Through Thick and Thin
A day and a night in the life of Katniss and Peeta.
Peeta and I have been kissing deliciously on the couch for the last ten minutes. We finished dinner with Haymitch and he just left saying that he is expecting a call from Effie tonight. They've been talking on and off over the phone for the past five years ever since Effie had Haymitch's phone fixed. With the Capitol gone and the war over, there is no threat of anyone listening in over phone conversations. Effie also regularly visits Twelve, but since she was appointed the new head of the Child Welfare Committee three months ago we haven't seen her since. She still calls regularly and always sends her apology when she can't visit. We always say that we understand her but Effie ever being the person with exquisite manners still always apologizes. I miss Effie but I think Haymitch, as much as he would deny it, misses her more.
It's always busy at the bakery nowadays, with Twelve having another medicine factory opened to manufacture different pills. More and more people are coming to Twelve and more people mean baking more bread, pastries, and cakes. Peeta has been running the bakery all by himself and only today did he get a bit of a break because he finally got to hire an apprentice from District 11 two weeks ago. His name is Lenny and Peeta was so excited when he applied as he seems to know a lot about grains and flours. His interview turned into a full hour of conversation as they talked about rye, barley, sorghum, and a hybrid corn wheat variety. Lenny said he could get a small grain grinder back home so he and Peeta could experiment with making their flour mix. The prospect sends Peeta's imagination into all sorts of new creations and there has been a permanent sparkle in his eyes ever since.
I relish the warmth of Peeta's arms as he holds me tonight while we kiss slowly. I've missed him and from his moans and the gentle sliding of his palms on my back, I know that he missed me too. I pull back after what seems to be a long kiss to breathe some air. The room has become really warm with the wood fire going and I stand up to open a window. The cool spring breeze is a welcome feeling on my face and I take my time to breathe it in before returning to the couch. Peeta is checking a baking supply brochure from the Capitol, his face forming a whimsical expression as he scans the new varieties of cheeses.
"Katniss, did you know that there are twenty varieties of goat cheeses from District 11?" Oh yes, District 11 has livestock now too. "It's not just what they put in it like nuts and dried fruits but the type of goat itself affects the amount of fat in the milk, therefore, the cheese." I roll my eyes. Oh Peeta, always one to be lured by beautiful things.
The air carries the scent of primroses around our house as I take another breath by the window.
"Oh yeah? Why don't you order some and you and Lenny try out a new tart at the bakery? Maybe he could get it when he has the grinder shifted from his district?" I suggest to Peeta as I remember that Lenny will try to get the grinder to Twelve in the next two weeks.
"That's a great idea, I'll make sure to tell him that in the morning." Then Peeta goes on to write a note in his small notebook that he always keeps in his pocket. Dr. Aurelius, when he was treating Peeta, suggested before that he makes lists of things. Whatever Peeta wants to remember or doesn't want to forget goes on a list. Sometimes the list is a simple one like ingredients for a pie or the name of flowers or how to tie his shoelaces, but sometimes the list is very serious like a set of triggers we want to avoid or reasons why he shouldn't worry about Gale and me. The lists help and Peeta is so much better now after five years and his episodes are less intense than they were before. Dr. Aurelius said that they will never really go away and that all we can do is manage it. Peeta and I have worked out a plan in our five years of being together after the war that he has been having lesser and lesser episodes.
Three of the most important things to remember about Peeta are that he gets enough sleep, that he stays away from bees and of course tracker jackers, and that he never takes alcohol. The last one isn't much of a problem as Peeta doesn't really drink. It was only that one time when Gale had come to visit his mother and his siblings that sent Peeta to Haymitch's house where he drank half a bottle of hard liquor. The thought of Gale being in the same district, more so being a few houses down from our house in Victor's Village, caused Peeta so much anxiety and stress that writing things down or painting in his studio didn't quite help him. None of us knew that the alcohol would affect him so gravely that he would just turn at Haymitch as if he was a wolf mutt and suddenly attack him. It was so fast and Peeta was so strong that Haymitch didn't even have a chance to flee. Haymitch had two bruised ribs afterward and Thom, who thankfully was there, had to hit Peeta with a small side table over his back to stop him. They tied him down to a sturdy chair and waited until the effect of the alcohol and the hijacking brings him to sleep. He had such a terrible hangover the day after and he stayed in bed with all the curtains down as the slightest bit of light hurts his eyes. His back was another story entirely with hideous dark purple patches and cuts from the broken wooden table. Needless to say, Peeta never as much considers a bottle after that incident. The memory never fails to give me shudders and a sharp ache from my back. All of that is behind us now though and life couldn't have been any better.
