Chapter 9: The Wedding
Haymitch stared at the whiskey glass in front of him.
His mind couldn't really comprehend what had just happened.
Effie knew. Effie knew, and never told him.
Sure, he had suspected for a day, but it was different actually knowing. He had thought that maybe he'd have to take a blood test or something, to confirm his theory. In truth, he was relieved that, all in all, it was very unlikely that he did switch the samples at Effie's party. They weren't used, and it didn't seem like something he'd do. He hadn't been jealous of the Jerry guy. He hadn't.
Maybe he had been jealous of Effie moving on. He could admit that. He had never thought of having kids, anyway, and there she was, happy and planning for a baby after reaping children's names and sending them to their death. Okay, so maybe that wasn't exactly her choice, or even her fault, but they couldn't erase the past. She had picked the names. He had killed kids as a teenager. He had mentored other children to their deaths.
So, yeah, maybe, when he had visited the Capitol and slept with Effie and attended that goddamn party, maybe he had been jealous. He couldn't make plans like that. He just lived day by day. He didn't think about the future. If he kept his alcohol consumption up, he would hardly live to an old age anyway.
But he hadn't wanted to father her baby. He really hadn't. He had no emotional stability to raise a child. He didn't live a normal life — even without the drinking, he didn't work, he stayed in, read some books, watched tv, ate some junk food. Hardly the ideal way of life to raise a child in. He didn't even know what it was like to have a family anymore and, speaking of family, that was just another can of worms he was unwilling to open.
And yet…
And yet there was a little girl in that village that shared his blood.
Half him, half Trinket.
How the hell did that happen?
The amber liquid stared back at him in equal strength.
If Chaff were here, Haymitch thought, he'd be laughing his ass off.
Effie hadn't asked anything of him. Haymitch wasn't sure himself he'd want to be an actual father. Did that little girl even need him? Effie clearly was used to raising her by herself. She seemed to have a good support system anyway. And they lived all the way to Four. It would be impractical to try and co-parent like that. He wasn't even thinking of it, if he was being honest with himself.
He could give her money. Effie worked and seemed to do well enough for herself but children were expensive. They had been expensive in the past and they still were. One day she'd want to go to college and he doubted Effie would just let her choose any simple one. He had stopped school when he had been reaped, but Amabella wouldn't have to worry about that.
It was a different world now.
His grip tightened around the glass. He still did not raise it.
It didn't mean he was prepared for this, though. On the contrary. After the whole incident and his subsequent abstinence of alcohol, he simply wasn't in his best form. He had lost weight, he knew, and he still suffered from tremors, and the nightmares were worse without the alcohol to clog his brain. He didn't really sleep well — he never did, and it was worse now that he was sober.
Fuck, why hadn't he used a condom? He carried them, just in case. Time in the Capitol taught him that. He had gotten sloppy with Effie, but that just happened when you're more or less a regular hook up. And they used to be. She was always on the pill, except that night. She had been on a fucking treatment and he had been so, so stupid…
And there was the fact that they had sex just a couple days ago against his living room wall and it had also been unprotected and—he was just asking for trouble now. He really needed to stop this unprotected sex thing with Effie. The thought of accidentally making another baby was too much for him to handle.
He raised the glass.
It was late when he got home. He tried not to think of Effie and Amabella next door when he walked into his house; sleep actually came quickly but it was not devoid of nightmares. When he woke up again, it was still dark.
He still hated sleeping in the dark.
He was up instantly. Usually he was lazy enough to spend a long time in bed, but he felt restless. After a quick trip to the bathroom and a cup of coffee, the sun was already rising, and he decided to go outside and feed the geese.
Since his backyard was right next to the kids', it was hard not to miss the whole organization going on for the wedding. It looked like it would be a beautiful day, but there was already a big tent covering most of their backyard, and lots of tables and chairs being set up. He didn't mean to look, not really, but it was impossible not to miss Effie, clad in a pink robe and carrying a mug that was probably filled with coffee, as she ordered Felix from the porch and the young man oversaw the preparations. Their eyes met briefly as he was leaving the pen, but she did not hold his gaze. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked away, focusing her attention back on her assistant. It was brief, but the eye contact was held long enough for him to notice the hurt behind her eyes.
