Two times a month.
It started to become a regular set up. Twice a month, Katniss and Peeta would take Rosie and Haymitch and Effie would either stay home to enjoy the quiet - or, as of lately, take a short weekend trip to see Annie.
As summer came, Rosie was crawling … everywhere. And pulling her self to her feet on … everything. Haymitch spent half the day chasing her around the house while Effie tried to implement some sort of structure. She had busied herself one afternoon making flashcards of shapes and colours.
Of course, that only concluded in a fight over education.
"They haven't set up schools, Haymitch!"
"She's not even a year, Eff. Do we need to think about that yet?"
"Yes! It's important!"
"Listen, by the time she's old enough to send to school, I'm sure there'll be something built. Have you asked Peeta? He seems to know more about what's going on in Twelve than either of us."
"When have I had the chance to ask Peeta?"
Haymitch shrugged. "I usually go sit out with the geese when she's down for a nap. I don't know what the hell you do."
Effie laughed and shoved him playfully. "I clean up. At least … if you're going to make a mess with Rosie … use the shape toys. The ones Plutarch sent."
Haymitch rolled his eyes. "Now, that's one thing. She won't be having a Capitol education."
"Oh, that isn't what I meant."
"Did you see that thing he sent? It looks like it'd bite your hand off -"
"Haymitch!"
"Well, then give me those stupid cards. I'll figure out something to do with them."
At least their fights had gotten tamer. Both seemed to know when to draw the line, call it quits. It wasn't worth screaming at each other like they used to. And, if the fight was intense, they took it out to the geese - who just watched them.
And quacked from time to time.
"No breakfast?" Haymitch asked when he came down into the kitchen and found Effie feeding Rosie - but no sign of Effie having eaten.
She shook her head. "No."
"No time?"
"I wasn't hungry." She turned away from wiping Rosie's face and smiled. "I'm glad you're going to … attempt to help Peeta in town. It'll be good to get out."
"Are you sure you don't mind me going?"
Effie shook her head. "Go. There's a lunch for you in the refrigerator."
As he passed her, Haymitch kissed her cheek - then the top of Rosie's head.
"You can just ignore those stupid cards," Haymitch said as he walked back with Peeta after spending the day working on a new set of affordable housing that sat just outside the main area of town. "Eff won't know the difference."
"You say that …"
Haymitch laughed.
"Where are you two going?"
"Nowhere. Eff's under the weather. Hasn't said it, but she didn't eat breakfast this morning and she was looking sick. Probably wanted me out of the house thinkin' I wouldn't notice it. There's a bug going around - I'm not surprised. Linus was vomiting all morning."
"You guys don't worry about Rosie?"
Haymitch shrugged. "Eff does. But I think if the kid's gonna eat dirt, let her. No use sheltering her. So she vomits. It doesn't seem to be somethin' terrible."
"Still. You know Effie."
"Yeah. True."