I lay my head on Peeta's lap when I return to the couch to continue enjoying his company. My hair splayed over his thighs, I close my eyes as his finger forms circles on my collarbone. It sends tingles all the way down to my toes. I never told Peeta how this particular gesture of him shoots sparks all around my body but I have a sinking feeling that he knows. He knows the effect he has on me.
"Hmmm …" I let out a small moan.
Peeta puts down the brochure and leans in, "Where were we?" and he cups my cheeks and shifts me so our lips are together again. I move on his lap so I could press on him better and his hand slowly rests in between my thighs. I release a stronger moan to his firm touch.
"I've missed you," he says as he kisses my jawline and I press onto him a little more. My hand goes to his curls and I'm having a hard time restraining myself from moving my hands inside his shirt. I want to feel the bare skin of my husband.
"Anything interesting in the bakery today?" I ask, but before he could answer there is a knock on the front door.
Peeta lifts his head to look at me, "Who could it be?"
"I'm not sure. Haymitch doesn't usually knock. Must be something important." I say. Worrying a little, I stand up and go to the door and Peeta is right behind me as I open it.
"Thom?" I say with my eyebrows scrunched together. It must indeed be something important as he would never go to our house especially at this time of night.
"Good evening Katniss. Peeta. I'm really sorry to bother you. I would never really do this but I'm afraid there is just no other option for me." Now, this stiffens my back.
Thom noticing the tension in me quickly tries to explain.
"Oh no Katniss it's not that kind of emergency and no one is hurt. Well, it's an emergency for me … because I forgot to order my son's birthday cake for tomorrow. You see, Mika's turning one." Mika is Thom and Delly's son. They got married about a year after they met here in Twelve and the two couldn't have been a more perfect match for each other. Haymitch often pokes fun at their height difference especially during their wedding when Delly had to stand on tiptoes to kiss Thom. He whistled after their kiss and made a loud joke about how Delly finally got to reach the tall tree that is Thom. Their wedding was very sweet really and they look adorable together.
"That's great! Time flies with children huh? I can't believe it's been a year already. Next thing you know, you'll be ordering a wedding cake from me!" Peeta beams as he says this and it brings a little huff of relief from Thom knowing that Peeta is taking his last minutes request lightly.
"Yeah, I hope not too soon. I'll have to save up for that. So you think you could make it?" Thom says almost apologetically as he rubs his arm.
"It would be my pleasure, Thom," Peeta reassures him. "Don't worry about it. I'll do it first thing in the morning and you'll have the cake by lunchtime. What time is the party anyways? And what flavor would you like?" I shake my head as I smile at Thom. Peeta loves making cakes and he would never refuse a chance to make it especially if it's for Thom and Delly. Delly is like a sister to him and Thom is a very dear friend. He has done so much for the rebuilding of Twelve, working every day from sun up to sun down so that the district had some semblance of normalcy again in just under a year.
"Well, Mika is too young to choose any flavors but I'm sure Delly would say strawberries and cream. The party is at three in the afternoon so I could pick it up even after lunch."
"All the better. And I must say that strawberry is a great choice. Consider it our birthday gift to Mika." Peeta answers with a joyful grin as he puts one arm around my shoulders.
"That's very kind of you. Thank you very much. Delly would be delighted. I won't keep you long then as I know you two always have an early start." Thom nods and gestures to leave. Peeta and I nod in return and we say our goodbyes. We watch Thom walk down the entrance to the village before we return inside and close the door.
Peeta locks the door and in one quick swoop flicks the light switch so that the house falls dark except for the wood fire. "Now, where were we again?" He gives me a seductive grin as he hugs me tightly by the waist so that our bodies are pressing on each other again.
"I believe we were going to bed early to bake a birthday cake for tomorrow," I say as I bat my eyelashes on him and answer in a hushed voice.
"Is that so?" he replies as he raises his eyebrows and tilts his head a little to the side.