It was a look he had unfortunately become acquainted with very often over the years.
Johanna was seated by the breakfast bar when he got back inside, wearing a very short nightgown. Haymitch considered it a blessing; at least she wasn't naked.
"Fucked up, didn't you?" she asked, not looking up from her cereal bowl.
"How is it your business, Sweetheart?" Haymitch snapped, not in the mood for a moral lesson — much less one from Johanna. He kept busy by making himself another cup of coffee.
"I'm an aunt to her kid—your kid. It's sort of my business," Johanna said slowly. "She didn't go out with us last night. Stayed in and looked after Amabella and Levi."
Haymitch shrugged. "She is the girl's mother."
"Exactly," Johanna looked up. "If you don't want anything to do with them, fine. I don't know what happened between the two of you and, frankly, I don't care. But don't fuck it up just to get on Effie's nerves. It's not about her."
"She knew that girl was my daughter and never told me a word of it," Haymitch said after he gulped a mouthful of coffee. Too hot. "Pretty sure I'm not the only one who fucked up."
"Whatever. It's not about her," Johanna rolled her eyes. "It's not about you. It's about that kid. So either you're in her life or you're not. Don't fuck it up more than you already did."
Haymitch put the mug on the counter and pursed his lips. "I can't be her dad."
Johanna laughed. Not exactly the reaction he was expecting. Haymitch took a deep breath. It was not a good day to lose his temper.
When she didn't say anything, he had to ask.
"Care to tell me what's the joke?" he grumbled.
Johanna looked at him with a smile. "You. You were a mentor for twenty years. Sure, you're an alcoholic but you must have tried some times. And you got the two lovebirds around you for years. You don't wanna be Amabella's dad, fine. But own it."
"It's not about that. I'm fucked up. I'm not dad material."
"Newsflash, Haymitch: we're all fucked up. You're not the only special snowflake around here," her eyes were serious now. "You can be her dad. You just don't want to. Which is fine. Doubt Trinket is ever gonna ask anything of you," she muttered. "You don't wanna do it, own it. Go next door and tell that to Trinket."
"Not that simple," Haymitch shook his head. "How do you do it?"
She shrugged. "I owed it to Finnick," she took another spoonful of cereal and munched quietly. "I promised him when I stayed behind. Promised him I'd look after Annie. Here I am."
Haymitch let out a bitter laugh. "Sounds like guilt talking, Sweetheart."
"Well, it's not like I got anywhere else to go. They're family," she said. "I don't have any of that left, but I got them. And you got Katniss and Peeta too. Even if it's not ideal — I know they still have trouble with you sometimes," she added. "They're your family too. But you got a chance at having a real one for yourself now. Don't blow this up."
He made a face. "When did you become so insightful?"
"Motherhood," she deadpanned. "They fucked us all up. That's never gonna change. But we're still here, so…"
"Might as well survive for the others who aren't," Haymitch completed the sentence for her. "I'm gonna be quick about it. This… Effie thing."
He made to leave the kitchen, only stopping slightly when Johanna spoke again.
"Hope that's not how you acted when you two actually made that human being."
He took a deep breath and kept walking. It was not worth it.
He slipped into the kids' house through the front door, same as all the other guests, about twenty minutes before the ceremony. He chatted quickly with Plutarch and Fulvia, as they had just arrived as well, and spoke with Peeta in the kitchen, briefly; the boy was calm and collected, at ease with the whole situation, and Haymitch did his best not to mention any rift between him and Effie. This was their day, and it was not Haymitch's place to bring drama into it.
He went upstairs, then, in hopes of catching Effie before the ceremony. It had been a while since he came to the second floor but it was similar to his house and so he knew exactly which room Effie was staying in. Even if he hadn't — as soon as he left the stairs, he heard her voice.
"It'll be fine," she said quietly. Haymitch passed by a closed door and was happy the next one was open. "You look so beautiful, my angel. A princess. No need to worry. You'll smile and everyone will be enchanted."
