Part 2
Saturday April 2nd 2016 – The Capitol
I honestly have no idea how we always end up running late. But we do. Every week. It might be because today is the only time we are expected to keep a schedule. Or that Saturday mornings are just hard on everyone. Or maybe it's because she always manages to distract me in bed for just slightly too long after the alarm has rung. Anyway, today is no exception.
"Peeta you are so unorganized!" Madge always fails to reprimand me because she's always laughing. Her voice is slightly low and husky. And I love it. "It's past 9!"
I emerge from the bedroom slowly buttoning my shirt. She's already dressed; denim ripped shorts, brown heeled boots and a shirt that looks suspiciously like mine, tucked in, the sleeves rolled. Gold bangles and a long locket drape from her. Her hair is my favorite; tousled and messy.
"I swear our clocks are faulty." I argue jokingly. I was once good with time but the flexibility of our life has made me lazy. I pass her the gold aviator's I found on the nightstand and press a light kiss to her lips.
She rolls her eyes and grins. She hands me my brown leather satchel. It's full of all the brushes, pencils and papers I need at work today. She also has her own leather bag already on her shoulder, housing multiple lenses and her cameras. She dangles the house keys from her index finger a small smirk on her lips. She's right. She is far more organized.
We pass the kitchen on our way out, looking as pristine and untouched as it always does. I can count on my hand how many times we've used it since moving in here and like usual this morning isn't going to be one of those times.
"One day we are going to make breakfast ourselves." She warns me as I lock up my apartment, her blue eyes tinted with seriousness.
"I made breakfast once." I punch the button for the residential elevator and it opens immediately. It's one of those high speed ones that makes getting to the lobby from the 84th floor less painful.
"When?" She asks incredulously.
"On your birthday."
Her glossy lips pull into a smile. "That doesn't count."
The doors open and the lobby is already terribly busy. It's full of corporate business men, residents, and tourists heading up to the sky deck. We walk right to the smaller glass doors where the others can't enter or exit.
"Good morning Peeta, Madge." Darius, the doorman, nods towards us. Technically Madge does not live here but you'd never actually know. She still owns her own apartment but revamped it into a full photography studio a while ago, leaving a small bedroom for late nights.
"Hey Darius." We grin. We'd gotten rid of all that Mr. Mellark and Miss Undersee bullshit a long time ago. "We'll chat later. We're late."
"Like, always." I swear I hear him mumble as we walk past. I chuckle and grab her hand tightly.
Every morning we have the same routine. We hustle our way through the magnitude of people on the street and enter Bristel's coffee shop two doors down from my apartment complex; The Victor's Village.
"Hey you two!" Bristel shouts from the counter over the music and chattering of customers. She immediately reaches for the coffee machine the minute we enter.
"How's it going Bristel?" I ask though I can barely see her over the coffee machine. She's about as tall as the machine with long dark curls and big brown eyes.
"Big rush around 8 o'clock this morning." She checks her clock. "You guys are usually here earlier."
I can literally hear Madge's eyes rolling. "Blame Peeta." She laughs.
"Alright, here you go." Bristel places a cappuccino, skinny latte, Madge's fruit salad and yogurt, and my egg and bacon sandwich on the counter. I hand her the money and we hurry out, not having the time to sit and chat like usual.
"See you tomorrow!"
The gallery is a fifteen minute walk which is the exact amount of time we need to finish the coffee. Well, the exact time I need. Madge will continue sipping it long after it goes cold.
Scores of people rush past us, edging to get wherever they need to go. Taxis zoom by and people hold out their arms to try to hail them. Car horns wail through the air along with the ticking of the pedestrian crossings.
The city was such a relief when I first moved here with Finnick. It was so big and so busy it was easy to lose yourself in. Which, back then, was exactly what I wanted. Now it is just as busy but Madge and I are accustomed to moving within in it. We know the nooks and crannies, the unpopulated short cuts and the best places to eat. We turn down a side street now and the crowd immediately thins.
"How about lunch at Station St. today?" I offer even though she has just been reprimanding me for never eating at home.
"Oh, honey I can't. I promised dad I'd help him out with the some things for the Benefit."
"The Benefit is in two months!"
"I know that but it's my father. He wants everything ready as early as possible."