Peeta then bends forward and hoists me on his back as if I'm a sack of flour then he barrels up the stairs towards our bedroom. I let out a squeak at the gesture and the sudden change from our slow kisses to this urgent need to be together. He lowers me gently on the bed as he catches his breath. We're both breathing deeply from the excitement then he comes to me to meet my lips full on. We start gently, wanting to savor every moment because it has been a while since we had this much time for ourselves. Rising to the bed, Peeta removes my shirt and kisses my neck and shoulders. His kisses are wet and firm and I press onto him wherever his lips touch my body. Not being able to hold myself anymore, I remove his shirt and work on his pants and underwear. My hand brushes on his bulge and Peeta lets out a groan to my touch. He slips off my sweatpants and underwear and with our foreheads pressed together we both beam as our naked bodies finally meet. We become hungrier and hungrier as we kiss and our sweaty bodies grind together. The night progresses and water crashes over us - wave after wave after wave after wave.
I wake up with my back pressed against Peeta's chest and his legs are tangled with mine. One of his arms is under my head as my pillow and the other rests just a little above my abdomen. I feel so enveloped in his warmth that I dared the sun not to rise. Peeta is usually up at this time but he is still behind me sleeping. I remember our lovemaking last night and run my fingers to my lips and my warm cheeks. We didn't do anything different last night but we just took our time. I lock the memory in my head making sure to repeat it on a special occasion.
The memory of Thom coming last night hits me and I startle to wake Peeta up.
"Peeta, Peeta, you have to wake up. You have to bake Mika's birthday cake." I pat his face as I remind him making sure to wake him up.
"I know ... just a few more minutes. I'm remembering your lips at the moment." Then Peeta's arms move a little upward to press around my chest and I know that my lips are not the ones he is trying to remember.
"Peeta, you're an hour late already!" looking at the clock at our bedside table.
"No … really? I thought it was just half-past three!" Peeta then rises quickly as the time hits him. He fastens his prosthetics and bolts to the bathroom to take a shower.
I rise to fix our bed pressing a kiss in the middle of the sheets as the feeling from last night lingers in my belly. "Peeta, I think I'll come and help you at the bakery today. You have Thom's cake to finish and the usual bakery orders to do. I can't help in the kitchen but I could man the counter so you and Lenny could focus on baking. Rory will take care of the snares for me when he sees that I didn't check them this morning."
Peeta pops his head out the bathroom door with his toothbrush still in his mouth. "That would be so helpful, Katniss. Thank you so much!"
In just a few minutes Peeta leaves the bathroom and I go in to take my shower. He goes to make our packed breakfast and I meet him downstairs on the porch. We leave Haymitch his breakfast sandwich and soup, and in half the usual time, we are at the bakery. Lenny is stoking the fire already and has the first batch of dough in loaf tins. Peeta gives him a squeeze on his shoulders as if to say a big thank you.
"Good morning Lenny" I greet him happily.
"Good morning Ms. Katniss. Mr. Peeta" he nods as he greets us with a gentle smile. His white teeth are a stark contrast from his dark skin.
"We have a last-minute cake order today from Thom, Lenny, so I'll be working on that. Do you think you could take care of the bread orders this morning? Katniss will man the counter for us so you need not worry about that." Peeta puts on his apron as he lays out the workings of the day.
"Sure, Mr. Peeta. You could count on me." Lenny answers then move to get the second batch of dough from the storage.
We work in companionable silence. The two boys busily work in the kitchen and I in the counter. Occasionally, I ask Peeta for a special order like gluten-free bread or dairy-free desserts, but overall I manage the front of the bakery very well.
About half-past eleven, the phone rings. I check on Peeta if he was going to answer the extension line in his office or if I should pick it up. Seeing that he is still fixing sugar flowers, I go ahead and answer the phone.
"Hello, Mellark bakery," I say, not sure how to greet a customer over the phone.
There is a short silence as if the person was surprised by my voice.
"Hi, brainless! What a surprise hearing your voice on the other line. You normally avoid answering this phone. What gives?" It's Johanna and she's right. I never really answer the phone at the bakery because so many different people call this number that I get overwhelmed.
"Oh hi Jo, Peeta is busy finishing a last-minute cake at the back and I came today to help out. It's great hearing from you Johanna. How's everything in District 7?"
"I'm good Katniss. Still a little insane but otherwise, I'm alright." I imagine Johanna with her short haircut that pokes in different directions. She cut her hair about six months ago saying that she got bored of it. "I was wondering if I could order a cake from bread boy. He is still the best in all of Panem after all." Johanna ordering a cake? This is interesting.
"Oh okay, let me just get the order sheet so I could write things down for Peeta." I look under the counter and find the order sheets.
"Okay, I've got it now, Jo."