"But what if you're not there, Mommy?" Amabella's tiny voice made him stop in his tracks. "I don't wanna sit alone."
"I'll be sitting right up front, waiting," Effie said patiently. "I'll escort you to the yard and then when you finish your flower petals I'll be right up front. I promise."
Haymitch took another step towards the door.
"But what if you're not?" Amabella asked again, clearly anguished.
"Then Felix will be there, and Peeta," Effie said. "Lots of people you know."
He got a clear view of the guest bedroom with his next step.
He was quiet, and Effie hadn't heard him; she was too focused on the little girl in front of her. She was crouching down, talking to Amabella, who was sitting dejectedly on the bed, wearing a white glittery dress and a flower crown on her hair.
"Okay," Effie said. "You can still be flower girl without having to parade in front of everyone. You don't have to do this if you don't want to, baby. You can stay with me."
"But you're working, Mommy."
"Not today," Effie said. "I'll carry you if you don't want people to see you. No one will mind. Do you think you'll fit inside my pocket?"
The little girl giggled. "No!"
"Well, this dress doesn't have any pockets, so it wouldn't work anyway. Very impractical," Effie casually said. "Maybe inside my clutch bag?"
"No, Mommy!" Amabella giggled more.
"Come on, give me a hug," the little girl left the bed and went to Effie's arms, embracing her fiercely. "The best hug I've ever received! And now a kiss," still giggling, Amabella pressed a kiss on Effie's cheek. Effie repeated the gesture. "There you go. You don't have to walk up there in front of everyone today, baby. Okay?"
Amabella still looked conflicted.
In a split of the moment decision, Haymitch spoke.
"She can sit with me if she wants to," Amabella looked up as she heard his voice, and it took Effie a second to turn around as well. "Or, if she wants to do the flower thing, she can just look for me. I'm gonna sit up front. We're, ah, supposed to sign some stuff, right?"
Effie slowly stood up, adjusting her dress as she did so; she was wearing a soft blue dress that reached her calves and hugged her curves just right. She looked a little flustered at the attention, and Haymitch stood awkwardly on the doorway. He watched as she looked from him to Amabella a little nervously.
"She's just worried I'll be too busy organizing to be there."
Haymitch gave them a tentative smile and looked at the child. "I doubt your mom would miss your big moment, Princess, but I'll be up front anyway, if that helps."
Amabella looked wary. "For real?"
Haymitch took a few steps into the room. "Yeah. Got nothing to organize, and no big entrance to make," he shrugged, then crouched down to be at Amabella's eye level. Gray eyes stared into his. "I'll tell you a secret, yeah? I never liked to parade around much. People staring at me. But you know what I did to help?" Amabella shook her head. "I'd stare at one person, and ignore the others. After a while I'd be okay to look around."
"Who did you look at?" Amabella asked.
"Well, your mom, sometimes. She helped," he shrugged, and did not look at Effie. "Since we're not sure she'll be there you can just look at me. I'll wave and then you can look at the others."
Amabella nodded thoughtfully, then looked up at Effie. "I practiced."
"You really did. You know all the moves," Effie said softly. "Do you want to try?"
Amabella looked at him, then back to Effie.
"Yes," she gave him a smile. "I'm gonna tell Katniss!"
She was already walking ahead, in little hurried steps.
"Knock before you enter! And come back here soon!" Effie said patiently.
Haymitch stepped aside for a moment to let Amabella pass, and met Effie's eyes when he looked up. Her expression was unwavering.
"We're supposed to sit together as we'll serve as witnesses, but we don't have to," she spoke first. "If you don't want to, that is."
"It's fine," Haymitch replied, then caught himself. "If it's alright with you, of course."
"We would have to change some of the sitting," she said slowly. "So it's easier if we don't change anything."
"I didn't come here to discuss sitting options, Effie," he said, putting his hands in his pockets, standing a little awkwardly. He noticed the room was packed with suitcases. "I thought you were leaving later in the week."
"Oh, yes. We leave tomorrow," Effie explained. "I wouldn't want to impose on the newlyweds, so we're moving to the hotel in front of the square later."