I chuckle a little. It makes sense. Mr. Undersee is the CEO and founder of one of the largest relief organizations in the country, along with various other endeavors that I've honestly never thought to ask about. Every year a Benefit is run, attended by employees and the elite people of the Capitol in order to raise funds for future projects.
"Will you be back for dinner tonight?" I ask her and to my relief she nods.
We reach the National Capitol Gallery, or NCG, and work our way inside the lobby. I swipe a card and we take the escalators to level 3. It's 9:40 which means we have 20 minutes to set up the art room.
I cover the pristine tables to protect them from being marked by grubby little fingers. I set out the paints my little kids will be using today. Madge helps in between bites of her breakfast.
"What are you doing today?" She asks.
"I'm behind on my illustrations, so that." I tell her. "And I might visit Annie once she gets off work. It is her first day back today."
"Good." Madge smiles at me. "I've been meaning to give her this. Do you mind taking it?"
She pulls out a small but ornate photo frame from her bag made of gilded gold metal. It houses a black and white candid shot of Finnick and Annie in my apartment. I can't even remember the picture being taken, but like everything Madge photographs, it's beautiful.
"I didn't even know you had this."
"I found it the other day when I was sorting out my computer files. I thought she'd appreciate it."
"Thank you." I kiss her tenderly. I set the frame carefully on the desk ready to give to Annie later and finish the room up. Eddy and Lavinia, two of my very eager students, walk in with their mother not one minute later.
"Peeta!" They run over to me and I give them a hug.
"Hey guys! How are you?"
"Good! Do you want to see my new toy?" Eddy holds up a batman action figure and I catch his mother's eyes over the top of his head. She smiles and waves and leaves the room, leaving the two in my care for the hour. Lavinia says hi to Madge a little more shyly and then points to her bag where she knows her camera is. I watch the two as they take silly pictures together and I can't help but think about how natural Madge is with kids and how gorgeous she looks with them.
The other littlies slowly filter in until my entire class is here. Mitchell, one of my longest attendants asks Madge whether she's staying today. Madge shakes her head no and a collective groan emits from the kids. I hide my smile and peck her goodbye as she leaves to do her photography. I try to keep their attention as I explain the task and then let them go wild with their paints and papers. I walk around the tables and give them guidance every now and then.
I've been working at the gallery for nearly two years and I can't get over how much I love teaching the kids. I love watching them progress and hone their skills. I love seeing their smiles every Saturday morning and how proudly they hold up their artwork. It's something I never really experienced as a child and something I hope to experience with my own in the future.
"Peeta?" Lavinia calls from her seat next to her brother Eddy. "Can you help me draw a mermaid?"
I kneel next to the red headed girl and patiently show her how to draw the lines of a very basic mermaid. As she works she chatters. One question in particular catches me off guard.
"Are you going to marry Miss Madge?"
"What?"
"Are you going to marry her? She's been your girlfriend for a very long time."
"Only two years Lavinia." Not even that, I think.
Her eyes widen to the size of saucers. "That is ages!"
"But I've known you for longer." I remind her. She seems dumbfounded by that concept and I have to smile. I met Madge maybe half a year after I had started teaching here. I'd seen her around the exhibits for a while before that but I'd been too chicken to actually talk to her. I would be lying if I said she hadn't caught my eye the first time I saw her. But I'd lost a lot of confidence uprooting to the Capitol and I couldn't seem to find my usual way with words. She was the one who actually had the balls to strike up our first conversation.
"It's so crazy isn't it?" I turn around startled, thinking I was alone. A vaguely familiar pair eyes smiles at me, long blonde hair falling in them. I've seen her here before. Many times. "Yet he was so brilliant."
I tear my eyes away from her face and look at the photograph I had been studying on the wall. The Dali exhibit was in town and I was in front of one his most famous photographs; Dali Atomicus.
"The poor cats." Is all I can respond with and I mentally slap myself. My throat feels dry and my palms are sweating. What the hell is wrong with me?
But she laughs. And I'm relieved. "I've seen you around here a lot. I'm Madge Undersee."
Undersee? The name rings a bell and a news report comes to my mind featuring Derrick Undersee, founder of one of the country's largest relief organizations. His face was always plastered all over the news and the city, particularly with his most recent humanitarian attempts. Was this his daughter? If I wasn't nervous before, I definitely am now.