I follow the details being asked for in the sheet. Thank goodness Peeta is so organized that everything I need to ask about the cake is already on the paper.
"Okay, got that. One last thing, do you want a special message written on the cake? Happy birthday or the person's name? "
I waited a while as Johanna tries to figure out what to say.
"How about ... 'Congratulations, Johanna! It's a baby boy!' " Johanna replies in a happy voice, her grin palpable in her tone.
"Huh?" Then the thought hits me, "You're pregnant?" this is so odd but I entertain the news, "Congratulations, Johanna! I'd never thought I'd see the day." I finally say. The weight of the news hits me like a rock but I don't let Johanna hear it in my voice, she clearly seems happy about it. I think of another question to ask to continue our conversation.
"I didn't even know you were back in a relationship, so who's the lucky man?" I ask because I genuinely didn't know who she is with. The last time we talked, she broke up with her bronze-haired soldier boyfriend from Four. I stay quiet to hear Johanna's answer but she seems distracted and was talking to someone beside her.
The room seems stuffy all of a sudden and it became hard for me to breathe. I look through the window to the kitchen and see that Peeta had just finished the cake and is washing his hands. I gently open the door and call to him.
"Peeta," my voice hitches a little, "Johanna is on the phone and she wants to order a cake," I say, leaving Johanna to give the news about her pregnancy to Peeta. The same with Delly, Peeta and Johanna are like brothers and sisters. After all they've been through together, Peeta would certainly want to hear the news directly from her.
"Hang on a minute, I'll just dry my hands." I watch as Peeta walks towards the phone with a towel in his hands.
"Hello, Jo?" I hear him answer then I put down the phone as they begin their conversation. I decide to go outside intending to sit at the bench for waiting customers but the moment my foot stepped out the front door, I began to run to the woods. I reach a maple tree that I always climb and settle myself on a sturdy branch as tears begin to fall hard on my cheeks and my nose run heavily. I don't understand what is happening to me then without warning, images of Capitol children blowing up flashes before my eyes, then I see Rue surrounded with flowers as she lay dead in the arena, and then the sound of Prim's cry the morning of her first reaping loudly echoes in my head that I cover my ears as if I could escape the sound coming from within me. I firmly plant myself on the branch as I rock back and forth trying to regain my sanity.
So many deaths. So many innocent and young lives were lost to the war and to the games. This is why I will never have children. All their deaths are senseless. All the children are just pawns in the games.
About an hour has passed and I've been staring at a bunting's nest perched across the tree that I am in. There are three speckled eggs on the nest and then the mother bird with its blue plumage comes in to fix its nest. The color of the bird reminds me of Peeta's blue eyes and I'm jarred remembering that I just ran away from the bakery without telling him. I go down from the tree, snagging the edge of my shirt as I clumsily hurry my way down. I'm never clumsy in the woods but I guess coming from a breakdown, I am less myself at this moment. I decide to go home first to clean myself and hope against hope that Peeta is not there when I arrive. He can't see me like this. Not with the intimacy of last night and the smoothness of this morning. Peeta must have his peace.
When I enter the back door, Peeta is not there. I go ahead and take a cold shower running the water through my face longer than I would have so my eyes become less puffy. I decide to wear a light yellow spring dress with some flower accents at the bottom thinking that Peeta will love seeing me in it. The dress was a gift from Effie last year and it is so comfortable that even though I don't like wearing dresses, this one, in particular, is a dress that I don't really mind wearing. I leave my hair down so it could cover my face a little when the wind blows. Thinking about a gift, I get a small wooden bowl and spoon from my hobby room and grab parcel paper. I've been learning how to carve in the past three months and the bowl was intended for baby Nick but he and Annie are not due to visit until next month so I can just make another set. I quickly engrave Mika's name on both pieces and wrap them with parcel paper and secure it with a red ribbon. Delly will love the simple gift.
As I walk down along Victor's Village, I see Haymitch coming out from his house with a bottle of what seems to be wine in his hands. He gives me a nod and shoots me a whistle as if calling a horse for a ride.
"Well, well, fancy seeing you sweetheart. And in a dress too! Where are you up to?" Haymitch says this as he eyes me as if deciding to praise or mock me with my unusual choice of clothes.
"Thom's son is having his first birthday by their house and he invited Peeta and me. I'm on my way to the bakery to get Peeta. Are you coming too?" I ask while eyeing his wrinkled shirt and pants in return.