Haymitch nodded. Effie remained silent, standing where she had been since Amabella fled the room. He missed the presence of the child now; at least with her he could keep a conversation with. He was never very good at this sort of thing, and with Effie he seemed to be even worse.
"Listen, I, uh… I wanted to apologize," he started. "For last night. I overreacted. Didn't mean to disrespect you. It's just, this is a shock to me."
"That's okay,," Effie told him. "Thank you."
He sighed. "I need some time, Effie. To think this through."
"Of course," she nodded. "I do think we should talk. You don't have to make any decisions, but we need to have a real conversation about this."
"Yeah, that seems sensible," Haymitch agreed. "After the wedding?"
"I'll have some work to do. There will be a quick press conference," she explained. "We can meet at the inn this evening. Is six okay for you?"
Trust Effie to keep to schedules.
"Yeah, that's fine."
They were silent. Effie turned around to get Bunny and a doll he had seen in Amabella's arms at least once from the bed. His gaze inadvertently went down her back and to her ass, but he caught himself and stared at the wall for a moment, before his eyes followed Effie as she opened a suitcase and put both toys inside. That reminded him of something.
"Fuck," he mumbled, making Effie turn around to look at him. "Shit, sorry, it's just that the kid left a doll in my house. I forgot to bring it."
Effie nodded. "So that's where Wilma ran off to."
Haymitch frowned. "What?"
"Wilma, the doll. Amabella noticed she was missing early this morning," Effie explained.
"Wilma. Do they all have names?" he asked out of curiosity.
She let out a laugh. "Oh, yes. All of them," he laughed too. "I just hope she won't forget anything here, but with the way she's been up and down I'm sure Katniss and Peeta will find traces of her for months."
Haymitch shook his head. "I don't think they'll mind. They like having her around," he shrugged. It was easier to talk now that the ice had melted slightly. "Nice dress."
Effie looked down at herself, as if noticing she was in her wedding attire in his presence for the first time. Then she narrowed her eyes at him.
"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not," she said suspiciously. "This is hardly haute couture, after all."
"Not being sarcastic. It's a nice dress. Looks good on you."
She was surprised, he could tell.
"Thank you," she said diplomatically. "You look nice too. You've always looked better when I chose your outfits, anyway," she continued, not leaving him time to reply. Then she walked towards him. "You really should have figured out how to perfect your tie by now, though."
Before he knew what was happening she was standing close, hands swiftly fixing his tie, and he suddenly remembered a hundred moments exactly like this, in the past; different time and place and different clothes and different makeup but still… the essence was there.
He had never really let himself think back then how it could be between them if they didn't have the physical and social walls surrounding their lives.
Those walls were down.
He replied just as he used to, in the past.
"You never actually taught me how to fix it and you're always there to do it, so," he shrugged. "There's no point in learning."
She huffed, but it was goodnaturedly. When she finished she patted his chest and stared at the tie with an approving nod.
"There you go," she appeared to be avoiding his gaze. "Johanna told me you left after our… argument yesterday."
"Needed to clear my head," Haymitch said. Not a lie.
"You went to a bar," now her eyes met his. They were insanely blue. And serious. "The girls saw you when they left the restaurant."
So this was what this was about. He sighed. "Yeah. I needed a drink. Still do," she blinked, and tried to mask her disappointment, but he could see it; he knew her too well. She made to take her hands off his chest but he held her wrists. "I didn't drink, Effie."
"You didn't drink," she repeated.
"I went there, ordered a drink," he shook his head. "Couldn't do it."
Her eyes softened. He let go of her wrists. She didn't let go of him.
"Well," she tapped a finger against his suit. It was of a light brown shade; her choice. He would have chosen the blue one but according to her that was not appropriate for a day event. "I'm glad."
She smiled at him, a real smile. He smirked.
The sound of a door loudly closing reached their ears and then the quick steps of a child followed.
"I'm back!" Amabella announced happily as she entered the bedroom, curls bobbing in the air as she made her way towards them. Effie slowly let go of him, but she didn't step away. The child took her hand immediately. "Katniss asks if it's time to go down now."
Effie clicked her tongue. "Almost. I'll have to check with Felix."
