(Katniss' POV.)
Haymitch was definitely not the person I expected to be behind that door. I can't help but stare, immediately noticing his dramatic change in appearance since the last time he visited.
The small amount of hair that still sits on his head has turned a light gray color, a thin beard now wrapped around his chin. He stands in a hunched down position, a wooden cane holding him upright as he slowly steps into the kitchen, taking a seat at the table.
"Got any alcohol?" Haymitch asks, running his shaky fingers through his hair.
Peeta and I exchange a glance, both shaking our heads at him. He seems to find this absolutely hilarious, suddenly exploding into laughter.
"I figured, so I brought my own!" he exclaims, pulling a small container out of his pocket, holding it up so we can see. He tips his head back, beginning to chug down the brown liquid.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, my tone coming out ruder than intended.
I think back to the last time I saw him, the memories beginning to pour in. It was a few months after Rose was born; he came over to congratulate us on our baby. It was kind of late to be congratulating us on her being born, but he didn't seem to think so. Obviously he was drunk at that time, but nothing like he was now.
His head jerks over to face me, his lips curling into a smile. "I came to visit you two, of course." He answers, taking another long chug of alcohol. I take a seat next to him, Peeta taking the one across from us.
I'm immediately hit with confusion, the pieces not matching up at all. Why would he wait ten years to visit us? It's never made sense to me as to why he would just cut off communication with us. Usually when people stop talking for years, it's either because they got in a huge fight or the person moved far away. Neither of those applies to Haymitch, though. We were on good terms when it happened, and he's been our neighbor ever since. The question burns inside me, but I can't get myself to ask him about it.
"Where's the girl?" Haymitch asks, looking up at Peeta with curious eyes.
Peeta scratches the back of his neck, his eyes looking hard into Haymitch's as he speaks. "If you're referring to Rose, then she's in our bedroom with her brother."
Haymitch looks surprised, the empty container slipping from his hand as he jolts forward. "Brother? How'd you convince her to have another one?" he asks, his eyes wide with shock.
Peeta looks over at me, a frown twitching at his lips. He turns his gaze back over to Haymitch.
"You would have known a lot sooner, had you actually visited. Instead you chose ten years to do so." Peeta replies coldly, his eyes not leaving Haymitch's.
"Easy there, bread boy." Haymitch hisses, his smile fading. Before he can reply, a little voice suddenly cuts him off.
"Who's he?" Finnius whispers, his face twisted in confusion as he slowly walks into the kitchen, Rose right behind him.
I spin around in my chair quickly, turning to face the two of them. Finnius rushes over to me, his hand now clinging to my shirt as he nuzzles his head into my shoulder.
"He's an old friend of ours," I whisper in his ear, turning to face Haymitch again.
"He's pretty old," Finnius says with a snicker, pressing his face into his palms as he laughs to himself.
"Hey, I think I look pretty good for my age!" Haymitch exclaims, smacking his hand on the wooden table. Rose and Finnius erupt into a giggling fit, nodding their heads quickly.
"Alright kids, time for bed." Peeta orders them, lightly laughing as well. Just as he begins directing them back to their bedroom, Rose suddenly yells out to Haymitch one last time. "Good night, good looking!"
The kids burst into more giggles as they scramble to their bedroom, Peeta on their heels. I turn to face Haymitch, his lips now curled into a wide smile as he leans back in his chair.
"You did well, sweetheart." He whispers to me, his eyes trained on the empty glass he clutches in his hands. This catches me off guard completely.
I know Haymitch isn't exactly sober at the moment, but hearing that from him actually warms my heart. It makes me realize that he truly does care for me.
It also makes me feel bad for him; knowing that he has gone so many years without a family. Without us, he had nobody to talk to.
He has done nothing but drink away precious years, living in pain and constant nightmares. I find myself looking deep into his eyes, trying my best to imagine what it would be like to be him.
Having your entire family dead; living in constant depression. Having nightmares that make it impossible to get some rest; sleeping with a knife becoming your only option to take away the fear.
