My son is almost bouncing as he comes in the door behind me.

My son.

Gale.

Bouncing.

Rory takes this as food. "Hey-Hey-Hey! Gale! Did you get venison for us!" he says, jumping into Gale's arms.

Gale laughs. "No, silly! We're going over to Katniss's house for dinner. She invited us over."

Katniss.

The girl for whom Gale skipped school to watch the Games. The girl who was the reason that my Gale didn't leave the District. The girl who I count as my own daughter, along with many other of the ladies in the Seam. She thinks that no one likes her, but her smiles, while rare, are beautiful. She is truly her father's daughter.

Lachlan.

Katniss's father was killed in a mine explosion that also killed my husband.

"That can't be the only reason you're happy, Eldest Son." I sing, pulling Rory away from Gale so that I can take the game bag. He slips the bag from his shoulders and shrugs.

Posy skips in the back door, spouting words like a water fountain. "Guess what! Prim still goes to school, though Katniss doesn't. I asked Madge." she bubbles. I laugh and lift her into my arms.

"Of course she'll come to school, Hummingbird. She'll come just for you, if you want."

"Oh, yes, Mother! I want her to come to school even if she's like Katniss and goes into the Games like Katniss." Posy zooms into the bedroom the two of us share.

Posy so young. She doesn't quite understand the Games. She thinks that they just take the people away and fix them up and keep them in the Capitol. Her dream is to be a victor like Katniss.

I am scared-no-terrified for the day that she realizes that these Games aren't games. They are serious punishments. There are reasons why people cry when they get reaped. And those reasons aren't happy reasons.

I follow Posy into the bedroom, calling back to the boys, "Get your brother from Hunter's house and get them all ready for dinner, Gale!" I call. I grab Posy from behind and she shrieks. I plop her into the water basin at the foot of the bed. I scrub her down and wash her hair so it shines. Then I lift her out and redress her in a bright red dress that Prim got for her. Prim adores my daughter. I tie her bouncy curls back into a ribbon as the boys walk out of their room. I give Gale the comb and he slicks his brothers' hair down and holds Posy so she won't dirty her dress at the same time. I quickly slip back into my room and wash my hair. I don't have time to scrub.

When I come out of the bedroom, Posy giggles and Gale smiles. "You got a new dress?" he laughs. I spin, the stiff tartan puffing up like a dream cloud around me.

"Mrs. Everdeen gave it to me. Come now, if we're going to get there in time, we have to go now. Come on, boys."

We file out the small kitchen door into the street. We hear a roar and Posy screams. Gale puts hands on his brothers' shoulders and we all take a step back.

"Hello, Mrs. Hawthorn and Co." shouts a man from the street corner. The roar dies down and we pear through the night fog to see a… a…

A car! Katniss has sent us a car. The boys race down the street and dive in. Gale takes Posy and walks (way more cleanly) into the car. A squat Peacekeeper opens the front door and helps me in. We all settle into the luxury sedan and I reach back, taking Posy.

"Where to, m' lady?" the Peacekeeper says all gentlemen-like.

"Number Nine, please. Victor's Village." I respond equally as politely. The car roars to life again and we zoom off through the mist towards the sunset.