"He said he's waiting for you!" Amabella said, frowning. "He was in there too. Are we late?"
The way Effie gasped was almost funny.
"Of course we are not late," she said quickly. "I'll just have to check on Katniss, and then I'll ask Felix to take you to your place, darling."
"I can take her downstairs. No problem," Haymitch offered. He was going anyway. "We gotta talk about how we'll deal with her big entrance too. Right, kid?"
Effie appeared a little hesitant, but Amabella smiled.
"Right!" She said brightly, all worries forgotten. "We should go, 'cause being late is very rude."
She looked pointedly at Effie, who nodded.
"It really is," she agreed, adjusting the girl's flower crown. "I'll check on Katniss and meet you downstairs, okay?"
Amabella let go of Effie's hand.
"Okay, Mommy!"
Before he could tell what was happening, he was holding her tiny hand in his and letting himself being whisked away by a four-year-old. Something burned in his chest. He was already by the stairs when he looked behind him and caught Effie looking at them from Katniss' closed door, her expression unreadable. The little girl in front of him grasped the bannister firmly before stepping down and he had no choice but to follow; she gave him a bright smile.
In the back of his mind, he wondered if he would need time at all to make a decision. Or if there even was a decision to make.
Haymitch didn't consider himself a fan of weddings in general. He had only been to a few in his almost forty seven years of age, and he had never thought much of them. He didn't think much of Katniss and Peeta's wedding as it was planned. He dressed appropriately, got there on time, and shared a quick tap on the back with Peeta before taking his place — at the very front, like he promised Effie and Amabella.
He knew this wedding would be different because he genuinely felt happy to be there.
It was a simple wedding. There were not many guests — he was happy to note that Katniss' mother did show up — and the ceremony would apparently be short and simple. He nodded at Johanna and Annie, sitting right behind him with Levi, and a few other guests — he knew just about everyone — and braced himself when only a few moments later a different song started playing and he knew Katniss would be walking down the aisle soon.
He smiled when he saw Amabella first. She was small and cute in her dress, but looked a little anxious until she saw him; he waved as he promised her he would, only to hear movement next to him and see Effie there as well — she did not miss Amabella's entrance, just like she had promised.
The little girl proceeded to smile brightly for the remainder of the short walk she was making. She was holding a basket of flower petals and throwing them around the carpet, a spring in her step — he was sure she was having fun doing it. He could hear Effie cooing and several other people doing the same; many people laughed when she passed by Levi, one of the only children present, and threw flower petals right on his face. The filming crew — he recognized Cressida and Pollux — captured her on camera eagerly. She was a little star for sure.
Haymitch couldn't deny that he was proud of her little achievement.
She shared a look with Peeta before nearly running towards Haymitch and Effie, who patted her hair, careful not to ruin her hairstyle.
"I did good?" She asked them, setting the basket on a chair carelessly.
"You did great," he answered, truthfully.
"You were amazing, my darling," Effie said, pinching her cheek and crouching down to whisper something in the little girl's ear; whatever it was, it made Amabella even happier.
The little girl sat on the chair — even though everyone else was standing — and Haymitch caught Effie's gaze. She was smiling softly at him, then parted her lips, and for a moment he thought she'd say something, but a new song started playing, and her attention was back to the aisle.
Katniss looked beautiful. Haymitch found himself proud as she walked down slowly, her eyes focusing on Peeta instead of the crowd. She had never liked being on the spotlight, even if the spotlight always agreed with her. Her dress was simple, white, and glittery — he could see enough of Cinna in it to really like it. His attention was momentarily taken from the bride when he caught movement in front of him, and saw Amabella trying to peer through the corridor to see Katniss. Effie took her hand, obviously not wanting her to ruin the filming, so Haymitch simply reached for the little girl and took her in his arms so she could see how pretty Katniss was.
Amabella settled instantly in his arms, a little arm encircling his neck, gasping when she saw Katniss — in a way that reminded him too much of Effie. Haymitch was still holding her when Katniss reached them, and he gave her a wink before she made her way to Peeta.
