Click click click. The soles of my shoes tick the linoleum floor as I run towards are glass front door. Smoothing down my dress, and running my fingers through my hair one last time, I reach for the door handle with my shaking hand and put on the first real smile I've had in months.

"Gale! I.. I…" I can't even finish my sentence so I burry my head into his masculine body. Tears emerging, I look up into his hardened face and whisper,

"I've missed you." He wraps his arms around me and, we stand there, embracing, until Peeta walks in with a tray of gingersnap cookies.

"Hey, welcome, man. Go easy on her, alright?" Peeta smiles, but his words are stinging with a hint of jealousy. Gale automatically lets go of me, and walks over to shake Peeta's free hand.

"Beautiful home.. very.. Expensive."

"Well, me and my wife are victors, aren't we Catnip?" Taking Gale's jacket, I walk out of the room because it was too much. The emphasis on the word wife. Peeta's odd cutesy name, Catnip. Catnip was something between Gale and I only. Gale walks into the kitchen with Peeta, and I ask Peeta to come and help me find a hanger for Gale's jacket. I nearly pound him into the closet, my fists clenched.

"Sorry. Peeta, dear, I am not your little toy you can flaunt around to people. Stop acting like I'm your possession! Gale is a friend. I married you, didn't I? If you can't be man enough to get through one lunch with Gale then please go bake at your private shop or whatever. I'll deliver the news myself." I walk away, this time painting a smile on my face as I see Gale.

"Your jacket is in the front closet, Gale, if you need it." I sigh, drop my shoulders, and look up at him innocently.

"Thanks, Catnip. Has the cookie crumbled yet?" I hit him playfully and realize I need to soak in the laughter, because I know he won't be laughing later. That he won't be the jealous one later.

"Leave Peeta alone, he burned his pancakes this morning. He's in a bit of a mood…" Speak of the devil. Peeta walks in and gives me a nod. Time to go in for the kill. I grab three glasses of sparkling water, and a loaf of sand-colored bread and bring it to the relaxing area. Despite the pink and blue floral chairs, the relaxing shade of crimson that covers the walls, I still feel apprehensive. Gale sees the tension in my eyes, as well as Peeta's.

"Gale. Hi! What's up?"

"Katniss, I know something is up. You can go on and tell me this decade if you would like." I momentarily smile before continuing.

"Well, let's just say it. Peeta and I were looking for some housekeeping help, and you're old girlfriend, Analex, has agreed to do it."

"Ok, so? You having my ex-girlfriend work here is why you called me over? Jesus! I though it was something terrible. Having a housekeeper is fine by me, it's not my house" Peeta and I look at each other reluctantly. Gale, being able to sense even the smallest bit of uncertainty in a room, picks up on this.

"Analex? No problem. I don't visit here that often. Or ever, really. But… why do you guys need a housekeeper?" I take a deep breath here. It's the quiet before the storm. The cry before the cannon is shot.

"We just wanted to, you know, have a little extra help around the house. Because… well, because Peeta and I want to have kids!" Peeta smiles and I look at the ground. And because my eyes are looking at the ground, I'm able to see Gale's feet storming out of the house.

I hold a single finger up to Peeta after a minute of sheer silence, and he nods in approval. Walking out the door, I see Gale sitting by the now grown tree we planted when we were really little. He's fiddling with the old bow and arrow I made for him.

"Gale…"

"Don't Katniss. I don't want you apologizing. I'm sorry I ruined your perfect little lunch in your perfect house with your perfect husband." He genuinely really is sorry, but his words pang me like bullets.

"A true friend would be happy! I'm not even pregnant Gale! It was just an exciting thought, and I'm sorry you didn't see it that way. What's your deal, anyway?" Tears are now coming down and dripping onto my sea-green dress, that now, has dark green spots on it from the tearstains. He leans his head on my shoulder, and turns my shoulders to face him.

"You want to know what, Katniss? Seeing you in the hungers games was terrible. Awful. I had a chance of losing someone that I loved. But when you kissed Peeta, oh how you kissed him. I knew. I knew that no matter what you said that you truly did love him. And yet, I still believed deep down inside that I could win you back. Even after the wedding I believed that. But now, you can't separate someone when they have a family. Today, Katniss, I know that I am utterly defeated by the boy with the bread." Fighting the tears, he stokes my face with the palm if his hand, kisses me ever-so-lightly on the lips, and runs out of my life, for who knows how long.