It makes me truly wish that we hadn't lost touch for so many years.
(Peeta's POV.)
"Is the old man staying the night?" Finnius asks, his mouth curling into a teasing smile.
I let out a laugh, running my fingers through his messy blond hair. "No, he's just visiting." I reply, pulling him into a hug. He giggles into my shirt, pulling me in tighter.
"Good night, dad." He whispers, releasing me with a bright smile. I plant a kiss on his forehead, tucking him in.
"Good night, buddy." I whisper back to him, making my way over to the other side of the room. Rose sits up eagerly in her bed, pulling me into a hug immediately.
"Sleep well, daddy." She whispers in my ear.
"You too, beautiful." I reply, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Just as I'm about to walk away, Rose's hand suddenly grabs hold of my shirt. I turn to face her, my face painted in confusion. She slides her hand into mine, a small object suddenly dropping into my palm. It's the Mockingjay pin.
She begins to adjust herself as I wrap the blankets around her, tucking her in tightly. As I'm walking back over to the door, I stop short, turning to face them.
"I love you guys," I whisper to them, flicking off the lights.
"I love you too," they both whisper back, beginning to close their sleepy eyes.
I shut the door behind me, the smile not leaving my face.
As I step closer to the kitchen again, I'm surprised to see that Katniss and Haymitch still sit in silence, their eyes not meeting. I quietly take my seat, reaching across the table to take Katniss' hand. She wraps her fingers between mine, a smile spreading across her face.
"Thank you," she mouths to me, giving my hand a light squeeze.
"So," Haymitch finally says, spinning the empty cup around in his hands, "how are the Star-Crossed Lovers these days?"
I look deep into Katniss' deep gray eyes, a smile spreading across my face. "Amazing," I reply, not removing my eyes from hers. Haymitch cracks a smile, running his fingers through his hair again.
"I figured," he replies, trailing off at the end. I turn to face him, my eyes studying his closely.
"What about you?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him. His face remains still, his eyes looking off into the distance.
"I'm better actually," Haymitch answers with a nod, a grin beginning to form. "She's always nagging me about how much she wishes she had children, though."
This catches me off guard. From the look in Katniss' eyes, it did the same to her as well.
"She?" Katniss repeats, her eyebrows twisted in confusion.
A light laugh escapes Haymitch's lips, his eyes still not looking into ours. He draws a finger back and points at the front door. "Yeah, my wife. She should be here soon, actually."
(Katniss' POV.)
Haymitch Abernathy has wife; the same Haymitch that drinks away his days, raising geese for a living. The same one that only wanted to be a mentor for the District Twelve tributes, because refreshments were involved. The idea rattles around in my brain, still not fully sinking in. Who could it possibly be? He doesn't really talk to anyone, so who could he possibly have fallen in love with?
My mouth suddenly begins pouring out the words I've been desperate to get out, before I even have time to stop it. "Is that why you haven't visited us?"
Haymitch's head quickly snaps up, his eyes looking deep into mine. He shakes his head, letting out a thick cough into his shirt sleeve.
"You wouldn't understand," he replies in low whisper, his eyes not leaving mine.
"Oh and why's that?" I hiss back, my heart pounding faster in my chest. He ignores the question, taking a final sip of alcohol from his cup.
I look away in disgust. Why can't he just tell us? As we sit in a silence, a sudden knock at the front door nearly gives me a heart attack. I turn to face Haymitch, his lips slightly twitching. I can't tell if he's on the verge of a smile, or a frown.
"She's here." He whispers, not looking up at us as he speaks. Peeta and I exchange a nervous glance, slowly getting up from our seats and heading over to the door.
My hand grasps the door handle, slowly twisting it open. I suck in a deep breath, preparing myself to finally look into the eyes of the woman willing to spend the rest of her life with Haymitch. The door swings open, Haymitch's wife immediately coming into view. Tears well up in her eyes, her lipstick covered lips twisting into a bright smile. When I finally recognize who she is, I nearly drop to my knees in shock.
Standing before us, a large pink wig propped on top of her head, is Effie.