When he sat down and Amabella settled next to her mother, he saw tears in Effie's eyes, and he wasn't sure they were necessarily because of the wedding. He gave her his handkerchief, just in case — he wasn't likely to use it, and he knew she could be very emotional given certain situations. This was definitely one of them.
He wasn't heartless, so he felt a little emotional himself when Katniss and Peeta said their vows. Nothing original, just protocol — Haymitch suspected they had already said whatever they wanted to say in private. He heard Effie sniff quietly and looked at her. Either not thinking clearly or too emotional to care, Effie's gloved hand reached for his — it was platonic, and simple, and it didn't mean anything, only… it did. This were their kids. The only ones that survived, anyway.
Amabella was unfazed by it all, probably deeming the short ceremony boring — at first she had been sneaking glances at Levi and Haymitch caught her making faces at the little boy twice before Effie demanded her to sit quietly. Right now, she was too busy picking at the little flowers engraved on her dress.
After Katniss and Peeta properly agreed on being husband and wife, everyone walked towards the reception area. The weather had indeed agreed to them, even if it was a little too hot for him in his clothes; he ended up shedding his jacket and spent the rest of the party wearing only his shirt and vest, though he caught Effie shaking her head at him slightly — she did not look surprised. They sat at the same table, by chance — it was Felix who had arranged the sitting, she told him later. They shared the table with Amabella, of course, and Annie, Johanna and Levi. Annie seemed hesitant on how to break the ice, but Johanna was quick to throw caution to the wind.
"So you two are on good terms again?" In her defense, she seemed genuinely interested.
Effie had been too focused on making sure Amabella would stop pestering Levi — they were as bad as two siblings, the two of them — to do more than glare at Seven's Victor. Haymitch merely huffed.
"Mind your own business," he breathed, taking a rather long sip of water.
"You sure you don't want some champagne?" Johanna asked, no doubt noticing the gesture.
Haymitch smiled sarcastically at her. "I'm still sober, if that's what you're asking."
He did notice that after that none of the occupants of the table had alcohol during lunch. He was silently grateful for it.
He had helped choose the menu, so the food was extremely to his liking. He even had dessert, and cake — he gave his frosting to Amabella without thinking of it, and Effie gave him a funny look.
"She has a sweet tooth, just like you," he said defensively.
Effie nearly rolled her eyes. "You have a sweet tooth. You just don't like frosting. You've always liked your desserts more than I did. She's exactly like that."
Like him, she meant, and he understood that she did not want to be too obvious, or to take him for granted. He was grateful for that, too. He was still getting used to this.
It was well into the afternoon when the party turned much more casual and several people were dancing. He stayed by the table, alone now — Felix and Johanna were by the corner, drinking, and Annie was sitting with Rose Everdeen at another table. Amabella and Levi were having their own little dance off by the cupcake table — something Peeta had probably come up with — with three other children, clearly having fun. He spotted Katniss and Peeta dancing, smiling and talking, and he thought that maybe this whole wedding idea wasn't so bad after all.
Effie was talking animatedly to Plutarch, Fulvia and Cressida, her eyes every now and then looking for her child, and Haymitch could see how relieved she was every time she saw the little girl was okay. She didn't have to know he was looking after her as well.
He looked at the dance floor again. He and Effie had had their fair share of dances through the years, for Games' events and Victory tours. He didn't remember ever dancing with her for something other than obligation, though. For some reason, he desperately wanted to.
He could have used some liquid courage but in the end water had been enough to make him get up and walk towards them. When the melody changed and a classical song started playing, he made his decision. He nodded at the group, and tapped Effie's shoulder.
"Wanna dance?"
The words were quick and casual. Effie looked almost bewildered by it, probably already hating his lack of propriety as he took her hand before she had even said yes.
"Sure," she offered, barely able to look over her shoulder to her companions. "Excuse me."
Haymitch led her to the middle of the dance floor, one of his hands settling on her waist and the other holding her hand. Her other hand, on his shoulder, was warm through his clothes. It was familiar enough for them to take their places without even thinking of it. He did notice Effie's eyes searching the room.
"She's playing with the other kids near the flowers," he told her. "Johanna and Felix are looking after them."