"Peeta Mellark." She, too, looks momentarily surprised and I wonder whether she's recognized my name like I have hers. At least we're on common ground with that one. "Do you come here often?" It's a stupid question because I already know she does.
"Yes." She smiles. "I'm a photographer. I like being here for the inspiration."
"What do you photograph?"
"People mainly. I like capturing emotions. Telling a story." I notice then that she has a black bag slung around her, no doubt housing her equipment. "So we've established why I'm here so much, but why are you here?" She asks curiously.
I wipe my palms on my jeans and tell myself to get my shit together. "I work here. I teach the kids' art class on Saturday's."
"So you're an artist?"
I grimace. "Trying to be. It's harder than I really thought. I haven't been at it long."
She nods. "I could help with that. I've been doing this on my own since I graduated Fine Arts two years ago."
"Really?" I'm sure my mouth is hanging open but my brain is too muddled to figure out how to close it.
She smiles beautifully and gives my arms a squeeze. "I'll see you next week Peeta."
"Well I think you should marry her." Lavinia tells me in a matter of fact manner. "She's very pretty."
I think of the ring box sitting in my bottom desk drawer at home. The drawer is filled with old crap I no longer need. Madge will never find it in there. I smile at Lavinia who's unaware of how right she really is. "I will someday." I promise and then get up and continue my rounds in the classroom.
At eleven o'clock the parents return and praise the kids on all their hard work. Eddy runs up to me and holds out his picture still wet with paint. "I made this for you Peeta! This is you and this is me and this is Batman! My mom said I should make something for you because you're such a good teacher."
"Thank you Eddy! It's wonderful." I gush over his artwork and then place it on the drying rack with the others. "I'm going to take this home later and put it on my wall, okay?"
He nods enthusiastically and then runs to his mother along with Lavinia. I talk briefly with the parents until I have to start setting up for my older class. As I'm cleaning I find the frame of Finnick and Annie again and suddenly the happiness my kids bring along drains from my body. I pick it up and touch the glass covering his face. I thought, maybe, by now it would be easier. But really all I was getting better at was distracting myself, not missing him.
000
It isn't that surprising that I end up back at Bristel's that afternoon armed with a sketchbook and a pulled pork slider. After spending a few hours struggling with my illustrations I thought a change of scene was in order.
"Your apartment not big enough for you?" She jokes, setting down the plate in front of me. "Or do you just enjoy taking over my shop?"
I smile slightly, glancing around at the busy café that is packed literally to the walls. "After I threw the tenth sheet of paper at the wall I thought it best I head out."
Her lips pull into a grin. "And here I thought you came here for the food. What's not working for ya?"
"Everything?" I offer despondently.
She laughs and slaps my shoulder. "Oh, come on! Show me. I've never seen a bad picture come from you."
"That's a lie," I mutter but slide forward the sketch book. She leans her forearms on the bench and flips through a couple of pages filled with pictures for the latest children's book. Barely 10 seconds pass before she's staring at me disbelievingly.
"You are ridiculous. These are great! Maybe brighten up the colour scheme a bit." She touches the paper in a couple of places, offering her suggestions. "But other than that just go with it."
"Thanks Bris."
"Anytime." She winks playfully before heading back to deal with the throng of other customers. I people watch for a while as I eat and contemplate my work. Or maybe I zone out into my own imaginary world because I'm startled when my name is called out and dark hair and grey eyes pop up in front of me.
"Can I sit here while I wait? It's mayhem in here!" Leevy, Madge's best friend, asks me with a slightly frantic look, gesturing widely around the café.
"Go ahead Leevy." I smile, as she takes a seat on the adjacent stool. "How are you?"
She huffs dramatically and puts her head in her hands. I notice that she's wearing business attire on a Saturday. United employees always seem to be pulling long hours. "I've been up since last night with this legal disaster at work. I swear this is like our seventh coffee run and the order just gets more ridiculous. Twelve people and they all take their coffee differently. Do you know how hard it is to sort that out? Thank god I'm not a barista." She shakes her head and chuckles.
"How are you going to carry that all back?" I ask, scanning the café for a coworker.
"Oh, I brought the new girl. She's outside on the phone, no doubt trying to bargain some sort of deal." She nods over my shoulder and I glance briefly behind me to see a long haired brunette in heels, clutching a phone tightly to her ear. "Anyway, I'm sure you don't want to listen to me complain. What are you doing?"
