"I'm not used to looking nice," I say, glancing down at the dress I'm wearing. We're all eating dinner in the living room.
"Well, none of us are. I mean, running around the Capitol in military gear isn't exactly glamorous," remarks Johanna.
"I felt like a giant dork running around with that suit on."
Everything falls silent for a moment before Beetee stands up. "Before we're all falling-down drunk, which, given that Haymitch is in attendance, will not take very long, I'd like to show Katniss and Peeta their special surprise." Before I know it, he has Peeta by one elbow, me by the other, and is dragging us off towards the stairs.
The door of Rose's room is closed. She's staying with my mother in Haymitch's house, along with Annie's son, having elected to avoid the drunk young people. Wise decision on her part.
Taking a deep breath, Beetee places a finger on the door handle and whips it open with a flourish.
I'm immediately shocked by what I see. Thousands of little white stud lights have been imbedded in the dark, inky-blue walls. It looks exactly like a night sky. Then, I notice that at waist height, the sky meets the ground. They painted the Meadow, lush, green, blooming with wildflowers, all around the walls of the room. There's new furniture, all matching, with a cherrywood finish. For a moment, I'm rendered absolutely speechless. Then I find my voice again. "Thank you. All of you. It's so beautiful," and I hug Beetee.
He grins. "One more room."
"Our BEDROOM?" Peeta exclaims incredulously as we stand in the doorway of what used to be our bedroom.
There's beautiful dark wood on the floors, deep red on the walls, a four-poster bed, and candles EVERYWHERE that bathe the room in a mystical, golden glow. There's an enormous bay window with a window seat and flowing red curtains. Even the bed has red linen draped across the posts. It's astonishing.
"I'll...leave you two alone to enjoy it," Beetee says, backing out and closing the door.
"Whoa, this could get intense," I say, looking into Peeta's bright blue eyes. I was never any good at being seductive, but it can't hurt to try. Besides, Peeta doesn't seem to mind; his lips are crushing to mine so tightly that it almost hurts. As we stand here, anchored to each other, we're oblivious to everything around us, even the loud shouts from "Pin the Tail on the Haymitch" and the out-of-tune drinking songs warbled by punch-drunk people as they make their way home.
We wake up in the morning, looking slightly embarrassed at ourselves, but the truth is that it's fun to let loose every once in a while. As Peeta and I dress ourselves, he looks at me and says, "You know, before sex we help each other get naked, but after sex we dress ourselves. I wonder if that's significant at all."
"Of course it is," I say. "The moral of the story is that in life, no one helps you once you're screwed."
We both crack up, then grab hands and go down to pick up Rose from my mother, ready to face our day—as a family.