Effie relaxed in his arms, her body inching just a little closer to his. He couldn't really look at her face in the current position; she was much too close, as the song asked for it, and to pull away would mean looking directly into her eyes, and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.
"You did a good job," he found himself saying. "The party is a success."
"You sound surprised," there was a teasing tone in her voice. It was small, but it was there.
Haymitch grinned. "Surprised that you can plan a good party? Not really, Sweetheart."
There was silence for a moment. He caught Peeta's eyes on them; the boy looked surprised. Haymitch merely shrugged.
"Thank you," Effie said softly, "for being there for her, at the ceremony. She doesn't do too well with strangers."
"I've known her for less than a week," he pointed out.
He felt Effie's breath on his neck. "Yes, well… she's taken a liking to you."
He smirked. "Not at all like you, then."
He heard her chuckle. "On the contrary. Like mother, like daughter."
Haymitch cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about ruining your night. Since, uh, you didn't go out with the girls yesterday. I know you were supposed to."
Meaning Johanna had outwardly blamed him during lunch for making Effie skip their small celebration.
She shook her head slowly. "It's fine. I wasn't sure about going, anyway. They're young and I usually just want to be home early so I can kiss my daughter goodnight. They should be around people their own age."
He snickered. "You're, what, ten years older? Twelve? It's not that much."
"A little more than that, but I thank you for the words," she let out a laugh. "Is she still behaving?"
Haymitch searched for Amabella from Effie's shoulder, knowing exactly who she was referring to. He smiled when he caught sight of the little girl.
"She just split up a cupcake and gave part of it to Thom's daughter," he told her. "She's a good kid. Relax."
It was Effie's turn to snicker. "She's a good kid, but she's a troublemaker. I'm just making sure there'll be no tears today."
He did catch her eyes at this. "That bad?"
Effie pursed her lips. "Let's just say she's prone to losing her temper and running after other kids. All for the sake of play, of course."
He twirled Effie around for the sake of the dance, letting out a laugh.
"Bet you did that a lot when you were a kid," he commented once she was back in his arms.
"Excuse me," Effie said, "I was a complete angel."
He huffed. "Yeah, right."
The song came to a stop, switching for a gentler, slower beat, and he and Effie automatically pulled away. They looked at each other, and she seemed to expect something, for just a moment, until she broke the spell and blinked away, motioning to turn back to where she had been standing before. Haymitch caught her elbow before she turned.
"We always did two dances," he offered.
Effie narrowed her eyes, but her lips twitched upwards slightly. "We were required to."
"Yeah, well, now I'm asking you," he shrugged. "If you want to. Have another dance, that is."
Effie ended up nodding, and Haymitch was at least a little relieved that things weren't awkward between them anymore. Or, at least, were a bit better.
She laced her fingers behind his neck and he placed his hands on her waist — still small, still soft. They were moving slowly, and she was standing a little too close, but her head was turned, and he couldn't meet her eyes. He decided to keep quiet until she let out a chuckle.
"What?"
"I'm just thinking that I spent years having to drag you to the dancefloor," she told him in a low tone, "and wondering if you'd ever ask me for a dance, and when you do you ask in the most awkward fashion."
She turned to look at him. There was a glint in her eyes.
He couldn't help but smirk.
"You still said yes."
"Well… it was a little cute."
"Cute?" Haymitch groaned. "In the past you'd've crucified me."
Effie laughed, stepping a little closer to him. "I wouldn't. I still would have said yes."
He pressed his jaw against her hair, just softly. "You'd have nagged me later, though."
"Yes, I would have done that, I think," she granted him the point. "What can I say? I thought it was cute. I also thought a drawing Amabella made of me cute. I looked like a red balloon, and didn't even mind."
"It was a shitty drawing, wasn't it?" Haymitch asked her.
Effie glared at him. "I encourage her to express herself in any way she might like. She could be an artist in the future."
"I've seen her drawings. Just admit it, sweetheart."
Effie pursed her lips and blinked.
"It was bad, yes," she admitted. "She glued it to her bedroom wall, believe it or not," Effie continued. "The books say we should just encourage them but that child will not be a painter anytime soon."