I twist my mouth slightly as I look down at the sketchbook. "Just trying to get some illustrations done."
She raises an eyebrow. "In here?"
"I was sick of the apartment."
She laughs. "Whatever works for you. Can I see? Madge is always going on about your artwork."
Reluctantly, I pass her the book like I did for Bristel. She takes it eagerly, like it's the most exciting thing she's seen her day. I realize it might be, if she's been staring at legal paperwork since last night.
"By the way," she says, turning a page, "where's Rye? He left before me. I figured he'd be here by now."
I pause, the sandwich halfway to my mouth. I hadn't talked to Rye in a week. "What?"
"Rye. Your brother."
"Leevy I don't know what you're talking about."
She shifts her gaze upward, looking at me skeptically. "He was at United just before. I saw him in the lobby and he said he was leaving to meet up with you."
"Why was he at United?"
Her answer is interrupted by Bristel calling across the café, telling her the coffee is ready. "I don't know," she says as she acknowledges Bristel, "I only talked to him for a few seconds. Sorry, I have to get back. I'll see you around, Peeta." She hurries off to collect the coffees, tapping the glass to alert her colleague.
I sit there frowning for a few seconds wondering why he would tell Leevy he was meeting with me. Realization then dawns upon me.
"Fucking hell." I groan as I pack up my stuff.
000
"I gave you a keycard for emergencies." I scold my brother. As expected, he sits splayed on the couch, tapping out a message on his phone.
"I thought you'd be home!" He defends himself. "By the way dude, you seriously need to go grocery shopping."
"So you can steal my food?"
"There wasn't anything to steal! All I could find was some old corn chips, an apple and some vegan chia pudding crap that I'm hoping to God is not yours." I roll my eyes even though I agree with him; that stuff is awful. "Where is Barbie anyway?"
I ignore the nickname he's given Madge, because despite two years of pleading, he still hasn't dropped it. "She's working. Why are you here? And why were you at United?"
He frowns. "How'd you know that?"
"I talked to Leevy." I say, plonking down on the couch next to my brother. Something pokes into my back. I reach between the couch cushions to pull out a nail file and something called cuticle oil. Sighing, I toss it onto the coffee table.
"Right. Well, we're donating baked goods to a charity event United is running. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. I got this, earlier this morning." He pulls an envelope from his shirt pocket and throws it onto my desk. "Sent to headquarters because it doesn't know where else to go."
"What is that?"
"A bad omen? It's addressed to you."
I take the offending envelope in my hands. It's unremarkable like any other. I recognize the writing, though, and the amount of stamps needed for it to get here. Meaning, it came from a State 4 prison from a woman I am content with never seeing again. Quickly, almost reflexively, I throw it onto a pile of junk mail on the coffee table. Rye doesn't look surprised that I didn't open it.
"I thought you'd do that. That's why I already opened it."
I throw him a dirty look. I snatch it back and notice that sure enough there's a small slit made by a letter opener on the side.
"And I'm guessing it's important which is why you're giving it to me in the first place rather than throwing it away. Correct?"
He nods stiffly, eyeing me warily. I can sense the big brotherly protectiveness radiate from him.
I sigh. "Just tell me."
"Now this is just according to her," he begins, his palms facing toward me, "there's no actual legal confirmation of this - "
"Rye."
"She says she's up for parole." He sighs. "Well, more specifically, that she's going to be granted parole."
"It's only been…" I count back in my head, "what, three years? That can't be right."
"Like I said, it's just what she's said I don't know if it's true."
"Why would she bother if it wasn't true?"
Rye grows quiet, confirming my suspicion. He looks at the floor, his right hand picking at his nail. "I guess we have less time than we thought." He finally says.
"This can't be right," I persist, "there must be some sort of legal loophole we can work with or something…"
"What can we do? Parole is parole."
I lean back against the leather couch, tipping my head back and closing my eyes.
I don't want to think about any of this. I haven't thought about her in so long. I thought we still had at least a few years left. They told me the sentence was 7 years. I never even considered parole.
