Everyone returns from the Capitol a few days later. Gale and Johanna seem to constantly be connected - her hand in his pocket, his arm around her shoulders. They have no discretion when it comes to affection, and I've now seen her tongue down his throat more times than I need to. She matches his fiery personality in spades. They are both fiercely happy.
Delly and Peeta have been inseparable too. She tells him about a theater she and Effie visited, a shop filled with lace curtains, and the marble bathroom stalls in the Senate building. She brought back exotic candies for everyone that change flavor as you suck them or fizz away on your tongue or make your breath blue. She goes on and on.
It seems the Capitol citizens have not lost their taste for extravagance, but if anything the manufacturing and purchasing of goods is helping to rebuild our economy, or at least that's what Gale tells me. The government is paying good wages to the laborers of much needed infrastructure projects, like supply routes between the districts, since before every supply route was a one-way trip to the Capitol. In turn, those laborers buy things from the shop keepers, who pay manufacturers for their supplies. Everyone is interconnected in this beautiful way. Our country is healing and growing.
As we sit at Gale's kitchen table, he tells me all about his first session in Senate. As much as this wasn't his idea, he is thriving. He's driven by purpose. I'm not totally listening when he says birth rate is off the charts. I guess without the fear of a reaping and the ability to feed every mouth, families are burgeoning everywhere. He tries to explain the income and sales tax system to me - that is how we fund all these projects - but it's a little over my head. The idea of sending any money to the Capitol makes me want to puke, but he assures me there is transparency and the money is reinvested in the people. It's enough political talk for me. I drink my tea and ask about Johanna.
"So things are… good?"
"Things are great. Being with her is the best decision I've ever made," he says.
"Falling in love with someone isn't a decision," I say. If I've learned anything in past couple years, it's that.
"I decided to jump off the train. Life's full of decisions," he says back. At that moment, Johanna sweeps back into the room and deposits herself on his lap. She begins nibbling on his ear, and when I see her tongue dart out of her mouth I decide to go see Delly and Peeta. They are sitting on the floor looking through a book of art Delly bought in the Capitol. When he sees me enter, his face lights up. I see Delly swoon over us (she's our self-appointed biggest fan), and I roll my eyes. She points at a page in the book to Peeta, who pulls it closer for inspection.
"Delly, Arlo's son was asking after you in the Market last week," I say nonchalantly.
"REALLY?!" I expected her to shriek, but the decibel to which this girl can raise her voice must be a miracle of science.
"He was wondering when you were coming back from the Capitol." I sip my tea and act sneak a peek at Peeta, who is grinning wickedly.
"Oh gosh, really Katniss? Did you say soon? Did he say anything else? What was he wearing? Did he..." Delly is literally bubbling questions.
"Only that he had something he wanted to ask you," I reply, giving her a sly but encouraging smile.
With that Delly is out the door, blonde curls bouncing behind her.
"She's like a pet," I say to Peeta, who gives me a dirty look.
"That's not very kind, Katniss," he scolds me.
"Not in a bad way… she just makes me smile when she prances around like one of those… what are those dogs in the Capitol? Poodles? Like a poodle."
The edge of his mouth creeps up. "She makes you smile?"
I scowl. "For very short periods of time."
Peeta pulls me into him. I guess he's taking a queue from Gale and Johanna, but I'm still a little uncomfortable being so open with other people around.
"Stop squirming, there's no one in here," he says and gently kisses my neck. I sigh into him and fist his shirt in my hand.
"Ahem," Haymitch clears his throat. We pull apart and look up at our mentor. When did he get sneaky? "You two are just as bad as the newlyweds."
"What do you want, Haymitch?" I say.
"I'm just letting you all know that you are formally invited to a welcome home party at my place tonight."
"At your place?" Peeta asks, an eyebrow pricked.
"Are you… cooking food?" I ask.
"Haymitch, do you even know how to the stove works?" Peeta inquires.
Haymitch gives him a look and states, "I can manage to boil water when it's plugged in, kid. Be there at 6. And look nice." He heads to the kitchen and we hear him repeat the message to Johanna and Gale.
Johanna slinks into the living room and looks at me with seductive eyes. "We're supposed to look pretty. Think you can manage it, stupid?" She calls me stupid with affection now. She sees me shake my head. "Girls night! Come on! Let's go over to Effie's and we'll get all pretty-like for the boys." This sounds like torture. The last thing in the world I want is to give Effie permission to do anything regarding my appearance. Before I know it she'll have shaved off my eyebrows and replaced them with glittery lightening bolts.
"Johanna, you are telling me that you will voluntarily go into the house where frills went to die, lock yourself in a room with Effie and Delly, and tell them they can dress us up like that porcelain freak of a doll Delly has?"
"No, I'm saying I'll lock you in there and then take a shot of white liquor every time Effie suggests feathers or Delly asks when you and Peeta are going to get married," she retorts. Johanna cackles at the incredulous look on my face, and then says, "Okay, how about just you and me?"
Johanna and I head to my place, leaving Gale and Peeta alone. They don't seem to want to kill each other anymore, so that's nice, but I'm not sure they are volunteering for male bonding time. At my house, we dig in the basement until we find the bag of dresses Cinna sent home with me. We drag them up to my bedroom and dig through them. Johanna finds an emerald green dress with a plunging neckline. I can't imagine Cinna ever saw me in that. Maybe it was mixed in by accident. At the bottom of the bag I find one that I am sure what crafted by his discerning eye. It's a pale orange, like the edge of a sunrise. If falls just above my knees. The front is modest, but when I turn around the back drops low. I add some strappy sandals and look in the mirror. I look sunkissed. Like the end of a dying summer. When Johanna comes out of the bathroom and sees me in it, she smiles at me.
"Cinna really knew how to drape," I say shyly.
"He had a muse," she says back.
Johanna adds a balm to her hands and twists my hair softly until it hangs in curls at my shoulders. Her own hair is still short, but she can run her fingers through it. She styles her hair in an asymmetrical, choppy sweep. The clock says we are ready early, so we lay side-by-side on my bed, facing the ceiling. Johanna weaves her fingers in mine. She's different since she got back. Since she got married. Since she decided to run for the train. Since Gale decided to jump for her. Since she decided to drop her walls and let us all in.
"You've changed," I whisper quietly.
"I like it," she says.
"Me too," I say back.
A moment passes before she adds, "If you tell anyone I said that, I'll smother you with this pillow."