Haymitch couldn't help but let out a laugh as Effie met his eyes with an indignant expression on her face. She ended up laughing too.
"Well… she has good intentions," she said after a moment. "I did think it was cute, though. I mean it."
"I know you do. I mean," he started, "I thought the drawing she made the other day was terrible too, but she was so proud of it that it was cute."
They danced for a little while until the song was once again exchanged, this time for a more upbeat one. Effie stepped away from him, the reminiscence of a smile still on her lips, and he thought she had never been as beautiful as she was in this moment.
The moment was cut short by the arrival of the small figure in the puffy white dress, brow all sweaty from playing and running around, at least three tiny flowers had fallen from her crown into her hair, and the shoes were more than slightly muddy. Haymitch smiled at Amabella, who smiled back, and it was then that he noticed her lips were slightly smeared with chocolate.
Effie gasped at once, turning towards a nearby empty table and finding a napkin.
"Really, darling," she chastised the little girl as she crouched down to wipe her cheeks clean. "What have you been up to? I leave for five minutes and you look like a complete savage."
Her tone was soft, though.
"I was playing! Tilly found a duck and ducklings," she told them both in a loud voice. "We chased them! I think they went to your pen."
"Inside voice," Effie reminded her before Haymitch could reply.
"But this is outside!" Amabella argued back once Effie was satisfied that the child was clean enough. Her voice was a little quieter though.
"Please do not go chasing birds. They may attack you. The mommy duck would want to protect the ducklings, wouldn't she?" Effie asked patiently. "Can you imagine if someone chased after you? I would destroy them."
Amabella giggled at Effie's overdramatizing tone, and he found himself smiling at the both of them. Amabella eyed both Effie and Haymitch with interest.
"I saw you dancing," she accused.
Haymitch looked around distractedly, unsure of what the kid wanted with that. Thom accidentally bumped into him as he danced animatedly with his daughter — a little girl who couldn't be more than three, and Amabella's newest friend, apparently — and the young man apologized to Haymitch, who simply shrugged and told him to go on.
"Mommy sometimes dances with Haymitch," he heard Effie explaining.
When he looked back at them, Amabella's eyes were focused on him.
"I think you need to dance with me now that you danced with my mommy," she stated. "All my friends are dancing with their mommies and daddies."
He arched his eyebrows, looking at Effie for help. She quickly butted in.
"You can dance with me then," she offered.
"But you're a girl," she accused. "Levi is dancing with his mommy and Tilly is dancing with her daddy. It's proper."
Effie gasped. "We dance together all the time at home, young lady. I never heard you complaining."
"I can dance with her," Haymitch offered.
Effie's eyes widened. "Oh, Haymitch, it's not a problem. Please don't feel like you have to."
"It's fine, Effie," Haymitch interrupted. He offered the little girl his hands. "We can dance, Bella. Right here so your mother can see us."
"And her shoes are all dirty," Effie gasped as the little girl quickly grasped his hands and put her little feet on top of his. "Look at that, your shoes are new."
"Shh. Don't interrupt me while I'm dancing with the princess," he told her quickly.
Amabella looked up at him and giggled as his feet moved slowly — he was hardly used to this, but the girl seemed pretty happy with his very few moves. He pulled her up twice, which was enough to make her laugh and laugh, and twirled her in his arms as the song ended. He had never cared about muddy shoes and he wasn't about to start now. When the song was over, Effie was sitting down by the table, her chair turned towards the dance floor, watching them, and Amabella gave her a kiss before going back to play with her little friends. Haymitch looked at her with a smile, the back of his fingers caressing her cheek as he passed her by to get a chair for himself. It was a small gesture, familiar enough, but not one they had tried in many, many years — since before the war.
With his chair turned as well, an arm draped across Effie's chair — but not quite touching her — he watched the reception with the knowledge that this was a successful day.
A/N: Things are slowly working out, but Haymitch and Effie still have a long path ahead! Did you like this chapter? It's the longest so far and I rewrote it three times to get it right, so please let me know your thoughts! :)
Next chapter: Effie and Haymitch tell Amabella the truth, and talk about what will happen now.