It's silent for a while in the apartment. Rye stays next to me, uncharacteristically quiet. The letter sits on the coffee table. Even with my eyes closed I know it's there, invading the apartment. It's almost as if I can sense it. Eventually, the sensation becomes too much. I stand abruptly, crumpling the envelope in my hand. I stride toward the kitchen and jerk open the cupboard where the bin is. Once the paper is in the depths of the bin, I stand back and take a deep breath. I'm pretty sure Rye's watching me. Needing to do something, I open the fridge only to realize my brother is right. I really do have no food. I shake my head and grab the apple, leaving the chia pudding behind.
"It'll be okay." Rye's voice travels from the couch. I look back at my older brother and see concern take over his face. And suddenly I'm transported back to when we were small and living back at home. He'd look at me with a similar expression when I'd crawl into bed with a bruise on my face. He'd whisper the same thing into the darkness in a desperate attempt to be in control. When I was small, I'd cry at night. He'd crawl out of his bed and into mine and tell me this. When I got older I stopped crying, though the bruises worsened. He'd still say it though. Like a mantra.
He'd look at me like this when I'd accidently spill something, or burn the bread at the bakery. I'd see it on his face right before he'd try and take the fall. I also saw it the day he left for college. Our eldest brother was long gone and then it was Rye's turn. I knew he couldn't wait to leave but he hesitated when he looked at me. Almost as if he wouldn't go through with it. But I knew he had to. So instead I had pulled him into a hug and told him the only thing I could think of; "It'll be okay."
"Yeah," I agree, taking a bite of the apple. "She doesn't have anything to hold over our heads anymore."
He nods, though his expression is still pained. "Anyway, forget about that for now. How have you been?"
We chat about normal topics for a while, becoming relaxed again, bantering back and forth. That is, until he brings up the ring; another topic that's been paining me.
"You know you never even showed it to me. Aren't I meant to approve it or something?" He smirks.
I roll my eyes. "What are you, a girl?" He makes me get it anyway. A little reluctantly, I walk into my studio and open the bottom drawer of my desk. It sits right in the back, covered by old things from my college that I shoved in there long ago.
I place the box in his hands. Nestled inside, is a 3 carat cushion cut diamond in a platinum setting; which is the description the sales assistant told me. I had merely given her a bewildered look and handed her my credit card. Smaller diamonds border the large one and continue down the double band. It is a dramatic ring if you've ever seen one. Originally I had a much simpler and smaller design in my hand but Finnick had been quick to shut that down. Madge Undersee isn't understated. So instead I spent the hundred grand plucked easily from my trust fund and purchased the show-stopper.
He lets out a low whistle. "Jesus! How much did this cost?"
I bite my lip. "100 grand."
He freezes. "You spent 100,000 dollars on a ring!" He asks in disbelief.
"What else was I going to do with the money?" I exclaim, defensively. We both have more money in our trust funds than we ever need. "I had something simpler picked out but Finnick convinced me this was better for her."
"Well he got that right. It suits her. But 100 grand?" He groans. "I could buy a Lambo for that."
I roll my eyes. "And this is why you're not getting engaged. Besides, the Gallardo is double that."
He sticks out his tongue in a striking display of maturity. "So how are you going to pop the question?" He tilts the ring box from side to side, examining how the light hits the many diamonds.
"I…" I falter. "I have no idea." He raises an eyebrow. "It's not like I've had a lot of time to think about it. And everything I come up with just seems too…insignificant. It needs to be something amazing. I just don't know what."
It'd been bothering me for weeks. Every time I thought about it, I became desperate to speak to Finnick. He was just the right balance of romantic and crazy to pull off something elaborate for Madge. He'd know exactly what to do.
"Well," Rye snaps the ring box shut, "I'm sure it'll come to you. You'll probably get some sort of amazing epiphany or something." He extends his arm, handing the box back to me. "But I better go back. I've been here too long. Not that it really matters when I own part of the company." He mutters as he collects his things.
At the door he tells me he'll give me a call if anything else comes up with mom. He's about to go when he pauses and slowly turns back to me.
"I'm going back to United today." I frown wondering where he is going with this. He hesitates then speaks. "I could ask Katniss about mom. She knows the case better than anyone else." His words don't even make sense in my mind. "Look, I know you guys are on weird terms but I don't mind doing it. She's really the best one to ask about this – "
"Rye I don't understand what you're talking about. What do you mean ask Katniss?"
