Chapter 19: Preparation
Katniss had organized to go into the Capitol to meet Effie so they could shop for her wedding dress. Effie knew all the best stores. It would be Katniss' choice, of course, unlike the last time. This is what Effie was made for and she was so excited. She had gone to District 12 to visit after Primrose was born and couldn't believe how motherhood suited Katniss. It was like she was meant for it. So different from the stubborn, defiant girl who had volunteered for the first Hunger Games.
Katniss had decided that Prim was too young to travel with her all the way to the Capitol. It would be hard to shop with a baby in your arms. So she decided that she would ask her mother to come up and help Peeta out, as he still needed to do his work in the bakery. Of course Katniss mother was delighted to be given the opportunity to look after little Prim. She had not been able to make it up as often as she would have liked with her commitments in District 4.
Katniss would travel down on Friday, shop with Effie on Saturday and then return on Sunday. She had not been back to the Capitol since shooting the Propos, but knew she could not avoid it forever. This time Katniss wasn't sick on the train and she wondered how everything had happened so quickly for her and Peeta the first time. It had been a surprise to everyone. Neither of them had any regrets. Prim was beautiful and they wouldn't be without her. Still, Katniss thought about what else the future might hold. If they had one baby, then they could have more and she would dearly love a little boy, too.
Arriving in the Capitol, Katniss sees Effie waving to her as the train pulls in. There are a lot of people at the Capitol station and they have to push their way through the crowds to get out. Effie wants to take Katniss for a bite to eat first. The food on the train is terrible these days and she knows Katniss loves the Capitol food. They head down some spacious streets looking for a place to stop and Katniss is taking it all in. The last time they had been in the Capitol they not been allowed out, for security reasons, and prior to the Games they were always confined to the Tribute Centre. This was the closest Katniss had actually been to the real heart of the Capitol.
There were a mixture of people in the streets. Some still "parading" with their outlandish styles, wigs and makeup. For these people not much had changed since the overthrow of Snow. There would always be the haves and have nots…..even in the New Panem. Then there were the more ordinary types, less flamboyant, but obviously not labourers of any kind. They would be the people working in trade, finance, offices. At least they had a job, thought Katniss. Finally, there were the beggars. The people who had come into the Capitol to find work and, unfortunately, had managed to find none. They weren't looking for anything fancy, just a chance to make the money needed to feed their families. Not all the districts had fared so well after the Rebellion.
District 12 had become a hub for the production of medicines. The coal mines were no longer in existence since the destruction of 12 and people had to find a new way to thrive. Well, you could hardly have called it thriving at the time of their first Games. People were barely surviving. Katniss starts to feel herself becoming angry at the thought of all the hardship her people, and her family, had endured. She was glad things had changed, just sorry it had cost so much.
Effie finally locates a Restaurant she thinks will have some of Katniss favourites and they sit down to eat. Katniss will enjoy the Capitol food this time around.
"You look so well, Katniss" says Effie. "Motherhood suits you".
"Could you ever have imagined me as a mother? I know, I couldn't!" says Katniss.
"Well, to be honest Katniss, I never thought you would be fortunate enough to survive the Games. Peeta either" says Effie, becoming a little bit teary. Katniss remembers how emotional Effie had become seeing them both off to the last Games. She really was quite attached to them.
"It was meant to be, Effie. Prim proves that, and Peeta and I are so happy now" Katniss says with a smile and appreciation.
"I'm so glad" Effie says, taking Katniss' hand across the table. She really is a romantic and Katniss wonders how she and Haymitch will hit it off at the wedding. Katniss is pretty sure Haymitch has a soft spot for Effie and he has softened up even more since Primrose was born. Maybe Haymitch will take one for the team this time, Katniss thinks. For now, she and Effie discuss dresses and enjoy one of the best meals Katniss has had in ages. She really has to do this again, only next time with Prim and Peeta. A family outing for the three of them. That would be nice.