch ready?"
"Right here," a gruff voice said.
Haymitch was standing with Tristan and Ethan on each side of him, staring at Effie. He licked his lips as his eyes roamed over her and Effie threw Felix a triumphant look.
Effie was wearing an elegant dress with pale blue silk lining that flared out on her knees. The dress had a boat neckline, silver embroidery that gave the dress a shiny, metallic look and a three quarter sheer sleeves ending at her elbows. Her jewelleries were kept to a bare minimum; the bracelet that once belonged to Haymitch's mother, the wedding band they had exchanged more than five years ago and pearl earrings. Effie taught the tiara was too much but she put it on for Ethan's sake.
Haymitch stepped forward.
"Do you like my dress?"
"Are you fishing for a compliment?" he growled.
"It'll be nice if I didn't have to."
Haymitch rested his hand on the small of her back and that was when he realised that like her sleeves, the back of her dress was not covered with lining and it showed off her skin.
"It's not true what Felix said," he mumbled quietly under his breath.
"What was that?"
"My imagination ain't that limited, you sent it running with that dress you're wearing."
"Okay," Felix clapped his hands excitedly. He stood in front of the pair and faced them towards their house. "You're to walk straight ahead and then cross the threshold of your new house together!"
Haymitch rolled his eyes.
"Ready?" he asked.
"More than ready," Effie smiled.
He reached for her hand and gave Ethan a nod. The boy ran forward and pushed open the gates for his parents. Haymitch led Effie down the path towards their front door. He wasn't a sentimental man by nature but as they walked through the front yard, Haymitch took in the sight and he noted the vast different his house was now compared to six years ago, and that was just the exterior of his house.
His gaze fell on the garden swing he had bought for her and he remembered the countless therapy sessions Effie had on that swing. The boys' swing set still stand firm though they played on it less and less as they grew older but now that Ari was here, she spent most of her time playing on it. Effie's apple tree was difficult to miss. She had planted it just mere months after they were married the first time and the tree grew as Haymitch and Effie grew together.
At the first step of their front porch, Haymitch inhaled deeply. This was his place. The spot he went to when he needed a drink away from Effie while she was pregnant. This was where he brood, this was where he spent his time thinking but this was also where Effie would sometimes sit with him quietly and gave him many second chances. The woman whose hand he was holding tightly in his was his greatest ally and he knew he would never regret marrying her. He was ready to spend the rest of his life with her by his side.
"I love you," he whispered.
He heard her sharp intake of breath and a part of him expected her to tease him about the fact that they had not even toasted yet for him to make such declaration but when he met her eyes, he couldn't find any hint of amusement in it. Her blue eyes sparkled bright and it overwhelmed him the fact that he made her happy.
"Is it my turn, dada?" Tristan asked.
Haymitch pulled his gaze away. "Yeah, go ahead, peanut."
Tristan turned the knob and opened the front door. The light spilled on to the hallway, guiding them inside. Felix broke into a loud applause as did the rest of the children. Johanna whistled.
"Nearly there, old man," he heard Katniss said.
Things didn't always run so smoothly even if it was Felix who had planned it out with Effie giving her input once in a while. He had delegated the task of placing a matchbox on the coffee table to Johanna who had clearly forgotten to do it so there was a rush as someone dashed to the kitchen for a box of matches.
"Go on then," Felix grinned, "build your first fire together."
"We've built a fire – "
"Just light it up," Felix cut him off before he could be corrected.
Effie lighted up the match and held it out to the tinder Haymitch held. He tossed it in the fireplace and they watched as the flames rose. Finn and Prim stepped forward, each holding a silver tray with bread on it. Haymitch and Effie took a piece each from the tray.
"Very formal, Felix," Haymitch teased him.
"In the Capitol we have a ring bearers, I thought we could improvise with bread bearers," he said proudly.
"Now, you're just mocking out tradition," Peeta said.
Felix looked scandalised. "That was not my intention. I merely thought – "
"I was just joking," Peeta laughed.
They skewered the bread and held it over the burning flame. The smell of the bread toasting in the fire wafted over the living room and then they could hear Ethan's stomach grumbling in the quiet room.
Effie's head snapped towards her son, an amused expression sitting on her face.
"I'm sorry, mama," he said. "It's noisy 'cause it's hungry. Can you quickly toast the bread so I can eat it?"
"It's not for you," Annie whispered to him. "We'll find you something else to eat later, okay?"
Haymitch kept an eye on their bread. Slowly, he raised his hand and guided Effie's hand away from the flames.
"Any longer and it'll burn," he told her. He took the bread from the end of his stick and blew on it gently. When he turned to face her and held a piece of bread in front of her mouth, he was grinning. "Finally," he said. "This time you're gonna eat it, yeah?"
"Depends if you're going to feed me or if you're just going to remain there smiling like a cat that got its cream," she replied.
Haymitch pressed the warm bread on her lips and she parted her mouth to take a bite from it. When she had swallowed, Haymitch tilted her face up and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Wife," he smirked.
"Can't say the same about you," she laughed.
Just as he had, Effie tore off a small piece and held it out for him but before he could take a bite from it, she rested her hand on his cheek. The way she looked at him and the way she smiled at him made his breath caught in his throat.
"You're about to make a speech," he accused.
Her smile only grew wider. "Not a speech, no - a vow."
"I didn't prepare one for you."
"I didn't expect you to and I didn't plan on one until right at this very moment," she admitted.
She raised her hand again and Haymitch took a bite of the bread.
"From the day I knew you years and years ago," Effie's voice filled the room, "there had been moments in our lives when you questioned yourself and doubted yourself but the ones that made me upset would always be those moments when blamed yourself and hated yourself for things that had happened and for things that you had no control over."
"Sweetheart…"
"I'm not foolish enough to think that those moments are gone forever but when it comes, when you find it difficult to love your own self, I want you to always remember that I will love you. Our children will love you. You are everything to us. You've given me so much, Haymitch and I'll cherish you until it's no longer possible to."
"She meant when she dies," Johanna supplied, breaking the moment. Annie clicked her tongue at Johanna's behaviour but nobody chided her for it. Johanna and Katniss were never comfortable dealing with emotions, and neither did Haymitch but where Johanna dealt with it by saying something sharp and blunt, Haymitch coiled his fingers at the back of Effie's neck and kissed her hard before she could say something else.
"As do I, sweetheart," he said simply and Effie understood it well enough.
"Here," Johanna handed Felix a handkerchief, "before you flood the entire district with your tears."
"It's so beautiful."
"Say it," Peeta called out from where he was standing behind the sofa, watching the two people he had grown to love as his own parents. "Say it, Effie."
Effie laughed but she pressed another kiss on Haymitch's lips and whispered, "My husband."
There you go! The toasting, finally! I really, really, really hope you like this chapter. I worried and fretted and worried as much as Effie did about Haymitch while writing this chapter. I've been building up to the toasting for a couple of chapters and I didn't want it to be disappointing. But, I'm happy with how it turned out now. I have to admit, I teared a bit at the toasting because omg these two idiots finally did it. I've spent like nearly 90 chapters writing these two and it sounds a bit dumb, but I feel like I've gone through one hell of a roller coaster ride with them, too, so I'm proud that THEY'RE MARRIED AGAIN! I'm Felix at the end right there ahahah.
Having said that, I would really love to know your thoughts. Did you like it? What do you think of the chapter? Let me know!
P.S: I've got the inspiration for Effie's dress from one of Kate Middleton's dress. I'll post a link of it on my tumblr.