"She works at United with Leevy." He explains, his eyes narrowing slightly. "She looks a hell of a lot different by the way. Almost didn't recognize her –"
I shake my head again. "She lives in State 11."
He stops. "She really doesn't."
"Yes she does!" I insist, blatantly ignoring the fact I'm clearly wrong.
"Dude, I saw her about an hour ago." He juts his thumb back in the direction of the United building. "She and Leevy were doing a coffee run."
No, I think, she said she lived in 11. Didn't she? Maybe she's just visiting the office…I think back to Bristel's and the woman on the street on the phone. The new girl, Leevy had called her.
"Oh, fuck." I groan. I feel like slapping myself in the forehead. How had I missed this bit of crucial information? Had anyone even told me or was this just another 'small' detail I wasn't told about?
"I thought you guys figured stuff out." Rye asks tentatively, his efforts to leave my apartment are suddenly ceased.
"Well…she finally explained what happened. Though, she wasn't really all that conscious. But I thought she was going back to 11."
"What difference does it make?"
Because now I have to see her, I that shouldn't make a difference. We finally settled our past. We buried Finnick. She and I were over. It doesn't matter whether she is here or the other side of the country.
"You can't bury your past forever."
"That's not what I'm doing." I bite. He only raises an eyebrow at me. I sigh. "Don't worry about asking her. I'll figure it out."
000
I take the photo frame to Annie's house later that afternoon, catching a cab to the outskirts of the city. I try and put Rye's visit to the back of my mind but by the time I arrive I'm still tense. I fiddle with the frame in my hands the whole way up the garden path to her house.
But like I expect, and like everything Madge gifts, Annie loves it. She places it carefully above the fire place next to their wedding picture and one from college. She makes two cups of tea and we sit together on the couch, quietly chatting about our days. I study her as she speaks, making sure she's okay, being the least I can do for Finnick. She looks tired, but then again we all do. I offer to go to her next doctor's appointment with her if she doesn't want to go alone and she shoots me a grateful smile. Eventually, when she asks about me, I put all my effort into keeping the grimace from my face, trying not to dwell on my mother. I look at her, realizing she's probably the next best person, other than Katniss, to ask about this. But even so I don't want to put my problem onto her. Not yet, anyway. I decide I'll ask her another time and instead I skim over everything I learnt at my apartment.
I leave shortly after, noting that it's almost dinnertime, and formulating a plan in my head for when Madge gets home. As I walk out the front door of the town house, I take in her front garden, admiring the small shrubs and flowers. That's what I miss most living in the Victor's Village; the outdoors, the ability to crack a window open and breathe in fresh air. I wonder whether Madge will want to move when we're married. We could get a place like Annie's with a backyard for children to play in. Renovate it to make a studio for each of us. I smile inwardly to myself. We have a few years before that anyway.
I'm so transfixed in my own world, staring at the greenery, I don't look as I exit the front gate and smack directly into someone. A coffee cup and an iPhone fall to the ground, brown liquid spilling out onto the sidewalk. I hear the stutter of heels as the woman tries to right herself. Quickly, I snatch the phone from the ground, noticing to my relief, that the screen isn't cracked.
"I'm really sorry – " Looking up, I find Katniss staring at me in shock. It's like the day of the funeral all over again, only this time, I'm not expecting to see her. Rye's words echo again in my head.
She recovers first. "Don't worry about it." She says with a quick smile that I can tell isn't genuine. She reaches for the sticky phone in my hand.
"Katniss – "
"Relax, it's fine." She says, grimacing slightly as she touches her phone. "I don't need any more caffeine today anyway."
It's a thin attempt at a joke and I suddenly feel bad knowing that she's probably stressed and sleep deprived. She goes to walk past me, down the path to Annie's house, when I call out to her again. She turns, her expression now a little pained.
"How are you?" I ask and I think the question surprises both of us. But looking at her now, I'm reminded of the storm in State 4 two weeks ago. The last time I saw her she was torn up and concussed. It was also the most vulnerable I'd ever seen her.
Her arm rises, swiping hair from her face and I notice faint marks on her arm from where the rocks tore her flesh.
"I'm good." She tells me. "I had to take a week off for the concussion but I'm good now." I stand there, hands in my pockets, nodding along, at a loss of what to say. She looks down at the ground briefly then meets my eyes and quietly says, "Thanks for taking care of me that night. I don't know what would have happened otherwise."