"Sure I am! I'm even bringing some bubbly!" Haymitch then shakes the bottle to my face.
"It's a child's party, not Thom's! How could you miss that important detail?" I banter.
He gives a huff then shakes his head in gesture as if to show that he is smarter than me.
"Well, if you must know, Thom invited me and had asked me to bring some refreshments. Thom, being the town mayor and all, for sure asked me this with the specific intention of receiving some Capitol champagne," he says while shaking the bottle to my face again. I squint in irritation at the closeness by which he is holding the bottle to me. "He knows I'm the only one in town with a connection to get it." He finishes.
He looks at me again and shakes his head once more but this time lowering his eyes to the ground and clicking his tongue. "So, what got you crying then? You did get invited to the party right? Or was it just Peeta then he begged Thom so you can come along too?" Haymitch is so concerned and biting at the same time.
I weigh my response in my head. Do I tell him? Are my eyes really that obvious that I can't hide my recent breakdown? I will be surrounded by mothers and children once I get to Delly's … The thought of being with a dozen mothers and more children makes my eyes watery again and I resolve to talk to Haymitch about it. I might as well talk to him about it now than risk a breakdown in front of everyone later on.
"Johanna is pregnant," I start as I sit down on one of the planters near the gate of the village. "She called earlier at the bakery to tell Peeta the news but he was busy so I ended up being the one picking up the phone. She ordered a cake for herself but I think she didn't really intend to. I think she got caught off guard with me answering the phone." I continue as my shoulders slowly sink down and my heart begins to ache again. I hope the flashbacks won't come now.
"Is that so? Johanna Mason, pregnant huh? I'll say my prayers for the unlucky father." Haymitch huffs but I know he knows where I am going with this.
"I ran to the woods without saying anything to Peeta. While I was up in a tree, I had a breakdown. I saw Capitol children blowing up, I saw Rue … I heard Prim's cry …" sadness overtaking me as I say my sister's name.
"I'm never having kids, Haymitch! I don't want my children to experience any of the horrible things that I went through, that Peeta and I went through, that all of the children of Panem had to go through!" I sternly end.
"Does Peeta know about this?" Haymitch asks while lowering the bottle of champagne down to the ground.
"No. We never really talked about it. I mean, we got married when we were just eighteen and we were both too young and too broken to even think of having a family of our own. I'm sure Peeta has thought about it but I try to avoid the idea as much as possible." I lie because around two years ago Peeta did ask me about it. We just got the news about Delly expecting her first child and Peeta had asked me about starting a family in the next five years. The question infuriated me and I gave him a flat-out no and ran to the woods until I reached my father's lake. I returned very late that night and Peeta's curls were all over the place as if he had been pulling his hair out all night. I went straight to bed without talking to him nor acknowledging him when I came in. I was dead to world in sorrow. In about an hour after, I felt him lay down beside me and he wraps his arms around me. We never talked about that night and we never talked about having children since then.
"Well, I'm sure Peeta will understand if you give it a try. He does love you a lot you know sweetheart? And he is an overflowing source of empathy. Kid there is better than all of us." Haymitch pats my shoulders in reassurance. I nod in agreement because Peeta is indeed the best of all of us.
"You got to remember though," he adds, " that he also lost his whole family to the bombing. He may have been ready to give up his life for you during the games but he did love his family. He misses them you know?" With this reminder, my heart sinks a little more to my chest. Peeta wants a family of his own because he had lost his own entirely. Passing on the legacy of their family bakery to his children I'm sure will bring him great joy. Peeta is a family man and he will be a great father. This is something though that I cannot give him.
I'm too tired to work out this problem but talking to Haymitch about it and knowing that he understands makes my heart less weary. I resolve to talk to Peeta about how I feel next time and to be kinder to him about it as well.
Haymitch and I talk about other things around the district so my mind gets a rest from the topic. We talk about the new extension to the Justice Building that has marble walls like in District Two, the renovation of the train station, the town memorial that Peeta helped design, and his geese and how they seem to become greedier and greedier every day. He compares his geese to people that we know around the district and I end up a giggling mess when we reached the bakery. Haymitch snorts with me and we laugh even more.
Thom is just exiting the bakery when we arrive and Haymitch quickly gives him a hand with the huge cake.
"Oh hey, Thom," I greet him, happier than usual. "All ready for your son's party?" His hair is a mess and his shirt is like Haymitch's but there is a glow in his eyes - a pure expression of happiness.
