We ride to Victor's Village in a car that's nicer than any I ever imagined existed in District 12. Peeta scrolls through documents on his tablet, occasionally nudging me to look at this or that.
When we arrive, Peeta immediately goes to embrace Reyna, who is looking surprisingly jocular considering the circumstances. Come to think of it, Gale doesn't look half bad, either. There's a half-empty bottle of whisky on the table next to them.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Peeta says earnestly to Reyna. They break away, and he's looking her up and down like he's trying to determine whether or not what he's seeing is real. Reyna, his best friend, dressed like a girl from the Seam.
"No. Peeta, no. You did exactly right. No sense in wasting political capital on me. Besides, Gale is the best! I mean, I wasn't going to wind up with some Capitol snob, even before all this." Reyna says. I can't tell if this is really Reyna talking or just the alcohol.
Peeta nods and moves to shake Gale's hand. "So I assume you'll be taking the job offer?"
"Reyna mentioned something about it before," Gale responds.
"Regardless, my chief of staff, Plutarch Heavensbee, has looked into you and Reyna's situation and is standing by to brief us," Peeta says.
"Portia, how are we coming on the set-up?" He asks, calling over to Portia in the dining room.
"Almost ready, Peeta." She replies.
We all migrate into the dining room, and our group now includes Prim and my mother, who has set out some food for everyone. I sit down between Prim and Peeta as the projector in the center of the table fires up.
The face of Plutarch Heavensbee appears. He spends the next twenty minutes explaining, presumably for Portia, Reyna, and Peeta's sake, what the rest of us already know about marriage in District 12. Once married, a woman comes under the authority of her husband, who is 'head of household,' and all of her property, money, and other such things are transferred to him. Plutarch calls it 'coverture' and makes a quip about Reyna now being Gale's property, much to the chagrin of everyone in the room.
This is partially why my grandparents were aghast when my mother began seeing my father. They couldn't imagine handing over the Apothecary to Seam boy, even if it would have ultimately benefited their daughter.
Divorce also isn't possible in District 12, which I was aware of, but interestingly, Plutarch explains that even if Reyna and Gale were to move away from District 12, say to the Capitol on account of Gale being offered a job by Peeta, they would still need to file for divorce in District 12, where divorce is illegal. Plutarch also notes that Reyna was stripped of her Capitol citizenship.
Reyna sits silently, taking in all of this information. Peeta thanked Plutarch, telling him to begin prepping materials for our visit to District 11.
"District Eleven?" Gale asks, "Who's going to Eleven?"
"Katniss and I, plus some staff and advisors. President's orders." Peeta replies. "You're welcome to come too." He smiles his trademark winning smile.
"About that," Gale begins.
"Look," Peeta begins, "it's a senior advisory role. You'd get Capitol citizenship, a generous salary, enough to feed your family and then some, and we'd even cover some of your moving and living expenses."
"If this is just some ploy to make yourself look better to folks in the Districts, I want no part of it." Gale replies.
"Gale, I need you or someone like you. You understand the reality of living and working here and in similar places in ways I and the rest of my team don't."
"He's genuine, Gale," Reyna says.
Gale throws his hands up in mock frustration, "Fine."
Peeta smiles. "Alright, Plutarch will get the papers for you to sign together. Meet me at the Justice Building tomorrow at nine. Portia will call and tell the mines about your new position. You too, Reyna."
Gale nods, standing up from his chair, and extends his hand to Reyna, who accepts it with a strained smile. They bid everyone goodnight and, with a look from Gale that I find hard to interpret—full of gratitude, acceptance, and maybe a touch of anxiety—they leave.
Prim and my mother also rise, Prim yawning widely and my mother appearing more worn out than I've seen her in some time. "We should head to bed," she murmurs, and Prim nods in agreement. I watch them depart, a twinge of nostalgia hitting me as I remember how life used to be when it was just us three in our humble Seam house.
Peeta turns to me, his eyes questioning. "You should get some sleep, too, Katniss," he suggests.
"I will," I promise him. But there's a hint of hesitation in my voice. The idea of being alone, of falling asleep with nothing but my thoughts for company, is daunting. I've grown used to having Peeta beside me, his warmth, his comforting silence, in such a short span of time. "Would you... stay with me, Peeta?"
His smile broadens as he gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Of course, Katniss, he says, "Always."
We leave the dining room, heading up the stairs to my room, the master bedroom. It feels odd taking Peeta to my room, but there's a strange comfort in it too. Peeta settles on one side of the bed, resting his back on a pillow.
I slide in next to him, my head finding its place on his shoulder as he drapes an arm around me. We stay like that, in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the faint hum of the house and the distant noises of District 12.
As I drift off to sleep, my ear against his chest, it's Peeta's steady heartbeat that lulls me into a peaceful slumber. Safe and sound, I find comfort in his presence.