Her acknowledgment surprises me. I feel like I should be thanking her for braving the storm to get me. After all, we would've been safe in the house if it wasn't for me. Or I'd probably be dead at sea.
"Well, that's what we do. Protect each other."
She stares at me for a moment then smiles weakly. "How are you going, Peeta?"
I hesitate briefly. I can tell her the truth. But I feel like that somehow isn't fair. I already know she is pulling ridiculous hours at work I don't need to add my own legal issues onto her shoulders. Besides, she has no incentive to help me with them anymore. "Fine. It's been nice going back to normal."
"Yeah," she agrees quietly. "I'll let you go. I'm sure you want to get home. It was nice seeing you, Peeta."
I watch her walk to Annie's house, though she doesn't glance back. I wonder whether this is what it'll be like for us now; stiff and awkward encounters. Sighing, I walk to the main road and hail a cab back home.
000
Light music escapes the apartment as I open the door, flowing gently out into the hall. Madge sits contorted into a small ball on an armchair, flicking through photos on her camera, unaware I've come home. I watch her for a minute, a small content smile on my face.
I had a thought, dear
However scary
About that night
The bugs and the dirt
Why were you digging?
What did you bury
Before those hands pulled me
From the earth?
I will not ask you where you came from
I will not ask and neither should you
Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips
We should just kiss like real people do
"Hey." She looks up, her usual grin plastered onto her face. "Did you give Annie the picture?"
"Yeah," I smile, "she loved it. Thank you." I walk forward and throw my bag down on a chair.
"How was your day?" She asks, her full attention now on me. I look at her, the sparkle of a smile always in her eyes and the words get stuck in my throat. We'd never really spoken of my mother. Or Katniss for that matter. We had that brief, awkward conversation when we first started dating and then the topics never really came up again. And it isn't until recently that I've actually heard anything from either Katniss or my mother. Bringing it all of it up now just seems…unnecessary. And tiring. I'll tell her about my mother when it's confirmed, I decide. There's no point ruining the moment for now. Though, somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder whether she knew Katniss worked here. I mean, surey Leevy would have brought it up?
"Fine." I smile, spreading out on the couch. "I had a good day." She crawls from the armchair, over the end of the couch and curls up next to me pulling a colorful knitted blanket from Nepal with her. I kiss her gently and we launch into a conversation, swapping stories from today. Soon I forget anything to do with State 4, Katniss or my mother and I feel myself relax again.
Eventually I ask her what she wants for dinner, planning on walking down to the supermarket with her and actually utilizing our kitchen like she suggested this morning. Only when I ask, I see her expression retract a little and I know what's about to come.
"I ran into Thom and his wife today and they wanted to catch up with us before they leave the Capitol tomorrow." She explains apologetically. "And I told them we were free tonight."
"I thought you didn't really like hanging out with her."
"No, she's fine." She says diplomatically. "And dad wants to keep good relations with their family."
Ah, there it is. There is always a reason. The Undersee's lives are a game of chess and everyone is a player whether they know it or not. Madge grew up in the middle of the corporate web. Her whole life has been finding the perfect balance between personal and business relationships.
"I suggested Maha because I know it's your favourite. It'll just be a couple of hours. We can get the quick menu."
"Relax, it's fine." I place a kiss on her temple. I notice for the first time her hair is already done; it hangs sleek and straight, just hitting her collarbone, half of it tied up in an ornate hairclip. "We'll eat in another night."
She leans her chin on my chest and looks up at me. "How about we bring dessert back here?"
"Perfect." I put my lips on her lips then lift both of us up, placing her on her feet. "Come on, we better get ready."
000
A/N: So it's still April, right?!
The song is Like Real People Do by Hozier
Everything in the Capitol is based on places in Melbourne, my home city! The specs of Peeta's building are based on the Eureka Tower, Station St is a wonderful little café and Maha is an upmarket Middle Eastern restaurant.
I get asked a lot about updates so I'll address it here. I'm in my final year of university at the moment and I'm also working so I don't have a lot of time on my hands. I can't commit to an update schedule but I will try and get the chapters out as fast as I can! I'd rather update quality not quantity so there may be long gaps between chapters. Sorry! But because I feel bad I've uploaded an excerpt from chapter 8 :)