"Oh hi, Katniss. You look lovely. Come join us in a while okay? Delly is adding a few more decorations to the garden and it will be ready in no time. Rory dropped off some game this morning and Sae quickly turned it into a pot of hearty meat and grain stew. I'm sure you will love it. It's been simmering over the fire since this morning." As he describes, my stomach rumbles in response. I forgot to eat our packed breakfast this morning when the customers started coming in early.
"That sounds delicious, Thom. We will be there in about thirty minutes." Peeta says as he suddenly appears beside me. He gestures Haymitch and Thom goodbye and turns to help Lenny close the bakery. I follow him soon after, braiding my hair quickly as I announce that I would wash the dishes. I'm sure there will be plenty.
Once inside, Peeta glides me over to a table and holds my shoulders down. "You just sit there, Katniss. Lenny and I will take care of the kitchen." He then places a cup of tea in front of me and a sugar cookie. I protest saying that I want to help and I attempt to apologize for leaving without notice but Peeta just puts his hands over my mouth so that my words come out as a jumbled string of sound.
"I don't want to hear it. You helped us so much already this morning, and I know that you haven't eaten anything too, so just relax here, drink your tea and eat your cookie. We're almost done cleaning anyways." and I get a quick kiss on my cheeks and then he is off.
True to his words, the kitchen is almost clean by the time I finish drinking my tea. How did they get everything done so quickly? I guess I'm really not needed in the kitchen after all.
Peeta comes out from his office and has changed to dark brown cotton trousers and a light blue button-down shirt. He looks very handsome and there is a rosy glow on his cheeks. We bid Lenny goodbye and wish him well in his travels because he normally returns to Eleven on Sundays to be with his family.
Mika's birthday party is beautiful. Delly decorated their outdoor garden with ribbons and chimes that tinkle with the spring wind, there is the smell of fresh flowers and herbs from the garden, and the sky is a clear blue with occasional patches of light clouds. Mika looks like he is going to follow in his father's footsteps because he gets along with everyone, even me. Mika is our godchild so Delly makes quick work giving her chubby baby to me when we arrived. I'm glad I had that talk with Haymitch earlier because I wouldn't have been able to handle things with my fears hanging over my shoulders. Peeta makes funny faces to Mika and he giggles and shrieks when Peeta pretends to fall off his chair. Poor Peeta, his prosthetic must be killing him by now because he has pretended to fall off his chair about thirty times already. I make a mental note to massage his leg later when we get home.
Thom along with Peeta wheels in the three-tier birthday cake and everybody gives an applause. Before Delly helps Mika blow out the candles, Haymitch interjects and shows his gift to Mika. It's a high-tech camera that focuses on people's faces automatically and allows you to print the picture even though the printer is inside the house. We all gather around the cake and sing happy birthday while Haymitch takes photos of everyone and then he zooms in to Delly, Thom, and Mika as they prepare to blow out the candle together. The picture that Haymitch took is so endearing that Peeta and I couldn't help but ask for a copy to put in our memory book. We end up with a picture with Mika too. In it, I'm holding Mika while in the middle of a good laugh as Peeta blows up his cheeks to make a funny face to an already red baby. Haymitch actually has a knack for capturing beautiful candid photos!
The sun is almost setting when we say our goodbyes and we both kiss Mika on his chubby pink cheeks. Peeta takes a last whiff of Mika's baby smell but then wrinkles his nose as he smells something else. Surprisingly, Haymitch decides to stay a little longer saying that he will teach Thom how to use the camera.
"Beetee talked to me for a full hour last night teaching me how to point and shoot this thing. I got to teach Thom how everything works. The mechanism is very complicated." Haymitch winks at Thom and I instantly know that it was just an excuse to drink with Thom later.
I give my gift wrapped in parcel to Delly and she gives me a tight hug. Thom shakes Peeta's hand for the cake, and then we are off, walking back to Victor's Village. Once home, we decide to sit at the porch swing to watch the sunset. The bakery is closed tomorrow and there is no bakery emergency that Peeta has to work on so we are worry-free tonight. I lay my head on his shoulders, my forehead touching his neck and he wraps his arms around me. I curl up my legs on the swing feeling thankful that Peeta had thought of installing it last year. He gives me an affectionate kiss and then we watch the sky turn to Peeta's favorite shade of orange.
"I love you, Katniss Mellark," he says looking contented under the setting sun.
"And I love you, Peeta Mellark."